The Marvel TV Universe has waxed and waned off late, delivering the astronomical highs of the groundbreaking "Wanda Vision" and the ingenious "Loki" while suffering from mediocrity in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" to downright going right into the dumps with "Hawkeye". Thankfully Oscar Isaacs's "Moon Knight" sees the universe find its stride again with a ground-level psychological thriller that stays true to the Egyptian mythology the core story is based in while delivering Fincher-esque character portrayals and spine-tingling action.

In a story arc that closely follows the comics, we follow the journey of mild-mannered Museum gift-shop clerk Steven (Oscar Isaac) who suffers from regular hallucinations and cannot discern between his waking moments and dreams. As we head deeper into the storyline, we discover that he suffers from dissociative identity disorder, with his body harbouring an alter-ego in the American mercenary "Marc Spector" as well as the avatar of the Egyptian God of the Moon (Khonsu) who moonlights as the vengeful vigilante the "Moon Knight".

Only a handful of actors have gotten the chance of playing multiple characters in the MCU and most of them have made full use of their second attempts. Be it Chris Evans (initially the Human Torch in "Fantastic Four (2005)") as Captain America or Michael B Jordan (originally the Human Torch in "Fantastic Four (the 2015 reboot)") as Erik Killmonger in "Black Panther (2018)" to most memorably, Ryan Reynolds (originally a tamer, underwritten version of Deadpool in "X Men Origins: Wolvering (2009)") as the reimagined foul-mouthed, R-rated "Deadpool", these actors who got another chance in the Marvel pantheon have made the most of it. And Oscar Isaac makes a worthy addition to this prodigious list, with a dazzling display of acting range that more than makes up for his disastrous original MCU foray as the caricaturish antagonist "Apocalypse" in the ill-fated "X Men: Apocalypse (2016)".

Showrunner Mohamed Diab ensured comic-book accuracy while never compromising on narrative zing, weaving a meandering tale of psychological angst, deep-rooted childhood trauma and international intrigue as the episodes move forward at breakneck speed. While the constant switching between Oscar Isaac's multiple personalities is initially jarring, it presents a jigsaw-puzzle like storytelling structure that ensures the audience is constantly engaged in trying to piece together what happened. The Golden Globe-nominated actor proves that he is an absolute chameleon, effortlessly shifting from one personality to another, with not just the accents but the intonations, mannerisms and body language different for each one.

May Calamawy is fierce and flamboyant as "Layla", Marc's love interest while Ethan Hawke expectedly dominates every scene he is in as the villainous "Arthur Harrow". F. Murray Abraham's mesmeric baritone and witty banter adds layers to the personality of the scheming Egyptian God "Khonsu" Anatolia Salib is a hoot as the voice of the bungling Goddess "Tawaret". Hesham Nazih's haunting background score adds layers of mysticism and gravitas to the narrative and what the "Moon Knight" might lack in sheer scale is more than made up for by the performances on display.

"Moon Knight" is an eye-catchy entrant to the new darker, broodier and more horror-themed section of Marvel's Phase 4, sure to be accentuated further by the upcoming feature film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" as well as the eagerly anticipated reboot of the "Blade" franchise which will star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali in the lead role. With a massive sting in the tail towards the end of the finale episode, the makers leave you in a state of shock and confusion and a deep yearning for Season 2. Cannot wait!