The highly anticipated Marvel show Loki has finally aired on Disney+. Loki picks up right where Avengers: Endgame left off, following our favorite MCU villain as he escapes with the Tesseract in the 2012 timeline. Prior to the show’s release, there was quite a bit of ambiguity surrounding what actually happened to Loki when he escaped and thus, what the plot of the show would entail.
After suffering through Loki’s death in the Avengers: Infinity War timeline, it was such a relief to know he got away, giving Marvel fans hope that Loki would be wreaking havoc somewhere out there in the universe. It was, however, unexpected to see Loki captured by the newly introduced Time Variance Authority (TVA) mere moments after his sweet freedom.
Things are starting to become more complicated in the MCU and I was sure to be confused upon watching Loki, but the first episode kept everything clear and concise while also hinting at what was to come. I especially appreciated how smoothly the show introduced and explained certain factors regarding the TVA through a cartoon animation that Loki watches before his trial.
Several new terms and concepts are introduced in the show as well, centering on the preservation of what is referred to as the “sacred timeline.” People like Loki, who diverge from the timeline’s path, are called “variants.” Variants create a “nexus event,” which can lead to chaos within the timeline and the TVA’s job is to take care of these variants to prevent such events.
The show offers a healthy dose of humor, showcasing Loki’s classic clever retorts, often through his back and forth with the new character, Agent Mobius. The dynamic between these two is perhaps the highlight of the show so far. Mobius psychoanalyzes Loki, asking him rather personal questions. Seeing as this is 2012 Loki, much of his character development and redemption has yet to occur. Loki still feels entitled to the throne and has plans to restrict the freedom of the beings he’ll rule over. Despite this, Mobius is able to get through to Loki and the audience can see a morsel of humanity in him.
Loki is perhaps one of the most complex Marvel characters. He causes death and destruction, yet sheds tears watching a recap of moments between his family. Loki even admits in earnest that he doesn’t enjoy hurting people, but that he feels he must as part of his illusion. It’s unclear whether or not he truly means this, but there is indeed more to Loki than his vile actions.
With all its talk of timelines, Loki further hints at the multiverse. Mobius seeking out Loki to help stop a version of himself that has been killing the TVA’s minute men is further proof of this. The possibility of Loki facing off an explicitly evil version of himself is incredibly intriguing. I expect we’ll learn a great deal more about Loki’s true motives and intentions as the show progresses.
New episodes of Loki are released Wednesdays on Disney+