Throughout his journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Loki has always been a complicated figure; a mixed bag of good and evil. He could go back and forth, from hero to villain, in the flick of a switch. The sibling rivalry between him and Thor constantly diminished Loki's role and significance in Asgard, which is why Loki is always seeking more power and control over those he considers beneath him.
With his new series, Loki has an opportunity to overcome mistakes he's made in the past by doing some good and making better choices. Loki also has the right guide: his new partner Mobius M. Mobius, portrayed by the always charismatic Owen Wilson, who adds just the right touch of subtle comedy and sheer focus, especially during drastic situations. So far, Mobius understands Loki's situation, and intends to help him understand all the wrong he's done, while also recognizing that the God of Mischief could also become a valuable asset for the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a colorful place that resembles the production design of a Stanley Kubrick picture in the 80s, along with the suspenseful electronic music.
Loki’s new series, and his role as an antihero, is reminiscent of Kurt Russell and John Carpenter’s post-apocalyptic films, Escape From New York and Escape From L.A., in which Russell’s Snake Plissken is forced to accept a mission for the government in exchange for his "freedom." While these sci-fi action films were more bleak and violent compared to anything in the MCU, Loki appears to be in a similar situation. Mobius needs Loki’s help to uncover the culprit responsible for taking down members of the TVA, and stealing valuable tech used for resetting timelines.
In return for his cooperation with the TVA, Loki could negotiate not only for his freedom, but also a chance to change his own timeline. Whether or not that is even remotely possible is left to be seen as the series continues its unpredictable course. Mobius even told Loki that he wouldn't be able to offer him salvation, but perhaps something better, which is questionable considering that Loki's primary goal is to undo his fate. However, if Loki succeeds in helping Mobius and the TVA crack their case, he could probably use their unique resources to prevent his death to Thanos from happening or have a chat with the Time Keepers, but that’s easier said than done.
Loki and Mobius are complete opposites, but they have undeniable chemistry and a sense of humor when sharing the screen together, similar to some funny and complex buddy cop relationships in films such as Lethal Weapon and 48 Hrs. (of course without the vulgarity and graphic violence). Mobius is one of the few people, besides Thor and his adoptive mother Frigga, to truly get through to Loki and his psyche. The first episode (which played out like a therapy session) saw Mobius reveal many of Loki’s evil schemes of destruction, such as the attack on New York (from The Avengers), as well as a moment he never witnessed before: the death of his mom (from Thor: The Dark World).
Mobius's knowledge of Loki's past flaws and violent crimes against humanity, as well as his expertise on how the TVA works, may be the tools of motivation that Loki needs to succeed in his newfound mission to rewrite his own history. However, now that Loki has encountered the Variant of himself (who turns out to be a female version of the God of Mischief), and her ability to reset certain timelines in the second episode, causing the TVA to severely malfunction, how can Loki determine his own timeline now? He will now have to confront this female Loki in order to get more answers, even if it separates him from Mobius and his team.
The chances of Loki undoing his fate at this point are dismal and very much impossible to accomplish, especially since the Infinity Stones are useless in the TVA. However, finding the Time Keepers and uncovering female Loki’s schemes will be beneficial in his mission. After all, he was able to encounter this Variant due to the candy evidence left behind in France at the start of the first episode. Loki also managed to gain some of Mobius’s trust and convince him that the Variant was hiding in one of the apocalyptic time periods.
The God of Mischief has been through life and death scenarios just as much as anyone in the MCU, but he still has some moves up his sleeve. However, it won’t be magic tricks that will get him out of dangerous situations. Rather, it will be his humanity, and his willingness to fight true evil, that will give him another chance to redeem his career.
New episodes of Loki are available every Wednesday on Disney+