Marvel Studios spent the 2010s experimenting, and succeeding, with a shared-universe style of storytelling, weaving an interconnected narrative across 23 movies. Their next experiment is bolder: multiple timelines and a vast, infinite multiverse. It’s ambitious—maybe too ambitious and unnecessarily complicated for casual fans who don’t want homework with their entertainment. It’s unsurprising Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is intent on forging ahead with another grand undertaking. What is surprising that they’ve chosen Loki, Marvel’s third Disney+ television series, to be the launchpad, instead of a massive, Avengers-level, crossover summer blockbuster. The message from Feige and the top Marvel brass is clear: the bevy of Marvel television on its way will be required viewing. Does that excite fans of the Marvel brand or simply overwhelm and exhaust them? We’ll see.
But even without the implications for Marvel at-large, Loki stands on its own: a visually-distinct and entertaining sci-fi romp. The series follows Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, last seen displaced from time in a brief, but fun, scene in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. The Norse God of Mischief is immediately detained by the Time Variant Authority, a monotonous, stuffy, pencil-pushing bureaucracy that specializes in cleaning up our “sacred timeline.” Loki’s TVA handler, Agent Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson, in some truly inspired casting), enlists this version of Loki in tracking down another Loki variant. Have I lost you yet? I worried Loki would be bogged down by its own convoluted set-up, but it remarkably never is. Even as the first episode (“Glorious Purpose”) is basically a 40-minute exposition dump, the show accomplishes necessary storytelling logistics—like setting up the in-universe rules for the audience—with engaging style and winking humor. While Loki doesn’t fully lose itself to the weirdness as advertised, the show consistently delivers on its silly, high-concept premise.
That success is equal parts the creative minds behind the camera and the talent in front. Show creator and head writer Michael Waldron cut his teeth writing on Dan Harmon’s incomparable Community and Rick & Morty, and Loki’s DNA is laced with Harmon’s humor and subversive honesty. Waldron also serves as screenwriter for Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That writing credit is as loud a signal as possible for where Loki is headed. Fans who learned their lesson against rampant speculation for WandaVision will feel vindicated when the credits roll on Loki, and it’s clear Waldron is building towards something special.
Loki‘s production design is a standout and elevates the show, with each episode’s setting feeling unique. Kate Herron, season director and executive producer, underscores the drab office aesthetic of the TVA to great effect. Some of the budget and setting limitations start to show, but Herron smartly uses claustrophobic sets to complement the thematic anxiety. The suffocating offices are perfectly contrasted with the open, purple-hued Lamentis or the dour, post-apocalyptic wasteland of a TVA purgatory. An essential element to mood of Loki is Natalie Holt’s unique, synth-blended score. It’s a delightful change of pace from the more generic fare and is critical to the atmosphere and tone of the series.
Marvel again proves its success in casting choices. Hiddleston has long been a fan favorite since his 2011 debut in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor. Hiddleston is able to weave in and out of smarmy, self-importance and quieter, honest self-reflection. While this series is following a younger Loki who has yet to experience the character development we’ve seen over the last decade, the show has its cake and eats it too. In the premiere, this Loki variant essentially watches a highlight reel of Loki appearances throughout the Marvel catalogue. It’s a lazy shortcut to character development in theory, but in execution it’s emotional and poignant, as Hiddleston delivers the surprisingly-raw emotion of watching your life flash before your eyes. It’s one of the best sequences in the series, and proof of concept of giving these characters their own fleshed-out stories. Hiddleston is also surrounded by a fantastic supporting cast. Loki makes perfect use of Owen Wilson’s dry, genial charm. Every scene with Wilson is lovely and, excuse my hyperbole, perfect. Newcomer Sophia Di Martino is introduced as Sylvie, the Loki variant the TVA is pursuing. Di Martino matches Hiddleston’s style while putting her own stamp on a compelling, disillusioned character, with a line delivery and energy evoking Doctor Who. There are some surprise, one-episode appearances that I’d rather not spoil; let’s just say they are pitch-perfect, bold, and electrifying.
But Loki isn’t without some missteps. The show has an unmistakable midseason dip. After a strong first episode (“Glorious Purpose”), the show teases a True Detective, buddy-cop premise, with Hiddleston and Wilson solving a case. The show quickly pivots, but the pairing is so electric that it’s disappointing we didn’t get more of that energy. The worst offender is the third episode (“Lamentis”), which largely features Loki and Sylvie aboard a train, having Before Sunset-inspired revelatory conversation. Or, at least that’s what it should have been. The episode was too preoccupied with bland action sequences and rushed a storyline at the expense of more character moments. Despite some great visual effects—particularly the destruction of Lamentis—the larger set pieces of the series fall flat. The direction and staging of the hand-to-hand combat feels stale and superficial, stunting the momentum of the story whenever we sidebar for an obligatory action sequence.
The series confidently snaps into place for the latter half of the season, delivering on more truly giddy weirdness in the fifth episode (“Journey into Mystery”), and sets the stage for a satisfying and engaging finale (“Fro All Time. Always.”). It’s unfair to compare Loki with its fellow Disney+ shows; all are very different in tone, approach, and sensibilities. But it’s interesting that the finale episodes of both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stumbled under the weight of tying up loose ends and obligatory, unengaging action. (For the record, I do think WandaVision is a consistently better show than Loki, perhaps because it’s conceit makes it a better fit for the TV medium. I’m still not convinced Loki wouldn’t have worked better as a 130-minute theatrical release.) Loki sidesteps these finale issues by getting the CGI noise out of the way in the preceding episode. Instead, the finale structures the tension, stakes, and drama around an extended, electrifying conversation between Loki, Sylvie, and someone pulling the strings. The climax swaps a protracted, predictable fight scene for an unsettling conversation and a simple choice that challenges Loki’s and Sylvie’s growth throughout the series. The ending not only leaves Loki in an interesting place heading into a recently-announced second season, but it completely opens up the Marvel story at-large.
Loki’s ending will have ripple effects throughout the entire Marvel storyline going forward, but this show isn’t homework. You don’t have to consume this out of an obligation to the cultural zeitgeist. Even when it flounders around the midpoint, it’s fun to watch: a blend of quirky energy and surprising dramatic heft, led by a charismatic cast and a visually engaging world—and a glimpse into ambitious, exciting stories ahead.
Loki is available to stream on Disney+. The season consists of six episodes and is rated TV-14.
