The Marvel Cinematic Universe TV Thread

[Skummy]

A couple of things that were really minor in the grand scheme of things, but that just happen to be a couple of my biggest pet peeves;

Spoiler

When the TVA were in France in the 16th Century, one of them says something like "this is the third incident this week". Something ending in "this week" or "within a week" anyway. What is "a week" to someone who exists outside of time, and jumps back and forth hundreds of years? It would be a completely meaningless way of measuring anything. How does "within a week" account for an event that took place hundreds of years ago? 

It's a major pet peeve of mine in time travel stories to not address that kind of statement. I'm hoping that, given they reiterated later on that "time works differently here" it was a bit of a nod to the fact that the TVA aren't all they're claiming to be, but I'm assuming it's much more likely lazy writing.

 

The other was the D.B. Cooper scene. I really liked it, laughed out loud when I realised that's what they were doing. I thought it was a really fun, clever little Easter egg. It was immediately ruined by shouting "YOU WERE D.B. COOPER?!". I hate writing that feels it needs to explain itself, it's like Ready Player One all over again. Writers being so proud of their cute little reference that they have to spell it out for you just in case you didn't get it and didn't realise how smart they were. 

I know that people are going to say, "yeah, but lots of people haven't heard of D.B. Cooper". In which case just shouting his name isn't going to enlighten them any more, is it? There's a bunch of articles on entertainment websites called things like "who was D.B. Cooper in Loki?", which otherwise would just be called "what was that plane scene about in Loki?". If people don't know the story, shouting it louder doesn't enlighten them any more. If they're still going to have to look it up, you don't need to hold their hand so much with the writing. At worst people will think, "huh, that's weird, a Loki bit that didn't happen in any of the movies. Wonder what that was about."

 

[IDOL]

3 hours ago, Skummy said:

A couple of things that were really minor in the grand scheme of things, but that just happen to be a couple of my biggest pet peeves;

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When the TVA were in France in the 16th Century, one of them says something like "this is the third incident this week". Something ending in "this week" or "within a week" anyway. What is "a week" to someone who exists outside of time, and jumps back and forth hundreds of years? It would be a completely meaningless way of measuring anything. How does "within a week" account for an event that took place hundreds of years ago? 

It's a major pet peeve of mine in time travel stories to not address that kind of statement. I'm hoping that, given they reiterated later on that "time works differently here" it was a bit of a nod to the fact that the TVA aren't all they're claiming to be, but I'm assuming it's much more likely lazy writing.

 

The other was the D.B. Cooper scene. I really liked it, laughed out loud when I realised that's what they were doing. I thought it was a really fun, clever little Easter egg. It was immediately ruined by shouting "YOU WERE D.B. COOPER?!". I hate writing that feels it needs to explain itself, it's like Ready Player One all over again. Writers being so proud of their cute little reference that they have to spell it out for you just in case you didn't get it and didn't realise how smart they were. 

I know that people are going to say, "yeah, but lots of people haven't heard of D.B. Cooper". In which case just shouting his name isn't going to enlighten them any more, is it? There's a bunch of articles on entertainment websites called things like "who was D.B. Cooper in Loki?", which otherwise would just be called "what was that plane scene about in Loki?". If people don't know the story, shouting it louder doesn't enlighten them any more. If they're still going to have to look it up, you don't need to hold their hand so much with the writing. At worst people will think, "huh, that's weird, a Loki bit that didn't happen in any of the movies. Wonder what that was about."

 

Spoiler

I must be the idiot type that the repeated “You were?” Line was about because it made me look it up 😂

 

[Azazel]

12 hours ago, Daniel Bryan said:

I tend to agree here, and I also have the opposite problem, which compounds on it:

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The TVA enforce a single sacred timeline, which is something that's been decided in advance by space lizards. This isn't just to account for time-travel shenanigans, as the Avengers were able to go into back in time and fuck everything up and it was still "supposed" to happen, but a thing as simple as someone being late for work - with no external multiverse/magic/time-travel influence, it just happens that in their timeline they were late for work when the Time Keepers didn't want them to be - that gets reset and pruned out of existence and no-one will ever even know. Everything is important and controlled.

So... nothing that happens actually matters, because if it's not "supposed" to happen, it'll be undone and the "right" thing will happen, rendering all of the movies and TV shows completely pointless because an external influence is there making sure it was always going to turn out the same way, forcibly if necessary, no matter what any of our heroes did - or do going forward.

 

Spoiler

I think the TVA is significantly less powerful than they are claiming to be.  Besides, it's episode 1, there is a long way to go.  Endgame straight up explained they were returning the stones to prevent divergent timelines from being created.  Loki getting the Tesseract broke the stable loop.

I feel like the TVA is just there to stop the timeline from going out of whack and don't have any actual knowledge or power to change anything if time is stable.  They just know Loki's future because he's from 10 years in the past.

 

[Tigerstyle]

Yeah I feel like the TVA are part of a lie they’re not aware of, they’re created by a cosmic being that is using their naivety fo keep them in line. Or not, probably not.

[livid]

I really enjoyed the episode because I thought Hiddleston and Wilson were both fantastic together. Without that chemistry, it probably falters more because of how much exposition they had to cover. Excited to see where it all leads. 

[Gabriel]

19 hours ago, Tigerstyle said:

Yeah I feel like the TVA are part of a lie they’re not aware of, they’re created by a cosmic being that is using their naivety fo keep them in line. Or not, probably not.

Theory:

Spoiler

I think the big bad is still going to be Kang the Conqueror. He's in control of the TVA, and is using them to maintain his control of the timeline. I am not sure he's going to play a prominent role in Loki, necessarily, but I think he ends up being the one pulling all the strings, leading into Dr Strange, Ant-Man and Fantastic Four.

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by Gabriel

[Maxx]

Proposing a ban on the use of I Need a Hero in all comics related media for the next decade.

[Azazel]

I reject this proposal.

[St. Dubb]

1 minute ago, Azazel said:

I reject this proposal.

Seconded.

2nd episode of Loki was superb. I could watch Mobius and Loki just talk to one another all day. Their chemistry is so amazing. The pace of this is so far superior to Falcon & Winter Soldier.

[Colly]

2 hours ago, Maxx said:

Proposing a ban on the use of I Need a Hero in all comics related media for the next decade.

You aren't going to like the He-Man Netflix trailer.

[Maxx]

Just now, Colly said:

You aren't going to like the He-Man Netflix trailer.

I've seen it.  Then the Guardians game trailer, then this episode of Loki and I'm pretty sure I've heard it in something else recently as well.  Hence, the proposal.  May those who vote against me be haunted by that song.

[IDOL]

4 hours ago, Maxx said:

I've seen it.  Then the Guardians game trailer, then this episode of Loki and I'm pretty sure I've heard it in something else recently as well.  Hence, the proposal.  May those who vote against me be haunted by that song.

Sounds like you need a hero.

[gunnar hendershow]

Spoiler

This show certainly isn't subtle in its "mysteries". It's probably it's biggest weakness in that the only big twists it's not telling you are coming are the ones around the "who" questions.

But I did enjoy it even if at points in this episode they basically turned to the audience and said "The TVA isn't all powerful as they claim to be" multiple times.

 

[GoGo Yubari]

Spoiler

when Kate Berlant turned up as a background character with like two lines I was convinced that they were going with Lady Loki (which admittedly was already fairly easy guess since they didn't show the Loki's face at the end of the last one) and that it was going to be her hiding in plain sight. Kind of bummed out I was wrong about that but on the other hand, casting Kate Berlant as a surprise villain on MCU TV five months after you cast Kathryn Hahn to do the same thing would probably feel redundant, they project fairly similar energy.

 

[Jimmy]

6 hours ago, GoGo Yubari said:

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when Kate Berlant turned up as a background character with like two lines I was convinced that they were going with Lady Loki (which admittedly was already fairly easy guess since they didn't show the Loki's face at the end of the last one) and that it was going to be her hiding in plain sight. Kind of bummed out I was wrong about that but on the other hand, casting Kate Berlant as a surprise villain on MCU TV five months after you cast Kathryn Hahn to do the same thing would probably feel redundant, they project fairly similar energy.

 

Spoiler

Sophia Di Martino is also ace. She's been doing great work over here for years, collaborating with a bunch of filmmakers I know & they all speak so highly of her. She was in one of Kate Herron's early shorts and it's pretty incredible that she's been cast in such a huge lead rule. Thrilled for her. 

I'm definitely biased in my views towards this show, because I find Kate's whole journey to helming this show really inspiring & I think she's smashing it. And the fact she's not only landed this show, but brought one her main collaborators on for the ride, is a real cherry on the cake for me.

 

[tristy]

hate to break it to you guys, but the reveal with the Loki they're hunting is probably a misdirect

It's actually...

Spoiler

Enchantress (Sylvie version)

 

[JasonM]

It's the goddamn undertaker, people

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Spoiler

Did WandaVision teach you people nothing? It's clearly Mephisto! /s

 

[Daniel Bryan]

Considering he's meant to be a trickster god, Loki comes off dumb as fuck in this. 

[LittleDaniel]

Considering Norse Loki's level of trickery is literally "hey, you know these apples you're protecting? There's even better ones right over there *yoinks the apple*" him being kinda dumb feels right