Loki (***1/2)
In which Owen Wilson does not say "Wow" once
Taking one of the best parts of the MCU’s past, Loki blasts us into the future with thoughtful storytelling and an open door into a new universe.
One of the problems that this show had to deal with right off the bat was how to make a character relevant when we’d already seen their story conclude. We’ve already watched Loki go from villain to anti-hero before finally ending up with one moment of true goodness before dying. Whatever this show would be, it couldn’t be about Loki becoming a good guy – we’ve already seen that. But trickily enough, it also couldn’t be about Loki being a bad guy – because we’ve seen that now too. Instead, this show was about Loki falling in love. We definitely haven’t seen that yet.
Now, obviously, there’s a lot more to this show than that. For one thing, Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson are a terrific duo in this show. Every second of screen time they share is totally worth it. This show also has a surprising number of extended scenes where characters are just sitting and talking to each other. What makes this work is largely thanks to the subject matter and the writing. In much the same way that WandaVision gave us information sparingly and in broken chunks, Loki helped us understand its world bit by bit, which paved the way for interesting conversations along the way about what makes us us and whether free will can even exist in the world Loki presents. Learning about the rules of the ‘Sacred Timeline’ or the ‘Multiverse’ was really exciting because it’s essentially opened up a whole new door for the MCU. This show constantly felt incredibly relevant both in its own right and in its context within the larger franchise. That’s a fine line to walk, but Marvel’s done it time and time again before.
Getting back to Loki and Sylvie, their love story was a really interesting one. For starters, it’s absolutely perfect that Loki is falling in love with himself – or at least a version of himself. There’s really no one else you could imagine him ending up with. Apart from the psychological problems that such a relationship could generate, what makes their relationship exciting is the fact that both of them share the exact same weaknesses. Loki hits the nail on the head in the season finale: “You can’t trust – and I can’t be trusted.” On the pendulum of morality, our Loki has swung closer to the good side than he’s ever been before. But that doesn’t mean Sylvie’s there yet, and the way they end this season off feels totally logical and heartbreaking at the same time. Jenna and I were totally hooked on this show and couldn’t wait to catch the next episode.
As for what this show means for the MCU, only time will tell for sure. We’ve known for a while that a multiverse was coming, thanks to the inter-universal travel of Avengers: Endgame and the rumours swirling around the next Spider-Man and/or Doctor Strange film. Assuming these films are influenced by this show, that means we’re seeing a deeper level of intertextuality than we’ve ever seen before in the MCU – maybe in moviemaking history. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. flirted with this idea a little bit, and there were definitely moments where the MCU films influenced the television shows. But it’s never been the other way around – and Loki seems to be a step in that direction.
The one gripe I have with Loki is its cliffhanger ending. Whereas WandaVision tied its loose ends up neatly, Loki’s story is wholly incomplete. I’m all for teasers and hints of what’s to come, but there’s really been no resolution for any of the doors opened up this season, which was a little frustrating. Then again, it’s not as though I’m not going to watch the next season. Every version of me that I can possibly imagine will be ready when the next episode comes out.
In other words: this show - I like it. Another!