‘Loki’ Season 1 Review

One of the many questions Avengers: Endgame viewers had after the movie was where did Loki go? This show presents us with those events and much more. I love it when Marvel really dives deep into their comic book lore and pulls out a bunch of weird stuff. Loki has plenty of that but still delivers a great story that develops Loki as a character and sets up the future of the MCU for phase 4. 

Premise

After escaping 2012, Loki is arrested by the TVA (Time Variance Authority), an organization that controls the sacred timeline by keeping everyone in line with what they’re supposed to do. However, Loki isn’t imprisoned by the TVA. He’s recruited to stop a dangerous threat to the timeline. Of course, not all things at the TVA are what they seem and a mystery begins to uncover who or what is at the head of the TVA and what their mission really is. 

Review

Tom Hiddleston has always been a highlight as Loki and he continues it here. This series serves as a deep dive into the character of Loki, forcing the character to reflect on his best and worst behavior. Loki drastically changes in this series but it’s a believable one, based on how he views himself throughout the show. It’s a great character study and Hiddleston owns this role.

Along for the ride is Owen Wilson as Mobius. Wilson’s great and he and Hiddleston have tremendous chemistry. Some of the best scenes in this show are just where Wilson and Hiddleston are sitting down and having a conversation. Most of the most thrilling scenes are actually the discussions and not the action scenes. 

Other highlights are Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Wunmi Mosaku. Sophia Di Martino plays a new character who will be important going forward in the MCU. Di Martino is really good in this show and plays a very intriguing character. 

Lots of passion went into this show as it has a really unique design with an awesome new setting that brings in cool devices and exciting concepts to the MCU. Each location is filled with a weird, sci-fi atmosphere that makes Loki feel unique from anything else we’ve seen. 

The story itself can be rather confusing to MCU outsiders, but it’s one worth investing in. It deals with things like time travel and alternate universes that can create many logical plot holes. However, the series moves through its story nicely, keeping a nice pace. Some episodes, like episode 3, prefer character development to the actual story, making certain moments feel less important to others. 

The way that the story unravels is really intriguing and kept me at the edge of my seat each week. This is also the first MCU series that really delivers on the finale. It does leave many storylines left open, but there is more to come so we could get resolutions to those in the future. The first MCU project in phase four has me insanely curious about what will happen next. 

This series deals with a lot of heavy themes so I can definitely understand if it’s too much for some viewers. It’s a lot more complicated than Wandavision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier so you must keep up with everything going on. 

I also loved the music from Natalie Holt. It blends a sci-fi sound with modern superhero music and it sounds epic. The theme is incredibly catchy and other moments are elevated by the music. 

Final Verdict

Loki is my favorite MCU show so far. While it doesn’t have the most concise season as the others, I loved how creative and fresh this show felt. It introduces many interesting ideas to the MCU that will set up what happens in phase four. It does at times come to a halt in its pacing, but it always kept me invested and really delivered on the finale. Loki has me excited for the MCU going forward. 

Final score: 4.5/5