Loki episode 3 review – two of a kind at the end of the world
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*** WARNING: This article contains spoilers for all current episodes of Loki and some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ***
Last week’s episode of Loki featured a lot of Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) sharing detective theories and life philosophies. It ended with a supermarket chase and the reveal of The Variant/Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino), and the revelation that she had got the location of the Time Keepers from a TVA hunter she possessed (Sasha Lane).
We open this week’s episode with The Variant creating an illusion within the hunter’s head (a rather gaudy looking cocktail bar). She learns that the Time Keepers can be reached through a gold elevator in TVA headquarters. Now up to date, we see her arrive at the TVA closely followed by Loki. The Variant doesn’t count on her powers being useless, but is quite nifty at hand-to-hand combat, dispatching several TVA agents before coming to a stalemate with Loki. This battle is interrupted by Judge Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who is ready to ‘prune’ both from the timeline, however Loki uses the TemPad just in time to escape.
A lot of action opens up this episode, and we are a step closer to knowing what The Variant wants. However, after quite a rapid beginning, this episode becomes something of a pitstop, a chance to learn about our new acquaintance without the burden of moving the plot along. Writer Bisha K. Ali’s solution? Lamentis-1, a distant moon that’s about to be completely destroyed when it’s hit by a planet. The TemPad is out of power, leaving them stuck at the apocalypse, so the pair bicker and try to find a large enough power source without falling for the other person’s tricks.
Last week we quoted Doctor Who regarding Loki’s “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff”, and it appears the comparisons continue. The BBC show will quite often have episodes where The Doctor is stuck on a remote planet, with a singular task to accomplish, usually separate to the overall series arc. A narrative pitstop that gives everyone a chance to breathe while still telling a good story. If you’re going to take inspiration from anywhere, you can do worse that one of the longest running shows ever made.
The pair try to get in each other’s heads – quite literally, as The Variant tries and fails to enchant Loki, whose mind is too strong. We learn that she’s been chasing the Time Keepers for years, and her dislike of the name Loki comes from the fact that she goes by Sylvie. Comic book fans will know this is in reference to Sylvie Lushton, aka Enchantress, a powerful sorceress who was given her powers by Loki in the comics. How much of that backstory comes to this series, we’re yet to see.
Through an encounter with a feisty local, they find out that the citizens of the moon are piling on a train headed for The Ark, a craft that will possess enough power to charge the TemPod. They try to get on the train “Loki’s Way”, with him disguised as a member of staff accompanying Sylvie posing as a prisoner (this works with a little help from Sylvie’s enchanting). On board the train, the pair chat and some things are revealed: Sylvie’s mother died when she was young, and her magic is self-taught. We also learn something wonderful about Loki. When talking about love, Sylvie asks if there is a “would-be princess, or perhaps, another prince”, to which Loki replies “a bit of both, I suspect the same as you”. A small, throw away moment in some ways, but a popular, key character in The Marvel Universe just came out as Bisexual in a very natural manner. Excuse us while our hearts explode.
On the train, Loki gets drunk while Sylvie sleeps, drawing attention to himself and getting thrown from the train. In the process of this ejection, the TemPad is destroyed. The pair are now truly stranded on a rock that’s hours away from being turned to dust. Making their way to The Ark, Sylvie reveals the hunter she enchanted has a clouded mind, meaning she had to delve back many years to a memory from when she lived on Earth. Loki is stopped in his tracks – this means TVA agents are not created by design for their roles, they are memory wiped variants who believe they have always been there and not to question anything. Through a lot of effort, they make their way towards The Ark… just as it’s destroyed, and their hopes dashed.
A quiet episode in some ways, but one that gives us a lot of easy to digest information. If nothing else, Loki has given us a chance to have a story that isn’t in thrall to the Avengers films. While the events of the MCU are key here, previous Marvel shows needed to repeatedly mention events like The Infinity War and Captain America’s absence. Great moments, but it is nice to have something that doesn’t feel like a reaction.
We’re still slightly in the dark as to Sylvie’s identity or objective, although we have a better idea. Also, like WandaVision and Falcon and The Winter Soldier, we are beginning to suspect that The Good Guys may not be so good. Keen eyed viewers will notice Mobius drinks Josta, a soda that was only around in the mid-to-late 90s, and discusses his love of jet skis from that period. Could he be a mild-mannered variant brought in from that decade? Also, if the TVA agents are mind controlled a la the citizens of WestView, could Loki be next? And just how will he and Sylvie get off that rock? We’re looking forward to finding out.
New episodes of Loki are available every Wednesday on Disney+