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Loki |OT| Time Crimes

Shai-Tan

Banned
Yea didn't like it.

Kinda takes the piss out of those avenger movies with the stones.

The whole time keepers, that are these overpowered beings far superior yet they wouldn't interfear with thanos lol.

Super far reached. Everything just feels like tacket on and tacky while at it.

Just felt like loki is pulling a dbz here on the story lines.

The only half decent actor in the first episode was owens, everything else was straight trash.

Won't be watching it further.

(speculating because I don't know the story in the comics): not interfering with Thanos is possibly compatible with whatever the sacred timeline is. That's the problem with time travel stories. They can bend back on themselves and in this one some entities can somehow stand outside of it in a way that lets them observe what's pre-determined to happen or within their desired parameters. So whatever happened to Thanos was forseeable and acceptably fits inside whatever their motivation is.
 

Kenpachii

Member
(speculating because I don't know the story in the comics): not interfering with Thanos is possibly compatible with whatever the sacred timeline is. That's the problem with time travel stories. They can bend back on themselves and in this one some entities can somehow stand outside of it in a way that lets them observe what's pre-determined to happen or within their desired parameters. So whatever happened to Thanos was forseeable and acceptably fits inside whatever their motivation is.

That's why loki is complete dogshit and almost feels like written by a kid that got no clue what he's doing.

Why would the avengers do anything ever? maybe u know the next threat to the earth is supposed to happen, so if me thor stops it, i will be janked like a ant of the street into a cub and judged + executed the next day because it was not supposed to do that, because it was probably supposed to happen. If not time keepers would probably send somebody to fix it.

And then what prevents another time keeper that sits above those time keepers to not interfear with loki trying to interfear with time. or correcting those time keepers?. And what about if we go another level up?


f87.jpg


We know the time keepers are almighty powerful to the point anything in the series we saw are mere ants, because some random dude in a office just has 10 of those stones that basically are the mightiest items in the universe like its nothing.

Look thanos was a being that could exist, and he felt real because he also could be damaged and simple challenged. It gives it weight.

Loki series however honestly feels like complete dog shit from start to the end. It's almost watching a dbz episode, where freeze gains 10 ssj levels in 2 months of training. yet didn't bother to train when invading earth where the one guy that demolished him in seconds originated from. And he levels only to the point that he's on equal foot later in the series towards goku and not just spend another 1 month longer of training to absolute annihilate goku in seconds, yet loses again.

Zero thinking going on there.

But that's just the main story, the whole sets also made absolute no sense for multiple reasons, why even bother with paper lol, guess they needed something that looked interesting. Because it makes no sense at all. And the actors where dissapointing to say the least besides owen even loki itself wasn't much convincing.

Loki feels like a dumpster fire so far.
 
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Shai-Tan

Banned
"Why would the avengers do anything ever?"

presumably The Avengers are part of the causal chain. They're not standing outside of it. Their decisions matter - even more so if the motivations of the time police don't match up. Maybe there's a range of bad things that are acceptable to the "sacred timeline" but not to them. (The Umbrella Academy on Netflix is kind of that, and the last Westworld season a dystopian take) But I get your point - like if the time lords really were as competent as they want to seem. Foresight doesn't necessarily grant a great ability to intervene. I'm speculating blind here and may be off base.

edit: to be clear not apologizing for the dragonball z power level inflation
 
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Swaff

Neo Member
Really liked the first episode, already feel like Loki is a bit more fleshed out rather than just a villainous stereotype.

I can see this being more enjoyable than FATWS but not quite as good as Wandavision, but only time will tell. Disney are certainly making Disney+ worth the money though.
 

Ulysses 31

Member
Why would they?
It was stated the timeline wasn’t about good or bad, they’re only presevering the true timeline.
It's more the bad optics of their explanation. If Thanos hadn't snapped, they would've come by and melted him and reset till he does since we see them melt people for even "small" decisions that vary off course.
 
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trikster40

Member
Really really enjoyed it. I looked over at my wife during the beginning and asked why the TVA didn’t go after the Avengers for messing with time, and they answered that fairly quickly.

Realt interested to see where this goes. Love the plot with someone ambushing the TVA squads. Going to be interesting to find out who/why - not sure it is who they say it is at the end.
 

Melon Husk

Member
Loki's a first look at a Marvel TV series for me.

The sacred timeline (by Disney) is clever meta.
The "involuntary Dr. Who" setup should provide enough material for the first season.
Pilot episode was well executed.

The interrogation scene brute-forced character development effectively. The audience should sympathize with the protagonist. They did as much as they could without being boring and breaking the pacing. ("I wanted to stand up to make a point!" /throws chair). I would have left out church scene, it got in the way of otherwise great intro.
 

Kenpachii

Member
Why would they?
It was stated the timeline wasn’t about good or bad, they’re only presevering the true timeline.

  • U cant measure the true time line. As nobody knows it even exists until its to late.
  • They can delete people thanos level with all stones like its a ant in a instant.
  • They do delete people for as little as not having a ticket to watch a show and execute them.
  • They decide what is right or wrong timeline wise, how could loki or anybody possible know? he was doing anything outside of the bounds of his far superior masters? it makes zero sense. It's like killing a ant for not dancing on command.
  • So if thor killed thanos straight up the first moment they met, would time keepers come in and cull thor in a instant, because meh true timeline.
  • Why would iron man still try to do anything? doctor strange was supposed to be abducted? could very well just stayed at home watching netflix, because if something happens that wouldn't result in the right outcome time wise then the time keepers would pop up and fix it.
  • then it gets even more dumb when u realize, that if we had no clue about those time keepers, could those time keepers also have a true time line they don't know about themselves with other far more superior time keepers above it? because those time keepers where already far superior even from all those other reality's or whatever they mend, they have to come from somewhere right? Which makes the police or time keepers completely pointless to start with because if loki would be pulled from where he was for example by some time cops, another group of time cops would come in to cull those time cops and another group of time cops come in to cull those other time cops etc etc etc.
I dunno man, the whole true timeline / time keepers sound like complete dog shit to me.
 

Ulysses 31

Member
  • U cant measure the true time line. As nobody knows it even exists until its to late.
  • They can delete people thanos level with all stones like its a ant in a instant.
  • They do delete people for as little as not having a ticket to watch a show and execute them.
  • They decide what is right or wrong timeline wise, how could loki or anybody possible know? he was doing anything outside of the bounds of his far superior masters? it makes zero sense. It's like killing a ant for not dancing on command.
  • So if thor killed thanos straight up the first moment they met, would time keepers come in and cull thor in a instant, because meh true timeline.
  • Why would iron man still try to do anything? doctor strange was supposed to be abducted? could very well just stayed at home watching netflix, because if something happens that wouldn't result in the right outcome time wise then the time keepers would pop up and fix it.
  • then it gets even more dumb when u realize, that if we had no clue about those time keepers, could those time keepers also have a true time line they don't know about themselves with other far more superior time keepers above it? because those time keepers where already far superior even from all those other reality's or whatever they mend, they have to come from somewhere right? Which makes the police or time keepers completely pointless to start with because if loki would be pulled from where he was for example by some time cops, another group of time cops would come in to cull those time cops and another group of time cops come in to cull those other time cops etc etc etc.
I dunno man, the whole true timeline / time keepers sound like complete dog shit to me.
Also puts into question any major decision any MCU character ever made since if they'd made a different decision, the TVA would've melted them.

And yeah, it's weird Loki gets arrested for picking up a great tool that dropped at his feet, that's completely in character for him to pick up. Why they even bother with a trial since there's no due process or anyone to convince and he's immediately found guilty.

I haven't seen all movies with Loki in it but it's also raised that this show assassinates his character.

The video I posted eventually goes into great memes you can make with this TVA existence revelations. :pie_wfwt:
 
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bitbydeath

Member
  • U cant measure the true time line. As nobody knows it even exists until its to late.
  • They can delete people thanos level with all stones like its a ant in a instant.
  • They do delete people for as little as not having a ticket to watch a show and execute them.
  • They decide what is right or wrong timeline wise, how could loki or anybody possible know? he was doing anything outside of the bounds of his far superior masters? it makes zero sense. It's like killing a ant for not dancing on command.
  • So if thor killed thanos straight up the first moment they met, would time keepers come in and cull thor in a instant, because meh true timeline.
  • Why would iron man still try to do anything? doctor strange was supposed to be abducted? could very well just stayed at home watching netflix, because if something happens that wouldn't result in the right outcome time wise then the time keepers would pop up and fix it.
  • then it gets even more dumb when u realize, that if we had no clue about those time keepers, could those time keepers also have a true time line they don't know about themselves with other far more superior time keepers above it? because those time keepers where already far superior even from all those other reality's or whatever they mend, they have to come from somewhere right? Which makes the police or time keepers completely pointless to start with because if loki would be pulled from where he was for example by some time cops, another group of time cops would come in to cull those time cops and another group of time cops come in to cull those other time cops etc etc etc.
I dunno man, the whole true timeline / time keepers sound like complete dog shit to me.
I see it as they must follow the script that the show/movie writers write, which could literally be anything so has no perceived value for the audience at the end of it all.

They’re calling the deletion a reset, since time moves differently, (forward and backward) I believe that means they’re just removing them from their spun-off timeline and not entirely from existence.

The line-up also only consisted of two people so it doesn’t look like people jump their determined timeline very often since the galaxy would have zillions? of people.

I think it’s more like our concept of fate, it’s just what people are going to do due to their pre-determined makeup and history.
 

Nester99

Member
I was not too keen on the Sacred timeline or the Time cops. I thought the world building was pretty lame to be honest.
"oh ya here is a bigger more ultimate power in the universe"

Clearly a set up for the Multiverse.

I liked Owen and Tom, so hope it picks up.
 

McCheese

Member
I don't get how Dr Strange saw millions of alternative outcomes and futures yet didn't mention the timecops, surely he should of seen millions of futures getting nulled out of existence by an overweight woman.

So we're all expecting girl loki to be the villain right?
 
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BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
That's why loki is complete dogshit and almost feels like written by a kid that got no clue what he's doing.

Why would the avengers do anything ever? maybe u know the next threat to the earth is supposed to happen, so if me thor stops it, i will be janked like a ant of the street into a cub and judged + executed the next day because it was not supposed to do that, because it was probably supposed to happen. If not time keepers would probably send somebody to fix it.

Whatever the Avengers, or others, are doing and have been doing occurred in the main timeline. It was all meant to happen - or would have happened, regardless of anything, whichever way you want to look at it.

Beyond that, the Time Keepers are analogous to the Christian god. If he/they know all of the bad things that will happen, why don't they stop them? Why do they care at all? In the case of the Keepers they're only interested in insuring that entities and circumstances do not stray from the agreed upon "correct" timeline and cause tangent or spin-off universes - which they think will lead to some kind of Armageddon (another allusion to the Christian god).

It's just dumb fun using pretty old story devices at this point. These kinds of questions and problems have already been tackled ad nauseam in other sci-fi. I saw just vibe and enjoy it.
 

sol_bad

Member
I don't get how Dr Strange saw millions of alternative outcomes and futures yet didn't mention the timecops, surely he should of seen millions of futures getting nulled out of existence by an overweight woman.

So we're all expecting girl loki to be the villain right?

The TVA work outside of our realities, we aren't meant to see them and never will unless you go off your designated path.
As for the villain, there are theories that "evil variant Loki" isn't really evil and it's the TVA who are evil. So in theory, if this becomes true the Loki we are following and "evil variant Loki" might team up to take TVA down.
 

Shouta

Member
First episode was great, really enjoyed it. My only beef is that some of the acting outside of Wilson and Hiddleston was a bit rough.
 

KrakenIPA

Member
I was smiling the whole episode, I liked it bunches! 99cent store Infinity Stones didn't sit well with me, but TVA looks great. Can't wait for the next ones!
 

ManaByte

Gold Member
To my understanding, Loki from Avengers hadn't had his heart soften yet by the events of Thor 2 so to show him as a cry baby and admit he's a weakling does raise some questions for me.

Did you even watch this episode? There's a whole chunk of it where Owen Wilson shows him the events of Thor 2.
 
Eh, that was a really boring Men In Black ripoff.
I usually like Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston, but I did not enjoy watching that at all.
The humor is also way off, sine the whole "carless bureaucracy" shtick is nothing new and has been done way better by the Vogon.
The dialogue felt also really stilted, not very organic at all. It's hard to put my finger on it, but it feels way too artificial.

Except for the 60s infused atomic retro-futurism, the whole episode felt really flat and sterile. The set design felt also very restricted and the desert green-screening was absolutely horrible.
Take away the set design and you're left with very little substance. The first episode does a poor job at playing to its actors strengths and the audio mix is also really weird.
 
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sol_bad

Member
Doesn't change that Avenger's Loki is not Thor 2 Loki who would be more tractable to that argument.

And Loki should've rebutted that it's according to the TVA script.

John Campea has an interesting theory. His theory is that the TVA don't control the script but they understand how people act and think and so know what their actions and decisions will be. They don't influence or control anything initially but if someone steps out of the norm they step in.

Something else to think about. As an example, when the Avengers travel to 2012 in Endgame they basically travel to another reality. If Tony, Steve, Bruce and Scott all sat there watching things unfold instead of trying to get the Tesseract, events would unfold in the exact same manner as what they've already experienced. Why is that?
 

Ulysses 31

Member
John Campea has an interesting theory. His theory is that the TVA don't control the script but they understand how people act and think and so know what their actions and decisions will be. They don't influence or control anything initially but if someone steps out of the norm they step in.
That explanation doesn't really jive with the TVA's reason for apprehending Loki. Is it really out of the norm for someone as Loki to pick up the Tesseract when it drops at his feet?

Of course I don't think the TVA has 100% control over time because otherwise these variances wouldn't happen but they have been shown to have tech on the level of the time and space infinity stone combined. It might even be the case that they were only joking about melting people for minor things, even though we see them do it in the TVA realm, however the big things I'd have to assume they made sure happened the way they did in the past MCU movies.
Something else to think about. As an example, when the Avengers travel to 2012 in Endgame they basically travel to another reality. If Tony, Steve, Bruce and Scott all sat there watching things unfold instead of trying to get the Tesseract, events would unfold in the exact same manner as what they've already experienced. Why is that?
Not quite sure what you're getting at here. If getting or leaving the Tesseract at that instance made no difference for future events then that seems to be something minor and not worthy of getting the TVA involved for then.
 

sol_bad

Member
Not quite sure what you're getting at here. If getting or leaving the Tesseract at that instance made no difference for future events then that seems to be something minor and not worthy of getting the TVA involved for then.

I'm saying that the Avengers could travel back in time to 100,000 different time periods (100,000 different realities) and things would constantly play out as they have.
 
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Ulysses 31

Member
I'm saying that the Avengers could travel back in time to 100,000 different time periods (100,000 different realities) and things would constantly play out as they have.
Not so sure about that if we take into consideration that Dr. Strange saw millions of timelines and only 1 had a favorable outcome.

But now that the TVA have been introduced how do we know if they would've allowed any of the other timeline to happen than the one we got in Endgame?
 
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sol_bad

Member
Not so sure about that if we take into consideration that Dr. Strange saw millions of timelines and only 1 had a favorable outcome.

But now that the TVA have been introduced how do we know if they would've allowed any of the other timeline to happen than the one we got in Endgame?

Doctor Strange didn't see 14 million different realities, he saw 14 million different outcomes based on potential actions taken. The TVA don't matter in this example, why would the Avengers try any other outcome if it's not guaranteed?

My example of traveling to 2012 was used because it's something actually happening in front of their eyes. When everyone watched Endgame, we had no knowledge of the TVA but even then we knew history would repeat itself the exact same way if Steve, Tony, Bruce and Scott just sat there and did nothing. Whether it's the TVA or something else, something is making that reality play out the same way.
 
We all know the avengers had to do the time heist so Loki could escape so the show could happen and start a chain reaction that led to the creation of the time bureau. I just assume because the first rule of time travel entertainment is you done fucked up and don’t even know it yet but you will
 

Ulysses 31

Member
Doctor Strange didn't see 14 million different realities, he saw 14 million different outcomes based on potential actions taken. The TVA don't matter in this example, why would the Avengers try any other outcome if it's not guaranteed?
The wiki says Strange uses the time stone to look into future timelines for possible outcomes so those realities did happen at some point. We now know the TVA were around so there's room to doubt they haven't interfered in having the Avengers play out the one timeline where they beat Thanos from all ones where they'd fail.
My example of traveling to 2012 was used because it's something actually happening in front of their eyes. When everyone watched Endgame, we had no knowledge of the TVA but even then we knew history would repeat itself the exact same way if Steve, Tony, Bruce and Scott just sat there and did nothing. Whether it's the TVA or something else, something is making that reality play out the same way.
They choose not to change the other reality in any major way so naturally all the major events will repeat in that reality that's (practically?) the same as theirs.

I doubt any of the film makers knew of the TVA in Marvel phase 3. To me it's obviously something that phase 4 tacked on and it taints the MCU up to that point making everything seem pre-determined.
 

sol_bad

Member
The wiki says Strange uses the time stone to look into future timelines for possible outcomes so those realities did happen at some point. We now know the TVA were around so there's room to doubt they haven't interfered in having the Avengers play out the one timeline where they beat Thanos from all ones where they'd fail.

They choose not to change the other reality in any major way so naturally all the major events will repeat in that reality that's (practically?) the same as theirs.

I doubt any of the film makers knew of the TVA in Marvel phase 3. To me it's obviously something that phase 4 tacked on and it taints the MCU up to that point making everything seem pre-determined.

If Doctor Strange did see 14 million other realities it doesn't break anything. There might be 100,000 instances of the MCU as we know it and 100,000 instances of each of the 14 million realities that Strange saw.

Of course the directors and writers of phase 3 didn't know about the TVA. It's called world building, adding layers as they go. TVA doesn't break anything.
Even without knowing the TVA existed they layed out the fact that other realities play out exactly the same way as the MCU we know. In Endgame we saw at least 4 other instances (1970, 2012, 2013, 2014) of the MCU reality that were playing out the exact same way.
So it's not hard logically to imagine that there might be some crazy race that exists outside of time as we know it pulling strings and making sure these 14+ millions realities play out as they should.

Hell, even The Ancient One in the Doctor Strange movie can see the future of the MCU timeline and knows exactly when she'll die. Like it's either predermined or it's not predetermined but the actions she chooses to make bring her to a logical conclusion that she is aware of.
 
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Ulysses 31

Member
If Doctor Strange did see 14 million other realities it doesn't break anything. There might be 100,000 instances of the MCU as we know it and 100,000 instances of each of the 14 million realities that Strange saw.
Never said it broke anything, just that the movie implies that Thanos had the odds very much in his favor and that just being able to time travel wouldn't mean he'd be defeated. The TVA might've had a hand in making sure that 1 in 14 million timeline plays out for the Avengers since Strange didn't exactly dictate what had to happen.
Of course the directors and writers of phase 3 didn't know about the TVA. It's called world building, adding layers as they go. TVA doesn't break anything.
Bringing an organization like the TVA into stories usually raises questions why they'd let very bad stuff happen when they have the tech to stop/change it. Seems they can also record every word people say so if you know people plotting bad/evil things and you have the TVA's powers but don't intervene well that raises question of their morality or competency.

There's only so many times you can use the "works in mysterious way" before it starts to sour the story telling IMO.
Even without knowing the TVA existed they layed out the fact that other realities play out exactly the same way as the MCU we know. In Endgame we saw at least 4 other instances (1970, 2012, 2013, 2014) of the MCU reality that were playing out the exact same way.
So it's not hard logically to imagine that there might be some crazy race that exists outside of time as we know it pulling strings and making sure these 14+ millions realities play out as they should.
If you go back in time in an alternate reality that's practically the same as yours, it's only logical that things play out the same as your reality if you don't interfere, doesn't require something like the TVA to arrange that. The Avengers took care not to cause major changes so again, it makes sense that events will play out the same as their reality in that case. I don't see this as a foreshadowing of something like the TVA.

The TVA do make things appear pre-determined and I'm not sure that's something you'd want when telling (super)hero stories.
Hell, even The Ancient One in the Doctor Strange movie can see the future of the MCU timeline and knows exactly when she'll die. Like it's either predermined or it's not predetermined but the actions she chooses to make bring her to a logical conclusion that she is aware of.
Godlike creatures that can sense the flow of time aren't really broken by something like the TVA IMO, it's the mere mortals that are damaged. As I raised earlier, the TVA blurs the free will aspect of these characters or their accomplishments.
 
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