Loki season 1, episode 1 review: Glorious Purpose

In the premiere of Loki, the sinister trickster from Asgard faces his greatest challenge yet: Time cops governed by a ridiculous amounts of red tape.

Previously, in what we know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) died. As recounted in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the Norse god of mischief and adopted brother of Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) was strangled to death by the mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin). Yet through his death, this once former enemy of the Avengers redeemed himself by choosing to stand against his former master and protect the life of his brother.

Only this wasn’t the end of Loki’s story. Because in a different reality, Loki lived. Thanks to some time travel shenanigans during Avengers: Endgame (2019), the Avengers, in an attempt to retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos did, travelled back to 2012 during the Battle of New York from the first Avengers movie. As a result of the inevitable confusion that they caused, a captured Loki took advantage of the situation and escaped with the Tesseract.

It’s this version of the MCU’s “mischievous scamp” whom we follow in the new Disney+ series which bares his name. Though based on what happens to him during this first episode, entitled “Glorious Purpose,” Loki probably wishes Thor took him back to Asgard instead.

“This is absurd!”

We learn after his escape, Loki lands in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert before a bewildered group of shepherds. Before he can take advantage of the situation, a group of armored troops brandishing batons suddenly appear from a glowing doorway, and their leader (Wunmi Mosaku) informs him he’s under arrest. After Loki makes his usual boasts and threats, the troop leader hits him with her baton (which slows him down at 1/16th his normal speed), slaps a neck collar on him, and takes him and the Tesseract away.

Soon, Loki finds himself in a giant office complex running on anachronistic yet paradoxically advanced technology. There, he’s processed before proceeding to trial, signing a stack of forms confirming literally everything he’s ever said, being scanned to prove he’s not a robot, and waiting in line despite being only one of two people in said line… for the moment.

While he waits, Loki watches an animated history lesson hosted by a talking clock named Miss Minutes (Tara Strong). Apparently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe used to be a multiverse with multiple timelines, until a “Multiversal War” threatened to destroy all of existence. To ensure this doesn’t happen, a trio of interdimensional beings called the Time Keepers merged the timelines into a “Sacred Timeline” and created the Time Variance Authority or TVA. It’s the TVA’s job to make sure this timeline stays intact and unwavering. That includes anyone branching off of the Sacred Timeline known as “Variants,” whom the TVA either send back or erase from existence.

Naturally, the god of mischief thinks all of this is a joke, and we, the audience, can’t help but agree as we watch him going through this bureaucratic farce. Only things become less funny for Loki when, after standing before one judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), he realizes his magic powers don’t work. Worse, the collar around his neck allows a person to “rewind” him back to their previous position. But before the judge can pass sentence, that’s when Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) steps in.

“What makes Loki tick?”

It seems Mobius is investigating a series of murders of TVA agents happening throughout time. A boy from 14th century Italy says that the killer was literally the Devil, who also gave him some sort of unknown candy. Somehow, Mobius thinks Loki can help. But first, we want to sit down and have a talk with him.

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It’s this conversation between Loki and Mobius which forms the heart and bulk of this episode. Via a holographic film projector, Mobius shows that, for a supposed “god of mischief,” his actions during The Avengers weren’t at all mischievous. However, Loki antics didn’t always result in death.

We learn that, due to a bet he lost with Thor, Loki was actually the infamous airline bandit D.B. Cooper. But the real gut-punch for Loki comes when Mobius shows that, had the trickster god stayed in his timeline, he will be partially responsible for the death of his adoptive mother, Frigga (Rene Russo) as seen in Thor: The Dark World (2013). For all of his wickedness, even Loki can’t believe he’d ever be capable of doing such a thing.

There are so many reasons why this one scene works. Obviously, it highlights the chemistry between the two leads, proving that Wilson, known for his more comedic roles, has the dramatic chops to keep up with the Shakespearian-trained Hiddleston. It shows that as a detective, Mobius is sympathetic without being a pushover. It reminds the audience that Loki, for most of his cinematic existence, was a really bad guy. It explores themes of free will vs predeterminism, and whether a person can really change who they are. Most important of all, it’s an insightful psychological study of Loki himself while also acting as commentary on the importance of villains in shaping a hero’s journey.

Not only is this a testament to director Kate Herron’s confidence making the most out of such a dialogue-heavy scene, it also speaks volumes of Michael Waldron’s talents as a screenwriter. No wonder he was chosen to write the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness if he’s capable of crafting such multifaceted scenes as this one.

“I don’t enjoy killing people.”

The interview between Loki and Mobius is interrupted when the later is called away due to “another disturbance.” Loki, having pickpocketed the collar control from Mobius, teleports himself back to the processing desk to retrieve the Tesseract from the receptionist (Eugene Cordero). To his shock, he sees that the reception desk holds numerous Infinity Stones from different realities, all of which have been rendered so powerless that they’re literally used as paperweights.

It’s not the only thing that rocks Loki’s beliefs. After escaping back to the interview room, he then sees how the rest of his life would’ve played out via clips from Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and Avengers: Infinity War. Realizing that he’s not destined to become the ruler of the Nine Realms and that his terrible actions were all for naught, the god of chaos and deciet weeps. But at least he’s able to get some sweet revenge on his arresting officer, who we learn is called Hunter B-15, by strapping his restraining collar on her and rewinding her multiple times.

When Mobius finds him, Loki admits that he never wanted to kill anyone, but felt that he had to in order to achieve his goals and survive. He also realizes that he can never go back to his own time, and decides to help Mobius with whatever he wants from him. That’s when Loki gets hit with yet another bombshell. The killer that Mobius has been looking for? It’s another version of Loki.

And we see this other variant in murderous action, luring a squad of TVA agents to Oklahoma, 1858. Having tricked them into standing on an oil-soaked field, his face obscured by shadows, this variant shatters the lantern he carries onto the ground…and burns the agents alive. Who is this Loki? Which timeline did he come from? And why is he murdering TVA agents? Obviously, those are questions to be answered in future episodes.

As for this episode, “Glorious Purpose” makes for a strong debut. If there is but one criticism, it’s pacing makes the viewing experience feel particularly short even with a less than fifty minute runtime. In fairness, this is a noticeable flaw in all of Disney Plus’ original programming. Nevertheless, the strength of its performances, its comedic timing, and the set-up of an intriguing murder mystery will keep viewers engrossed and eager for more. And if this premiere is anything to go by, Loki is setting up one zany, strange, and enjoyable trip through time, indeed.

Loki streams on Disney Plus every Wednesday at 3:01 AM Eastern and 12:01 AM Pacific.