Point of Review: Loki

Six weeks after the season finale of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Disney+ released Loki, starring everyone's favorite MCU villain. Marvel fans (including myself) waited eagerly for the long-awaited arrival of the show, excited to see the god of mischief onscreen once again. However, the show impacted the future of the MCU forever.

The show starts off in 2012 during the Battle of New York when Loki picks up the Tesseract as a result of the Avengers' failed attempt to steal it during their time heist in Avengers: Endgame. Loki uses the Tesseract to escape but immediately gets caught by the Time Variance Authority (or TVA) for breaking the timeline. There, he gets recruited by Mobius, a TVA analyst, to help stop someone disturbing the timeline. But soon, he finds that things at the TVA are more deceiving than they seem.

A big part of the series is the introduction of the TVA. In the first episode, Loki learns that the TVA is an organization that controls and maintains the proper flow of time. It carries out the will of the Time Keepers, three supreme beings who dictate said proper flow of time. As the show progresses, he discovers that the TVA has been lying to its workers and that its true origins are unknown. This sets off his new mission; to find who (or what's) behind the TVA.

One of the most complex characters in the series is Sylvie, a female variant of Loki. She was caught by the TVA as a young child but managed to escape. Her end goal is to take down the TVA, which she attempts to do by bombing the timeline. The failure of her plan forces both Loki and Sylvie into trying to escape a mid-apocalyptic planet together, where they eventually gain each other's trust. Something I really liked about Sylvie's character is how strong-willed she is as well as how she doesn't let anyone tell her what to do or distract her from her goals.

I will say that it was hard to pinpoint the nature of Loki and Sylvie's relationship. There were so many moments scattered throughout the show that make you think, "Is there something going on between them?" I wasn't completely aware of the romantic intentions behind those actions until they kissed in episode 6. I definitely think their romantic relationship was unnecessary, considering they are quite literally the same person. The show may have been a lot better if they left Loki and Sylvie's relationship purely platonic or just brother/sister.

My favorite thing about this show is how it had some of the best attention-to-detail I've seen in any Marvel movie or show to date. Every single detail of the show, no matter how tiny, seemed to be incredibly well-thought-out. This is especially evident in the TVA. The retro technology and ambiance paired with its high-tech capabilities and infrastructure gives the entire place an unearthly feel, making it feel truly like a place outside of time. The music, composed by Natalie Holt, was also absolutely phenomenal and gave off immaculate Loki vibes (mystical and intense).

Something I didn't like about the show is the limited representation of Loki and Sylvie's bisexuality. After the director of Loki, Kate Herron, confirmed that Loki was bisexual, many Marvel fans were excited to see LGBTQ+ representation finally come to the MCU. Unfortunately, the only mentions of either Loki's and Sylvie's sexualities were during a vague conversation during ep. 3, when Sylvie asks Loki if he had a "would-be-princess, or perhaps another prince," and he replies, "A bit of both, I suspect the same as you". While I am happy that there is some LGBTQ+ representation, I really wished they talked about it more and actually made it a point in the story instead of adding it in like an afterthought.

Another thing I disliked was the last episode. I may be biased because my favorite part of Marvel, in general, is the fast-paced, high-stakes, super engaging action sequences, but the episode felt way too long for my taste. I felt like abandoning the episode halfway through because nothing interesting was happening at all. However, the ending proved to be monumental to the future of the MCU (don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it), and the cliffhanger left me intrigued about what will happen next.

In the end, Loki is a decently entertaining show to watch. It combines the fast-paced action of Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the mystical, magical aspects of WandaVision into a show that's unlike either. Although the last episode was disappointing for me, it still won't stop me from enjoying the rest of the show, and it definitely won't stop me from watching Season 2 when it comes out.