Loki: Finale Review
Spoiler Warning!
Loki is the first of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV shows to have gotten a second season, so there was much speculation if that mean maybe even another season could occur? During the course of the second season, the theme of "time" was heavily shoved down our throats, and ultimately, it felt like nothing was really happening. This was very confusing, and somewhat disheartening to get through. However, Loki's second season's finale reveals both seasons were part of one large story that tells the tale of how Loki (Played by Tom Hiddleston) became a new God.
The Loki season 2 finale, "Glorious Purpose" attempts to tie together Loki's entire arc as a character, and brings back what made him so iconic in the first place: his annoying tenacity and need for dramatic flare. TV shows about time travel can be very annoying: We might ask, "oh, well why doesn't character x just go back to y time and kill z?" (Which for the record, is a fair question.) But Loki writers knew this, so they took it and ran with it, showing us the options Loki had for that formula, and how he went as far back as he could with his new mastery over time-slipping. This was so entertaining and also heartbreaking, knowing Loki must've spent centuries finding an answer to his issue.
This challenged the concept of determinism, which theorizes all time is determined (think - sacred timeline) already and there is no true freewill. We see this often in media - choose the option where everyone loses or the option where just some win. The trolley problem. This is the decision Dr. Strange was faced with in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), where there was only one path of thousands that led to "success," though that "success" resulted in the death of founding Avengers members.
This was the same situation Loki was faced with in a nutshell: kill Sylvie or let the entire multiverse get destroyed. Is it really success if it means killing one of the people he is trying to protect? Loki cannot accept that, so he forges his own path. He remembers he was meant for a glorious purpose, and For the first time in the entirety of the Loki show, do we get what feels like Hiddleston's iconic God of Mischief, ready to take his throne. This decision does not come lightly, and I respect the difficult burden Loki takes: weaving the branching timelines and keeping peace between them. He refuses to give into a predetermined path, and gives us a true Loki send-off, with a full outfit reveal moment. And might I say, this is the best Loki outfit we have ever gotten. It screams Nordic simplicity, perfectly exemplifying his new role as Loki: God of Stories. Thor would be so proud! I found myself really emotional at the sacrifice, knowing Loki made it for his friends who he can now no longer see. I think it felt very classic Loki, while still reflecting his innate show-stealing flare. Who needs Victor Timely to save the day?
Watching the series as a weekly show I think was very confusing. This is a weird example of a show I think would actually be better watched as a binge, especially as season two is a lot of filling time (hah, get it...). However, with this finale, the entire show's writing makes much more sense and is pleasantly mind-boggling. I do think the ending is so ambiguous given all the temporal mumbo-jumbo - giving at least some kind of explanation of Loki's new powers would've bern satisfying considering we sat through so many utterances of "throughput multiplier." Also, what's with forgiving Ms. Minutes! I feel like that is a loose end that was not necessary to keep, or deserved an explanation.
I think the epilogue is a nice touch, but again feels slightly unsatisfactory since we should be seeing the results of Loki's sacrifice, and see his friends in the lives they chose for themselves. Instead, we are given the point in time where they are still contemplating it. It's fine, but if this is the end for this cast, I think a more concrete ending would've been the most rewarding. The biggest question left is what happens with He Who Remains? Will he rise again, or does Loki have control over the branches and interactions between timelines (like multiverse jumping?)? I feel like this is a big change to throw at us, and I feel like it would have implications for multiversal effects. Will that get addressed in Phase 5, since we are currently in the Multiverse Saga? These are possible inconsistencies we might see in the crossover of projects.
While this ending was an extremely satisfying way to complete Loki's story, I do wish there was more effort put into certain parts of the show. Some early episodes this season felt like the dialogue was written by AI, and the acting was distracting (what the hell was that key lime pie?). I also wish we got more of Loki's Phase 1/2 personality coming out this season than just the one time. I think that would've further enhanced the scene of him transforming into his horns. However, I put credit where credit is due, and this finale was well worth watching. We have seen Loki go from the most selfish to the most selfless character over these years and I think we can confidently say the Loki series has come to a gratifying end, and to mess with it further would do his sacrifice injustice. Let Loki rest here, and we can say it was a pretty good run.
