Disney Plus Moon Knight season 1, episode 5 recap: Asylum

As Moon Knight moves into the fifth episode of the series, audiences now have long-awaited answers to several questions. “Asylum” takes us into Marc Spector’s childhood and the events that lead him to become Khonshu’s warrior, Moon Knight.

But as you may have suspected the past is hard to confront, especially when it’s full of pain. Get your tissues ready because you are going to need them.

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5 recap – Marc’s Past

After Marc and Steven meet the Egyptian goddess Taweret, we return to the office of Dr. Harrow. Marc’s bloodied face and tired demeanor reveals that he’s been fighting the help he desperately needs.

Marc, still untrusting of Dr. Harrow starts to become violent again but thanks to a serum, he’s knocked unconscious, and we return to where episode 4 left off. Taweret is there to guide Marc and Steven on their journey to the afterlife as they are unfortunately dead.

As per Ancient Egyptian tradition, while other organs are removed from the body, the heart remains. The heart is weighed; if it’s deemed heavier than the feather they would disappear and have a nonexistent afterlife.

If the heart is lighter they go to The Field of Reeds. This would all be fine if the scale would balance.

Marc and Steven have a limited amount of time to figure out how to balance the scale. What ensues is the two of them looking back at their rather unpleasant memories.

After Marc and Steven move through a room of the dead bodies Marc was ordered to kill by Khonshu, they spot a little boy. Steven chases after him learning that he had a little brother who drowned when the two of them went to explore a cave in the rain.

What makes the tragedy worse is that his mother never forgave him and blamed him for his brother’s death. This constant abuse from his mother which often turned violent is what causes Marc to leave home and begin a life that would lead him to mercenary work.

As we recall, Marc did not kill the archaeologists. He and his partner were to raid an Egpytian tomb but in the process Marc’s partner tries to kill him.

As he lay dying at the feet of an Khonshu statue, the Egyptian God offers to spare him as long as he becomes his Moon Knight. As difficult as they memories tend to be for Marc there is one that troubles him the most.

As Steven follows his childlike self throughout his childhood home, passing through several memories including birthdays celebrated with him and his father, there is one memory Marc refuses to allow him to see. Marc’s refusal is so strong he freaks out and awakens back in Dr. Harrow’s office.

Dr. Harrow explains that he’s been making progress and hopes that he will allow Steven to know the truth. The truth however becomes more than Steven can bear himself.

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5 recap – The Origins of Steven Grant

One fateful day Marc locked himself inside his bedroom as his enraged mother tries to break in. The moment is too much for Marc to handle and suddenly Steven takes over.

Complete with an innocent demeanor and British accent he begins to clean the room, oblivious to the fact his mother is about to beat him with a belt. This revelation causes Steven to go on a tailspin, shocked to learn that he was not the original person, Marc always was.

Steven’s origins were from a film he and his brother enjoyed where the main character is Dr. Steven Grant. But that wasn’t the worst of it.

His mother is dead. Marc was unable to attend his mother’s funeral and in his pain Steven took over once more, calling his mother, unaware of where he even was.

When she died, Marc started losing control more frequently which enabled Steven more control of the body they shared. Steven’s refusal to accept his mother’s death somehow returns him to Dr. Harrow’s office.

Dr. Harrow is surprised but happy to see him again, claiming it had been awhile. Steven tries to accept his mother’s death and his role which you would think means the scale will finally balance.

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5 recap – The Scale Balances

The scale is nearly balanced but something else is going wrong. Taweret notices people are dying at an alarming rate which could only mean Harrow is behind this.

Marc and Steven need to return home to stop him however they are still dead. Their only option is to free Khonshu.

Taweret agrees to help and turns the boat around as those Marc killed board the ship to pull him off. Steven saves Marc but in the process falls off the boat and turns to stone.

The moment this happens the scale balances and Marc is sent to The Field of Reeds. The episode ends with him admiring his new paradise.

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 5 review

From the moment the episode opened I knew we’d be in for a rough ride. One of the more beautiful aspects of superhero characters is their relatability.

We might not be rich like Iron Man but we may have been at odds with our parents or family members. These family traumas, as heartbreaking as they are, creates the characters we watch and get to learn more about.

It reinforces that no one has a perfect life and that life isn’t fair. But it also teaches us that we can grow and move on from the pain.

Better days still wait for us in the future. As much as Marc blames himself for his brother’s death and hates the person he became, he still got to bond with another side of himself and met Layla.

Marc may view Steven as a burden and proof that he’s unwell but Steven is anything but that. Throughout the series the two have proven that by working together they can defeat Dr. Harrow.

Marc is the muscle and Steven is the brain. If they each didn’t allow the other control they wouldn’t have nearly made the progress they have.

With the series finale airing next week, I’m sure there things will wrap up in a thrilling, confusing, and satisfying way. Even if I do not want to the series to end.

By the way, we also believe Marc’s third personality revealed itself yet again in this episode. Did you spot him?

What did you think of Moon Knight season 1, episode 5? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Moon Knight Season 1 Episode 6 airs on May 4, 2022 on Disney Plus