I Was WRONG About Loki...

Loki has finished Season 1 and shaken the MCU to it's core and even I have to admit I was WRONG about Loki and it might just be the BEST MCU show yet! Let's discuss in this video essay and Loki Season 1 Review!
When a Loki show was first to admit, I was vehemently against the idea. Why is this necessary? What more could they do with the character? Loki traveling through time and space? This sounds like a cash grab. After finishing the entirety of season one of Loki, I couldn't have been more WRONG. Loki is the BEST MCU show yet by a LARGE margin and it's because it focuses on the characters, their interpersonal relationships and their beliefs. The Loki series also happened to come out at a time when I was questioning the religious infastructure I had placed my faith in for so long and engaged in that conversation with me, validating my concerns and views, and providing me with more context as to why I felt the way I did. Loki is more than just the latest MCU show on Disney Plus, it's a critique of manipulative and hypocritical power structures, a plea for free will, an advocate for faith over religion, and a lesson in finding one's glorious purpose. Marvel's Loki show was even deeper and more thoughtful than I ever could've expected along ith expanding the MCU into bold new territory, opening up the multiverse, and more for Phase 4. Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Musaku, and Jonathan Majors and is directed by Kate Herron and created by Michael Waldron. After stealing the Tesseract during the events of Avengers: Endgame (2019), an alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA), a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline. They give Loki a choice: face being erased from existence due to being a "time variant", or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat. Loki ends up trapped in his own crime thriller, traveling through time. Griffin gives you his Loki analysis or review of Loki and explores what makes Loki the BEST MCU show and why I was wrong about Loki in this video essay!
#Loki #LokiAnalysis #VideoEssay #LokiVideoEssay #LokiReview #LokiExplained #MCU #Marvel #TomHiddleston
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[@lloydpassafume5357]

One thing I will give the MCU tv shows is that they at the very least try to cover heavy topics. Some of them may not be executed right, but I appreciate the effort. Loki was a ride for sure.

[@FilmSpeak]

Absolutely! I think especially with Loki, the ambition and care put into these characters paid off big time.

[@privilegedmale7297]

@@FilmSpeak you realize they ruined his entire character arc right 😐

[@speeddemon5339]

@@privilegedmale7297 I know right I mean the themes are good,but did they have to use Loki for it? I mean couldn’t they have picked someone else? Or created a new. Character instead of using Loki?

[@adithyasudheer1561]

@@privilegedmale7297 clearly you missed the entire point

[@seanmcgowan8819]

@@privilegedmale7297 how exactly did they do that?

[@madtitan0825]

I rolled my eyes when people complain how Loki wasn’t being mischief enough in this show like bruh the creator already explained this show is about Loki leaving out of his comfort zone, exposing himself and see how pointless and hilarious his “glorious purpose” is, him having no control over every situations is literally the god damn theme of this show

[@VidWatcher01]

Well he got a goodook at you snapping his neck like a chicken so yep I'd say that's a push toward the light

[@metelineblue294]

lol 2 thanos variants

[@timeout2602]

@Mad Titan Loki was Trash

[@henyo5409]

personally i just felt that it was too quickly paced, but they still executed it well enough so im not crying about it

[@ned968]

Thats the thing tho. Real loki would laugh and say, “I won’t make his mistakes.” Or maybe get frustrated and say, “I had no control over this, all my actions were made by you. You’re the one to blame.” In Endgame Nebula talks to her future self and refuses to accept her future. I feel like the same would go for the god of mischief.

[@LittleMan27]

“WandaVision” - a show about a superhero grieving the death of her partner - asked us what it means to mourn and questioned what is real. “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” - a drama about who will replace Captain America - asked what it meant to be American. Now “Loki,” the latest from Marvel and Disney+, seems to query, “Is freedom worth it? Is freedom an illusion?” These are questions that don’t just implicate modern politics, but faith as well, as director Kate Herron recently suggested to Deseret News writer Herb Scribner, “There’s a faith aspect to it.”

[@bullymaguire6388]

It really explores the idea of Free vs Determinism

[@eugene12310mobile]

Nah, FaTWS was trying that yet didn't double down on it with the Flag Smashers

[@themadtitan7603]

Your analysis of Falcon and the Winter Soilder is deceivingly simple, it's way more than just "who will be the next Captain America" that's a given considering it's a literal premise of the show. It's plot is covered in themes of nationalism, one-world orders, globalization in a post-decimation MCU and even less necessary political themes like end-justify-means mentality tho this one is admittedly, the least well-executed of the show.

[@timeout2602]

@@themadtitan7603 Loki is least well executed show

[@themadtitan7603]

@@timeout2602 I didn't think Loki was that greatly executed neither unlike so many others but to me, Falcon and the Winter Soldier is clearly the least well executed.

[@michellegiacalone1079]

This is why I'm a Loki fan. How many other Marvel characters inspire these kinds of philosophical essays?

[@emilyrln]

And how many other Marvel characters have glorious hair flips? The only one I can think of is Black Widow, and hers is more badass than glorious.

[@joaopedromarquesini1792]

Well... Comic books are literally right there... So are other types of series, movies, books... You are putting him on a pedestal while limiting the competition to a very small niche, pal. It ain't a great achievement

[@erosion271]

literally every other comic book character

[@mr.iiconic]

in the comics, all of them.

[@SoCalSlime]

Hiddleston deserves an award for consistently delivering elite performances throughout this show.

[@taymus13]

Oh god yes. It really says something when I think everyone on this show did a foraminal job, and that Hiddleston STILL carried to hell out of it.

[@AllyGirl-hg2sb]

Oh yes he's such a good actor.

[@VoidedMirror]

WandaVision was more consistent while Loki was more cohesive. Both shows were great. FatWS was fine, but got lost in the spectacle of WandaVision and Loki.

[@summertyme5748]

Yes.

[@Cityweaver]

Well said! Ultimately, WandaVision, a show where the hero is the villain, and Loki, a show where the villain became a hero against an ultra-encompassing force like the TVA, where both shows that were designed to make people feel uncomfortable. Falcon/Bucky did a bit of that by making the modern super soldier serum come from Bradley, but ultimately, Sam was never actually tempted to take it... Not only that, they turned around and made Bradley like him with a statue. So, six episodes for Sam to gain the resolve to do what we all wanted him to do anyway is fine and all, but its not ever going to be as interesting and Wanda and Loki making choices we don't always agree with, but it takes them in directions we could never anticipate.

[@marshsundeen]

I like all three shows. Falcon and the Winter Soldier gave Sam and Bucky a new way to live, without Steve being the center of their orbit. I saw some of FatWS the same week as the Chauvin trial, so it really resonated with me.

[@Cityweaver]

@@themadtitan7603 Well, this point is less about it being dumb and more about it being static. Do you like heroic tales more, or anti-heroic?

[@losisd3ad]

WV was more consistent? started off so so so so strong and then went down at the end. Loki was great the entire time

[@AlexRider589]

Yeah, I feel this. I really liked Loki. This is why I have a philosophical problem with determinism. People talk about it as if it's new or modern but it derives from ancient organized religions like Christianity and even Greek fates. It's a superstitious way to make people think they're not good enough to think/act for themselves. It's a philosophy made for totalitarian dictators to come in and go, "Follow the leader/dogma. You can't be trusted to act freely for yourself. We'll control and manipulate you for your own good." What comes first? The belief that people can't make their own choices or a tyrant. Perhaps the psychology of the former creates the latter. (Kang?) I like free will philosophies because it's more humanist, believing in human ability, scientific discovery, and a fact/evidence-based human morality.

[@evildakrk]

But is that the case , our society runs on rules and regulations . If a murderer kills 10 people you expect justice , which the law exercises through sentencing someone to jail time , death , or community service . These rules are an outline for morality and while influenced by human error : for example laws against voting rights and segregation, are made not only for peoples well being , but to create a sense of peace that allows ingenuity and growth.Why is it any different for God to exercise judgement on those he created . To claim man is without a creator is like claiming a car is without is without a manufacturer . Our planet is able to sustain life and is just close enough to sun for us to survive , we also have bodies that can repair themselves and gain nutrients from the variety of organism this planet provides . And your suggesting no one saw it fit to be that way ?You claim that religion was made to manipulate others , yet how is that the case when the Bible teaches against human desire, while also exposing human error in the process .Furthermore there is yet to be any proof of how life can create itself with out God , ( and if you have the answer please come back to me). While understanding of catholic faiths and other world religions I consider myself to be a follower of Jesus Christ , though I can see peoples skepticism as to why people like me believe what we believe. All in all I can respect a video that analyzes shows like this on a deeper level , and enjoyed Loki as well being a geek Myself. Though I felt the need to get my opinion out and much love my guy ❤️🕊✝️

[@06rtm]

Humanism is christianity without the orthodoxy. Religion isn’t about manipulation, its about having a path to follow. Dictators famously hate religion because it offers people something greater than mere politics. Christianity allows for the free will to choose between good and evil, starting with Adam and Eve. I do agree that determinism is an ancient debate. The Christian perspective is that you can have a destiny, and the choice of whether or not to follow it.

[@jennsolomon5547]

@@06rtm you don't understand Christianity is not a religion its a relationship

[@06rtm]

@@jennsolomon5547 Maybe you could elaborate. Is it not both? The religion entails a relationship with God. Despite each that, in order for it to scale up to a collective it necessarily requires an orthodoxy. A series of rituals for a collection of people to engage with together.

[@soundshock9357]

@@jennsolomon5547 for what I think it’s people fear the known

[@moviesaredope]

Spelling it "Relegion" & "Politcal" was a great way to get engagement in the comment section (& skirt the unholy algorithm)

[@FilmSpeak]

😉

[@emilyrln]

Lolol the pedants can't help themselves. As a pedant myself, I know their zealotry 😂

[@Taco1011]

Good to find someone else who loved the show as much as I did. This was an adventure I thought I'd like, but never expected to flat out love. Loki was the most fun I've had watching something in the MCU since the thing started. While the other two Disney+ shows have their moments, neither of them made me feel the same way Loki did. It was great. I was also wondering where it could go after the Infinity Saga. And now I know, and holy cow am I pumped for it.

[@emilyrln]

Omg yes. I've watched it three times so far 😂 I'll definitely be watching it again!

[@hollykm]

Loki and Wandavision are tied for me, mostly because they are SO DIFFERENT

[@FilmSpeak]

Had WV not botched the finale, I think it’d be a lot closer for me, but Loki really delivered the whole way through.

[@National7575]

@@FilmSpeak i personally think all the finales were awful

[@hollykm]

@@FilmSpeak Fair. I think Loki’s finale was a liiiiiittle bit better, but there was just SO much exposition. I feel like they could’ve delivered that information in a more creative way

[@ChrisDodges123]

Yeah I got WV at #1 Loki #2 FWS #3 Best Finale for me was Wandavision. 😄 I didn't watch any theory videos. Didn't know who Agatha was or anaything. I don't remember reading her in the comics.

[@randompeople465]

@@ChrisDodges123 that is the best way to enjoy the show

[@truthseeker5079]

Loki is fucking great. Loki to me did what Iron Man did for the MCU as a whole. Loki makes me very excited for what Marvel has up it's sleeves. WandaVision and Falcon & The Winter Soldier felt like extensions of Endgame. Loki feels like a true thought provoking look into the future of the MCU.

[@lilguyy72]

Endgame didn't happen according to Episode one of Loki series.

[@ot7biasedmashups]

​@@lilguyy72it's been two years so I hope you have already learned that ep 1 of Loki simply caused a branch timeline. Which was literally explored in the show💀

[@lilguyy72]

@@ot7biasedmashups Fantastic. Thanks for explaining that to me. I stopped watching after episode 1.

[@papl20]

What I found most beautiful, important and shock about this show is that it took extremely important themes, explored them, asked questions but didn't give definitive answers. It did all that without being overbearing, preachy, obvious, without losing how fun it is. I have another level of respect for a show that's able to dive into these things with ease.

[@jackjax7921]

At least Loki didnt depend on action scenes but it really has a story to tell.

[@markgraves6441]

Sometimes people find meaning in art (that others don't see) based on where their mind is focused at the time. I didn't see any parallels to religion when watching Loki. I'm actually surprised you did. But I'm not facing any uncertainty in that area of my life right now. So, to me it was about love & friendship, free will vs authority, & a whole bunch of timey wimey goodness mixed in.

[@BigSleepyOx]

Well, as for parallels to religion, there was the thing where Jonathan Majors mocked his own Time Keepers dogma with his "Ahhhh-men" line.

[@rnsw4572]

I liked the moral dilemma at the end between free will yet chaos or order but dictatorship

[@dianabialaskahansen2972]

I feel Sylvie and what she represents is also extremely vital. She was targetted as a young child and her fight is one simply for the right to exist. We never learn her Nexus event, but she believes it to simply be that she was born the Goddess of Mischief rather than the God. Her character was one I had an instant connection to and I think many other LGBTQ+ people did too, because she basically fought for that right to exist simply as you are. At least as transgender I felt for the first time an MCU character was actually relatable, simply because I also often feel I am fighting for the basic human right to exist.

[@Cauldron6]

As a lesbian, I co-sign this. I grew up feeling alienated for simply existing. Watching a character like Sylvie is both cathartic and challenging but I’m so glad they told her story.

[@May04bwu]

Interesting. I didn't like her at all. I found her extremely annoying at times. On top of that, it felt like the show was more about her and honestly I hate when TV shows do this and make a completely new character basically the main character. But I'm glad the character brought you some comfort.

[@stephanie154]

Well said🙌🙌🙌🙌. I am glad you find her comforting. Even though fictional, I could easily sympathise with her story. It's tragic af to begin with, but what won me over is the fact that she persevered through all that pain and hell while fighting for justice. She didn't give up, not once. Her final choice had it pros and cons but now, no children will be kidnapped from their bedrooms and banished to death just bcoz they tried to become a better person. Half of the multiverse won't perish in silence for the other half to live in peace and harmony...every body has to fight for it now. United. Her character has MAD POTENTIAL! Marvel better realise that.

[@dianabialaskahansen2972]

@@stephanie154 I agree, she has great potential and I honestly feel that what she did was the right thing. I really hope she'll be part of the main MCU after this. She should have convinced Loki, but because of her upbringing she does not have that same silver tongue and relied on magic and brute force. HWR says he wants to prevent a multiversal war, but in order to achieve this he's just about the most ruthless and cruel tyrant. Where a multiversal war would lead to some branches being destroyed, HWR destroys every single one except the Sacred Timeline. Because we know from Ravonna that they cannot reset a timeline, it is sent to the void. Hence every single branch the TVA reset is trillions or more lives destroyed. I think Sylvie is actually a heroine. Her goal to free the timeline is noble, even if she's at the same time also driven by a need for vengeance. With the multiverse free, now there's a chance that heroes all across them can work together and end the threat, end the multiversal war. And my guess is that as the arc comes to an end, it will also be with the multiverse stable, with no more threats from HWR/Kang variants. I think nexus beings like Wanda and Loki has the potential to break the cycle, which is also why HWR turns Loki against Sylvie in that final scene. Everything he says is carefully planned and he's provoking Sylvie multiple times, ensuring she will not step down.

[@engineergaming1537]

Actually, her Nexus Event was known. It was Sylvie's mother telling her she was adopted.

[@alekesam]

Nice! Another well-balanced and thought out deep dive on one of favorite shows atm. Keep it coming.

[@llamalianna]

Loki was the best out of the MCU shows, imo. Loved the deep issues it tackled, Loki’s character development and how it didn’t rely on Marvel’s regular formula of action sequences and just told the story. Really enjoyed your analysis!!!

[@Gurlzup123]

As someone who is religious, I do still agree with you. Organized religion has a lot of power and influence over the people that believe it. I believe that is why in my religion were told to ponder, think, and pray about everything our selves and come to our own understanding rather than just follow blindly. We are encouraged to take what we learn in church and question it on our own.

[@N8sLaxLife]

As someone who grew up under immense religious trauma that was amplified by my family, Loki the show spoke to me. I always enjoyed the character, the machinating eloquent trickster that he is, but I like that he, and the show especially were aware that it wasn’t a facade, it was a coping mechanism. Of course the isolated boy would seek attention. Of course he’d give up on validation when there examples of betters in front of him. Yes, Thor loved Loki like a true brother should, but Loki always played second fiddle to him. Loki being pruned, having his beliefs, his existence, his very self questioned, it was one of the best methods of growth for his character. Not just as a God, but as a character we’re meant to identify and sympathize with. This show, more than anything else in the past humanized him. I bawled with him when he was crying, learning about his end in infinity war. The way he went back to learning about his mother broke me. Loki, despite all appearances, was NEVER heartless. He was just him. A fucked up kid who spent his life trying to make sense of things. This was an amazing entry in the MCU. After this retrospective, I can remember why I loved it so much. And as someone who can still consider themselves a man of faith, I appreciate your take and bringing to light the allegories to the hypocrisy of organized religion. Thank you for making this retrospective

[@joshualally2883]

I really hope that by the end of the series loki gains a upgrade from the god of mischief to the god of stories (agent of asgard). That would be pretty fitting as he gains control of his own story.

[@strictlystarlight]

Great essay Griffin, I agreed with most points. Out of the 3 shows still cant rank them

[@deborahbryant1550]

Love #Loki! Superb series; amazing writing, incredible performances! Best Marvel, so far! So happy we're getting season 2!

[@emilyrln]

Great video! A random thing that occurred to me while I was watching: _Where did Vote Loki get his pins?_ Like, did he just happen to have them when he was pruned? Did he find a button-making machine somewhere in the wasteland? HOW DID HE GET THEM??

[@usxldcom7543]

Everyone here talking about spiritual trips and I'm just going "hey look it's lightning McQueen"

[@JonathanMandrake]

What I also find interesting is to seperate Religion from Church: What someone believes doesn't have to be connected to the religious institutions. You don't have to belive anything just because someone says you have to. What you believe in is extremely personal and can be really motivating, and questioning the institution based around the faith you follow is a must, you have to carve your own way through life and faith

[@StygianStyx]

I loved this video. you did a great job and bring up alot of good points. Loki has been my favorite part of the newer marvel stuff. they actually almost lost me as a subscriber untill season 1 came out and season 2 is the only reason i re-subscribed.

[@nicholasfactor]

Wandavision: Deconstructing Grief TF&TWS: Deconstructing Identity Loki: Deconstructing Religion Disney+ is deconstructing Streaming services by giving us weekly episodic TV series again.

[@speeddemon5339]

Ha ha nice sarcasm!

[@syv6173]

it is so interesting to see how a different perspective makes viewing something have more depth. mobius seemed like such a 1 note character to me, until you showed me the theme of religion. his character is a commentary about religion and i love it

[@karumotoart5040]

I remember the last time I came across your channel, you had around 2k subs. Glad to see ya come up!

[@carlacollier3363]

I recently deconververted from Christianity and I loved how this show handles a lot of religious topics in a way that makes you question your own deep-rooted beliefs. Sometimes you have to ask yourself: do I believe in this because there is a legitimately good reason for doing so or do I believe it because it’s what has been taught to me since I was born?

[@yvonnejanen4866]

The Loki series was really great and I enjoy that Sylvie has been added. I really hope that you will see them more often now. Of course, I also like Loki a lot and I'm happy that he made such a development, especially because Tom always wanted someone for Loki. Loki and Sylvie have great chemistry and I hope for the best for both of them and a happy ending. She deserved it both. I'm waiting for Staffe 2

[@tofu_golem]

I don't know what your issue was with Falcon and the Winter Soldier is, but as a Generation X comic book fan, I loved it. Falcon wasn't the first black superhero by a long shot, not even at Marvel, but he was the first black hero I encountered as a child reading comic books in the 1970s, so he will always have a special place in my heart. The original function of the Same Wilson character was to introduce the topic of racism to Captain America stories. I was really bummed out that the MCU version of Falcon was not used for the original story function of the character. In movie after movie, he was just a sidekick instead of the guy who corrected Steve about micro-aggressions like I remember him doing. What makes Falcon and the Winter Soldier important is that they finally used the character for its intended purpose and made up for lost time in a bit way. Yes, the plot was badly edited because of the pandemic, leaving huge plot holes, but boy did they make up for lost time. They even brought in Isaiah Bradley, who has much harsher things to say about racism than Sam does. I feel like with Falcon and the Winter Soldier, they are finally honoring the source material for Sam Wilson. Rhodey and Lamar showed that African-Americans are not a monolith and that there's a frame of reactions and opinions to racism, what to do about it, etc. It was great to see the MCU finally have serious things to say about racism, and to talk about many different aspects of it and different reactions to it. If you're going to give the shield to a black character, you kind of have to have that conversation about race because at its core, Captain America stories about about how America measures up to its own ideals (or in many cases fails to). They even had a little time to introduce and set up Eli Bradley. You know Isaiah is going to tell when he joins the Young Avengers. They also had time to show Bucky take the first steps towards becoming the White Wolf, while using Bucky as a metaphor for how America treats veterans with PTSD. I think each of these shows bring something special and different. Everyone seems to agree that Wandavision was about processing trauma and the isolation that goes with that. I'm not quite sure about the themes and subtext of What If and Hawkeye, but I felt enjoyed both shows and enjoyed that they were so different.

[@shayndlgreen3356]

I’m really tired of people using religion to make their points when they clearly don’t know a lot about religion or assume that all religions are like Christianity. While all religions do believe in a higher power not all religions believe that the only way to have a good spiritual life or achieve “heaven” is by exclusively following their religion (although many do.) furthermore, not every religion has a human element who is dictating your life. For example, rabbis do not have any power over a Jew’s day to day life in the same way a priest or a mullah might. Recently, I have seen more rigidity coming from certain political groups ie. demanding apologies from groups, requiring people to use certain words or phrases, intolerance for people thinking like them. Loki delves into “free choice” and I think comes out in a very “pro free choice” camp - which is intrinsically a very religion argument. There is no free will without some sort of religious basis

[@nigelasipa4150]

My least favourite of the shows thus far. I found the action sequences unremarkable and many of the supporting characters uninteresting. While I appreciated how subdued much of the show is, I found it meandering in parts. I did like Loki’s arc, the production design (Bladerunner vibes), Hiddleston’s performance and the humour too downplayed this time. All in all, I found it disengaging but intrigued in how affecting it’ll be for the entire MCU going forward

[@elviswong7304]

Wow dude u killed this essay !!!! Was for me an amazing opus and made it frame by frame and word by word even better then the deepest void of imagination. Just wanna say thank you brother 😺😸😻

[@timeofthewhoviansunited1504]

What music do you use for videos?

[@bunnystick]

i found the pairing of loki and silvi as a heteronormative couple pretty weird. primarily because i didn't find any sexual chemistry between the two actors. familial chemistry, absolutely. they nail it as a brother and sister type. buuut lovers? they were better off getting a tom hiddleson body double, that would have been more convincing.

[@cassiel.6918]

Agreed. I think that was the most confusing part of the show. I didn't think Sylvie and Loki had chemistry. I'm still not convinced Loki needed a love interest whatsoever.

[@damianstarks3338]

Agree with everything you have said about this show you are spot on here.

[@motionpictureman4815]

God damn. This video is loaded, and I love it.

[@gyanchansrichawla8712]

This video essay was fantastic. I’m so glad this channel is getting the support it deserves.

[@themadtitan7603]

I'm glad these shows are showing people that the MCU and the rest of the superhero medium were crafting interesting narratives with complex themes thanks to their longer runtime. Again it's always been there proven by the Captain America trilogy, Ironman 1, GOTG Vol 2, and the recently released Black Widow that proved the fallacy wrong but the 2hr runtime that had only so much it could fit in distracted people from the thought-proving stories and character development.

[@Game_Invasion]

“The big Oner” was not a one shot, it is edited very seamlessly but it’s actually about 7-9 takes

[@emilyrln]

What gets me is I didn't even notice it while I was watching! I was just so swept along by the action… which was probably the goal 😂

[@ooooneeee]

Most Oners are stitched together like that, including the long one in children of men.

[@despairgirl8781]

So glad I found this video bc wow def my fav Loki breakdown/commentary video yet.

[@superwatto941]

By far the best out of the three Disney Plus MCU shows.

[@FilmSpeak]

Absolutely!

[@timeout2602]

@@FilmSpeak Absolutely not! You have terrible taste with shows

[@carolineforbes007]

@@timeout2602 you also

[@soshilucy]

amazing video essay. did not think of the show on any real deeper level until now. a rewatch is a must now

[@freetard1759]

You stole the words right out of my mouth... Great video

[@FilmSpeak]

Cheers! Thank you my man.

[@cassiel.6918]

I liked it, especially the firt episode, but idk, I don't like it when they completely defang villains and turn them into vanilla good guys. Let Loki have a little evil in him, as a treat.

[@goldenlightpictures6223]

It's probably my favorite so far too! I also caught on some of the possible religious allegory even if I may respectfully agree and disagree with some of the views but they were fascinating. I love time travel stories so that automatically appealed to me and I certainly agree the show explored Loki's character and even phycology very well and made me appreciate him more(also you pointed some good things out here I hadn't thought about!) Here's to Season 2!;)

[@EvanG.]

I didn't expect to see you here but I agree with you. Though I do enjoy the show better without thinking about the message with religion.

[@pw383426]

I assumed Loki was going to be about catching up with the story where he disappears in Endgame, and then he would proceed to be the reason for mysterious events throughout Midguards history. Then the end would wrap up by catching Loki and getting the Tesarac back. I was so wrong and I am happy about it, Loki was GREAT!! The evolution of Loki, the introduction of a firecracker like Sylvie, and the setup for Marvel going forward with some serious characters. It couldnt be better. I'm bummed the director isnt coming back in season 2

[@reymondvillasenor7817]

Yeah the first 2 episodes where amazing

[@Alitheone6618]

I didn't really think about religion when I watched the show, but I guess I can see the parallels🤔 Interesting analysis👍🏾

[@quachhengtony7651]

Got me thinking... Let say one of your close friend and you from another universe is in danger and you can only save one. Who would you save?

[@Pagansong]

yes thank you someone beside me saw this!!! Also the way the variants were assimilated into a workforce reminded me of how local beliefs and superstitions are taken by some religions, and then twisted to fill their agenda.

[@iguanacashmere]

This is a great commentary and honestly I've been so burnt out on real life that I went along for the ride without reading deeper- and theology and philosophy are two of my passions as a queer christian seeking to make a safe space it's interesting to see these narratives cleverly approached in a mainstream show by one of the modern media monopolies. I'm going to film school for production, and I guess I also look at things through that lens too much these days instead of getting into the theoretical and story based critique I was employing before starting my degree. Anyway, you have a new subscriber!

[@speeddemon5339]

Okay but for me I’m so fucking burnt out on philosophical themes that I just wanted to watch Loki be the god of mischief again instead of being a bitch who plays second fiddle to Sylvi. I mean the show is titled Loki okay so you would expect the show to be about Loki, and if your counter argument to this is that well there are other shows that are titled after such and such that aren’t about such and such. Then okay but my counter argument to that is that Loki was in and was the center piece of all of the promotional material. And I think a lot of people that are defending this show are forgetting the fact that this isn’t the same Loki that died in Endgame it’s the Loki that just lost to the avengers and was getting carted off to prison. Which means there is no reason for him to act like an idiot and get treated like a joke when he first gets to the TVA. And why the fuck doesn’t his super strength work? I know that when he’s in the TVA he can’t use his MAGICAL powers but his physical strength should still work. And then when he was watching the video of him dying and he was getting all emotional when he should be trying to formulate a plan to you know prevent that shit from happening. Then when he and the audience learn that nothing matters and it’s all a set in stone he should be trying to prove them wrong and writing his own destiny. And yeah Loki does try to tackle big philosophical themes the only problem is that they end up tripping and falling on their ass. So look if you want a show that tackles big philosophical themes and does it well then I suggest to you Doctor who.

[@sterredezeeuw3325]

I actually spend all of high school working towards becoming an international schoolteacher. Then when I was doing that study for a year it made me super depressed. I didn't enjoy it. I hated teaching, I hated the assignments. It wasn't for me. I kept feeling like after summer break I had to go back because it's what I'd worked towards for so long. Meanwhile I was suicidal and I felt like life was never gonna get better. Then the last week I decided to not go back. I had no backup plan but within a day I found a study to be a horse farrier and blacksmith so I just applied and got in the same day. I've been at it for a year now and it worked out so well. I have 2 incredible internships with people who really believe in me and help me so much. I work with horses on the weekends as well doing things that I would do for free but am getting paid well for it. It's just perfect for me. So if anyone reads this and feels as I used to feel. Make a change friend. It's worth it

[@AntThePianoMan]

The cinematography of this seroes is so sweeping and legitimately good. This makes me wonder, why the hell can't the other shows look like this?

[@mr.narwhal9034]

How does this guy only have 25k subs? This is legitimately fantastic content.

[@shadowseer07]

Excellent analysis!!!

[@KingKeshane]

I might be missing something but I found Loki to be a tedious watch, all that couldve been told in a hour and 45 minutes.

[@eaglessixersfankeepingitre3247]

Chaos is a ladder, and I the ladder master control and manage every rung allowing for a controlled ascension up said ladder. 😳😂

[@andyschipper4056]

A good dive into Loki, and I must say I'm sorry that you've seem to have been hurt by the church in the past. Unfortunately, I think that experience might have warped your viewpoint. Are there dangerous cults in and out of the religious sphere? Of course, but that's not all of them. The Pope, to borrow your example, can't actually make rules for the Catholic church out of whole cloth, it must be connected to the Bible still. That doesn't mean individual churches can't become more divisive than they should, but when they do, it's a fault of human nature, not of the scripture itself

[@mikikaoru7111]

My favorite thing about these shows (and the MCU in general) is that the superhero nature of them is not the genre, it’s just the setting. Loki is a show about many topics, but it isn’t ABOUT superheroes.

[@speeddemon5339]

Or Loki for that matter.

[@katyklein8649]

Your commentary was genius!!!

[@R0B1NG5]

I liked it but the ending is a little unsatisfying. Its basically "wait for upcoming movies/ season 2 to find out what happens to everyone and everything. Time travel stories in general also get a little bit weird when you think about them. Like how are the TVA simultaneously keeping one sacred timeline, but also encountering such wild variations of each "person"? Surely all the pruning and reset bombs are to stop the events that change things and keep a single "canon" timeline. But the examples of variants they show on the holograms, and we see, such as Sylvie, Classic loki ect are different enough from the base person and also adults, that they need a lifetime of these changes to have happened in an alternate timeline. Why is a character like boastful loki able to reach adulthood in his timeline, when the TVA logically should have pruned him much earlier. His timeline shouldn't "exist". And causality in time travel is another weird one. In Endgame they establish some vague rules for it and specifically say it doesn't work like it does in the movies, but in this it seems more like back to the future with how the last episode ends. And it happens within the TVA which is framed as "outside" of time prior to that. I just have many more weird questions about the basic nature of whats happening. Time travel is kind of a difficult thing to tell a tight story about. And 6 episodes is pretty tight.

[@Me-vn3gz]

i had all these questions as well, but no one to share them with lol

[@monicadennis8206]

What a marvelous critique, something I wholeheartedly understand and, now that you've put it this way, I can agree with. If you have not yet, you need to "meet" Wayne Jacobsen. He has a marvelous way of explaining how to live free of the burden and hypocrisy you refer to. I hope you check him out.

[@valetgirls4431]

Glad the religious undertones resonated clearly. From the beginning i couldn’t help but think the TVA just screams Mormon structure and aesthetics

[@lefantomer]

Excellent analysis! (But afraid I must be the only one in the multiverse who could not stand Jonathan Majors in this. Expect a real Kang with appropriate gravitas from him in the future, pretty sure he can deliver.)

[@shamrock5725]

only thing i wish is that it was longer run series, it would have benefited from more character development

[@truthseeker5079]

I loved Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but honestly Loki was just fucking great on multiple levels.

[@tnsxpm]

eh. you getting religion wrong imo. i would say tradition not religion or politics is the problem. tradition can be seen and is held throughout religion and politics etc but the problem is blind/mindless tradition.

[@tnsxpm]

i swear ppl literally do what they say the religious ppl do… *not* read the entire book but instead, cherry pick the verses you think will help your point. read the whole thing first b then tell me what the churches are doing wrong (hint: a lot)

[@tnsxpm]

literally says in the book to never treat people badly. jesus & all 12 of his apostles all died horrible deaths *just* for loving EVERYONE. they chose to love everyone instead of pick & choose who they would treat well. its literally in the book. lol

[@evildakrk]

🤍🕊✝️ much love man

[@FilmSpeak]

I think that's definitely a fair point, but there is something to be said about the institutional power the church has over people and how it abuses that power. Yeah you can tie that into tradition, but I don't think it's all necessarily tradition. Just my take though. I 100% see where you're coming from though.

[@tnsxpm]

@@FilmSpeak the church is not religion, its a religious institution run by humans so by design it has flaws and is run with flaws. “religion” at its base is a set of spiritual beliefs with an intended end goal or purpose in mind. the same way higher learning institutions are highly flawed but that doesnt directly speak to every intelligent individual in a given population. a lot of intelligent ppl dont like school. a lot of religious/spiritual ppl dont like church. the problem is power and institution at that level, not the simple idea of religion itself.

[@williamgray1221]

But Loki WONT become that old man. Our Loki never made it to thanos thus couldn't escape him therefore never floating through space with time to think. So I disagree there with ya. And Loki was never that particular kid as our Loki never killed Thor setting the kid on his current path. They were possibilities I think

[@lilguyy72]

It's all screwed. Marvel writers aren't talented enough to have this storyline make sense. They've effectively botched what Endgame was with Loki season as far as canon/continuity. It never happened.

[@charlydalrymple4940]

i have a theory. now that loki has time travel tec, he can travel to after he died so we can then have him back in the original marvel timeline. there are some plot holes in my theory, but if the writers follow that sort of idea, i think they could probably bring him back. i really want thor and loki to reunite. it could possibly get thor back out of his depression in gotg3 or thor love and thunder.

[@lilguyy72]

@@charlydalrymple4940 Again...Endgame never occurred in the fashion we saw it if said Loki is a variant and they destroyed that timeline. Thor may be dead. The writers broke their universe the moment they used time travel as a solution. Everything going forward from here on just further fractures already established canon and rules they used to build their universe. Example... they showed us the infinity stones are some of the most powerful objects in their universe (MCU) they even work in DIFFERENT timelines/realities (unlike comics) yet not in TVA base. Yet if someone stole a drawer full of infinity stones and went anywhere outside of the TVA they'd have a drawer full of the most powerful objects in that reality/timeline because they've already shown us they work everywhere else BUT the TVA. Dr Strange even used the time stone in the dark dimension...a dimension with no concept of time. These pompous writers care not about the world they built because they plan to use the multiverse as a platform for inclusion and personal politics. They've killed all continuity and sacrificed decent story telling to pump out a bunch of product. At any point now they can just claim multiverse/time travel to fix anything they want and it will begin to make less and less sense.

[@KaijuPunch]

@@lilguyy72 you try writing then YOU WRITE a story with no plotholes and if you fail you will be criticized for your entire life DO IT and make it entertaining and perfect and guess what you get criticized for your whole life

[@lilguyy72]

@@KaijuPunch Yeah you kind of missed the point. Using multiverse/time travel as a story line requires a LOT of talent. The concept in itself is littered with the possibilities of potholes. Here I'll point out the biggest one for Loki series ( which they probably considered but said F it people are stupid and just want to be somewhat entertained)....why is the TVA arresting any variant? All they have to do is show up and bomb timeline out of existence (pruned). What is the point of arresting variant Loki to prune him individually? There's plenty more that are obvious as well. Decent writers attempt to at least cover up such blatant plot holes to convey a sense of believability, even if it's fantasy. When one can arbitrarily change the rules of how their story world works why would anyone really care about the story?

[@ethal1222]

When I first heard Loki was getting his own series, my reaction was basically indifference. But it ended up being my absolute favorite MCU series. Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson are fantastic together.

[@summertyme5748]

I liked the 1st two episodes. Then I didn’t care for 3 and 4. But episode 5 was lots of fun - > I mean if you can’t get into Frog Thor and Alligator Loki….and classic Loki performing sorcerery to ride of the Valkyries….leave now! Then episode 6 - was simply the best episode of any MCU show. Big battles in episode 5 - mind blowing ideas in 6. Bravo!

[@couldbahappychic1217]

Am just saying Jonathon Majors need to get an Emmy for Lovecraft Country and for Loki is all am saying

[@anonymousproductionsxd2912]

Star Wars + Disney + = Success Marvel + Disney + = Success

[@theremycrocks6861]

I agree

[@panxoaltair1]

Great analysis 👌

[@FragRaptor]

Best video essay in a long time. Flawless analysis poignant, political, accurate. Well crafted good sir 👏

[@FilmSpeak]

Cheers man! That means a lot. Thank you!

[@FragRaptor]

@@FilmSpeak ya man everyone taps around the commentary on religion in the show I think you nailed how it interfaces with the other themes.

[@acriticwithoutacause8983]

I'm glad you found something in it but I didn't think they authentically progressed to the conclusions they did. It could've been any other character & didn't need to be Loki / lady Loki cause he's just another character here.

[@Gisechan]

Quite the opposite. Loki is the character that changes the most in the marvel comics. There is not another character quite like him. He is not good, he is not bad. He is Loki. It's not like you can put Spiderman or Thor or whoever you want in these situations and have the same results...

[@acriticwithoutacause8983]

@@Gisechanfrom the Loki that killed 80+ people in the avangers now cares about Selvy & Mobius. Sure you could put Thor & Spiderman have the same outcome as Loki did the right thing & not anything mischievous.

[@BrianProductionz1987]

oh god, that coin in the thumbnail looks off...

[@bobbugwithoneeyeskingiskin8974]

“It was Bollocks”! Nuff Said!

[@faeryb0mb517]

I'm so excited for season 2.

[@Sunfire_]

What if Kate Herron herself is a variant who escaped the TVA

[@anom6707]

It’s so funny when atheists say they don’t believe in religion but spend all their time talking about it

[@FilmSpeak]

I’m not an atheist so…

[@amypowell9354]

I feel that the Loki show has many meanings and layers. I feel that one of the meanings was a commentary on the War on Terror/Terrorism. Individual Liberty vs. Safety. Diplomacy vs. Torture. Our Loki was captured after the events of The Avengers 2012-attack on New York (9/11). Our Loki was arrested by Hunter B-15/couple other Hunters and taken (extraordinarily rendered) to the TVA (Guantanamo Bay) and found guilty without a fair trial and sentenced to be reset (death penalty) that is until Mobius, Analyst of the TVA who specializes in catching dangerous variants (empathetic FBI agent who catches suspected terrorists) intervenes and saves him because our Loki has information that can help Mobius catch Sylvie (suspected terrorist/killer). TVA mission is to prevent another Multiverse War by any means necessary including pruning innocent timelines/people, roughing up suspects (preventing another 9/11 or worse) vs. Mobius who believes in preventing the end of the universe but also respects Loki's liberty. Mobius finds out the truth from Loki and even tells Renslayer we can build this into something better (restore rights/balance with safety). Our Loki even tells Sylvie brute force (torture) is no substitute for guile/diplomacy.

[@TevyaSmolka]

this was really fantastic :)

[@khulanerdene5985]

i just love this video, thank u very much

[@jmgidk1481]

okay, i loved the show and the essay helped to change my opinion on some of the issues i had with it but i still have one big problem. i don’t think loki and sylvie should have kissed!!!! it was not supposed to be romantic love!!! through many explanations I’ve heard, I learned how in that moment all sylvie needed was to feel accepted and nurtured because she is effectively young loki when he was insecure and looking for validation. i feel like it’s supposed to be a familiar love that they should feel. they were both insecure i feel like it diminishes sylvies development by taking out the self and and the social. that scene is actually taking away from the show for me. :(( do any of you have a different take on this??

[@theaterpup3466]

I mean I think they had a flirting dynamic from the moment they met.

[@GiraffeGuy631]

I’m pretty sure the kiss was less out of love, but really Sylvie distracting Loki for a moment while she can open the temp pad to get him out of there.

[@markrogers7802]

I’ve got to agree - I reluctantly watched Loki, and enjoyed it immensely. Mainly the philosophy and ideas behind the story.

[@sydneymorales7061]

You have no idea how much I needed this

[@andreluiznogueira361]

This thing about free will is really similar with Darkseid search for the Anti-Life equation

[@blackbaseballfield1]

9:20 damn good point

[@jughead18sp]

is this the same guy as film theory? you sound alike if not

[@LittleMan27]

WandaVision: “I’m talking about the 5 stages of grief, and how it can hurt you & others around you.” Falcon & Winter Soldier: “We’re talking about trauma, reintroducing the ‘perfect man, perfect soldier’ theme, expose the flaws in government, and talking about identity (karli losing her humanity, john’s mental state, bucky finding a life, etc;) (without catering to the woke people).” Loki: “As my brother Thor would say, ‘You humans are so petty.’ I said something that sums up why my show is better, ‘Kneel before me. Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state? It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life’s joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. In the end, you will always kneel.’

[@zekegonzaldi6230]

Your best video to date.

[@FilmSpeak]

Thank you man 🙏🏻

[@an8strengthkobold360]

I agree but the show still has some huge issues.

[@carloscamara5247]

I don't get why marvel killed a character who was developed along the years, get the same character from the past, undeveloped and so evil, and give him the same development in a 5 minute scene watching a video to turn him into the same hero character who was killed in the first place.

[@aniheartsong5102]

Because they needed stakes in endgame but needed a "good" hero for the show they wanted to tell.

[@calamitystrikes]

You….YOU CANT HIT ME WITH SPONGEBOB, BO BURNHAM, AND LOKI IN 10 SECONDS AND EXPECT ME TO BE OKAY

[@speeddemon5339]

Ha ha nice sarcasm. And a great video.

[@amypowell6838]

I feel that the show is also a commentary about the War on Terror/Terrorism. Individual rights vs Safety. Diplomacy vs Torture. Set after the events of The Avengers (2012)(9/11). Our Loki is kidnapped from the timeline (extraordinarily rendered)to the TVA(Gitmo).