Throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s history, one iconic, if not infamous figure has rooted themselves deep within multiple storylines and shaped the course of its plot as a whole: Loki. Indeed, this god of mischief has left his mark upon the hearts of innumerable Marvel fans and established themselves as a villain with the intent of dominating the world. (and providing dramatic moments to the audience, of course!) But in one of the MCU’s newest installments, a fresh perspective on this complex character’s personality has finally been revealed, exposing them as more antihero than malevolent being. Enter Loki, a television show directed by Kate Herron and Dan Deleeuw featuring none other than the charming deity himself.

So what exactly is this series about? While its narrative must of course follow Loki, the writers of the show devised a story that could merge almost seamlessly, if not perfectly with the main MCU timeline.

Beginning with events that took place in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel’s magnum opus, our heroes travel back in time to acquire infinity stones and achieve the classic goal of saving their universe. However, they fumble their chance to attain the Space Stone, a rock enabling its user to instantaneously teleport anywhere, and an alternate version of Loki seizes this chance to obtain the stone and escape to an unknown location. But despite his seemingly clever effort, he is captured by an organization known as the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and brought into a world that shatters his previous understanding, a realm between time and space. This subsequently catapults Loki into adventures where he investigates the hidden truths and lies that weave the TVA together, all the while using his intelligence and charming wit.

Season 2 of the show, which is still ongoing, also follows the god of mischief attempting to further explore a multiverse of confusion, as he faces variants of his ultimate enemy from the past story arc that threaten to collapse the TVA.

As with any Marvel production, the ratings of Loki have been excellent, with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating alongside dozens of other accolades like the People’s Choice Awards and MTV Movie & TV Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, the former of which was won twice. However, what specifically has allowed this show to vastly outshine other Marvel productions like Wandavision or Hawkeye? Although numerous factors may be responsible, its groundbreaking success can be widely attributed to the stunning movie effects that constantly dazzled viewers throughout the show and an amazing, expansive plot to uncover Loki’s true personality.

From my experience watching the show and knowledge of previous Marvel productions, I can confidently say that watching Loki become a figure capable of protecting those he loves despite his treacherous beginnings is quite the sight to behold. It isn’t often that the classic hero destined to “save the world” is usurped by the villain in a television show, but Loki accomplishes this flawlessly by revealing its main character’s change of heart through a series of journeys testing his loyalty to the TVA.

And, similarly to other Marvel shows, the visual effects featured in Loki were simply phenomenal, with convincing and unique displays throughout the series. However, the most notable element of this appeal were the bold, moody atmospheres that Loki’s producers so confidently introduced with sudden transitions. In one change of scene, the cold and empty gray halls of the TVA headquarters evoking a feeling of lifelessness instantaneously transform into bustling townscapes as Loki traverses alternate timelines.

The dramatic shift in the public’s opinion of Loki from a deadly, power-crazed manipulator to a morally-correct character with heroic traits was more than enough to sway audiences and allow them to understand a hidden aspect of the veteran villain they had known for years. For many, this was the ultimate element in Loki that earned it such widespread fame and interest.

To conclude, this adventure with the god of mischief is unlike any program that has been cast on a screen. Loki is a remarkable television series that contains not only the action found in a typical MCU act, but a compelling story and character development to a degree that surpasses several of Marvel’s past shows.

Photo courtesy of FLICKR