Disney+ Loki (2021) (1 Viewer)

[Philip Verdieck]

I almost fell out of my chair in the scene where Loki comments on the Norse god statues. Mostly because of the comment, "Balder the Brave? No one's ever heard of him," (or something to that effect).

For those not familiar with the comics, Balder was Thor's best friend, and appeared constantly in the comics. I always thought it unfortunate that they completely left him out of the Thor movies. He even had his own 4-issue mini-series.

View attachment 201360

But traditionally, Baldr/Balder/Baldur was killed by Loki.
So I am not holding out hope that he will be resurrected...

 

[NeilO]

Well, that was a hell of a cliffhanger.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I thought the first two episodes this week were slow and dull. I can't really claim the same thing about these second two because they are moving and things are happening. But I'm still not as invested in this season as I was last time around.

The first season (or at least, the first five episodes of it) told a Loki story which happened to be set in the context of the TVA. I was much more invested in Loki as a character and his growth arc than I was anything else. Then, the season finale revealed that all of that was just a setup to get to Kang.

This season, the balance seems to have flipped. What we have now is primarily a story about the mechanics of the TVA. There's a series of fetch quests (find the person/thing/variant in order to do this thing or that thing and ultimately fix the sci-fi mumbo jumbo problem) and it happens to have Loki in a major role. It's not as bad as Quantumania or Secret Invasion but I don't love it. I think this is focused more on plot mechanics, than anything else, and that is a step down for me.

The cliffhanger this week managed to be both surprising and inconsequential at the same time because we know that there are two episodes left.

I don't want to rain on anybody else's parade who likes it more than I do. I still look forward to watching it when it drops every week. The cast is really good with what they're given. But, sadly, I don't love this year.

 

[NeilO]

It doesn't give much information, but just a tease about what they are trying to do.

‘Loki’: Executive Producer Kevin Wright Teases “Beautiful” Episodes 5 and 6

What's next for the TVA?

www.marvel.com

 

[Walter Kittel]

Did not see that ending coming. Wow!

Given the events of this episode involving the 'box' - will any of that matter based on how the episode ends? While I do enjoy the MCU in general, there is too much reliance on magic resets that ultimately undermine the gravity of what has transpired. Obviously I don't know where the season goes after this, but also obviously - some sort of reset occurs and the big question is the scope / extent of it and its consequences.

- Walter.

 

[TonyD]

So the Loom exploded …
All the branches collect into one branch?

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

An excellent, bold, surprising and delighting episode. We don’t get surprises like that too often and I adore them. A very well done piece of entertainment and best episode of the season.

 

[TonyD]

Jonathon Majors is fantastic on this show.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Jonathon Majors is fantastic on this show.

Why do you like him here? I don't mean to challenge your opinion but this is a serious question because mine is different.

I've been a fan of Majors in other roles. He was great in The Last Black Man in San Fransisco and Creed III. He was able to make He Who Remains' big monologue at the end of the first season compelling despite being a big exposition dump. He was certainly committed in Quantumania even though I hated that movie.

But I really think his work as Victor Timely, specifically, is overly broad and scenery-chewing. Maybe it's the accent? I don't know. For some reason, this particular iteration isn't working for me as well as Majors has in the past.

 

[TonyD]

I just really liked his change of emotions
His subtle little things he adds like small barely audible words.
His performance on stage when he announced his loom was great. I see a few things in that scene.
He is controlling the time he says words.
Every thing is control and time for him.

There is another reason he speaks with that cadence or accent.
He has a slight but noticeable speech impediment.
He stutters. I think he uses the cadence to help control his stutter and control the audience.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Re: Jonathon Majors...

I thought his interaction with Sylvie in episode three in 1893 was really well done. Some of the best acting in season two. I had to get used to his speaking cadence, but once I did I really enjoyed the characterization.

- Walter.

 

[Sam Favate]

The fourth episode was certainly bigger and more intense than the rest of the season. The question is where do they go from here? The whole cast continues to excel. Sylvie’s haircut is the only casualty, but hey, I guess she is coming from 1982.

 

[Walter Kittel]

This sort of popped into my mind earlier today, and perhaps should have been in my initial post concerning episode four...



- Walter.

 

[TonyD]

I don’t beleive for a second that Timely and Renslayer were pruned

 

[jayembee]

I loved O.B. channeling Doc Brown with his apology for the crudeness of his model.

Wibbly-wobbly, timey-whimey.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

I don’t beleive for a second that Timely and Renslayer were pruned

How do you mean? We've already seen in season 1 that getting pruned does not mean the end of you. In fact Renslayer may have been extremely lucky to have been pruned, as if everything else got wiped out, it very well may be that getting sent to the end of time may have spared her and she may be the only one left to go back somehow and put things right.

 

[TonyD]

Right, that’s what I mean. They aren’t gone.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

Re: Jonathon Majors...

I thought his interaction with Sylvie in episode three in 1893 was really well done. Some of the best acting in season two. I had to get used to his speaking cadence, but once I did I really enjoyed the characterization.

- Walter.

The speaking cadence was a little off-putting at first, but this past week he was excellent at giving off a vibe that at any moment he could drop the facade and become a very sinister person who was just acting dumb. Especially in the coco machine scene. Gave me very heavy Verbal Kint / Keyser Sose vibes.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Is Victor's nerdy genius characterization an act or does it represent this variant's true self? I suppose it depends upon how much variance there is among variants. Are they all basically struck from the same mold, or does real randomness exist?

Based upon what He Who Remains said to Sylvie & Loki in the final episode of season one, it seems to give weight to the notion that Timely's "Doc Brown" persona is an act. Which, for me, makes Major's performance in episodes three and four just that much better.

- Walter.

 

[jayembee]

Is Victor's nerdy genius characterization an act or does it represent this variant's true self? I suppose it depends upon how much variance there is among variants. Are they all basically struck from the same mold, or does real randomness exist?

Well, consider the Loki variants we met in Season 1. They aren't all that much like the Loki we know. Nor is Sylvie.

Based upon what He Who Remains said to Sylvie & Loki in the final episode of season one, it seems to give weight to the notion that Timely's "Doc Brown" persona is an act. Which, for me, makes Major's performance in episodes three and four just that much better.

Interesting theory. But would a Kang unknowingly step into a situation where he'd get pasta-rized? Or was that just a hoax?