In my ongoing exploration of Marvel's storytelling, Loki Season 2 stands out as a narrative triumph, marking a high point in the ambitious challenges the franchise has set for itself. This series represents a significant achievement in Marvel's roster and resonates with the cause of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, highlighting the importance of human craftsmanship over technology.
Loki Season 2 Promotional Poster
Loki Season 2's message resonates with the Writers Guild Strike claims, particularly the value of human craftsmanship versus AI/technology. The Writers Guild's discontent with the lack of recognition and fair compensation for Writers is highlighted by the contrast between the universally disliked AI-rendered opening of Secret Invasions and the wistful opening titles of Loki, all in an "old-style-70s-fashion."
Loki Season 2 intradiegetic key message resonates with real-world issues (Spoiler Alert). In Episode 5, the character Ouroboros diagnoses why the group fails at saving the day: "It was a fiction problem, he says, not a science problem." The show reveals that the protagonists are trapped in a catch-22: the plot revolves around fixing a malfunctioning piece of technology ("the Loom") that threatens to reset the universe(s) if destroyed while allowing the antagonist to retake power. Yet, if repaired, the antagonist remains in power. In response, the main protagonist, Loki, retorts: "I'm changing the story."
Loki's response closes a 13-year narrative arc for the titular character.
Loki's narrative arc centers around "being burdened" with a "glorious purpose." In Avengers (the first of the name), Loki interprets the message as "liberty is an illusion that burdens human beings, who are better off dominated than free."
But in Loki Season 2, he realizes that glorious purpose is a burden, just not what he imagined. As the series concludes [spoilers ahead], he realizes he must sacrifice his freedom to guarantee that of his friends -by literally holding together all timelines threads, much like Atlas did the world.
The phrase: "I am burdened with glorious purpose," which he uttered in the first installment of Thor, now takes on a whole new meaning. So does “The last thing I want is a throne” (from season one), which is the last thing he will ever get, safeguarding time for eternity.
Coincidentally, the first episode of Loki Season 1 and the last of Season 2 share the name: "Glorious Purpose." Loki in Season 1 wants domination, while Loki in Season 2 wants freedom for his friends.
Real-life echoes. What better way to vindicate real-life writers? It's akin to saying, "Marvel, your shows aren't working. And it's a storytelling problem. Not a CGI problem. You don't pay or value your writers enough, you produce poor content, and CGI doesn't save the day." The plot of Marvel's Loki ironically delivers this core message in-show, while its critical success validates the Writers Guild's claims.
Imagery and subtle clues leave no place to doubt the writers' talent. First, in a surprise rotating shot, we see the timelines as ordained by the manipulating antagonist, "He Who Remains" ("HWR"), turn from a never-ending loop (figure A) to familiar imagery (figure B).
Figure A. The emprisoned timelines ("the Sacred Timelines") are depicted as a loop, visually portraying the antagonist's clever catch-22 he created to keep himself in power.
Figure B. The visual depiction of the timelines as Yggdrasil ties Loki to his Norse mythology roots.
Loki Season 2 cleverly uses imagery and naming to illustrate intradiegetic points. In doing so, it addresses Marvel's real-world struggles.
Loops:
The recurring use of circular imagery represents the cyclical nature of time and fate. (see Figures C through G).
Marvel's storytelling has become circular as it rehashes plots with different characters and new CGIs. This is where the statement "it's a fiction (story) problem, not a science (technology) problem" resonates with real-life challenges Marvel faces now that its primary story (the "Infinity Saga") has been told.
"Loki" Season 2 Finale: A Message for the Ages
The finale of "Loki" Season 2 epitomizes the triumph of narrative over technology. High-budget, CGI-intensive productions like "Ant-Man" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" failed to captivate audiences."Loki" succeeded with its profound storytelling and elegant special effects. For instance, Loki's depiction of his time-slipping (time-travel) abilities balances practical effects, color grading, lighting, and film grain for a more organic feel. The negative reception of the AI-generated "Secret Invasion" show opening highlights a crucial industry shift: a preference for human creativity over artificial intelligence or inflated and highly complex CGI sequences seen in other Marvel projects.
Intradiegetic Analysis: The Power of Story in "Loki"
"Loki" masterfully uses its narrative to emphasize the importance of storytelling over technology. The protagonist faces a dilemma set by "He Who Remains" (HWR), realizing that technology alone (repairing the Loom) cannot avert the crisis. With Loki on HWR's throne, holding the timelines through sheer "human" strength and the timelines resembling Yggdrasil, the final visual metaphor signals a shift from a narrative sustained by visual effects to an organically story-driven one.
Extradiegetic Reflection: Echoing Real-World Writer Concerns
The series finale extends beyond its fictional world, reflecting real-world concerns about the balance between technology and storytelling. "Loki" demonstrates that a compelling narrative can be delivered with minimal focus on bombastic CGIs (the "technology"), resonating with the Writers Guild's emphasis on the importance of storytelling. The clever dialogue choices, especially regarding Loki's perception of the throne, add depth to this narrative.
The Meta-Narrative: Critiquing Marvel's Strategy
"Loki" also serves as a meta-commentary on Marvel's strategy. The series' success against its CGI-heavy counterparts underscores the significance of human-centric storytelling. It suggests that Marvel's diverse approach to storytelling might have been an accidental A/B testing strategy, with "Loki's" human-based storytelling emerging as the winner.
Loki wins by operating a shift in perspective: from repetitive storytelling relying on technology to organic storytelling relying on writers.
The Symbolism and Imagery in "Loki"
The symbolism and imagery in "Loki" are particularly striking. The circular imagery of the Sacred Timeline and the name "Ouroboros," the principal engineer of HWR's armed branch, the TVA, are significant (see Figures C through G). These elements represent the cyclic nature of the narrative and the self-consuming aspect of relying solely on technology to create compelling stories.
Figure C. "He Who Remains" is depicted as a statuette centering his circular timelines, a solution he devised to ensure "divergent" timelines would not threaten his reign.
Figure D. Similarly to Figure C, "He Who Remains" Castle is depicted at the center of the looping timelines.
Figures E and F. Imagery from Ant-Man: Quantumania, where an alternate version of "He Who Remains" (original name: Kang) is shown in a circular space.
Figure G. "He Who Remains" at his desk, with a round window in the background. The shot conveniently places him in the foreground, at the center of the window.
After discussing the show's symbolism, it's important to consider how these elements contribute to the overarching narrative themes.
Conclusion: Marvel's Unintended Triumph for Writers
In creating "Loki," Marvel unintentionally crafted a narrative masterpiece that challenges its CGI-heavy trend and supports the Writers Guild's message. The show stands as a beacon for the enduring power of storytelling and storytellers, demonstrating that narrative depth can outshine even the most advanced technological tools. "Loki" is not just a win for Marvel; it's a triumph for writers and the art of storytelling, proving that the story reigns supreme over technology in fiction.
And if you are not convinced, check this out: Season's 1 antagonist/protagonist and Loki's alter-go is named Sylvie. She's the one who encourages Loki to look for a third option based on free will in Season 2, outside of HRM's box. Now, Sylvie literally means"forest" in Latin. Yggdrasil, anyone?
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"With science, it’s all what and how.
But with fiction, it’s why."
– Ouroboros.
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