The Moon Knight Episode 2 Scene That Went Too Far

Warning: this article contains spoilers for "Moon Knight" Episode 2.

Hard as it may be to fathom in a show detailing the adventures of a superhero with DID (dissociative identity disorder) and an Egyptian god as their boss, the second episode of "Moon Knight" has a moment that feels a little out of place, and not very realistic. Incredibly, it isn't in Marc Spector's (Oscar Isaac) tough love talk with Khonshu or Steven's showdown with an invisible monster. It's around the halfway mark in the episode following the introduction of an all-new essential character in the show.

Following the revelation of encountering "a little American man who lives inside his head," this week's new episode sees Steven slowly start to learn more about the other occupant who shares his body and the life he seemingly has before the gift shop. Besides a literal container of secrets about this mercenary in his mind, Steven also discovers that Marc is married, thanks to an abrupt introduction with his alter's wife, Layla (May Calamawy). 

Naturally, an awkward conversation unfolds as Marc's old flame urges Steven to drop the act, refusing to accept that the man she's speaking to is someone completely different. Here, Steven's reaction to this strange new woman entering his life ventures into a somewhat unrealistic territory and paints Steven as even more of an oddball than we initially think him to be.

Following his scooter-based catch-up with Marc's wife, Steven brings Layla back to his apartment, where she tours the place and sees hints of the man she thought she knew. At the same time, Steven is learning just as much about her, as she throws tiny morsels of Marc's past out that leave one of our heroes even more confused than before. However, the biggest shock to Steven is that Layla has arrived with divorce papers for her ex-husband. "It's what you wanted, right?" Layla asks, thinking it's Marc she's still yelling at. Instead, Steven is baffled at the news, responding with "I'd never divorce you." Wait, what?

While it might be a line that the scene swiftly passes over, it's a weird statement to make, even for Steven. Our mild-mannered museum worker spends no more than an hour with this woman who hands him divorce papers, yet he's confident that it's the wrong decision. Something about Layla, this understandably aggressive, angry woman he's never met with links to Marc's checkered past, somehow screams marriage material in his eyes. It might all be a bit much for Steven to process, but an outburst like this just doesn't make sense. If anything, it feels like a forced attempt to take the story in a direction it hasn't entirely earned yet, but one you can see a mile off.

It's clear that Marvel's latest effort is undeniably spinning a lot more stranger plates than other movies or shows have done in the franchise's past. In this smorgasbord of ancient Egyptian mythology and multiple personalities fighting over a superhero's body, the occasional sacrifice for certain story elements is inevitable. It feels like this illogical line from Steven is one such dent, trying to rush along setting up a very unorthodox love triangle in the new Disney+ show.

Steven's refusal to accept that he (or Marc) would consider divorcing Layla, regardless of how long he's known her, suggests an attraction. Doing so assures that this will most likely be explored as the series progresses, setting up a bizarre love triangle with two parties involved in the same body. Hopefully, it'll be handled with a little more care in future episodes and something we might see more of when "Moon Knight" returns to Disney+ next week.