Thor 2 question

Cafe Society
1

OK, I’m a bit late to the game here, but I just saw Thor 2: Subtitle Forgotten. In one scene, reminiscent of the first movie:

Thor disagrees with Odin about the best way to fight the dark elves. Overruled, Thor whines to Heimdall about it, and Heimdall replies something like, “I cannot go against the wishes of my king, even for you.” Thor reassures him, “I wouldn’t ask you to.” He then explains his plan, which involves Heimdall committing high treason against Odin, and Heimdall agrees to it.

Does that seem a little inconsistent, or did I miss something there?

2

Heimdall’s a tough nut to crack, but he and Thor understand each other.

Each time he’s delivered this kind of line, it clearly reads to me as “O.K., you know and I know that you can not ask me to do this . . . and you know and I know that I will do it for you because I believe in you. So tell me your plan, but do not ask me to go along with it.”

A lesser actor couldn’t put that much meaning into the line. Idris Elba handles it very well.

3

I thought that the king ordered that the gateway not be opened, and that Heimdall wouldn’t do that as it was against orders.

He would, however, go along with the plan that used Loki and the rest of the Little Rascals to go fight the Dark Elves using the secret passages.

4

There’s a difference between committing a new kind of high treason, and letting the gate get opened when Odin forbid it. He know how that turns out.

5

Hiemdall didn’t go against the wishes of Odin. His role was to distract Odin, by reporting that he had committed treason. He did so. By doing so, he accomplished his role as the distraction, but nevertheless he followed his orders : he did not open the bifrost, and he reported any treason he found.

6

I really want a Heimdall cameo in Avengers 2. Such a badass.

H - the bifrost is closed by your father’s orders; no one is to come or to go. We face an enemy that is even invisible to me, and what use is a guardian such as that.

T - Malekith will return. You know this. I need your help.

H - I cannot overrule my king’s wishes. Not even for you.

T- I’m not asking you to. Realm’s need their Allfather strong and unchallenged - whether he is or not. But he is blinded, Heimdall, by hatred and by grief.

H - As are we all.

T- Well, I see clearly enough.

H - The risks are too great.

T - Everything we do from here on is a risk; there is no other way.

H - What do you require of me… [his eyes say, ‘all right, I’m in’]

7

Hmm, so Heimdall wouldn’t open the Bifrost against direct orders, but he was OK with other treason? Remember, he told Odin directly, and in front of the army, that he was in fact committing treason. At that point, a king, or really any leader, would be compelled to arrest and probably execute Heimdall, or else abdicate his kingship. Oh, well. It’s just a movie.

8

He’s an absolute monarch in the truest sense. He really can’t be forced to do anything he doesn’t want to do. There’s no political structure that could act as a check on his power, and even in terms of personal strength, he’s vastly more powerful than any other Asgardian, making violent overthrow very difficult. Plus, he’s been king for thousands of years, and is the oldest son of the previous king, who also ruled for thousands of years - there’s virtually no one in Asgard who doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of his rule.

If Odin wants to spare Heimdall’s life, there’s absolutely no one, anywhere in Asgard, who can tell him differently.