The first episode of Loki has finally aired last Wednesday and there are tons that need to be unpacked! But before we dive head-on, be warned, we will be entering spoiler territory. If you haven’t seen episode one of Loki, better watch it first then go back here for the review.
With that out of the way, let us start!
The series picks up after the repercussions of Loki retrieving the Tesseract again when the Time Heist in Avengers: Endgame went wrong. To be clear, this is an alternate timeline and the Loki had just been arrested by TVA and learns first-hand what happens to Variants like him when they move away from the Sacred Timeline.
The story for the first episode is a good start which instantly places you in the weird yet interesting world of time travel and alternate worlds. It also shows the audience that no power, magic, or force outside can be used in the Time Variance Authority headquarters which includes Infinity Stones. This was a setting stone telling us, the audience, that we are entering a different territory now.
Episode one primarily focuses on the identity of Loki, who he is, and his purpose in the universe. It was an emotional ride for both Loki and the viewers as we witness his life being relived in front of him. We get to see footage from other MCU films such as Thor: The Dark World, Thor Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War. It emotionally strikes both Loki and the audience as he discovers his importance to both his parents, Frigga and Odin, and also his brother Thor. It was a realization that he doesn’t need a throne to prove his worth and so that people will love him.
Also, the first episode immediately lets us plunge into a Variant that has been traveling through time and in turn upsets the balance. This eventually was revealed by Agent Mobius that the Variant is Loki. If you look on the Internet now, there are tons and tons of theories on who the Variant Loki we are going to meet in the coming episodes.
Loki may be fun and exciting in its own right but there are still shortcomings we feel needed to be addressed.
The first thing is the visuals of the series. It is beautiful however there are scenes especially when Agent Mobius showed Loki where they are at. You get the feeling that it is fake that a green or blue screen is behind that. It does good work in creating a world for the TVA but as you look at it for too long, you get the sensation that these are all computer-generated images. They should’ve made it more authentic, more real, just to give the audience a sense of realism despite that it is a fictional place outside time.
Also, another thing that seems a bit off is the revelation of the Variant Loki that has been killing TVA agents and upsetting the timeline. It was a good reveal however they should’ve not placed it on the first episode. The first episode already gave us a lot of things to think about like the Sacred Timeline, the TVA, the Time Keepers, Multiversal Wars, and Alternate Timelines.
This can somehow confuse regular viewers and is difficult to swallow for them. For a Marvel fan like me, this is okay, but for the normies who want just a show to enjoy, this would make things convoluted. At least, introduce a number of new things one or two at a time to let it sink slowly to the viewers and not let them leave in shock.
Episode one of Loki which is titled Glorious Purpose shows us that the titular anti-hero has indeed a glorious purpose. This is to bring be the challenge for our heroes as they bring out the best in them. With just one episode on its arsenal, Loki shows potential to be one of the best Marvel TV series ever debuted. With great writing, awesome and moving performance by Tom Hiddleston, and a story that would let you get hooked on for the coming episodes, this surely will be your new favorite TV show.
Although with a lot of things happening and some poor CGI designs, we can dismiss it as a story and intrigue that outshines its mishaps. We can give this first episode a score of…
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