Loki Review: Glorious Purpose (Season 1 Episode 1)

Who needs an episode fit for a king when you have one worthy of a god.

Loki Season 1 Episode 1, “Glorious Purpose,” does away with the God of Mischief’s futile plans to rule over Midgard in favour of a mission better suited to his range.

It’s an absolute delight to see Loki do right by this complicated character with a series built on complicated genre-blending and time-bending paradoxes. Loki is never exactly what he seems and by the looks of it, neither is this series.

Allowing Tom Hiddleston the opportunity to lead a series as ambitious as this after a decade of stealing the spotlight is the gift that keeps on giving with Loki — and we’re not even finished with the prologue.

The show’s ability to layer multiple genres of storytelling over one another is seamless and at times, exhilarating.

The time travel aspects lean naturally on the adventurous sides of this series to keep things light. The heavy information dumps are hidden well beneath a procedural approach to timekeeping that puts Mobius in a lead detective role, with Loki as his unpredictable partner.

Regardless of how seamless it looks, this time-travelling juggling act is no easy feat. The TVA is introduced as a presence more powerful than the Infinity Stones, and Loki as the most influential Marvel property yet. All that requires meticulous world-building.

Unfortunately, this forces the episode’s pacing to slow down considerably as a large portion of the hour is tasked with setting up for the chaos to come.

It may be slow to get on its feet but make no mistake, this series is thriving within the confines of its rich world-building. This is merely a detour for the story and one that is impressively cushioned by these multifaceted characters.

Loki’s Glorious Purpose

Showcasing a Loki who has yet to undergo a redemption arc doesn’t feel like a step backwards for Marvel. On the contrary, revisiting Loki’s flawed idealogy from a fresh perspective and challenging it the ways Mobius does, offers the audience a new take on a character we know well.

Loki is stripped down to the basic survival instincts of his character, both metaphorically and literally. The TVA removes his armour (and his clothes), forcing him to stand exposed before a force he can’t corrupt.

By separating Loki from his costume and his identity, this series taps into the sad truth behind the god’s actions in groundbreaking ways.

It’s refreshing to have Hiddleston inhabit Loki in the god’s full unflinching form. The seasoned actor plays his part to perfection by reinforcing those volatile mannerisms and sharp edges just in time to have Loki face defeat yet again.

The episode never loosens its hold on our main character and that dedication pays off gloriously when Loki finds himself alone in the time theatre with a powerless Tesseract and the devastating truth of his life playing out before his eyes.

We knew there was a chance Loki would learn the truth about his past life and the reveal does not hold back.

Hiddleston shows an immensely powerful range of emotions in a matter of seconds as Loki is forced to reckon with his mother’s death; a crucial plot point that was once thrown away for a meaningless antagonist arc and is now paying off for the character’s development in big ways.

The look of horrified realization on Loki’s face as his neck-snap reverberates through the theatre, and the confession that he kills because it’s a weak bid for control, speaks to everything this series is getting right about the god’s glorious purpose.

Owen Wilson Wows

It’s difficult to wrap our minds around Owen Wilson being canon in the MCU. That said, it should come as no surprise that he fits right into the fabric of this established franchise with the ease of a veteran actor.

Mobius may have been created by ancient time lizards to keep the timeline in check but he’s not your typical authority figure either. He has a soft-spoken kindness that reminds me of Phil Coulson, and sharp observational skills that rival Steve Rogers.

His curiosity is the perfect foil to Loki’s superiority complex, prying valuable truths out of the god with the very psychological trickery Loki believes he can wield better.

Loki and Mobius bounce dialogue off each other with none of the typical jabbings we expect from Marvel banter. Wilson could have easily been a punchline to Loki’s absurdity. Instead, he’s something much more complicated to reckon with.

If the TVA is hiding something more sinister within its mission statement, Mobius is the perfect smokescreen. It’s impossible to believe a voice that soothing could lie.

Welcome to the TVA

The best character a series can have isn’t a character at all. It’s a setting that feels as alive as the people inhabiting the space.

The TVA offices are this crucial secondary character for Loki, provide an expansive sandbox for Loki and Mobius to play in that feels alive. The interior design brilliantly blends futuristic technology and dated fixtures together to symbolize the authority’s suspension in time.

It’s all magnificent to look at. From tiled patterns creating infinite time-loops to ancient murals of the timekeepers to the Miss Minutes propaganda posters, there are dozens of details in every scene to devour.

This setting strikes an important balance between busy and confined, allowing us to scour the walls for clues while feeling the claustrophobia of Loki’s imprisonment. The lack of soft textures and comfy seating suggests something darker; as if warning us not to get too comfortable with this unknown entity.

Loki has fabulous performances and dialogue on display during this first episode but as the cleverly decorated walls of the TVA remind us, the devil could very well be in the details.

The Sun Shines Again

This series preaches deception and manipulation, two key traits of Loki’s biological makeup. However, the very flow of time this series explores suggests fluidity is important to Loki’s journey in more ways than one.

Forging a series around a character born to cause pain, suffering, and death so others can achieve the best versions of themselves is intriguing. However, the idea that Loki’s legacy is not defined by one version of himself could be groundbreaking.

This episode makes one thing very clear; trusting any of these characters long enough to make a judgement call will prove impossible — but that’s always half the fun with our God of Mischief.

If Loki can manifest a beginning this spellcasting, I’d hate to see what this season’s endgame has in store for us.

Other Observations:

• The green and yellow logo is magnificent!
• You here that? The Avengers did what was suppose to happen. That means Steve was always supposed to find his way back to Peggy *Wanda’s Voice* I’m fine.
• Renslayer and B-15 command every scene they’re in but I need Loki to give us more reasons to invest in them.
• Casey’s panicked delivery of “What’s a fish? *whispers* What’s a fish?!” is too much. The TVA employing Pillboi from The Good Place is not lost on me either.
• That Miss Minutes voice-over at the end of the episode is so much better than any end-credit scene.

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New episodes of Loki air Wednesdays on Disney+.

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