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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Actor Tom Hiddleston last appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via Avengers: Infinity War in 2018. Three years later, he returns to the hit franchise, and for good reason. In this review, we will discuss the series pilot for Marvel Studios and Disney+’s Loki, titled “Glorious Purpose.” Series creator Michael Waldron writes the episode, while Kate Herron serves as the director.
Minor spoilers for those who are not caught up with the events of the show.
Plot Summary
During the events of Avengers: Endgame, the god of Mischief, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) flees the timeline. He and the Tesseract stumble into another era during the escape. (See also: The Avengers.) Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) and other Minutemen of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) capture him for his crimes against the universe. In the process, he meets other workers of the organization, led by the Time-Keepers.
Owen Wilson plays Mobius M. Mobius, a TVA agent specializing in investigations of particularly dangerous time criminals. Meanwhile, Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Ravonna Renslayer, a judge of the TVA overseeing the investigation focusing on Loki’s crimes.
Eugene Cordero plays Casey, a TVA desk receptionist, while Tara Strong voices Miss Minutes, an animated anthropomorphic clock mascot of the organization.
Discussion
This first season of Loki runs for six episodes. The first episode alone is already enough to satisfy the fans. It has all the right mixtures of comedy, drama, fantasy, and science-fiction, along with all the emotions that come with it. The series introduces the audience to new characters with ease. It is to a point where we do not feel like we are being force-fed their background information.
Natalie Holt’s music is mesmerizing. Autumn Durald Arkapaw’s cinematography is a sight for sore eyes. In addition to these are Kasra Farahani’s production design and Christine Wada’s costume design. Together, these cinematic aspects show what needs to be shown and not what is deserved.
I also appreciate the classic animated clip included in Miss Minutes’s introduction to the series.
Performances
Thank the gods for casting directors, Sarah Halley Finn and Krista Husar. All of the characters we’ve met so far are just wonderful!
I very much like the dynamic between Loki and Mobius. Like with WandaVision and Captain America and the Winter Soldier, Loki dives into character study via psychoanalysis. Owen Wilson is not like other characters I’ve seen him portray in the past. Instead of being wild, his character here is pretty calm. Hiddleston, as usual, is just a genius as his character. Of course, this is his tenth year in the role, so we expected no less.
Strong and Cordero are interesting additions to the cast, making me want to learn more about them. More importantly, we have Mosaku. After seeing her last year in Lovecraft Country, I knew she was going to do well in any given role. Hunter B-15 is someone you do not want to mess with, and the god of mischief only pushes her buttons.
I am very curious about Mbatha-Raw’s character and how big of a role she plays in the series.
Final Thoughts
“Glorious Purpose” is, if anything, a recap of Loki’s journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the same time, he is given a whole new story worth following. It does attempt to debunk some MCU television series (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter). However, we have to remember that the series is dealing with time and the Multiverse. This is confusing at first, but Loki serves to transition us into this realm during Phase 4.
Overall, we love what we’re offered. Loki possesses, as its pilot title suggests, a glorious purpose.
Michael Waldron’s Loki is now out on Disney+!
Have you seen the series pilot? If you have already, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more action, adventure, comic book, drama, fantasy, science-fiction, and superhero-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_). You can also catch us on Facebook (TheCinemaSpotFB)!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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