First Thoughts On 'Loki': "Glorious Purpose"
Well, Marvel fans, the day we've waited weeks for has finally arrived, with Loki episode 1 now available to stream on Disney+ and boy was it good, with a fair amount for fans to digest.
Before we break the episode down, SPOILER WARNING is now in effect.
The episode, aptly titled "Glorious Purpose" in homage to his speech from The Avengers, picks up pretty much where everyone expected it to, with a repeat of the scene from Endgame where, during the "time heist," Loki is able to use the Tesseract to escape capture by the Avengers as it should have happened.
He finds himself in the middle of the desert, in a scene very reminiscent of the first Iron Man, I may add, but is immediately apprehended by Minute-Men and brought to the TVA (Time Variant Authority) where he is to stand trial for crimes against the "Sacred Timeline."
The first 10-15 minutes of the episode is filled with scenes we have come to expect from Loki. Him maintaining his sarcastic and arrogant demeanor from the earlier films in the MCU, but also being the butt of jokes and awkward situations which you can't help but smile and laugh at. His Tesseract is also confiscated upon arrival.
We are then given a nice little explanation (via a very helpful cartoon) as to who the TVA are and what they do, as well as some backstory concerning the overall multiverse, which will likely be expanded upon throughout the series and seep into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Turns out, following a multiversal war years and years ago, three beings corrected the issues by merging all the different universes together into one timeline - the Sacred Timeline, then created the TVA to help ensure everything unfolds like it's supposed to.
In typical Loki style, he refuses to believe anything he is being told, citing only he is responsible for his destiny and the choices he makes. He is brought before a "judge" and pleads guilty, planning to use his powers. However, the strap placed around his neck when captured by the TVA itself, hinders his ability to use his powers, leaving him the most vulnerable he has ever been.
Before being taken away, Owen Wilson's character, Agent Mobius, steps in. It seems he has alternate plans for Loki and leads him to his office. During the walk there, Loki is skeptical about what he is seeing and hearing, despite the truth being given to him at every point in turn, but the scene provides some great back and fourth dialogue between both characters.
In the office, Mobius questions Loki on his reasons for his actions, asking him if he enjoys hurting people. He is even able to use a projector-like device to show some of Loki's "highlights" throughout his MCU tenure, including a never before seen scene in which Loki is aboard a plane carrying a bag full of money, then he jumps out before being beamed away by the Bifrost, presumably back to Asgard.
This scene is actually quite funny as it relates to a real life story. In 1971, a man hijacked a Boeing 727 aircraft carrying, $200,000 in ransom money, before exiting the plane with a parachute never to be seen again. The man's name, a believed alias as he was never caught, was D.B. Cooper, and Mobius even says he had no idea it was Loki. (seriously, Google the story. It's crazy enough to have actually been Loki.) Ever the humble character, Loki states he was young and lost a bet with Thor, then continually questions why events like this are seemingly allowed in the time keepers' grand plans.
Mobius states they aren't able to just see his past, but also his future, and begins showing Loki events which took place after Avengers, up to the death of Loki's adoptive mother Frigga in Thor: The Dark World. As was to be expected, Loki believes these to be nothing more than illusions or fabrications as this version has not experienced these events, yet, but Mobius confirms they are indeed real, have always been, and will always continue to happen because the are supposed to.
After being left in the room alone, Loki is able to escape and tries to hunt down the Tesseract, which he finds in a drawer along with other Infinity Stones, but he soon realizes their power is useless within the TVA, and so he uses their own devices to end up back in the office with the projector device.
Staring at the image of the 2012 Avengers, Loki begins cycling through his future and ultimately comes across the scene of his demise at the hands of Thanos. Though visibly upset to begin with, he starts laughing before accepting the fact he will not be able to return to his original timeline, but instead will be stuck where he is.
Throughout the episode, we also learn that something or someone is killing the Minute-Men at different points in time. (This seems to be what Mobius wants Loki's help with.) And the episode ends with a bunch of them being killed by a mysterious hooded figure.
The above is merely an overview of the episode, covering some of the more important plot points, and doesn't come anywhere close to doing it justice as it has also left fans with so many unanswered questions. What will become of this Loki? Where did those Infinity Stones come from? Who is the hooded figure and how do they fit into the overall story arc? Guess we'll need to wait until next Wednesday to find out.
One thing is for sure, though: fans rejoice at seeing Hiddleston back as the God of Mischief once again, and the chemistry between him and Owen Wilson seems like it will be gold. It looks like Marvel are on track to continue the success from WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
This particular Marvel fan cannot wait to see what happens next, but don't just take my word for it, go get it watched!
Loki is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes set to release each Wednesday.
Until next time!