Loki (Disney+)

[Nick]

So, not sure how many noticed, but there was a very important Blade set-up in this episode. When Mobius talks about the types of people they've brought in and he says "We've brought in Kree, Titans, and Vampires".

Very subtle, but it's slowly setting it up and will make it feel natural once that movie comes out.

 

[Nick]

Soooo... I can't think of much more besides to circle back to my Kang theory I had at the start of the season.

Very potentially spoilerly speculation (depending on what you consider a spoiler):

Spoiler

And to top it off, Ravonna Renslayer is his girlfriend in the comics, which I did not know, but adds an obvious connection. Ravonna is also linked to Nebula in the Comics, who is one of the only other androids we know of in the MCU, which could be how the Time Keepers were built?

The other thing many are trying to figure out is exactly where the TVA is. If the TVA was in a different realm, the magic would cease to work, so this again ties to my Kang theory and it also ties to Ant Man 3 as many believe the TVA is located in the Quantum Realm. I don't expect anything but possibly a post credits scene from Kang in this series, but if i'm on the right path and the TVA is located in the Quantum Realm... does that mean we get a Loki (and possibly Mobius) cameo in Quantumania??

I'm not getting my hopes up for anything, but there's high potential here.

 

[HalfGlass]

Soooo... I can't think of much more besides to circle back to my Kang theory I had at the start of the season.

Very potentially spoilerly speculation (depending on what you consider a spoiler):

Spoiler

And to top it off, Ravonna Renslayer is his girlfriend in the comics, which I did not know, but adds an obvious connection. Ravonna is also linked to Nebula in the Comics, who is one of the only other androids we know of in the MCU, which could be how the Time Keepers were built?

The other thing many are trying to figure out is exactly where the TVA is. If the TVA was in a different realm, the magic would cease to work, so this again ties to my Kang theory and it also ties to Ant Man 3 as many believe the TVA is located in the Quantum Realm. I don't expect anything but possibly a post credits scene from Kang in this series, but if i'm on the right path and the TVA is located in the Quantum Realm... does that mean we get a Loki (and possibly Mobius) cameo in Quantumania??

I'm not getting my hopes up for anything, but there's high potential here.

Yeah man - but I think it could also be…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Spoiler: Turn back now - you have been warned

…Mephisto >

 

[Nick]

Yeah man - but I think it could also be…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Spoiler: Turn back now - you have been warned

…Mephisto >

I'm fully prepared to get Bohner'd

 

[Grabnar]

Yeah man - but I think it could also be…

Spoiler: Spoiler

Spoiler: Turn back now - you have been warned

…Mephisto >

Spoiler

Miss Minutes is an anagram of Mephisto if you change a few letters

Just sayin'...

 

[Nick]

On the real though @Grabnar, Miss Minutes got me suspicious.

 

[GA-MBIT]

Spoiler

I fully thought they were just going to kill off Loki and Mobius and that the titular Loki was going to end up being Sylvie all along. What an absolute crazy twist. Obviously that's not what is happening, but both "deaths" were really emotional and compelling. Great acting from multiple characters this episode, and I'm really excited to see where it goes next.

 

[Nick]

Quick non-spoiler take: Wasn't a fan and too predictable. Lots of cool easter eggs in the episode, though.

Spoiler

Gotta say, this episode was a bit of a bore overall (aside from the bits where the different Loki's interacted). It was way too predictable and i'm practically screaming at myself for them to just kiss and get it over with already. The last five minutes of the show were the best by far with Classic Loki doing his thing and them enchanting the monster thing was great, but it was so obvious it was going to happen that the stakes felt so low. This felt like watching the first 45 minutes of what should've been a 90-minute finale episode instead of stretching it out to 6 episodes.

I'll point out that between Episode 3 and now this episode, the two episodes that rank the worst imo (although I liked ep. 3 for the most part), the common thread between the two was a severe lack of Mobius. Loki may be the heart, but without Mobius, the show is missing its soul. The one interesting thing to me is if they do get out (which logic would suggest they will) and they successfully take down the TVA, then is this 2012 Loki Variant going to be allowed to go forward into the current 2024 MCU canon?

Quick speculation:
Alioth showing up is another connection to Kang. We know Kang is coming, but I do sort of think all we get in Loki is an end credits scene. So if it's not Kang, then who's behind all of this? How about another Loki - President Loki to be clear. If a Loki ever did succeed and rise to power, he'd obviously want to wipe out any future Loki from taking his throne, which would explain why the TVA had a mandate to focus on Loki's so much.

 

[HalfGlass]

Quick non-spoiler take: Wasn't a fan and too predictable. Lots of cool easter eggs in the episode, though.

Spoiler

Gotta say, this episode was a bit of a bore overall (aside from the bits where the different Loki's interacted). It was way too predictable and i'm practically screaming at myself for them to just kiss and get it over with already. The last five minutes of the show were the best by far with Classic Loki doing his thing and them enchanting the monster thing was great, but it was so obvious it was going to happen that the stakes felt so low. This felt like watching the first 45 minutes of what should've been a 90-minute finale episode instead of stretching it out to 6 episodes.

I'll point out that between Episode 3 and now this episode, the two episodes that rank the worst imo (although I liked ep. 3 for the most part), the common thread between the two was a severe lack of Mobius. Loki may be the heart, but without Mobius, the show is missing its soul. The one interesting thing to me is if they do get out (which logic would suggest they will) and they successfully take down the TVA, then is this 2012 Loki Variant going to be allowed to go forward into the current 2024 MCU canon?

Quick speculation:
Alioth showing up is another connection to Kang. We know Kang is coming, but I do sort of think all we get in Loki is an end credits scene. So if it's not Kang, then who's behind all of this? How about another Loki - President Loki to be clear. If a Loki ever did succeed and rise to power, he'd obviously want to wipe out any future Loki from taking his throne, which would explain why the TVA had a mandate to focus on Loki's so much.

Agree with virtually everything you said. It’s also making me nervous that we have another weak finale on our hands, but fingers crossed I’m wrong. I hated the WandaVision finale but thought Falcon’s ending was decent, if a bit heavy handed in its delivery. Hoping this episode is just a blip, it was easily my least favorite so far and felt more like an opportunity to set up

Spoiler

Spider-verse and how there can be many variations of a person so if Maguire and Garfield are introduced it’s not a “huh?” moment.

.

 

[krazyhorrorkid]

I get the dislike, but I personally can say I had a blast with this episode.
Good fun.

 

[Brian G.]

I enjoyed it - but the finale has to deliver to avoid a similar problem that WandaVision had; especially as it was teased to have an impact on Phase 4. Can't just simply tease Kang since we knew he was coming in Ant-Man.

 

[Nick]

I enjoyed it - but the finale has to deliver to avoid a similar problem that WandaVision had; especially as it was teased to have an impact on Phase 4. Can't just simply tease Kang since we knew he was coming in Ant-Man.

I think there's a high chance we actually see Kang in Episode 6, but I think it'll be like how we saw Thanos at the end of Avengers/GotG in end credit scenes.

Although with Kang supposedly being the big bad of Phase 4, it would stand to reason that he would want to control everything that happened via the "sacred timeline" as that makes him more powerful than anyone actually living in the sacred timeline.

I just feel like we've been getting so many Kang hints in this show because they are getting the audience ready for him in Quantumania. So in that sense, we aren't getting Mephisto'd, because Kang IS coming, but we could still be getting Bohner'd with it simply being Miss Minutes or Renslayer. I'll accept King Loki as a proper villain ending to a show titled "Loki" (possibly with Sylvie turning on our Loki), but we need to see Kang even if it's just an end credits scene.

 

[WAJAS]

I think there's a high chance we actually see Kang in Episode 6, but I think it'll be like how we saw Thanos at the end of Avengers/GotG in end credit scenes.

Although with Kang supposedly being the big bad of Phase 4, it would stand to reason that he would want to control everything that happened via the "sacred timeline" as that makes him more powerful than anyone actually living in the sacred timeline.

I just feel like we've been getting so many Kang hints in this show because they are getting the audience ready for him in Quantumania. So in that sense, we aren't getting Mephisto'd, because Kang IS coming, but we could still be getting Bohner'd with it simply being Miss Minutes or Renslayer. I'll accept President Loki as a proper villain ending to a show titled "Loki", but we need to see Kang even if it's just an end credits scene.

It won't be Miss Minutes. Someone said in an interview that she only appeared in the first episode pre-COVID, but the break and the great acting/pre-viz for her encouraged them to write her into later episodes.

 

[Nick]

I have to say, once Loki died in Infinity War, I was perfectly ready to accept that and move on. Seemed like a good place to end things with him, but this show has made me care about Loki so much more than I think I really ever did in the movies and tbh, I kinda hope we can see more of him. I know there's a rumored Season 2 (it was actually partially confirmed and is said to be beginning filming in early 2022), which would be fun. I'm perfectly happy if all we get is this show and maybe another season, but if he does somehow rejoin the proper MCU timeline, then I certainly won't complain.

The main thing I worry about if Loki is able to rejoin the timeline, it basically means everything Thanos did meant nothing, which could lead us down another rabbit hole where someone like Natasha is back or Tony (I know it won't happen bc RDJ is done with the character, but it opens the door, which is my issue). I have no doubt we'll see Iron Man within the next few years in some movie, possibly even in Multiverse of Madness, but i'm fairly certain we're going to see other actors in the role, similar to how we're seeing so many different versions of Loki.

 

[CoryLevy91]

The main thing I worry about if Loki is able to rejoin the timeline, it basically means everything Thanos did meant nothing, which could lead us down another rabbit hole where someone like Natasha is back or Tony (I know it won't happen bc RDJ is done with the character, but it opens the door, which is my issue). I have no doubt we'll see Iron Man within the next few years in some movie, possibly even in Multiverse of Madness, but i'm fairly certain we're going to see other actors in the role, similar to how we're seeing so many different versions of Loki.

I mean, this is a cinematic version of characters that have been being told for somewhere around half a century. Comic book characters are constantly dying, being revived and being altered in some form or manner. If anything film versions will be more precise and rigid since actors will only be doing so many of these movies. There's absolutely potential fatigue in seeing how many teams someone can save the world before the stakes just lose themselves but they've done a good job so far of expanding the stories, especially with these longer form serials.

 

[Nick]

I mean, this is a cinematic version of characters that have been being told for somewhere around half a century. Comic book characters are constantly dying, being revived and being altered in some form or manner. If anything film versions will be more precise and rigid since actors will only be doing so many of these movies. There's absolutely potential fatigue in seeing how many teams someone can save the world before the stakes just lose themselves but they've done a good job so far of expanding the stories, especially with these longer form serials.

Yeah, that's the main issue with comics when translating to the screen and why there has been so many bad comic book movies is that they're mostly all about either saving the world or characters dying and coming back to life many times. As you said, the MCU has handled it pretty well so far and I think these Disney+ shows came around just in time as it allows them to expand on these characters and dive deeper into their backstories, give comic fans some easter eggs or see the character in their "classic" look from the comics (both WandaVision and Loki have done this).

The shows also allow them to dig into some of those comic stories, but refine them a bit so that maybe they aren't as corny or so it fits into the story they're trying to tell. Think about it, the fact that we got lots of Isaiah Bradley screen time, A thorough look at Wanda's backstory as she played out the House of M storyline, LOTS of Lokis, Throg, Alioth, Thanos-copter, Evan Peters as Quick Silver, Mephisto, Ralph Bohner, etc, etc. These are all things we never thought we'd see on screen and probably wouldn't have if they were limited to the movies.

 

[ReelJustice]

I was never a Loki fan, and I never understood the stanning years ago. To the point where I had Loki muted as a term on Twitter.

This show slaps, and I am now a Hiddleston stan. I’m also all for him being the next James Bond.

 

[Nick]

I was never a Loki fan, and I never understood the stanning years ago. To the point where I had Loki muted as a term on Twitter.

This show slaps, and I am now a Hiddleston stan. I’m also all for him being the next James Bond.

He would absolutely kill it as the next Bond, he's perfect for the role (although I like the fan-casting of Idris Elba or Michael B. Jordan).

 

[Grabnar]

Spoiler

Has anyone drawn a link between the Timekeeper's planet/universe and Battleworld yet?

 

[Nick]

Final thought on who our villain is...

Spoiler

Well Kang is a piece of this puzzle, but this show is called Loki. It began with Loki getting caught because the TVA catches the hell out of Loki's, Sylvie came into play, and then a bunch of Loki variants came into play last episode. I don't think it can end in any way than with a Loki-on-Loki square off (Or potentially even Sylvie turns on our Loki). I think the episode is going to focus on a President/King Loki and we won't see Kang until either the very end of the show or a post-credits scene.

The #1 reason I think we aren't seeing much if any Kang in this episode is because all we've seen of Kang in this series is a crap ton of easter eggs or comic connections. The only people that would guess Kang are people like us who know things like this. There's also only one episode left so introducing an entirely new character who's supposedly the big bad would feel... tonally off. Introducing a new Variant version of Loki makes it so they can introduce our big bad in the last episode of the series and they won't have to do the heavy lifting of introducing a "new character" since we've done such a deep dive on Loki's in this series. Sure, they'll have to explain who the Loki is, why he's the bad guy in the series, etc, but that should only take a few minutes of time as opposed to how rushed it would feel introducing Kang and utilizing him in a fight in the same episode.

My biggest question is will Tom's Loki die? Sylvie? A potential Variant Void ruling Loki? Mobius? Someone's gonna die and I wouldn't be surprised if it's literally any of those.