DIRECTOR'S CUT: Psychology of a Hero: MOON KNIGHT and Dissociative Identity Disorder
What did Marvel's Moon Knight get right about Dissociative Identity Disorder? Quite a bit, actually!
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright dive into the psychology and mental health in this series, particularly with Oscar Isaac's portrayal of Marc Spector and Steven Grant. This show has amazing visual effects and action scenes, spectacular performances from Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and May Calamawy, and an entire episode that's almost all about mental health and psychology! (In which Arthur Harrow is somehow actually a really good therapist/psychiatrist.) We talk about how DID is shown with a level of both compassion and accuracy that you don't typically see on screen. Ya know, aside from the superhero elements and ancient Egyptian gods. That's less real. We think...
Comments (18)
Hey there, fellow (and new) system here. Thank you so much for doing this and creating the directors cut. While I was watching it, my alter Chickadee and I (Pixel) felt so seen, but also so comforted. I know this video is almost 2 years old; but I'm so glad it exists. Moon Knight has helped us heal, or at least start our healing process. Thank you so much for giving other fellow systems, and telling individuals who are not systems, that all we want is compassion... We've been through hell and back again and we just want love. Sincerely - PixelDee system <3
Lol finally got the patreon and I have rewatched all of my favorites. This is sooo cool!! Loving this right now.
I've been watching this episode over and over again since finding out in December that I'm a system, and it's been so comforting. I actually didn't see the show itself until this weekend (my partners wanted to watch it with me for emotional support) and re-watching this episode after finally witnessing the series made me bawl! You both do such a wonderfully respectful job. Thank you both for having such compassion and understanding. You two (and the crew!) have definitely become a wonderful safety blanket for us :) ♡
You are so welcome! All of you!
Watching this video sparked me to watch the entire series on Disney+. It was fantastic. I've always been fascinated with D.I.D. ever since I watched Sybil with Sally Field for the first time as a young teenager.
I do not have DID, but my partner used to get scared by how quickly I can switch gears from being panicked/frustrated/angry/agitated to serene. They said it was like watching a horror movie. They is used to it by now though. It definitly stems from my childhood and having to calm down in an instant to protect myself.
That's so rough. Love to you both.
I agree with Sophie re: Community -- that's my most favorite episode of the whole series, too 🤣
I would be interested in what you thought of "Voices Within: The Lives of Trudi Chase"
Speaking as the high-functioning autistic son of a child psychiatrist, your nuanced and sympathetic take on mental health disorders is wonderful to see! Can you please do an episode on Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Thank you! Do you have any films you'd recommend for discussing ASD?
Another mess with your mind thing Buffy did to us was Dawn. I loved Moon Knight and the mythology. When shows challenge your thinking, it’s always fun. Which is the character’s reality and which is nonsense.
I thought I was crazywhen there was a sister and I was like "did I missed an episode or season? Is she adopted? Is this time travel? Whats going on!?!?" And this early internet, so not really too many ways to check stuff. I ahd to go to school after it aired and asked around if anyone saw buffy and what the hell xD
Falcon and Winter Soldier suffered from having to be extensively re-written after they'd filmed it, because the original plot had the villains releasing a global plague and then Covid happened... but man, the Marvel tv shows have been SO good. Almost as good? This episode ;-)
High praise! I’ll take it!!
This, Loki, and WandaVision have been my favorites but why I love so much about this series aside from portraying the mental health community in a better light, is that the series can be watched without needing to see other marvel properties. This means that more people can be exposed to it.
This episode was well done as always. Was it Oscar Isaac that made me cry or was it you guys? 🤔😭😭.
I loved this series so much! Easily the best IMO of all the marvel shows. I love that Moon Knight was stand alone and didn't have cameos from other existing Marvel characters and Oscar Isaac holds the whole thing together with such a powerhouse performance. The relationship between Steven and Mark was so wonderful and their arc was brilliantly portrayed. I have no experience with DID but seeing something like Split and then watching Moon Knight is so refreshing. Plus I think that a win for one issue being portrayed correctly (or near enough) is a win for all of us!