LOKI Resurrected

 Article first published as LOKI TV Review on Seat42F.

The latest MCU series is LOKI, which premiered on Disney+ this past week. Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as the titular villain circa the first The Avengers film, having just killed Coulson and attacked New York. As glimpsed during the time travel portion of Avengers: End Game, Loki briefly escapes this time with the Tesseract. But as LOKI the series begins, he’s caught by the Time Variance Authority, since he’s a variant out of the accepted timeline. In their custody, he faces punishment and possible death. Until a TVA officer with sway takes an interest in him, hoping Loki can help the organization.

Loki himself doesn’t really understand (or at first believe) what’s happening to him, and that’s beneficial to the audience. He’s a fish out of water, and our way into this new world, a corner of the MCU we were previously unaware of. Loki has always straddled the line between hero and bad guy, and while this Loki comes from the darker period of the character, it’s easy enough to make us care about him, knowing he is capable of more. Which Loki is shown before the end of the first hour, an important step in getting a redeemed Loki, as he was before he died in the films.

The co-lead alongside Loki is Mobius (Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums), the agent who wants Loki to help him. He seems about as opposite a personality as one might get from Loki, easygoing and confident, secure in who he is. He’s a good way to get us into the world and introduce the rules, as there is never any doubt that he knows what he’s doing in his job. Wilson is playing the role as he always does, but if anything, with even more depth, an excellent scene partner for Hiddleston.

Rounding out the cast are a slew of smaller parts that aren’t really developed yet. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Morning Show) is a great presence as Judge Ravonna Renslayer. Wunmi Mosaku, who shone last year in Lovecraft Country, is hilarious as Hunter B-15. And Eugene Cordero (The Good Place, Star Trek: Lower Decks) is great doing what he does best as the hapless Casey. I look forward to more from each of them, easily seeing their parallels to Monica, Woo, and Darcy from earlier MCU series WandaVision.

The plot is a little slow to get started, but that’s OK because of the sheer amount of new information that had to be covered in the initial installment. So much is added to expand the universe (or omniverse). Yet, at the same time, LOKI finds time to give us some extremely moving character moments and showcase its leads’ talents. It’s a great balance of exposition, action, and development, well executed and immediately enticing.

Some fans have already dissected Avengers: End Game for what they perceive as inconsistencies in the time travel portrayal, and that is sure to continue with LOKI. But here’s the thing: Time travel isn’t real. So as long as a franchise is consistent within itself and the rules it sets out, then I recommend suspending disbelief and accepting the way it is. Having a character in the first episode of LOKI declare what the Avengers did, mucking with time, was always meant to happen is an easy out. It’s also a way not to get bogged down in the details and keep the story moving, which seems necessary.

LOKI is not quite the mystery box WandaVision was. There is plenty still unknown, but that doesn’t seem to be the point of the series. It is a lot more complex than The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and certainly more ambitious. I would say by finding a place between those two, LOKI has staked its own ground and already earned its keep, just as compelling (if not more so) than the first two efforts. I look forward to see how it progresses.

New episodes of LOKI drop Wednesday on Disney+.

Go Below With STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS

 Article first published as TV Review: STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS on Seat42F.

A new kind of STAR TREK has arrived, with STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS premiering today on CBS Access. It follows the ensigns who work on the lower decks of the starship U.S.S. Cerritos and do the grunt work of the vessel, not getting the credit and glory the senior staff enjoy. Oh, and it’s a cartoon.

Believe it or not, this is not the first animated Star Trek series. There was a show in the early 1970s called Star Trek: The Animated Series that starred the same cast as the original show, voicing their characters on continuing missions. That series took the liberties of a few big aliens and worlds that the live action budget could never have achieved, but was basically the same type of story the original had already told, albeit shorter. And also, speaking as someone who has seen all twenty-two episodes because I’m that kind of Star Trek fan, it was pretty bad.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t need to go bigger on aliens, as Star Trek now has the budget and technology to do some pretty incredible stuff. It does, though, because why not? If you can do show races or shots you want, go for it.

My only complaint of this aspect is that it feels just a bit too cartoon-y. I’m not saying it should be as grounded as the its processor because, why even bother to make it animated then? But it’s just a tad too zany for the Star Trek universe, in my opinion. A cross between The Orville and Rick and Morty, I wish it been more of a cross between The Orville and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

TNG is the series that STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS owes the most to. It is set shortly after Star Trek: Nemesis, before disaster rocked the Federation and shook Starfleet to its core, as shown in Star Trek: Picard. This is from those post-Dominion War lighter times, with uniforms and starship design to match. The references are many and varied, and pull plenty of original series in, too, with Spock and Kirk getting shout-outs in the pilot. The visuals are full of Easter eggs, especially in the theme song, so it does feel set in the Trek universe, even if a few things get a little too wild.

The idea of focusing on the non-bridge crew has been around for awhile on Star Trek. It was the plot of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, also called “Lower Decks,” and is the subject of much fan speculation. So it makes sense in a time where we’re getting so much Trek, we’d eventually get around to that idea.

A great cast has been assembled. Tawny Newsome (Space Force) steals the show as Ensign Mariner, a very capable young woman who has problems with authority and a huge chip on her shoulder. She has the most interesting story, to be sure, but even if she didn’t, Newsome would shine. Her sidekick is Ens. Boimler (Jack Quaid, The Boys), who is much more predictable, but hopefully will grow over time. Secondary to the pair are Ens. Tendi (Noel Wells, Saturday Night Live) and Ens. Rutherford (Eugene Cordero, The Good Place), who are obsessed with their work in the most delightful way, and are surely destined to be a romantic couple.

But unfortunately, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS doesn’t commit to this conceit of just portraying the junior staff. Instead, we see Captain Freeman (Dawnn Lewis, A Different World), Commander Random (Jerry O’Connell, Billions), Dr. T’Ana (Gillian Vigman, Suburgatory), and other senior staff pretty regularly. And of course these characters are great. But they aren’t needed, and I think the show would be far more interesting if we saw them only fleetingly if at all, like the president in the early seasons of Veep. I could excuse the captain, given her role in relation to one of the core group, and even the doctor popping up makes sense when Tendi is on duty. But the others are in the show too much.

In short, I like the show. Quite a lot, actually. But I think it misses the mark in a few areas that would elevate it to something really special. It’s good, but it could be great, and the squandered potential is a bit sad. Even if I still want it to run for years while I obsessively watch every episode. After all, it is easily the best animated Star Trek series ever made.

STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS streams new episodes every Thursday on CBS All Access, beginning today.

HOUSE OF LIES Begins to Emerge From the "Wreckage"

Article first published as HOUSE OF LIES Begins to Emerge From the "Wreckage" on TheTVKing.

Showtime's House of Lies premiere had a lot to address. When season two closed last year, The Pod had split apart, with the characters all on the outs with one another. Now, as some time has passed, the episode must catch up with each of the four, and give them all arcs to start things out on.

I love that "Wreckage," the first episode back, doesn't restore the status quo. It would be inauthentic for The Pod to easily come back together, either at their old firm or at Marty's (Don Cheadle) new one, though other shows do it all the time. Instead, this week shows where each of the individuals have ended up, and how unhappy they are with the situation, missing their former colleagues. Which means they probably will reunite, just not in episode one.

At least Marty's home life is going well so he's not fighting a battle on both fronts. A sweet scene between Marty, his son, Roscoe (Donis Leonard Jr.), and his father, Jeremiah (Glynn Turman), seems light and fun, especially compared to the rest of the half hour. Surely Marty can find some comfort in that.

Marty may just be the most miserable of the quartet. It's hard to tell because he's so good at hiding his feelings. On a trip to China to woo the head of a mid-size company (Daniel Stern, Home Alone), something that would have been beneath Marty at his height, he seems quite unimpressed with his new team (Ryan Gaul, Rob Gleeson, and Genevieve Angelson). But he's also resigned to them. This Marty is not too proud to claw his way back up to the top, even as he's definitely nowhere near that point at the start. He's broken, but not defeated.

Marty later tries to change his circumstance by forming an alliance with Jeannie (Kristen Bell). This could be good for business, two competitors working the competing companies they represent together, pushing both for more. However, in this instance, it seems more that Marty just wants to be with Jeannie. Otherwise, why not go for the bigger fish himself? At least Jeannie seems amenable, which means Marty didn't completely burn the bridge with her.

The relationship between Marty and Jeannie is key to House of Lies. Sure, the chemistry of the foursome is important, but these two share something more than that. They are the emotion-laden island in the middle of all the craziness. They have feelings for one another that may or may not turn into something real (my guess is they will), and Marty cares about her as so much more than the job she does, which is less obvious in how he treats the guys. Plus, if Marty can win Jeannie back to The Pod, the other two will follow easily enough, whether he wants them to or not.

Jeannie isn't in a bad place, professionally, but she doesn't seem happy. Working at her old job, leading a pod consisting of Doug (Josh Lawson) and some newbies (Brad Schmidt and Lauren Lapkus), she comes across as numb and disinterested. All three of these people are pretty annoying, Doug constantly talking about their glory days, and that could be what is bringing Jeannie down. But Doug was always annoying before, so it's more likely what she doesn't have that's affecting her, rather than what she does have.

I said before that Marty has it worse than anyone else, but it's possible that Clyde (Ben Schwartz) might edge him out. Working for Monica (Dawn Olivieri) turns out to be the hilarious hell viewers might have expected, and her management style sabotages any alliances Clyde might form with his new co-workers (Eugene Cordero and Milana Vayntrub). I think Clyde realizes this is an untenable position that he can't stay in, and will likely be the first of the main players to try to make a switch.

Clyde has always seemed cooler than cool, like nothing can upset him. Even as we realize that's an act, one must respect the way he plays the game, something that should serve him well. Seeing the frustration and disbelief on his face in "Wreckage" proves there are situations that can tip Clyde's balance, and there's new material for the talented Schwartz to chew in this premiere, which is welcome.

Nearly all of these new characters mentioned above have familiar faces, but likely no name recognition. Some of them were in House of Lies Live, and it's good to see them again. Others have been working the comedy scene, occasionally popping up in sitcoms. It's excellent that House of Lies gives this class of people work because they are often under-utlized on TV, and I think "Wreckage" proves there is fresh talent out there.

I don't know that any of them will prove lasting on this series, though. Any one of them could, but by necessity, the three pods as they exist now cannot last. And serving another seven new characters just isn't tenable. So sadly their presence will be short-lived, but at least they are all, across the board, making the best use of the time they have.

House of Lies has set up an interesting third year. Catch it Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime, and if you missed the first episode, it's currently streaming free on Showtime's website.

HOUSE OF LIES Invites Us Over for LIVE Event

Article first published as HOUSE OF LIES Invites Us Over for LIVE Event on TheTVKing.

On New Year's Eve, Showtime presented a special called House of Lies Live. Featuring the four main actors from the network's dramedy teamed up with some young improv comedians, the seven performers take the stage to act out scenes on the fly. Put together by Ben Schwartz and done in front of an audience as the Los Angeles Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (where Schwartz is an alum and sometimes contributor), it is a funny and interesting presentation.

The bits on House of Lies Live are not connected to the show itself, other than sharing some of the cast. Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Schwartz, and Josh Lawson are on hand, but they never play Marty, Jeannie, Clyde, and Doug, their personas from the program. Which makes the title of the special a little confusing.

That being said, it's kind of cool to see these guys in another setting. They are all talented people, and as much as I enjoy House of Lies as a show, I also enjoy them individually playing other roles. From being cats to gay lovers to customer support representatives to overeager waiters, the half hour was full of many different parts, almost universally amusing.

The quartet from House of Lies has terrific chemistry, which is part of what makes their series so entertaining. It seems a little risky to toss three relative unknowns - Lauren Lapkus (Are You There, Chelsea?), Ryan Gaul (Identity Thief), and Eugene Cordero (The Kings of Summer) - in with them. But perhaps because the new trio is closer to those stage roots, they not only hold their own, but seem comfortable doing so.

In fact, it's easy to believe all seven working as a troupe. They play off of one another with ease, and even begin new bits without warning and, apparently, rehearsal or planning. Not one of the seven really stands out as being the lead, all joining together in an relatively even ensemble, helping their teammates more than trying to grab a spotlight for themselves. Though, I will say that Gaul's segment selling chairs had my rolling.

The premise itself seems a little weird. They ask for a lie told by someone in the audience, and take off from there. The early bits done pertain to that starting point, and then the proceedings get odder and odder, jumping from tangent to tangent, never bringing it back around. I believe that's the nature of improv comedy, but for those not knowing what to expect when tuning in, it may have seems a bit lacking in cohesiveness.

In the end, I'm left wanting more. It's unlikely this will be a regular thing, but I enjoyed it a lot. It not only got me excited for next week's House of Lies return, but made me want to see all of these people doing other things.

House of Lies Live is currently repeating on Showtime. Check your listings for air times.