Moon Knight Episode 3 Review: The Friendly Type excels when it slows down

The Friendly Type is the densest episode of Moon Knight.

A lot of shows would falter under the weight of this much story. With The Friendly Type, it’s actually the slow, expository scenes that shine brightest. When the camera moves, that’s when the series struggles to maintain momentum in a confident manner.

The performances by Oscar Isaac, May Calamawy and Ethan Hawke are the strongest elements of The Friendly Type. The show dives deep into the role of Egyptian gods in the MCU. Their hands-off approach is similar to the Eternals. Khonshu’s extravagant actions violate their clandestine wishes.

The action sequences are still lacking the brutality of a Batman or Daredevil. This is the level of violence Moon Knight is trying to reach but falls just short of.

Isaac is doing a great job. The reappearance of his Apacalpyse voice from X-Men: Apocalypse did take me out of the scene with the gods at first. However, the trial of Arthur Harrow and the interactions among the gods was so strong they quickly brought me back into the episode.

I’m also starting to worry about the characterization of Marc Spector. The dichotomy between Marc and Steven Grant is great. The lack of background info on Marc Spector is making him tough to root for, apart from just feeling bad due to the sheer number of personalities in his head. I understand why Bruce Wayne became Batman. Parents murdered right in front of him.

I don’t know why Marc became a mercenary, nor do I know why Steven is so well educated on Egypt. There’s still time, but it’s an issue for me to stay invested in the human conflict as opposed to the more interesting struggle among the gods.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in The Friendly Type. There may be some minor spoilers. Moon Knight is available to stream on Disney Plus.

If you like the content on The Intersection and have the means, a donation is much appreciated. The Intersection will never have ads on the website. In order to expand coverage to golden-era tv shows and add new features, we need your help. You can provide a one-time donation via PayPal or Stripe below.

Are these The Friendly Type of gods?

The Friendly Type begins with Marc chasing down Harrow’s converts over the rooftops in Egypt. The sequence features some truly awful CGI and cartoonishly over-the-top bad guys. One even licks his blade right before Marc punches him. Marc is unable to convince one of Harrow’s followers to give up Harrow’s location or Ammit’s tomb. Khonshu decides to draw the attention of the gods by changing the hue of the sky.

During the trial, some information about the gods is revealed. Most importantly, they’ve chosen to stay invisible from humanity, which is similar to the Eternals. Khonshu repeatedly violated their hands-off policy. They give him one last warning.

The trial is designed to stop Harrow. Once Harrow arrives, the trial turns on its head. Khonshu and Marc by proxy are put under the spotlight. Harrow is a great villain. Nothing Harrow says is untrue. It’s what he isn’t saying that’s false. He points out how Khonshu used Marc’s multiple personalities to his advantage.

The only issue with the sequence is the gods simply go along with Harrow’s story. They don’t really question Harrow at all. They simply turn their eyes to Marc and Khonshu’s extravagant nature.

Steven and Marc

Marc and Steven bicker like a married couple frequently throughout The Friendly Type. They also reluctantly work together in their quest to protect Layla and complete Khonshu’s mission.

When the fight scenes get to be too much for Steven, he swaps in for Marc. On the other, Steven is easily overwhelmed in fights. Steven will tag in Marc during those skirmishes. Marc has almost no knowledge of Egyptian history, but Steven does. Marc’s only able to figure out Ammit’s coordinates after he gives up his full control to Steven.

The switching between characters is a great acting showcase for Isacc. However, Marc’s backstory still hasn’t been established at all. Steven is simply too meek to be interesting for long stretches. Instead of having two strong characters being played by one great actor, Moon Knight has one great actor playing two sides of an unbalanced coin. Neither Steven nor Marc really benefits. Based on the heavy foreshadowing in this episode, there’s probably another personality as well.

Layla’s Return to Egypt

Calamawy continues to be smart, loyal and badass as Layla. In spite of the lies Steven has told her, she still shows up in Egypt to help Marc.

Khonshu didn’t cause Marc multiple personalities. He already had the disorder when he married Layla. Marc was able to keep Steven at bay until recent events. He doesn’t imply what the events were, but based on Harrow’s remarks, it seems likely Marc killed Layla’s father.

Marc does apologize for ditching her without warning, but doesn’t really offer much of an explanation, nor does he mention why he took Khonshu’s deal. Layla takes Marc to make a deal with an old contact. The deal goes sideways once Harrow shows up. Layla and Marc as Moon Knight are able to overcome the large numbers. Steven even made an appearance as Mr. Knight by trying to call timeout. It didn’t work out too well.

The fight choreography just isn’t measuring up to standards set by Hawkeye, recent MCU movies like Shang-Chi or the Netflix series like Daredevil. Simple things like Moon Knight’s kicks not connecting with a villain’s chest exemplify the lack of detail shown in the fight scenes. Moon Knight is at his most imposing when he isn’t moving and that shouldn’t be the case.

Final Thoughs on The Friendly Type

Moon Knight continues to keep its head above water thanks to the performances and some interesting mythology story beats. Unfortunately, the directing and lack of character development for Marc and Steven continues to be a sore spot.