Loki

Starring: Tom Hiddleston (12 episodes), Owen Wilson (11 episodes), Sophia Di Martino (11 episodes), Wunmi Mosaku (11 episodes), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (9 episodes), Eugene Cordero (9 episodes), Neil Ellice (9 episodes), Tara Strong (8 episodes), Ke Huy Quan (6 episodes), Jonathan Majors (5 episodes), Rafael Casal (4 episodes), Sarafina King (4 episodes), Sasha Lane (4 episodes), Richard E. Grant (2 episodes), Aaron Moorhead (1 episode), Justin Benson (1 episode), Cailey Fleming (1 episode), Jaimie Alexander (uncredited) (1 episode), Chris Hemsworth (voice)(uncredited) (2 episodes)
Directed by: Kate Herron (6 episodes), Justin Benson (4 episodes), Aaron Moorhead (4 episodes), Dan DeLeeuw (1 episode), Kasra Farahani (1 episode)
Rating: TV-14
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
2021-2023

Seasons Seen:
Tim: 1 - 2

Summary: Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is captured by the Time Variance Authority for breaking time laws that could throw the universe into chaos.

Review:
Tim: I've said in most of my reviews that Marvel's television offerings have been very hit-or-miss. Fortunately, Loki is one of the hits. This is one of the best series in the MCU, mostly because it felt like what happened here mattered. It wasn't just a throwaway series disconnected from everything- it felt incredibly connected, and what we saw here would impact the larger MCU. That might be slightly unrealistic for every single offering, but that's a big reason why this series felt so compelling.

The other main reason is that Marvel delivered some actual, legitimate storytelling here. Loki is a fascinating character- a villain who often can be construed as more of antihero. The series does a good job of walking this line, although, of course, he appears heroic more often than not. The introduction of the Time Variance Authority was a brilliant inclusion and it was entertaining to explore this corner of the Marvel Universe. They weren't exactly villains, but their inclusion helped us to root for Loki. This all translates to an intriguing premise that held our attention. Thus, Loki is one of the best MCU series.

Including the TVA and He Who Remains felt so interesting. As time travel has taken priority in the MCU, it makes sense to explore this world. It's quirky and unexpected. Miss Minutes is the perfect example- it makes no sense to include an animated clock, but the visuals were impressive and her dialogue was memorable. It really puts the insanity of the MCU in perspective, where they can include a character like this and it mostly makes sense. The weirdness of the TVA held my attention and it felt unique and different to what else we've seen from this franchise. This series felt like it was all building towards something important, which I greatly appreciated.

Tom Hiddleston is obviously a major reason why the series works. His comfort with playing Loki helps immensely- this is a character he truly understands at this point, and it was wildly entertaining to watch him explore this character deeper, to really examine what makes him tick. The character development here was top notch, and Hiddleston's ability to hit the truly dramatic notes, while also being a very funny actor is mesmerizing to watch. Hiddleston's performance is peak in this series. He also has a great compatriot in Owen Wilson's Mobius. I still have a hard time believing Wilson plays such a cool character in the MCU. He gets to bring his trademark humor and wit to making Mobius feel like a character who matters, someone we actually care about. And, getting to see Hiddleston and Wilson together was the pairing I never knew we desperately needed. That's absolutely a highlight of this series.

Sophia Di Martino also gives an especially strong performance as Sylvie. I have to admit, the idea of there being different Lokis never really made a ton of sense- if she's Loki, why would she call herself Sylvie? I know the series explains it, but I had a hard time buying it. Still, her performance felt grounded and emotional and she makes this series better. Wunmi Mosaku manages to impress every time she's on screen- she absolutely elevates this character beyond what was on the page. I really like Gugu Mbatha-Raw and I was happy to see her here as Ravonna, although she didn't get to do as much as I'd hoped. This series also gave us Ke Huy Quan as OB, which is an absolute delight. I loved Quan's performance here.

We also get 5 episodes with Jonathan Majors, as He Who Remains. This is where the series gets in some difficulties. Majors is great in the role and I loved the set up. However, what happened outside of the confines of the MCU, and with Majors' firing and Marvel's total mismanagement of the Kang saga, this all feels like a lot that goes nowhere. At the time, I loved seeing Majors in this role and it felt like the perfect set up to Marvel's next Big Bad. Unfortunately, that petered out in terrible fashion and it's a big reason why the MCU is on the ropes currently. So, within the context of these episodes, Majors is a plus. In the broader MCU, though, this series doesn't quite achieve what it set out to achieve in regards to Kang.

As a whole, though, you have to give Marvel immense credit for Loki. Along with WandaVision, it feels like peak MCU Television. It introduced a wacky and unexpected corner of the MCU for us to explore. It kept us guessing from episode-to-episode. The TVA story reminded me of Lost when it was at its best- a surprising, quirky, brilliantly constructed world that sucked us in. When you add in great actors giving legitimately impressive performances, you end up with a television series that felt wholly unique and utterly watchable. This is one of the few MCU series that I desperately looked forward to each week and it was appointment television. I have a lot of criticism for Marvel these days, but very little for a show as good as Loki.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Series, We Recommend: WandaVision, The Avengers, Thor