What a glorious end to the first season of Loki, the six episodes went by too fast, but they all left their mark on the MCU. Nobody should be surprised by the announcement of a second season of Loki, Kevin Feige suggested that Loki would be the type of series that could have more than one season. I am just glad that in my episode five review I got the Kang (He Who Remains) appearance correct. I was not sure about my theory since Wandavision left a lot of breadcrumbs leading to Mephisto, and it turns out that Marvel was just trolling fans. Even though the episode was lacking in action, it kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire episode. The episode did a great job of delivering answers while subverting the expectations, the episode also left a lot of unanswered questions. Unlike The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Wandavision I thought Loki nailed the finale, the episode has set up a second season while leaving things in a state of chaos.
The start of the episode felt like an homage to the movie Contact (1997), it was a very unique opening scene that paved the way for an episode that will alter the entire MCU. Episode six which was titled "For All Time. Always." was a riff on the TVA motto, which in hindsight applies to how it changes the MCU. I have found that as the season has gone on, Loki has become less and less the central character of his own show. Sylvie has been a great addition to the MCU, she has a lot of Loki skills, but she is the rare Loki who is not seeking power. Mobius and Hunter B-15 have both become strong allies for Loki and Sylvie, while I wish we got more time with them in the finale, I am excited to see more of them in season two. Episode six was all about He Who Remains, Jonathan Majors made the most out of his MCU debut. Majors whose career appears to be skyrocketing, was chewing all the scenery he could, and I loved every second of it. I have only seen Majors in Da 5 Bloods, which he was very good in, but now I am convinced he might be the key to phase four and beyond. The first season of Loki never really had a true villain, He Who Remains depending on whether he was telling the truth might not have been a villain. I expect season two will give us a villain(s) in the other variants that Kang has warned us about.
LOKI SEASON ONE FINALE RECAP
The episode has one of the weirdest openings yet, we hear lines from previous MCU films and some audio footage from people like Neil Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, Greta Thunberg, and Maya Angelou. The audio is accompanied by some trippy space shots that are straight out of Doctor Strange, we reach our opening of Loki and Sylvie making their way towards the castle. They make it to the front door and Sylvie quips "are you going to tell me not to kick in the door" which is a callback to episode three. They enjoy some more awkward banter, Sylvie is trying to compose herself before entering, but the door opens on its own. They enter the castle, and it appears deserted until Miss Minutes pops up and makes them an offer. Miss Minutes offers them to be reinserted into the timeline to live the lives they always wanted, they could have the lives they wanted and be together. They deny Miss Minutes offer, and we got to Renslayer's office where she is waiting for the files on the founding of the TVA to be downloaded. Miss Minutes arrives and tells Renslayer that the files are ready, Renslayer starts to read and says these aren't the files she asked for, but Miss Minutes replies that "he thinks this will be more useful" and Miss Minutes disappears.
We are back with Sylvie and Loki; Loki repeats the name of who they are there for "He Who Remains" and Sylvie replies "not for long". They are in a chamber when an elevator door opens, and we see a smiling man (Jonathan Majors) wearing a purple cloak. He Who Remains seems pleased to see them and says they should talk in his office. They are riding in the elevator and Sylvie attempts to stab him, but he simply reappears behind them laughing, Sylvie attempts again and this time he disappears completely. The elevator door opens and He Who Remains (let's just call him Kang) is waiting for them in his office. Kang then pours them a drink, Sylvie and Loki cautiously approach and sit down. Renslayer is putting the folder in a briefcase when Mobius walks in, Renslayer tries to flatter him, but Mobius no longer trusts him. Renslayer says she believes everything they did can't be for nothing, and she calls for backup. Mobius tells Renslayer that he knows her secret, and he holds up the Franklin D. Roosevelt High School pen he noticed in episode 2. We then see Hunter B-15 in Fremont, Ohio in the year 2018. Hunter B-15 is being chased by other Hunters, and she leads them to an office where we see Renslayer appear. Renslayer is dressed in normal clothes and when the hunter addresses Renslayer as Judge Renslayer she has no idea who he is talking to. The hunter is confused, Hunter B-15 then says that they have a lot to talk about.
Kang tells them that they can't kill him because he already knows what is going to happen, Kang says he paved the road for them to get to him. Kang tells them that this stuff needs to happen to get to the end, Kang asks Sylvie if she is even capable of trusting anyone at all. We are back in Renslayer's office where Renslayer and Mobius are having a debate about the ethics of the TVA. Renslayer opens a portal and Mobius tries to stop her, but he is easily taken down. Renslayer leaves and tells Mobius she is going in search of free will.
Kang is telling the Lokis that without him and the TVA everything burns, Loki then asks what he is so afraid of. The question causes Kang to pause before answering with "me", he explains that he has many names, a ruler, a conqueror, and he who remains. Kang says that a variant of himself lived on earth in the 31st century, this variant discovered the multiverse and open a doorway to the other earths. The early meetings between the Kangs were peaceful, but some of the variants realized that the multiverse meant new lands to be conquered. A multiverse war started, each variant began fighting to preserve their universe and destroy the others. The first variant encountered Alioth who is a creature that was created from all the tears in reality who is capable of consuming time and space. This Kang harnessed Alioth's power and he started experimenting on it, he weaponized Alioth. Using Alioth he ended the war; he then isolated our timeline and manage the flow of time to prevent any further branches which led to the creation of the TVA. Kang says that if they think he is evil, then wait until they meet his variants, "stifling order or cataclysmic chaos" that is what Loki and Sylvie need to decide. Kang says there are two options, either they kill him and unleash chaos, or they will run everything. Loki asks why Kang would give up the power, he says he is older than he looks, and he thinks the Lokis are the right persons to run things. Kang says they are all villains who have done horrible things, he hears thunder rumble, and he becomes distracted. Kang says they have crossed the threshold, he says he knew everything that will happen up to a certain point that just passed. We see the timeline outside and there are branches opening up, Kang does not know what the Lokis will do. Sylvie believes Kang is lying and it is just another attempt at manipulation, Kang takes off his bracelet. Sylvie tries to attack Kang, but Loki stops her, and they begin a fight. Loki attempts to explain to Sylvie why he believes Kang, but Sylvie believes Loki is only interested in taking Kang's throne. Loki is hurt by Sylvie's lack of faith in him, they fight again. Loki again blocks Sylvie's attempt to kill Kang, but he then drops his sword and pleads with her to stop. Loki says he doesn't want to hurt her and that he just wants her to be okay. Sylvie kisses Loki then without his seeing opens a portal and pushes him through it just after saying "but I'm not you". Sylvie takes up her sword and stabs Kang, killing him. Kang smiles and tells her "I'll see you soon", Sylvie then looks outside at the timeline which branching even more significantly.
Mobius and Hunter B-15 are back the TVA staring at the monitor showing that the sacred timeline has been broken, they agree there is no turning back now. Loki is dejectedly sitting; he then walks through the TVA to Mobius and Hunter B-15. Loki runs up to them and says they freed the timeline, Mobius and Hunter B-15 have no idea who he is. Loki looks at the TVA and notices that the pillars of the three Timekeepers have been replaced by a lone statue of someone who looks a lot like Kang as credits roll. There is a post-credits scene, but it is just Loki's file being stamped with "Loki will return in season 2" and now the episode and the season are now over for good.
LAST THOUGHTS ON SEASON ONE OF LOKI
I am not meaning for this to sounds like a slam on Wandavision or Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but Loki is the best of the MCU series. Loki gave us a too short six-episode season that made each episode feel special and unique. The visual style and musical score have both been fantastic throughout the first season, Loki has been one of the most impressive MCU endeavors. The finale seems to crack the multiverse wide open, with Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness coming soon Loki has set up those films nicely. If Kang (or Kangs) becomes the next big bad of the MCU then I am happy with the choice since Jonathan Majors was fantastic. Based on how Kang was played by Majors, I think we will have a different type of villain than Thanos. Since Kang alluded to there being more Kangs, I can see what attracted Majors to the role. Majors will get to play the Kang variants, and he will be able to give each one a unique style. I have one minor prediction; we will see Jonathan Majors as Kang before season two of Loki and before Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. I am not sure if it will be in Spider-Man: No Way Home or Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but I have a feeling he will pop up in either or both of those films.
The season has been building to a romantic connection between Loki and Sylvie, but the season finale has muddied those waters. Our last glimpse of Sylvie was her watching the sacred timeline come undone, Sylvie chose chaos while our Loki chose order. I was not expecting that ending, there was a moment when Loki and Sylvie were kissing where I expected Sylvie to be killed by Loki. There was a lot of work over the previous two episodes to show Loki's devotion to Sylvie was genuine, but we never really saw that from Sylvie. I am not doubting that Sylvie had feelings for Loki, but I think her lack of trust prevented her from giving in to those feelings. Loki's outlook completely changed after he got to know Sylvie, his mission became about helping Sylvie achieve her mission. Sylvie never really changed her mission; she was always about taking down the TVA and making them pay. Despite knowing what might happen if she enacted her vengeance upon Kang, Sylvie still did not hesitate about killing Kang. I am curious how this thread is picked up in season two, will Sylvie have regrets and try to make amends with Loki or will she double down on her decision.
Loki, the namesake of the show, what happens to him in season two. I am not sure if Loki continues to be the hero, he could go back to being the selfish Loki we saw before he met Sylvie. Since we never learned more about Sylvie's past, and we never learned what her nexus moment was. I still have so many questions, anything that deals with time travel almost inevitably leads to confusion. If Kang knew how everything was going to go, why did Miss Minutes offer Sylvie and Loki a second chance. Where did Renslayer go, and what files did Kang give her, obviously we will see Renslayer again, and I look forward to figuring out whether she will be a hero or more of a villain. Loki is now stuck in a TVA ruled by a Kang who might be one of the good Kangs, but he is likely a bad Kang. I think the finale just nailed so much while also getting fans excited for the second season, Majors was amazing, and Sophia Di Martino was exceptional all season long. Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson had phenomenal chemistry and I can't wait to see them working together again. Loki has assembled an amazing cast and the addition of Jonathan Majors for the second season makes me look forward to season two more than some of the films coming out next year.
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