Moon Knight Episode 4 “The Tomb” Review - Uncharted Meets Tomb Raider in This Superb Episode

If you haven’t read my coverage of Moon Knight thus far, click here to read my critique of the series, plus all previous coverage.

This week, we pick up from where we left off last week. To do so, I’ll need to discuss the ramifications of the conclusion of last week’s episode, so scroll down until you see the names Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Alex Meenehan, Peter Cameron, or Sabir Pirzada if you don’t want to read spoilers. Are you still reading? Awesome! So, at the conclusion of the previous episode, Khonshu was imprisoned in an ushabti by The Ennead after he rolled back the night sky thousands of years after being explicitly warned against doing so. As a result, Marc and Steven are without the powers of Khonshu’s ceremonial armor to protect themselves from harm.

This context puts this week’s episode in the same wheelhouse Aaron Moorhead & Justin Benson were so good at with episode 2: the central idea of consequences and what that looks like. Steven has to deal with the consequences of what lurks inside the tomb, Marc deals with vulnerability, and Layla deals with a mystery. 

Oh, what’s that? You’re asking about Arthur Harrow’s consequences? He doesn’t have any - not yet. I’ve got a theory about his consequences, but I’ll leave that discussion for later in the series.

Another highlight of the direction by Moorhead & Benson is how they further the adventurous vibes Mohamed Diab introduced last week. Whereas there was more of an Indiana Jones vibe to that episode, this episode takes on much more of a tone of Uncharted mixed with Tomb Raider. The direction is more Uncharted when we see Steven & Layla exploring the tomb (especially in one segment where Layla is shimmying across gaps) and more Tomb Raider when Steven and Layla meet some unwelcome visitors. This new tweak to how the series explores mythology and archaeology is truly fascinating, and I hope that this aspect isn’t left in the sands of the Egyptian desert as the series races to its conclusion.

Backing up the wonderful direction is the equally excellent writing by Alex Meenehan, Peter Cameron & Sabir Pirzada. The three writers insert these little scenes like Steven explaining the solution to a puzzle in a way that makes sense to the audience. Another highlight of their writing is in Arthur Harrow. While he’s not in much of the episode, he makes his presence known through the mind games he continues to play and his socioreligious speeches.

As one can expect, the cast does a stellar job as well. This week, the spotlight lies on May Calamawy and Ethan Hawke’s performances as Layla and Arthur Harrow, respectively. Calamawy’s performance is much more involved in this episode, revealing an unexpected side to her that I loved, even though this side (which I won’t spoil) is rooted in the stereotype of a woman having a “rough exterior”. Hawke’s performance was much more nuanced, allowing for more moments where his character, Arthur Harrow, can be seen as more human, even though the reasons he does what he does are flawed.

All in all, the fourth episode of Moon Knight is a wonderful entry into the series, and i can’t wait to see what happens next (especially given that ending!)

★★★★★

The fourth episode of Moon Knight is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.

Until next time!

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