Last year, Marvel Studios released Loki on Disney+. Most of the time spent with the series, we explore Tom Hiddleston‘s return as the reluctant hero, as he finds himself beyond time with not much left ahead. The only way for survival? Join the Time Variance Authority and try to find his purpose once again in a world he’s unfamiliar with. He’s a fish out of water, stuck at a desk job with small moments of looking beyond. He starts realising that there’s more at play, as some big shot at the top is guiding everyone’s stories and seemingly determining whatever fate has ready for everyone across the timestream.
Loki is a science fiction story at its hear that offers a unique tale even among the already varied Phase 4 of projects. Yet, looking back, there’s something that perhaps got lost in the usual Marvel flair. There are many interpretations that could stick with someone looking at Loki’s journey alongside his new mentor Mobius. He’s asked to do one simply thing: work within the perimeters set by the TVA, become a member of its overarching cause and belief in the leadership of the Time Keepers.
It’s not difficult to make the connection that the TVA’s monotony and the way they only know what’s important to their job reflects the way we assimilate to the job’s that help us afford a livinig. If we want to exist, we need money to pay for everything. So, we get stuck with the work and at one point find ourselves in an endless cycle that seems almost impossible to escape. Mobius represents the man who’s been there long and starts to see what’s going wrong to finally embrace a new freedom. Perhaps he’ll finally make that dream come true and find some peace; no matter how short-lived it might be.
Yet, like clockwork, everything resets and he’s exactly where he was just under new leadership. In some ways, we’re creatures of habits stuck in routine and a little hope that one day we can ride that jet ski ourselves. Loki represents those that are searching for purpose in a new position. Perhaps trying something different, leaving the familiar is a way to find that purpose one couldn’t seemingly grab before. You try the usual but it doesn’t really seem to work like it used to. You’re asked to adjust and figure out how things work, but you’ll never truly feel “at home.”
So, you start to question what exactly are you doing here. Suddenly, he gets a chance in the form of a free pass out of this world he thought could give him what he wanted. Sylvie gives him exactly what he was looking for or had no idea he might need at the time. It begs the question, would you take it? May it be a new job or a business opportunity, isn’t Sylvie just that same reflection back at us? Not just that, doesn’t she also represent the self-doubt that we face ourselves making that very decision, may it be before or even after. Could it be that we’re just replacing one cubicle with another?
Even as you build a connection with someone like Loki and Mobius did, there might be that feeling of something being off. The purpose you hoped to find and prove it to the person that brought you on, the one that believed in you, may just be a raindrop leaving its ripples in an ocean. Sometimes you may have a chance to take that experience with you, but there’s also the chance you’ll be walking a rather lonely path. Sometimes the harsh reality is just: you don’t quite fit in as you’d hoped you would.
It’s not a universal issue. Some might be that person that fits in perfectly. They find their own purpose in taking that deep dive into a world they can feel comfortable in. Yet, there are also those that may not realize just how their old stomping grounds shaped them to not fit in anywhere else. No matter if the discussion becomes about nature vs. nurture, there’s still a place out there for us. Sometimes leaving the familiar forces us to accept that very fact. The question always remains: what are we willing to sacrifice along the way?
The things we love won’t always stay that way, as our mental health may take its toll through every new hardship we are confronted with. Even places we once felt at home will potentially change and leave its own sour taste. So, any venture outside will not be easy and there will be bumps along the way. If it doesn’t work the first time, one might try and try again. The biggest challenge is not to lose yourself along the way or get too stuck with who you were; especially not who you wanted to be if it’s not in sight. We all have our moment of sitting there, reflecting on our life and the future that lies ahead. The future we envisioned may never came to pass with a simple snap, and it becomes even harsher if the new one we try to shape doesn’t quite measure up to it. But, just like Loki, perhaps Season 2 can lead us down the path we’re looking for. One can always hope.
