Disney + ‘s Loki shares many similarities with the long – running Doctor Who series, but the God of Mischief reflects a slightly unexpected character.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Loki, airing now on Disney +.
Disney + Loki The series is a time travel tale that follows the God of Mischief as he tries to make sense of the strange new world he has found himself in. It contains many similarities to other time travel program, Doctor who. For example, Loki shares little phrases like calling the titular character holding the Tesseract a “criminal with a blue box”, similarly to how the Doctor is often called an “idiot with a blue box”, referencing his blue police box / time machine, the TARDIS. However, the God of Mischief is more accurately a mirror of the Doctor’s deadly nemesis, the Master, more specifically, a recent reincarnation known as Missy.
Missy often encounters Doctors 12 and 13 and struggles with her commitment to being evil. Unlike her previous regenerations, this version is not fully committed to killing the Doctor and is much more selfish and even willing to help her longtime enemy. She operates similarly to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in that he only acts in her best interest. But if Loki is the Master, then the Time Variation Authority, specifically Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), is the Doctor.
As agents of Sacred Timeline, the TVA lives to disrupt chaos and maintain order, ending branching realities before they spread too far. Mobius is an agent of the natural flow of time, just like the Doctor, and would rather maintain her safety than endanger her with chaotic possibilities. Loki working with TVA is similar to Missy helping the Doctor. But that doesn’t mean she’s okay. In fact, he has shown on more than one occasion that his loyalties waver.
A great example of this is when Missy joins an earlier version of the Master played by John Simm. At first, they join forces to kill the Doctor. However, Missy turns on her younger self, and the two end up killing each other. Aside from their shifting loyalties, the two Masters who come together mirror Loki’s interactions with his variant, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). Not only does her first appearance recall Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Thirteenth Doctor, but her more evil impulses also align her with the younger versions of the Master.
Her tentative relationship with Loki is like navigating a sea of uncertainty, as there is a possibility that one will betray the other as Missy and the Master experienced. However, in Season 1, Episode 3, “Lamentis”, the two tricksters begin to remember and bond, acting more like brothers than rivals. While this could all be a ruse on both sides, their constant bickering is similar to when Doctors 10 and 11 met at the Doctor who 50th Anniversary Special, Doctor’s day.
While it is impossible to see if Loki will continue to honor Doctor who, the series has carefully drawn a creative parallel to the long-running BBC series. It offers exciting time-traveling hijinx, layered characters that never cease to amaze, and unexpected locations and situations. Loki may not be Missy or the Master, but the similarities are enough for fans to know that just like Doctor who, expect the unexpected.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane, and Eugene Cordero. New episodes air Wednesdays on Disney +.
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