Loki - Episode 1 - Review

The Marvel Heroes are iconic, each has proven why in their countless movies, but one area where Marvel has not had as much success is with their villains. Sure, there have been wonderful performances from the actors portraying the baddies but the villains themselves haven't really stuck in the in the minds of the viewers except of course Thanos and the ultimate bad boy Loki. When it was revealed that Loki would be getting his own show, I was really curious as to how they would take such an antagonistic character and make him a likeable protagonist; the question is did Marvel succeed in that transition or is he not as strong on his own?

***Spoilers Warning***

Something that was interesting is exactly how the show started, with a cut down for time clip of Loki's escape in the aftermath of the battle of New York, that we all saw on the big screen in Avengers Endgame. I was not expecting it to take off from there, but while Loki appears in a far-off land, at least he is still on Earth and before he can make himself ruler of those he sees before him, a group of soldiers appear from a portal, claim he has broken the laws of the sacred timeline and arrest him. Now landing in another new location, Loki is very much a fish out of water, even if some folks there have no idea what a fish actually is and before the opening credits roll, we get to experience Loki being utterly confused and a little scared. It is easy to see that this is what Loki might have been like when he first landed on Sakar, before Thor, confused, but willing to do whatever he needed, in order to survive.

While Loki is attempting to make sense of his new normal, the show cuts to a group of agents from the TVA, the Time Variance Authority, who are in the 1500’s, investigating the deaths of another team. But while there is some discovery of information, the as yet unnamed leader is interrupted and presented with a file and the next time we see him, he is in a court room, petitioning for Loki to be released into his custody, instead of reset, which translates to erased from the timeline. Agent Mobius M. Mobius, played by Owen Wilson, believes that Loki can help catch a rogue persons, that is killing agents of the TVA and stealing their supplies. While the first meeting seems like it will lead to a productive relationship, the show is named after the god of lies and mischief, so Loki eventually lives up to that reputation, he is of course, a real scamp.

What I liked about the dynamic between Loki and Mobius is that the pair are very different people, one adheres to the rule of law and order, the other one lives for the chaos, but they make their interactions seem normal. While Loki is at heart a trickster, something that Mobius is very much aware of, because he can’t get away with anything, it forces him to adapt and think of newer creative ways and it is here that Loki shines. But while the pair come to a form of understanding, Loki can’t help but be Loki and after a number of movies with the character, you could be forgiven for thinking that you know what he is going to do. While Loki and Mobius are central to the story, there are a few extra folks we meet, from the important Judge Renslayer who is the connection between the TVA and the Time Keepers, or the by the book Hunter B-15, who doesn’t like Loki. While each character we do meet, has limited screen time, their looks and brief interactions with our anti-hero are entertaining, especially when Loki has his Tony Stark moment.

Leaving the story behind, there is something unique about the series, I have had the pleasure of seeing the second episode as well, though this review is just for the first. The TVA looks like it was built in the late 1960’s, everything has a dull browns, oranges and the occasional mustard yellow in its colouring. Even the uniforms that are worn by the various folks inside of the TVA, look like they were designed by someone in that same time period and while it can be easily overlooked, the TVA doesn’t exist within the normal flow of time, something that you will have pointed out to you when you see the background of the shots within its walls. The TVA isn’t just some drab colours and old school outfits, watching people working away, interacting with the various props and such, it has a weight to it, that makes it feel more believable than the other Disney+ shows from Marvel. I don’t mean that those shows were fake, but this one seems to embrace the minutia of its world, the computer, for lack of a better word, that Mobius uses to explain things to Loki, has branding on the inside of it. It is this commitment to the details that I liked, even with the show bouncing around time periods, there is nothing that feels cheap or out of place.

Tom Hiddleston has taken a character, that could have easily been a one note antagonist from the first Thor and created a character that people love, no matter how mischievous or maniacal he is being. While the first episode is more about getting Loki set up for his latest adventure, it still manages to introduce an interesting group of people, lead by Owen Wilson’s Mobius and while the TVA agents that Loki, and as such we, encounter, could have easily been dull, they all have enough going on that you want to know more. The bigger mystery of who Mobius is hunting is revealed by the end of the episode, so no drawn-out mess here, but as this is a Marvel show, it may not be as straight forward as they want you to believe. Loki has always been an interesting part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and now that he has his own time in the spotlight, there is no telling just what might happen next, it could be a trick or one heck of a treat.

The Score

9.0

Review access provided by Disney

The Pros

+Tom Hiddleston still makes Loki someone you want to support

+The members of the TVA all look and behave great, led by Owen Wilson

The Cons

-The moment when Loki and Mobius are talking, is a little predictable

-The ending makes itself out to be revealing a big thing, but we know it isn’t