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TV REVIEW
Marvel Studios Can't Get Any More Better After 'Loki'
By Sal LoCicero | July 16, 2021
Disney+ is beginning to become a platform full of many surprises. ‘WandaVision’ just got nominated for an Emmy and Don Cheadle was recognized for his cameo in ‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’. What else could Disney have in store for its fans? Well, Marvel Studios released the first (official) season of ‘Loki’. Not only does this show stand out above the rest, it’s also interested in trying something else for a change.
Similar to ‘WandaVision’, this show decides to steer clear from being just another typical MCU project, it’s interested in its own story without having to constantly reference every single event from all 23 movies that came before it from episode to episode. At times ‘Loki’ feels more like a character study, one that explicitly dives deep into this particular character to see who he truly is.
Since ‘Thor’ in 2011, Loki has always been depicted as The God Of Mischief who wants to rule the world and be King. He has always been jealous of his stepbrother Thor for being the one that his adopted family eyed on as king, and throughout the entire MCU, Loki is very despicable and kills millions of people; as seen in ‘Marvel’s The Avengers’.
After the event of ‘Endgame’, the Avengers went back in time to capture all six infinity stones and take back the world from Thanos. During one of their missions, they accidentally lose the tesseract which ends up in Loki’s hands, which he uses to escape. That was not supposed to happen in the first place, and because of that he gets introduced to the organization known as the TVA, a place which is responsible for monitoring the multiverse and prune timelines if they are deemed too deadly to exist.
This is what the whole season has focused on, and it couldn’t have been any better. ‘Loki’ is the best mcu show so far. From the first episode, you already know that you're in for something new and different. Within each episode the story takes a huge turn that leads from one thing to the next. There are even some episodes that feel like a modern Hitchcock feature with science fiction added into the mix. The cinematography, the lighting, and the directing all work fantastically together to bring such a mysterious and ominous feel to the show.
Tom Hiddleston is the best he has ever been and for someone who has portrayed Loki for a decade, he sure knows how to give such a humane performance out of an infamous character. Owen Wilson gave a surprising performance as Mobius, investigator from the TVA. His friendly relationship with Loki, one that grew from episode after episode, was pretty heartfelt. Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie is somewhat of a scene stealer in the show. She is both badass, menacing and loving all at once.
If it weren’t for the last two episodes of the season, this would’ve been a perfect show. Episode 5 titled ‘Journey into Mystery’ was more focused on fan service than it was on continuing the mystery. Episode 6 titled ‘For All Time. Always’ does leave the viewer anxious for more, but some of the choices as well as its ending became disappointment.
For the most part, the show was amazing. It was intriguing, it was different, it was funny (at times), and it showed that Marvel Studios can still succeed even if they try to create something that’s not afraid to stand out from the rest. We need more shows like this, and hopefully Marvel will come up with more original ideas.
\ Grade: A-
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