Loki, Marvel’s New TV Show

Marvel’s new TV show, Loki, hits the airwaves this week on Disney+. It picks up the story after the Avengers’ time heist in Endgame and gets the mischievous god of mischief back to his usual business. Mashable has reviewed the first two episodes of the new series, and critics have been generally positive, with praise for Tom Hiddleston’s performance as well as the production’s genre-bending humor. But there are some concerns, too.

For one thing, the plot moves fast. It starts out a little like a buddy cop series, with Loki getting processed through the TVA’s charmingly banal bureaucracy and partnering up with Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson). But it quickly veers into more explicit sci-fi territory, from a dying planet to a void at the end of time that’s populated by alternate versions of the god.

But despite its weirdness, it feels grounded and centered on the main character’s journey. The story deconstructs Loki’s sense of grandeur in the first episode but then reassembles him into a man who can evolve beyond his past. It’s a powerful message in this era of bloated egos, and it’s delivered with an impeccable cast and some wonderful, genre-bending production design. Owen Wilson in particular stands out, bringing a dry and charming comedy style to his role as Mobius that makes him the perfect partner for Hiddleston’s Loki. It’s a remarkable show and a welcome change of pace for the Marvel TV universe.