Three for Three?

The new Disney+ series Loki kicked off today, which means I’ll have material for a weekly review; for a little while at least.

Loki is the latest in a series of canon-expanding miniseries released on Disney’s streaming service; and while its pilot didn’t deliver the pulse-pounding action of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s pilot episode, there’s still a ton of excellent material for Marvel fans to analyze and get excited about; from masterful set design, to a beautiful soundtrack, pitch-perfect acting, and setup for a series which should rival Wandavision in its intrigue.

I didn’t get a chance to review Wandavision when it came out (“Shmovid” had the majority of my attention, so before we jump into what I thought of Loki episode one, let’s recap my thoughts on its predecessors. Wandavision was a mixed bag for me. I heard a lot of reviewers say the beginning was a little slow, but they got sucked in once everything really got going. I’m of the opposite mind. I enjoyed the homages to classic sitcoms and how their tropes were worked into an MCU-sized story; however, I felt that the last few episodes petered out. I wanted to see Marvel take a few more risks and really play with Wanda’s abilities and the….hang on.

SPOILERS

Okay.

And the emergence of the multiverse. Since that will be a major element in the rest of Phase Four (most likely stretching into future phases), I was hoping we’d get our feet wet with Wandavision. I was a little disappointed when we were only allowed to dip our toes in.

Still, Wandavision was a fun time. If you’re looking to get into the MCU without watching all the films, it’s a safe place to start.

But…watch the films. Seriously. You need to watch the films.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier came next, and I absolutely loved it! If Loki can bring that level of character development to the table, we’re in for a treat! Sure, the core story was sort of paint-by-numbers, and there is a twist I absolutely cannot stand, and there is a character who’s brought back…just because.

Those are very minor flaws; easily ignored in an otherwise very personal and engaging story. TFATWS isn’t about the core story. That’s a vessel; the same way the core conflict in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was a vessel. The protagonists and antagonists are carried from one confrontation to another, encountering biting social commentary, personal introspections, and moral implications along the way. In the end, the big fight is meant to show who learned, who didn’t, and what may or may not change.

Even if you’re not a Captain America fan, there’s an opening scene in episode four that is must-see viewing. I don’t dare spoil anything, all I’ll say is a character we’ve watched for three movies finally reaches the end of an incredibly painful road, and his acting will break your heart. Audiences don’t usually get to see the big, muscle-bound fight machine cry like a little girl. Hollywood made billions teaching us that “strong men” don’t cry. In five minutes, that all goes out the window. One of the strongest and most intimidating characters in the MCU absolutely falls apart! It’s a Golden Globe-level performance. Go check it out.

Okay, okay, enough gushing about the past. Loki time.

If you’re looking for action right off the bat, as I said, this episode doesn’t have it. Scraps, yes. Scuffles? Yes. Action? No. At least, not yet.

I mean this in the best way, Episode One is all setup: who everyone is, what their roles are, the why and some whens. Loki is where we saw him last; in custody at the end of The Avengers, about to escape into a portal with the tesseract. If you’ve seen Endgame…shoot, hang on.

SPOILERS

If you’ve seen Endgame, you know he takes advantage of Tony being rugby-tackled by the Hulk, snatches the tesseract, and jumps through a portal; making his patented clever escape into the Gobi Desert. There, after attempting to intimidate the locals, he’s apprehended by the Time Variance Authority, which places him under arrest for helping Marvel legitimize their new running plot thread (the infinity stones are so twenty-two movies ago, the multiverse is the new fad).

The episode slows down a touch once we’re within the TVA’s “offices.” There’s a smattering of humor (that “this galactic power operates like a DMV” style which never gets old in my opinion), and a cartoon clock spells out what the TVA is. For further explanation, watch Jeremy Jahns’ review. While I don’t want to steal his analogy, it is pretty perfect.

Everything picks up again once Owen Wilson steps onto the scene, and I’m so glad I get to say that! He’s charming, he’s sweet, he does his best to make connections with everyone, and if he ends up being a villain a little section of my heart will legitimately break. He’s every understanding teacher you loved as a child; Mister Turner from Boy Meets World if he was a cosmic entity created to preserve the Sacred Timeline. From previews, I was expecting to hate Wilson as Agent Mobius. If he was just going to do his Owen Wilson shtick, I’d have to grit my teeth to get through it.

Thankfully, Agent Mobius is not only free from Wilson’s more irritating traits, he’s given a few very endearing traits of his own. The audience gets the impression that Mobius is making the best of a situation he doesn’t want to be in. He believes in the TVA’s ethics and mission without being a zealot. He wants to help. Part of that, in this episode, means giving Loki a second chance and making a heart-to-heart connection. Loki has to be shown a brutal truth about where his path would lead. Mobius is gentle and patient while still maintaining control.

I don’t think I need to tell you that Tom Hiddleston is flawless as Loki. He could play that character in his sleep at this point. Hiddleston is given the opportunity here to use more of his Shakespearean training. This Loki isn’t a screaming madman or a confident con artist (not the whole time, at least); he’s a failure. Worse, he failed at something he truly wanted because of the methods he believed he had no choice but to use. He’s heartbroken! He’s in pain!

Once again, like in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, this character we’ve been taught to fear, this intimidating being who can trick his way out of anything, falls apart before our eyes. All it took was Mobius prodding him into admitting what his motivations are. Do you remember that scene from Good Will Hunting where Robin Williams tells Matt Damon that it wasn’t his fault he was abused? That scene which has been parodied to death, even though it’s nothing to laugh at?

If you cried at that scene, there’s a good chance this episode will tug your heart strings.

Not a whole lot to say! The performances are gorgeous, the set design is breathtaking, and I want that soundtrack downloaded onto my phone the second it comes out. We’ll see if Loki can keep up the momentum it’s built, or if it will lose steam the way Wandavision did.

Give Loki a chance. Give the series Loki a chance. Like the god of mischief himself, this one might just surprise you with the tricks it has up its sleeves.