#thor1

Let's talk about that perfect ending with its beautiful scenes and epic soundtrack, shall we? Here's all the reasons why I loved it:

The ending answered the question "what makes a Loki, Loki?"

"Authority, independence, style". Sure, but that's not all of it. And it's not the real answer.

So who is Loki? A villain? A loser? What defines Loki?

There are many characteristics that define Loki but one of the main ones that truly sets him apart imo is that he is a catalyst for change. Loki when faced with options he doesn't like, or a problem that looks like doesn't have a solution, makes a new way, creates a new solution, chooses an option that didn't exist before.

He has the power to destroy, like the mythological tale of Ragnarok.

And to give life. Like how the Ragnarok he brings, means the beginning of a new cycle in Norse mythology.

-"Yeah it was the best character development. Loki went from wanting a throne to..."

Let me stop you there.

Loki went from not wanting a throne but thinking he must have it to be considered worthy and an equal to Thor, to taking a throne despite not wanting it, because it was the right thing to do.

The fact that Loki sacrificed himself once again for the people he loved and cared about, wasn't a new character development. In the movies Loki risks and sacrifices himself every time when it matters. For Thor, for Asgard, for the world. The only development here was that this time he sacrificed himself for every universe there is.

And his sacrifice wasn't treated as sth he deserved by the narrative because of every terrible things he'd done. On the contrary the narrative acknowledges that this is the last thing Loki deserves. That he is paying for others' mistakes and wrongs. He spends centuries to save the timelines. He spends a long time trying to stop Sylvie without harming her. And when everything seems lost, he makes a decision to save everyone but himself, he creates a different path. He faces his deepest fear, to not hurt the people he loves.

If there is any character development, it's for the narrative and the audience that finally recognized who Loki actually is.

The Symbolism

I have to say my first reaction to the new Loki costume was:" This is the worst Loki costume ever :))))" also me two days later: "I'm gonna set it as my wallpaper." But I loved the symbolism. The biggest horns Loki's ever worn to show the weight of the crown. His cape that was connected to timelines, to show the burden of a throne. The simplicity in his clothes in contrast with his other outfits. Because this wasn't about the recognition Loki always wanted and deserved. This was about the responsibility Loki decided to literally put on his shoulders and feeling the gravity of it.

His shoes though :)))) I mean

Either let him be bare footed or give him boots you cowards :D

The Parallels

The fact that how the ending parallels the first Thor movie and everything came back full circle.

How Thor and Loki destroyed sth at the cost of themselves losing the people they cared about.

Loki doing sth not because of a desperation for acceptance, not because he thought it was sth someone else wanted.

Knowing if he chose the easier way, no one could have fault him for it because it seemed there was no other way.

He did it because he knew it was the right thing to do, because he knew who he wanted to be.

Loki not giving up, not letting go, not falling down from a broken bridge, but ascending, holding on as he fixes what's broken.

He holds and carries the whole universe on his back. It's not only a beautiful Atlassian tragedy, but also parallels Norse mythology in more than one way. Yggdrasil, the tree of life in Norse mythology, the one that Loki holds in his hands in the finale, wasn't the only parallel in the ending.

There's a subtle and beautiful nod to Norse mythology. The tale of Loki being bound till Ragnarok. The myth that says when Loki gets freed, the end of the world begins.

What a marvelous tragedy. And what a glorious culmination.

It's not all tragic though

Loki now is literally the most powerful and heroic character in MCU. He's holding the universe in his hands and keeping it alive. You can't top that.

And it makes his portrayal in the recent movies in which he was unfairly underpowered, even more ridiculous than before and that makes me happy :D

There is also a possibility to see Loki again and I'm not talking about the other variants. Marvel now has the best dues ex machina through Loki. He might be able to appear in any universe as an illusion to warn about dangers or help the characters. He might figure out a way to keep the tree alive without being there himself. That way he can find Thor in the sacred timeline. Or maybe the Loki who survived Thanos and is still in the sacred timeline finds Thor. Maybe there's still hope for a good reconciliation and a good story for Asgardian siblings.

How many times is Loki told to shut up in his own show? As soon as Mobius meets him, he taunts Loki for being “talky-talky.” And despite Mobius’ stated interest in learning what makes Loki tick, he impatiently cuts him off when Loki geeks out about the difference between illusion projection and duplication casting (which made my nerdy ass love him even more), or chatters about strategies for dealing with a trickster. And of course there’s the scene in the time-loop torture chamber where Mobius asks Loki whether he cares for Sylvie, then deadass tells him to shut up when he tries to answer. Mobius pretends to be a sympathetic ear, but his actions suggest otherwise. He’s not interested in Loki for Loki’s sake; Mobius uses him as a tool first to catch Sylvie, and then to discover the truth about the TVA. Otherwise, shut up Loki.

Sylvie’s even worse. Her enchantees in Roxxcart mock Loki (”you sure do love to hear yourself talk”), and she tells him to pipe down idk how many times on Lamentis. Even when they reach the Citadel -- despite all they’ve been through together -- she tells him to shut up when he gently asks if she’s ok. Loki’s variants shush him in the Void (although to be fair they’re worried about attracting Alioth), and even He Who Remains chides him for “all that t-t-t-talking” (which is especially ironic given that HWR is in the middle of an extremely long-winded monologue about the multiverse). It’s a constant theme: shut up, Loki. You’re not important. This isn’t your story. It’s not about you. 

And in the finale when Loki’s trying to get through to Sylvie, begging her to listen, she deflects and accuses and taunts. His sincerity is heartbreaking, his vulnerability endearing, and she’s having none of it. He’s desperately trying to be heard but it means fuck-all to her. Shut up, Loki. Nobody’s listening. Nobody cares.

Funny thing is, Loki never struck me as the garrulous type. In early scenes of Thor1, he’s quiet and observant. He offers no resistance when shushed by Thor or Odin. His outburst in the vault scene is so uncharacteristic and shocking that Odin has to take a nap. (That’s some weaksauce parenting right there, dude.) One gets the impression that speaking his mind is a new thing for Loki, post-Jotunheim. Even after ascending the throne, he’s not particularly loquacious -- his words seem carefully chosen and on point. Ok, he’s admittedly a bit mouthy in Avengers -- as articulate villains are wont to be -- but even there he isn’t exactly a chatterbox. His verbosity in the Loki show seems to have been constructed just to give the other characters an excuse to dismiss and belittle him. Shut up, Loki. Your ideas are useless. Your words have no value.

And you know what’s sad? I suspect Loki is used to being ignored. Ever wonder why he brought Frost Giants into Asgard on Thor’s coronation day, instead of just going to Odin and Frigga and saying “Hey I love Thor but he’s a numbskull and I don’t think he’s ready to rule”? Or why he made no attempt to explain himself when he faced Odin at the beginning of TDW? Like, “I did some shitty things but to be fair I was tortured and mind-controlled by this scary grapeface dude.” Why not say something?

Loki knew that no one would listen to him, because no one ever did. One thing about being the family scapegoat: people assume the worst about you, and nothing you say will dissuade them. And somewhere along the way, Loki gave up. He may have had a bit of fun calling out Odin’s hypocrisy and Thor’s bad judgement, but he knew that his words -- however perceptive they may be -- would be disregarded. It didn’t matter what he said; nothing was ever going to change. As he tells Thor in Ragnarok, “Open communication was never our family’s forte.”

Loki doesn’t fare much better in the show. He’s traded his dysfunctional, indifferent family for dysfunctional “friendships” (using that term very loosely here) with people who have no interest in hearing him. He’s bullied, belittled, and literally beaten down -- and yet he somehow finds the strength to get up and keep going in the end. Some might call this character growth, but Loki has always been resilient. This isn’t a new thing. Despite all his losses and his trauma, Loki manages to forge a path for himself. No one is going to lift him up or comfort him. He remains alone and unheard.

Loki resonates with those of us who are different, marginalized, devalued -- whether it’s because we’re neurodivergent, or queer, or simply prefer to do our own thing. He’s the patron saint of outcasts: we who feel ostracized and othered simply for being our authentic selves. We know how it feels to be silenced.