That's the kind of statement I usually end a review with. Why am I putting it up front this time? For one, I realize that I never blogged about either WandaVision or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, so I wanted to get the main point in before I meander. Secondly, I'm going to need to traffic in SPOILERS to get at my thinking here, so I figure those avoiding spoilers can just take the bite-sized review and leave now.
So... I think the big problem common to all D+MCU so far is this: ultimately, nothing happens. You can understand why the Powers That Be don't want to do anything that could potentially threaten a motion picture juggernaut of multiple multi-million dollar box office hits each year. But because of that, nothing actually gets to happen in any D+MCU show. The movies get to take the action figures out of the package, play rough with them, and then leave them on the shelf. The TV shows are forced to carefully remove the action figures from their package, do nothing that would degrade their "near mint" status, and then put them back in the package at the end and glue it shut.
WandaVision opens with Wanda discovering new powers as she grieves the loss of Vision. It ends with her discovering new powers and grieving the loss of Vision. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier opens with Sam Wilson having been handed the mantle of Captain America, stalwart friend Bucky at his side. It ends with Sam Wilson in the mantle of Captain America, stalwart friend Bucky at his side. Loki opens with the Trickster God having no allies or friends, and being told that he has no place in this timeline. It ends with him having no allies or friends, misplaced in his timeline.
To avoid threatening the larger MCU franchise, the D+MCU shows must by definition be inessential. Any viewer who skips them needs to be able to just show up to the next MCU movie without any questions about what's happening and why. (At least, no questions other than the ones that result from having less than total recall of specific plot points from previous MCU films.) As a result, what makes a D+MCU show is what happens "in between."
WandaVision's "in between" was the bumpiest ride of all. It spun its wheels for three straight episodes, indulging in the novelty of recreating sitcoms of various eras while not revealing any plot of note. It grew compelling in the middle, ultimately revealing a great (and often memed) villain, before ending in a noisy (sonically and visually) and senseless battle of CG lights that was not remotely satisfying. I'd say overall that WandaVision was a C.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier raised some compelling social issues and even had some worthwhile commentary to offer. It acknowledged that making a black man Captain America isn't something that could just happen without a lot of complications. It treated us to the great chemistry between Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. It wowed us with a wild cameo by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the last person you'd expect in the MCU. But it also was a fresh exhibit in how rarely the MCU generates compelling villains. It turned a villain it already had into comic relief. It unveiled a twist of turning a hero into a villain (that didn't matter, because the consequences of that aren't going to be addressed until the next Captain America adventure). And it didn't really look as hard at nationalism as it did racism. I'd give The Falcon and the Winter Soldier a B- overall.
That brings us to Loki, a six-episode charm offensive starring one of the MCU's most charming performers. Tom Hiddleston has on-screen chemistry with everyone and everything. Plus, the TV series featured plenty of great characters in their own right. Owen Wilson was great as a "buddy cop movie" foil, and comedy between him and Hiddleston was top notch. Sophia Di Martino was compelling as Sylvie, and sparks flew between her and Hiddleston in every possible way. Indeed, until the last episode, I might have dared call Loki an A- show; I was that thrilled by the performances and the interplay, and that enthralled by the anarchic environment that can allow zaniness from Alligator Loki to the destruction of Pompeii.
But of course, the last episode has to put all the action figures back in the package. And it was frankly rather boring to boot. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that for once, an MCU story dared not to end with a massive CG-assisted fist fight. Nary an explosion in sight. But 30 minutes of dialogue in one room, featuring a never-before-seen character? That was hardly in keeping with the unhinged ambition of the rest of the series. Plus, in the end, the narrative of Loki in the MCU was even less substantial that those of WandaVision or The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Before Loki, I know I for one never would have imagined that "alternate realities" weren't a thing that could happen in the MCU. Loki introduces that notion... and then ends by saying, "but actually, now they can." If you didn't watch Loki before the upcoming crop of clearly alternate-reality-based MCU films, it wouldn't matter one bit.
And yet, damn is Tom Hiddleston fun to watch! Will I watch Loki season two, now that the series is the first to officially be announced as getting a second season? You bet! But what are my expectations for that season? It's going to be a fun ride with a shitty, meaningless ending. Which I think is maybe all you can hope for from any D+MCU show... at least until the Powers That Be decide that maybe the TV shows are pulling in enough money for Disney+ that perhaps they can risk one show that does something essential in the MCU. (Otherwise, my money is on "What If...?" as easily the most compelling D+MCU show, as it won't be under the restraints of continuity.)
No comments:
Post a Comment