TV Review: Literary/Film Influences Temper the Glorious Chaos of ‘Loki’

Submitted by JonHC on June 9, 2021 - 6:34pm

CHICAGO – From villain to anti-hero to homoerotic fan fiction icon, Loki has traveled a long way from the greasy-haired megalomaniac we have come to love. For most of his cinematic character development, Loki has been a foil to Thor’s massive himbo (n.: a very attractive, often beefy male who isn’t the brightest bulb, but is still able to shine because of his good-natured attitude and respect for women. Male version of a “bimbo”) energy.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

As brothers, it’s hard to see one without the other, making it harder to imagine just how a standalone series for the fan-favorite god of mischief could possibly work. Loki is burdened with glorious purpose, and this gold-horned deity proves to be more than capable of carrying his own multiverse where other characters struggle to be relevant in their own storyline.

To start off, it is worth noting that with all the time jumping that has happened in the last few Marvel films, this isn’t the same Loki who had his redemption arc and died bravely defending his family. That means that we are dealing with the ruthless, cut-throat Asgardian that was just humbled by the Avengers in their first team-up. After previewing the first 2 episodes, this show has exceeded expectations by showing us why this is the perfect jumping-off point for our standalone sneakster to cement himself as the real hero of his own story, the way he’s always seen himself. At 6 episodes for the season (British style series) Loki clearly is here for a good time, not a long time, and even that technical decision fits perfectly with our character’s persona.

“Loki” is streaming on Disney+ beginning June 10th. Featuring Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sasha Lane, Tara Strong, Eugene Cordero, Richard E. Grant, and Sophia Di Martino. Directed by Kate Herron. Written by Michael Waldron. Rated “TV-14”