Loki
The third Disney+ MCU series of 2021 focused on one of the most popular characters to come out of the MCU, Tom Hiddleston's Loki Laufeyson. Now that we've seen "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" is fast approaching, it's clear that "Loki" will be very important to the remainder of Phase 4 and what comes after. It's also the only live action Disney+ series so far that has gotten a second season.
"Glorious Purpose"
Ravonna Renslayer: "Are you guilty or not guilty, sir?"
Loki: "guilty of being the God of Mischief? Yes. Guilty of finding all this incredibly tedious? Yes. Guilty of a crime against the Sacred Timeline? Absolutely not, you have the wrong person."
After taking off with the Teseract during "Avengers: Endgame," Loki heads to the Gobi desert where he is intercepted by agents of the Time Variance Authority. Their job is to police the Sacred Timeline for the mysterious timekeepers, tracking down people who have stepped off their path aka variants. They do all this to safeguard everyone from the dangerous multiverse. Loki doesn't believe any of this nonsense, but thanks to an agent named Mobius who is investigating a string of murders committed by a Loki variant, the God of Mischief comes to realize that perhaps his glorious purpose is entwined with the TVA.
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| Let me tell you about my best friend... |
It feels like some sort of Loki solo project was inevitable. The God of Mischief has been a fan favorite ever since he was introduced in the first "Thor" and that popularity has only grown. When he vanished with the Tesseract in "Avengers: Endgame" you knew something big was coming with him. A tv series is perfect for a character like Loki. Just like with The Falcon, Wanda, The Winter Solider and Vision, he's a character that is so complex that you need this extra time to really go in depth and get a better feel for who he is and what usually motivates him. The fact that this is a Loki who hasn't experienced anything past the first "Avengers" movie is even better. He's basically a blank slate. You may think you know who Loki is, but "Loki" is bound and determined to prove that maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do.
The premiere episode is a lot of set up. It basically picks up from the last time we saw Loki in "Avengers: Endgame." He grabs the Tesseract and spirits it and him away, ready to continue with his plot to subjugate Midgard. Things don't go the way he planned because he is soon in the custody of the Time Variance Authority. The remainder of the episode is all about breaking the God of Mischief down in various ways.
The TVA is a relatively minor in the presence in the comics, which means it is perfect for the MCU. I have zero issues with the MCU taking these comic things and tweaking them, but what I really love is when they take some little known thing from Marvel history and make it into this huge plot device. The design of the TVA is really great. It kind of looks like a DMV from the 1970's on the inside, but outside it is a futuristic city complete with flying cars. I love that juxtaposition and I really hope that we get to see more of the outside of the TVA in season two.
As I said, a lot of this is set up, not uncommon in a pilot, and it's set up that is really well done and engaging. A lot of "Loki" is characters having conversations and that's basically what the majority of this episode is, Loki and Mobius going back and forth. It's Mobius breaking Loki down, mentally and emotionally. Mobius questions all of Loki's intentions and statements. Loki believes he has a glorious purpose. That is his whole schtick. Of course, he has this destiny, but Mobius unravels that by showing Loki glimpses of what he has yet to do, particularly being indirectly responsible for his own mother, Frigga's, death. What if Loki's glorious purpose is to help others achieve theirs i.e. the Avengers, while Loki basically stays the same. He's just a tool to cause misery.
This is heavy stuff and Tom Hiddleston plays it very well. After playing Loki for over a decade, you'd think we'd seen it all, but Hiddleston really plumbs new depths. We haven't really seen a vulnerable Loki and after watching his own death, Loki is the definition of vulnerable. It may all be a trick, but Hiddleston plays it just right. It's clear that Tom Hiddleston can have chemistry with literally anyone, but I love his relationship with Mobius. Owen Wilson brings his "aw shucks" surfer charm to the role of Mobius, because it's perfect. He's so disarming that you don't sense when goes in for the kill.
There isn't a ton of action in this first episode, but what there is is a lot of fun. There's that slow motion punch in the opening. Loki and Hunter B-15's tussle. There are tons of fun little moments in the episode. Infinity stones being basically useless to the point of being used as paperweights. The reveal that Loki is actually DB Cooper. Miss Minutes who is voiced by the lovely Tara Strong. The central mystery of the Loki variant wreaking havoc is teased very nicely and the episode ends on an ominous note with the Loki variant frying some TVA operatives.
Grade: A-
"The Variant"
Loki: "I'd never stab anyone in the back. That's such a boring form of betrayal.
Mobius: "Loki, I've studied almost ever moment of your entire life. You've literally stabbed people in the back, like, 50 times."
Loki: "...Well I'd never do it again, because it got old."
Loki is working with the TVA and Agent Mobius. His first stop is to a renaissance faire in 1985 where the Variant has struck, murdering more agents and absconding with one. Loki is trying to inject his usual flair into the proceedings but no one appreciates him. Loki figures out that the Variant is hiding from the TVA in various apocalypses since messing up things there doesn't create branches. This leads the team to a hurricane in Alabama in 2050 where people are hunkered down in a big box store. When Loki finally meets his variant will he stay loyal to Mobius or has the God of Mischief had a plan of his own this whole time?
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| Hunter B-15 isn't a fan of Loki. |
It's unclear how much time passes between episodes one and two, but at the beginning of episode two, Loki is nearing the end of his TVA training and is ready to go on his first mission with Mobius. I have to shout out that cold open. I am a sucker for a renaissance faire. They are just ripe for comedy and I think they are just fun in general. And it's set in the '80's which is my favorite decade. The throw down between the Variant and the TVA agents is great and soundtracking it to Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For a Hero" is... chef's kiss. This open gives us a bit more insight into how the Variant works as they enchant one of the TVA Hunters to basically take out the rest of the team and then they kill her.
I really wish that these Marvel series were longer than 6 episodes. I'm not sure that 6 episodes is long enough to do everything that these shows need to do. Things can feel rushed and relationships underdeveloped. It would have been nice to see more of the Mobius/Loki partnership before Loki bails at the end of the episode. It would have been much more impactful if you had seen them come together and become closer over a couple of episodes, instead all of that feels like it happened off screen. Hiddleston and Wilson sell the relationship between the two men because they are fantastic actors with great chemistry, but it sometimes feels like the writers are leaning that rather than showing us things.
I enjoy that they are starting to bring Roxxon more into the MCU. Roxxon in the regular 616 comics universe is an evil corporation that has ties to Thor. Their CEO is Dario Agger who is also a minotaur. I think the MCU could use an evil corporation that isn't Stark Industries. I kid. And it's connection to the God of Thunder make it perfect for some inclusion into "Loki." This could just be a little fan Easter egg, but I really hope not.
The showdown at Roxxcart between Loki and his variant is tense and funny. The Variant continuously enchanting different people to keep Loki off guard is a great plan and based on B-15's reaction, things aren't great when the enchantment stops. Not to mention C-20, the kidnapped hunter from the opening, who the agents find in Roxxcart mumbling and talking about how she gave the TVA's location to the variant. Loki is definitely underestimating this variant because he firmly believes that he is the superior Loki but as the Variant interacts with him, it becomes clearer and clearer that isn't the case. When Loki reveals his plan to find the Time Keepers and overthrow them, the Variant is ready to go one step further and destroy the TVA altogether.
This episode is pretty light on action. Aside from the opening throw down, there is Loki's smackdown by a rather large patron of the box store and its mainly played for laughs. The reveal that the Variant is a woman probably works better if you don't know that for a while Loki was email in the comics. It's still good and you can't wait to find more about this Loki in the next episode.
Grade: B+
Next up, Loki and his variant get to know each other on a doomed world and we meet the Time Keepers.
What do you guys think? I'm going to be up front and say that out of the 4 live action Marvel series so far, this one is probably my least favorite. What about you all? Hit me with your hot takes in the comments.
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