Tom Hiddleston's Loki has been the Marvel Cinematic Universe character that has captured the attention of fans in a way the studio never expected. After a villainous turn in Thor and The Avengers the character was set to be killed off in Thor: The Dark World but due to the reaction of test audiences was kept alive and returned for Thor: Ragnarok and then a final demise in the opening of Avengers: Infinity War at the hands of Thanos. But even thanks to time travel shenanigans the 2012 version of the character escaped in Avengers: Endgame and returned for his own series.
There was so much potential for this to be a bit of a mess but it's so elegant how they quickly evolve the evil-2012 Loki into something more by showing him the life he would have led. There's a fair bit of exposition in the first part of the series as they explain the concept of the Time Variance Authority which ensures only one true timeline exists and anyone that branches from their destiny is removed from existence. Fortunately this exposition is done with real wit and means we soon get into the fun of the series.
The TVA are trying to hunt down one particularly troublesome Loki-variant and so agent Mobius (an excellent Owen Wilson) seeks the help of the Loki we know. Loki soon meets a female version of himself going by the name Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) and they form a close bond and learn that the TVA is not all it appears to be.
The great benefit of having a series to spend with a character is that we get to seen them build relationships that the films just don't have time for. Initially Loki sees Mobius very much as his enemy but he's the first person that doesn't fall for his tricks and so there's quickly a respect that builds. Sylvie on the other hand is literally an equal to Loki and the pair together are fantastic and one of the highlights of the show.
This series is also fantastic at using what fans love, the history of the character on screen and comic book lore to have fun. Loki kept having fake deaths on screen in the MCU so they start making that part of the character, that Loki's always survive. There is so much fun to be had with variant versions of the character, taking influence from the comic book for the likes of Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant) but also just doing their own thing like creating the character I am now obsessed with, Alligator Loki. There's also room for endless Easter eggs and an opportunity to include some of the most outlandish ideas from the history of Marvel comics.
Without going into spoiler territory, in some ways I was disappointed by the finale. As a fan of the MCU as a whole it was certainly vert exciting but at the same time it had kind of felt like Loki existed as a separate entity. By focusing on a different character that affects the wider MCU for a while it stopped focusing on Loki and Sylvie which I was disappointed by, though the final moments the two characters spend together firmly ends this part of their arcs.
Loki is the best TV show Marvel has produced so far with some great character development, a unique concept and huge amounts of fun. I really hope they can continue with the same quality for the second season!
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