At the end of time, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) discover a lost citadel and the man who has been pulling the strings behind the Time Variance Authority and all of time itself. And he has an offer for them. An offer that will change everything about the Marvel Cinematic Universe…forever.

Week by week and episode by episode the epicness of Loki has grown and changed before our eyes. It was a series that started weird and only got stranger and opened our eyes to a previously unseen side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with a power that none of us could comprehend. We saw a god change and meet many new parts of himself, and now in ‘For All Time. Always’, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), along with his counterpart and the variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) have reached the end of time, and this final episode of Loki Season One makes for one very epic conclusion.

From the start, director Kate Herron keeps audiences guessing and as she reveals her narrative we see the entire MCU change before us. In Loki, we learnt that time was the greatest power in the entire universe and that no one, regardless of their own personal power, could escape its grasp. And all of that is brought to the screen in this final episode. And Herron completely changes up the narrative before our eyes. Not only does she play Loki and Sylvie off of one another, but she introduces audiences to a major new character who is set to shape this new chapter of the MCU.

That character is He Who Remains, who is played to a masterful level by Jonathan Majors, and this character of He Who Remains also happens to be a variant of the galactic conqueror Kang. And it’s a reveal that has huge significance for the MCU going forward. As He Who Remains, aka a Kang variant, Majors is off the chain and this kooky, benevolent Einstein-like character who reveals himself from behind the curtain and confirms that it was he who has been shaping the events of all time. In his appearance Majors sets the stage for things to come and gives us an insight into the motivations of Kang and he’s damn impressive in the role. It’s an epic MCU debut and Majors is shaping up to be an incredibly important presence within the forthcoming next chapter of the MCU.

The epicentre of ‘For All Time. Always’ centres on a series of increasingly complex and shocking monologues delivered by Majors’ He Who Remains, and this ‘time keeper’ lays it out, plain and simple, for Loki and Sylvie. Placing emphasis on the need for order to control an even greater chaos, and the devils that it will bring forth, Majors keeps audiences on edge the whole way through and you’ll be wanting to watch and decipher this series of dialogues multiple times. Conversing on order, free will, villainy and things that have been and are still to come, Majors sets the stage for an ultimate danger that will make its presence very known in the MCU.

From beginning to end you’re completely hooked by every single moment of ‘For All Time. Always’, and I can say that this ending is the single most shocking sci-fi ending I can think of since the original 1968 Plant of the Apes. Hiddleston’s reaction to the ending of this episode is utterly shocking and is the perfect end-note for an incredibly complex and completely different Marvel experience for fans. And it’s about to get very interesting going forward from here.

‘For All Time. Always’ is an excellent piece of television and the perfect final chapter to another incredible piece of work from Marvel Studios. Right from the start, this series has completely changed up our expectations of what a Marvel television series is and Herron and her team have brought incredible energy and creativity to this series the whole way through. And this is ultimately the first chapter in a long saga of which I am very excited to see the next instalment of.

With startling revelations and one hell of an ending Loki ‘For All Time. Always’ was utterly amazing, and with the conclusion of this series….so begins the multiverse.

Loki is available to stream on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Having been pruned by Judge Renslayer and seemingly killed, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) instead wakes up in The Void. A spectral world that exists off of the Sacred Timeline and right at the edge of time. Here Loki also comes into contact with other variants of himself and soon finds himself on a do or die mission to escape The Void and find the very thing that does exist at the very end of time itself.

Brace yourself for the weird because Episode 5 of Loki ‘Journey into Mystery’ takes us to a place that none us ever expected we’d travel to and the results are completely out of this world. Seemingly believing himself to be dead, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) instead wakes up and is greeted by further variants of himself who collectively include Kid Loki (Jack Veal), Classic Loki (Richard E. Grant), Boastful Loki (DeObia Oparei) and Alligator Loki (yes you are reading that right), and who taking pity on the arrival of a new Loki shelter him from both the presence of the dangerous and monstrous Alioth, but also the presence of a Loki gang, who are led by the sadistic President Loki (Hiddleston), who is content on being King of the Void.

It’s a lot to take in, and the absurdity, inventiveness and creativeness on behalf of director Kate Herron and her team make this episode that much more engaging and you’re completely sucked into the story that is being told. As in his relationship with Sylvie, we also get to see Loki’s interactions with other sides of himself and the new presence of Kid Loki and Classic Loki, sure keep our Loki on his toes. As Classic Loki Richard E, Grant brings a sage-like presence to his character, whose magic also happens to be incredibly potent, while Kid Loki is an incredibly powerful presence and formidable opponent being that he is the only Loki to have ever killed Thor! All these Loki’s keep this episode on a tight rope and it was a lot of fun to see this level of creativity brought to the screen.

Not content to let Loki rot, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), decides to get to the bottom of the mess of the TVA and after interrogating Renslayer, she heads into The Void to rescue Loki and to confront the real puppet master who is behind all of this. ‘Journey into Mystery’ is very much a seminal moment for the characters of Sylvie and Loki, as we see their further attraction to one another brought to the forefront. Whether it be romantic interest or something more, we cannot fully tell, as they do happen to be two sides of the same god, but it is very clear that these two characters need each other and that their destinies, now more than ever, are intertwined.

Also in a very fun surprise, we also see the return of Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius, who in a shocking revelation was pruned in ‘The Nexus Event’ and now again appears in ‘Journey into Mystery’, and he is of great moral support to Loki and Sylvie in their time of need. While we still have one episode to go in Loki, and it’s still uncertain as to how Mobius will play into the coming events of Loki it is clear that his presence is of great importance to Loki, and that he is truly the only person to have ever fully gotten through to him.

Audiences looking for action will be well rewarded with ‘Journey into Mystery’ and this is one episode of television that delivers MASSIVE thrills. The Void is a place of absolute danger and it takes all of Loki’s ingenuity and mischievousness to survive it. With rapid raiding Loki’s, unhinged alligators and one hell of a battle between Loki, Sylvie, Classic Loki and the monstrous Alioth, the events of ‘Journey into Mystery’ are delivered with pace and enthusiasm and audiences will love the imagery and narrative that they get to witness on screen.

We’re in the final chapter of Loki’s story now and the events of ‘Journey into Mystery’ have set the scene for an explosive final episode to come. It’s about to get exciting, so buckle in for what comes next.

Loki is available to stream on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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At the hour of their destruction on Lamentis-1, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), are re-captured by the TVA and brought in for questioning. And it’s here that uncomfortable truths are brought to the surface, and the orderliness of the TVA soon descends into chaos with Loki and Sylvie right at the front of it. With their backs against the wall, and swords out in front they make their way to their ultimate objective: a head-on meeting with the mysterious Time Keepers.

We’ve been building to this moment for some time in Loki, the moment when Loki comes face to face with the mysterious Time Keepers, and Episode 4 ‘The Nexus Event’ does not disappoint. Drawing on equal parts character exploration, and sword frenzy wielding action, ‘The Nexus Event’ is one hell of a fun moment of television action, and long time MCU fans will be very happy with the results that director Kate Herron brings to the screen. Herron gives a duel focus to the episode by splitting up Loki and Sylvie and devoting time to each character and their respective backstories. And this leads to some very interesting narrative revelations.

This unique framing of ‘The Nexus Event’ allows us to focus more into the characters of Loki and Sylvie, who are equally two sides of the same god. With Sylvie, we learn about her childhood, which because of the TVA was made tremendously hard and traumatic and resulted in this absolute survivor of a character. While Loki comes face to face with his past thanks to Mobius (Owen Wilson), in the form of Lady Sif which sees the return of the delightful Jaimie Alexander. Sif of course has plenty of hate for Loki, and it’s hilarious to watch this ‘reunion between these two characters. And did we mention that Mobius confirms the presence of vampires within the MCU! Yep, there’s a lot to be excited about thanks to this episode.

Herron also throws a spanner into the works thanks to the presence of Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Judge Ravonna Renslayer, who so far has been at the head of the TVA’s orderliness and who has plenty of her own secrets that she’s keeping from her staff. While cryptically Renslayer’s motivations are looked into, the mystery and suspense, driven by her presence and actions in this episode are sure to keep audiences off guard. And Mbatha-Raw gives Renslayer a presence of authority and superiority that marks her out as a dangerous enemy to have.

The action of Loki has been building slowly over the series, and after the kinetic and chaotic chase scene in ‘Lamentis’ we finally get to see Loki and Sylvie go to work against the agents of the TVA. And it makes for an epic showdown. With swords at the ready, Loki and Sylvie go for it, and the fight scenes in ‘The Nexus Event’ are freaking awesome to watch. We’ve never really gotten to see Hiddleston show his stuff in regards to combat as Loki, but here he showcases a balletic-matador style grace with his combat, while Di Martino’s Sylvie is more of an in-your-face brawler type. Fans looking for action will be impressed and I hope we see more of it down the line.

But ‘The Nexus Event’s’ climactic event results from Loki and Sylvie’s showdown with the mysterious Time Keepers….and it’s a showstopping moment. This final act of this episode is sure to take your breath away, and I was shocked in multiple moments, and in disbelief at what I was seeing. If you thought the infamous Red Wedding was shocking, wait until you see this, because I sure as hell did not expect Loki to go here, and that’s exactly where it goes. Herron keeps the stakes high this time, and is proving that when you think you know where this series is going, well, you’d better watch out.

Loki Episode 4 ‘The Nexus Event’ took it to a whole new level for the MCU and Disney+, and the result is an engaging, contemplative and ultimately shocking chapter of the MCU that is sure to have major consequences for our favourite god of mischief going forward.

Loki is available to stream on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Following in the wake of his variant self, a female Loki (Sophia Di Martino), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Variant, who calls herself Sylvie, find themselves trapped on the alien world of Lamentis-1, a doomed planet that is only hours away from cataclysmic destruction. And it’s here where things get interesting as these ‘two Loki’s’ are forced into an uneasy alliance, and new secrets about both Loki…and the TVA are drawn out.

Episode by episode the intrigue of Loki builds, and following the shock twist ending of Episode Two ‘The Variant’ where it was revealed that Loki’s target was in fact a female version of himself, Episode Three ‘Lamentis’ throws the pair of them together and the sparks get explosive. These two opposite sides of the same god sure are a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with, and their back and forth bickering and would-be manipulation of each other leads to a gripping dramatic piece of television that keeps you hooked the whole way through. Throw in the presence of a thoroughly alien planet that is facing imminent destruction and you have set the stage for drama.

While Tom Hiddleston teases out more of his usual Loki quirks, and new unseen talents rise to the surface, it’s MCU newcomer Sophia Di Martino who steals the show. As Sylvie, Di Martino is a powerful enchantress who is on a mission to blow up the TVA and when she runs into Loki, her plans take a dramatic side-step. In terms of character, Hiddleston best describes the make-up of a Loki as ‘independence, authority and style’, and Sylvie possesses all of these. Plus she’s got a particularly sharp mean streak about her, and isn’t about to put up with any of Loki’s tricks. With a smart mind, and her own magic at her control, Sylvie is a character who is definitely going to spin the MCU for a loop.

Part of the fun of Sylvie’s presence in Loki is that she is able to get our protagonist to reflect on who he is. And this allows audiences to get even more of an insight into who Loki is as a character. While neither of these characters trust each other, Sylvie’s questioning with Loki allows us to learn more about his relationship with his adoptive mother Frigga (Rene Russo), alongside his princely life, and his hedonistic pursuits, he once led and leads into some very memorable scenes throughout the episode. Included is a very cool scene, where Loki, drunk out of his mind, starts singing in Old Norse. A moment that is particularly fun to watch.

As the new wild card of the series, Sylvie also gives audiences a brand new insight into the Time Variance Authority….and any suspicions that we might have held about them are revealed further here. Key insights into the TVA from Sylvie include that she considers them to be a group of ‘omniscient fascists’ and that their ranks are made up by a very interesting group of recruits. It’s a hell of a shock for audiences when this information is revealed and I can only see things getting crazier from here.

Director Kate Herron does a remarkable job of bringing to life the science-fiction world of Lamentis-1 and loyal sci-fans will be pleased with the atmosphere that she creates. On this barren planet that faces extinction from above, Loki and Sylvie journey across it to find a key resource. And time is of the essence. Herron commands not only the interpersonal dialogue of the episode, but the action as well, and Loki and Sylvie go to town with blades in hand, and there are some wicked action set pieces to get you pumped. ‘Lamentis’s’ third act is utterly impressive to behold and this episode finishes with one hell of a showstopping moment.

Double trouble always leads to more fun, and there’s a lot to be excited about thanks to the third episode of Loki, and it’s anyone’s guess as to where we go from here.

Loki is available to stream on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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