Moon Knight Episode 3 Explained

 

Moon Knight Episode 3 “The Friendly Type” takes the viewer on an action packed adventure to Egypt that unravels like a thrilling Indiana Jones film. Suspense, romance, key character details, and a relentless battle over historic artifacts all set the stage for Khonshu's imprisonment. But first the big question: What are the inadvertent clues that suggest the third man of the Moon Knight persona, Jake Lockley is about to be revealed? What if I told you there has been a breadcrumb trail leading to Jake Lockley since episode 1? 

    Episode 3 presents Marc Spector jumping through the rooftops of Cairo, Egypt. This is the first episode in which he is wearing a hat, an accessory that is a symbol of the Jake Lockley visage. He stumbles upon thugs who have just killed another man and states, "You killed that guy? I've got to talk to him about a dig site."  Marc Spector hesitates and stumbles to fight when the thugs come after him. Steven Grant tries to calm him down and prevent him from doing something rash. However, the perplexity in his actions could have been triggered by the unidentified presence of the Jake Lockley persona. Moon Knight's fighting skills are not as sharp throughout the episode. His coordination is off and a lot of times his course of action is convoluted. The shift between the three personalities seems involuntary as opposed to the early comics where Marc Spector was more in control. The constant personality leap affects Marc's ability to focus on the target. Also, the way this scene unwinds is reminiscent of episode 1 right before Marc Spector fully comes forward. It seems like Marc is trying to gather information but this trait is not consistent with his character which could be a hint to Jake Lockley.

For instance, Jake is the NYC cab driver who gathers information on a street level, making his debut in Marvel Spotlight #28 (1976) written by Doug Moench with art by Don Perlin. It could be possible Jake Lockley was trying to gain intelligence regarding their current mission. All of a sudden, Marc starts blacking out and having flashes like he did in episode 1. Marc stabs one of the thugs and Steven Grant reprimands him. Nevertheless, Marc says he did not stab the collapsed man and Steven refuses to take any of the credit. As the slaughter ensues, Marc continues to have blackouts and then reappears inside a cab on the way to the airport. The cab is another crucial detail since it echoes the profession of Jake Lockley, evident in the 1980 Moon Knight comic book run written by Doug Moench with illustrations by Bill Sienkiewicz. If this is in fact Jake Lockley, he is much more violent than the gentle guy from the early comics who helped old ladies. Marvel Studios did change Steven Grant from being a millionaire playboy to a meek museum shop employee so a ruthless Jake Lockley is still a worthy candidate for the third man. Specially, if one considers a character that has been present since episode 1 "the golden man," confirmed to be informant Bertrand Crawley (Shaun Scott). The ongoing Moon Knight narrative from 1980 illustrates Jake Lockley and Bertrand Crawley working together as they gather information in New York.

Bertrand is a homeless man with a tragic past and Jake sympathizes with him. Eventually he reveals the Moon Knight identity to him. In the first episode, Steven Grant is seen talking to Crawley about a date with a coworker named Dylan (Saffron Hocking). Steven says he had no idea he had asked her out and misses the date altogether. Initially, it seems like Marc Spector is responsible for it but he is married to Layla. To make matters worse, Marc Spector shows no interest in being in a relationship with Layla, which becomes painfully obvious in episode 3. 

    Layla gets a fake passport and risks her life to help Marc although he keeps her out of the loop. Apparently Layla's profession includes taking stolen antiques off the black market, earning her a reputation. As a result, she knows exactly where the Sarcophagus of Senfu is which will be their next clue towards finding Ammit's tomb. The sarcophagus is in possession of her "friend" Anton Mogart aka Midnight Man, played by late actor Gaspard Ulliel. He is an antiques dealer and collector, making his first appearance in Moon Knight #3 (1981). This is clearly not the first time Layla and Marc retrieve a stolen artifact, yet he seems out of his element. He cannot decode any of the inscriptions on the sarcophagus and Layla keeps telling Marc to let Steven help. She can distinguish literature on the sarcophagus to guide the dead except an actual location. Khonshu warns Marc if he lets Steven take over he will not return the body. Ultimately, Marc has no choice and decides to let Steven come forward. Layla seems absolutely intrigued by the naive Steven Grant. Notably, Steven's flat is 20 minutes from Layla and Marc's old place and they both are victims of Marc's agenda with Khonshu. Steven is an intellectual like her and responds to her charm. For example, Steven ingeniously puts the star map together indicating Egyptians invented navigation by utilizing the stars and the sun. When the cloth pieces are placed together it forms a constellation. Steven mentions the star map would not match the present sky because over the past 2,000 years the stars have drifted. Khonshu shifts the stars to that day so Layla can obtain coordinates of the location. Steven uses his strength to help Khonshu create a phenomenon in the sky against the command of the gods. With much effort, Khonshu and Steven find the coordinates of Ammit's tomb until his final moments of freedom.     

 Khonshu tells Steven, "When the gods imprison me, tell Marc to free me." Once Khonshu is imprisoned in stone, Steven's energy is drained and he collapses. On the surface it seems like Khonshu is taking over the body of Marc Spector. Steven tells Marc to "stop listening to the pigeon," since his ideas seem to cause trouble. In addition, Arthur Harrow is looking to expose Khonshu as a bully who preys on those who have a weak and troubled mind. Harrow has his own purpose for finding Ammit's tomb by using the stolen scarab. Khonshu had previously been looking for Ammit's tomb with Harrow as his avatar and later became a banished god. There is much shame Khonshu is forced to overcome when he faces the gods. He gets their attention by manipulating the sky in an effort to arrange a hearing against Harrow inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. Unfortunately, the verdict is not in his favor. Harrow manages to demonize Khonshu against the gods and miserably loses his temper. When Khonshu speaks through the body of his avatar he is irate and attempts to use violence in front of the gods. Moreover, he is approached before and after the hearing by the avatar of Hathor and she is surprised Khonshu never mentioned her. There are many elements of Khonshu that have yet to be elucidated. In Moon Knight #1 (1980) Khonshu resurrects Marc and bestows the Moon Knight armor upon him still, in the show his domain over him is more of a curse. Marc is fulfilling Khonshu's instructions after being threatened by him. Also, Khonshu does not always guide Marc in the right direction, something Steven quickly catches on to. In the Moon Knight (2021) narrative Dr. Sterman, a therapist appointed by the Avengers reveals, "Your D.I.D. we can treat. But you've been in brain-to-brain contact with a God, Marc- However we define 'God.' M.R.I. and M.E.G. scans show that your brain structure has been fundamentally changed by that." This connection goes beyond dissociative identity disorder (D.I.D.) because these personas are attached to a body that is deeply damaged. In modern age comics, Avengers #33 (2018) marks the beginning of "The Age of Khonshu" in which Khonshu sends Mark on a dark path against The Avengers. Although the Moon Knight armor assists Marc, every encounter with Khonshu takes a great toll in his mental state. Khonshu is known to be "The God Of Vengeance" so episode 3 is certainly not the last of him.