Loki was bad AND the Warriors 3 +Sif were wrong

[serafina20]

FX showed Thor last night (which is super exciting, because that means it'll be on all the time so I can watch it again) and, while watching it, I remembered something that has always bugged me.

Look, the Warriors 3 and Sif were wrong. Full stop, do not pass go. They were wrong. Thor was banished to Midgard because of his actions. The fact that his actions were influenced by Loki's actions is besides the point. I don't think Loki intended for Thor to rush to Jotunheim and take on the entire planet himself. Did he try to stop Thor? No. Did his words influence Thor's decision? Yes. But, just as Loki is responsible for his actions in this movie and Avengers, so Thor is responsible for his actions. And we know that this was not a one time thing. Even Odin basically admits that he overlooked Thor's arrogance and impulsiveness before, but this was the last straw. He could not allow Thor to become king if that was what he was going to do, and then, in a fit of temper (because Odin is not perfect) exiles him.

The W3+ went to Odin to ask him to undo Odin's banishment. I honestly right now can't remember their reasoning; probably they suspected something was amiss. But, let's face it, Odin wasn't going to agree to their request. Loki being on the throne didn't change Thor's punishment. And he had a valid point: his first act as king couldn't be to undo Odin's last act. (This is tricky language; he could have been implying that, eventually, he'd allow Thor to come home. He could have been asking the W3+ for patience, which he didn't get. He could have implied it and never meant to bring Thor back, but, again, besides the point). Plus, let's face it: Loki was not going to be a popular king. He was the second son, he was weird, he was an outcast. The realm had been on the brink of having Thor as a king, and he was obviously popular. Even if Thor had actually died due to his actions and Loki gained the throne that was, his rule was not going to be easy. Not bringing back a more popular potential ruler was a good decision politically (for him). (Look how poorly allowing Hamlet to come back to Denmark worked for Claudius. Loki has probably read the play. And history.)

Then, the W3+ decided to sneak down to Asguard to bring Thor back. Why? What did they want to accomplish. A coup? I get Heimdall's motivation, even if I don't agree with it, but the W3+ basically boil down to, "We don't like Loki and we like Thor so Thor would be better." And that's just... bullshit. Plus, if they hadn't gone down. Loki wouldn't have sent the Destroyer (again, his decision, his action, but it was a direct result of them going down). And, yes, if they hadn't gone down gotten Thor, Jotunheim would have been destroyed, but that doesn't make their actions right. They didn't go get Thor to stop Loki from destroying another planet. They went down because they didn't like Loki and wanted Thor (who, at that point, would have been a bad king).

It's complicated and convoluted. And what bugs me is in the movie, there is never a nod or acknowledgement or anything that their actions were wrong. Thor learns his lesson. Loki... doesn't. Odin really doesn't. And the Warriors 3 and Sif are treated as if they didn't have to learn anything. That they were right. And that bugs me.

Comments

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

I put Thor on my Netflix queue. I am obviously going to have to bump it up and watch, because it sounds great and creates thinky thoughts. And I do hate the idea that if the "good guy" does something it is hunky dory fine, but if the "bad guy" does the exact same thing, it can never be forgiven. Intrinsic goodness, well probably doesn't exist any more than intrinsic evil, but even if it does that doesn't mean that doing the wrong thing is okay just because you are a "good" person.

[johanirae.livejournal.com]

Second this. I get that they are loyal to Thor, but we see so little of their history that their hatred towards Loki seems more like bullying than anything.