Why I Can't Watch the Loki Series
Hey There All,
Ok, so I was recently thinking of watching the Loki series on Disney + to kinda celebrate Avengers: Doomsday, as it is obvious that Loki will be a player in the movie, but I can't bring myself to do it. Now please know I absolutely looooooveee Loki, but that cartoon that seems to be in the show ain't Loki and it breaks my heart!!! So I never watched the show, but I pretty much know how it goes, so these are my issues with it.
Before I get into my critique, I want to address the defense for this show:
Money-Maker:Although many Loki fans had major issues with the blatantly disrespectful way the character was handled overall for Marvel/Disney it was successful, and at the end of the day that's the bottom line. The company knew the show was a quick cash grab. Loki is one of the most beloved characters in the MCU, and Tom Hiddleston is beloved in the role; they knew people would watch because of the character/actor popularity. It didn't matter if it was a waste of time for real Loki/Marvel fans it was a money maker, and they made their money. Fans lost, but Disney won.
The show was well-timed: Season 1 came out during COVID. Restrictions were starting to loosen; it was still very much COVID, masks and social distancing were still the norm, and most people were desperate for a form of escapism. People wanted to see the handsome face of a beloved character on their screens again. Also, Loki's dilemma was relatable; he was on lockdown, and everyone else was on lockdown or had just experiences lock down as well. Like Loki, most people had experienced loss of freedom; people couldn't go to work and school, restaurants and had to abide by strange new rules like wearing masks (not against masks; mask up if necessary). It was well-timed on Disney's part. It wasn't planned that way, but it worked. Many people felt powerless and so did the character.
Tom Hiddleston: Most fell in love with Tom Hiddleston because of Loki. We learned he was a good-looking and extremely talented actor. Tom made Loki great and I would never take that away from him. He loves the character, and he loves fans enough to give 100%. Although I did not watch the show, I know he gave it his all. He sang, he danced, he cried, he looked foolish to keep fans entertained and that's a great thing. Fans wanted to watch him, but we wanted to watch him play Loki, not play Mr. Nobody, not play Homer Simpson.
So I know the show was successful and it makes sense that it found success on the business end, but on the fan level, on a storytelling level, it should not have been successful and isn't worth a purist Loki fan's time. So here is that analysis:
- As far as storytelling, the series makes no sense. Loki as a character had a complete arc. It's beautiful and nearly perfect throughout the Infinity Saga. WE hated to lose him, but we knew Loki went from villain to hero, endgame, mic-drop. There really was no more to say unless he was going to be resurrected and continue; there was nothing else Loki needed to do.
Marvel wanted to set up the TVA, but why use Loki? He was dead (I've already explained why *Tom Hiddleston*), but as a storyteller it makes no sense. There were plenty of other characters available to use. Ant-Man was already introducing a Kang variant so why not keep him with the Kangs? Think about if Mantis; she's a sweet puppy-like character who could have easily filled the role.
Disrespect of Character and good writing: Loki is a beloved character throughout the franchise and in Marvel lore. He is a character that Stan Lee was proud of and, I doubt that Stan Lee (RIP) would have wanted the character to be treated that way. He made Loki a challenging foe to Thor, but also complex and emotional. He's a villain with a heart an,d that's what makes him interesting. You don't know if he's going to stab the character in the back or actually help when needed. Loki's character is meant to be smooth-talking, cunning, powerful, smart, and fun, but what the series did to him left him none of those things. Well, what's the point in that? That's not watching a character grow. There were many ways to allow Loki to be good without making him just personality-less. It's just no longer fun. I love Loki's conflict and inner turmoil. I love that he has a soft side, but we all love the marvelous trickster as well. But the character is multifaceted; this version seems to have no facets
The fact that Loki needs the validation from the TVA people makes no sense. Loki had a family. He had people who loved him and let him be himself. Who wants to be around people who roll their eyes at everything you say. Thor's real relationship is with Thor and that's really where it needs to stay. His family genuinely loved him and he loved them. We didn't need the TVA to show us that Loki would love and sacrifice for people. He proved that in the Infinity Saga.
This show is such a waste for Loki fans. At the end of the day Marvel films should be able fun; a trickster who doesn't trick isn't fun. I get the actor wanting something different and I love Tom, but I loved him because he embodied Loki; this character isn't Loki. It may have some well-acted scenes, but the magic is gone and that's pretty sad if Loki has no spark