Loki Episode 5
After last week's very shocking fourth episode of Loki season 2, it was hard to predict what would happen next. If there was a clear path in the first half of the season, the second always seems to be one step ahead of the audience. As the next two Avengers films slowly approach, comic book fans may have some idea of the story's ending, but between now and then it was almost impossible to discern the main story beats, especially when Marvel Studios was in so much trouble.
In "Science/Fiction," the show is temporarily simplified to solve its most complex problem yet: How to restore a rapidly degrading multiverse after a catastrophe wipes out nearly all the rules that hold it together? Unsurprisingly, it plays like a straight-up sci-fi short story about time travel, but our unlikely heroes still exist, and Ravonna Renslayer isn't the solution we need. In fact, he's not in the episode at all.
If you're enjoying the new adventures of the god of mischief, then you might want to check out the other best Marvel TV shows. Want more? Then you might want to check out our ranked list of the best Marvel movies and compare it to your own. Or if you're after something a little different, the best sci-fi TV shows of all time are sure to have something to suit your interests.
No, not everyone at TVA was instantly destroyed by the collapse of the Temporal Loom. Whom. Loki's time warp condition has returned, probably due to being subjected to strange time-related phenomena again. Since he is the only jumper in time and space, maybe he can touch something no one else can? It's the key to the episode, but it takes a while to get there and a few quick trips we didn't expect.
As for TVA, which is now empty, it's literally falling apart between timelines, so the threat of a multi-way ending (unrelated to Kang) is still a pressing issue. Not everything ends immediately, and that makes it even scarier. Loki's first unwanted stop? Alcatraz, San Francisco, in 1962. Branched graph by the way.
Casey (whether it's a variant or someone we know from TVA) is a prisoner in the middle of an escape. His two partners? Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, the men who directed this episode as well as episodes one and four - it remains to be seen if they will also direct the finale. After a confusing encounter, Loki walks into a doctor's office again in New York, 2012 (the Avengers aren't fighting alien invaders) and the doctor is Hunter B-15. Same thing. None of them recognize him, and he can't stop drifting into new times and places.
In one of the show's biggest inconsequential (but hilarious) returns ever, Mobius finally gets to enjoy (and sell) jet skis in Cleveland, Ohio in 2022. can somehow jump to pre-employment points in the lives of colleagues. Why this happens isn't important right now, but it's definitely useful for the God of Mischief to gain their trust.
Another leap sent him to Pasadena, California in 1994, where O.B. is a failed science fiction writer on top of a brilliant scientist. He also can't remember anything about Loki or the TVA, but thanks to the orange TVA booklet that drives the plot forward, he's open-minded enough to buy into the crazy story and work on a solution. But of course, building time gates and other TVA technology from scratch could keep him busy for a lifetime, even if he had access to the necessary materials.
Before Loki and O.B. if he can find a real solution, the former returns to 2022 and tries to convince Mobius of everything they've been through. Still, the writing team makes it clear that their relationship is as central to the show as Loki and Sylvie. Plus, the script for this episode gives Owen Wilson more room to play his well-known comedic side. Honestly, we could watch these two guys talk and sulk forever.
O.B. Understands TVA technology quickly. (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
The funniest part of the episode is O.B. when he claims to have developed in just 19 months at the cost of losing his job and his wife, he walks into a casual conversation through his door. Ke Huy Quan's steady delivery here sets the scene and distracts us from wondering how the hell he did it. It's a perfect comic book gag done incredibly well, and we'll take it a
s one solution to a larger problem.
Since time gates are a thing again, Loki has an easier time convincing his time-dispersed friends, but Sylvie's reaction — she's found in the same McDonald's we visited earlier in the season — is a little twisted. He remembers everything and has not been thrown out of many realms against his will; he simply returned "home". Of course, that means he doesn't get the idea that they're still in danger, or that they should reunite to rebuild TVA and fix whatever needs fixing. When asked why he wants to bring everyone back together, Loki struggles to explain beyond "well, a lot of universes are dying," but deep down he (and we) know he wants Sylvie back too.
Once again, he refuses to participate in the rebuilding of the TVA and the quest to save the multiverse, even though it's pretty clear what his fate (if any) is. Hoping to forget all this drama, he visits a record store and listens to an album recommended by the store owner. The complete destruction of time is no exception, and soon the shop, including the owner, begins to spaghetti with the entire reality of this timeline. He has a way out with his own TempPad, but it's another expertly handled, disturbing scene that reminds us once again of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's cosmic horror skills. That's exactly why Marvel hired them.
A stressful conversation with Loki and the others as they realize time is literally running out fast, but before they can even begin to come up with a plan, it will all disappear in a way we've witnessed several times. The scene feels like an Infinity War ending, but we haven't gone through all that to feel hopeless again. O.B. suggested earlier in the episode that maybe Loki could control the time warp, it wasn't random anymore, and the overwhelming sense of fear and loss was enough to get him there.
We don't have a complete explanation as to why the Lokis (or at least our main and Sylvie) aren't affected by the catastrophic collapse of time like everyone else, but controlling the "time threads" doesn't. After everything we've witnessed and the character's established magical powers, it seems huge. If we had to guess, something about them changed when they reached the End of Time, and in time they gained enough power and the right abilities to turn it into power. “Science/Fiction” delivers on its promise, approaching the plot from a more traditional time travel angle and then going full comics.
This development gives Loki and gang the right tool to try to fix things before the TVA collapses. We should meet Viktor Timely again, but other than that, we're not making any more predictions as Loki season 2 has taught us to expect the unexpected. Unless everything crashes and burns in next week's finale, this show will stand as an optimistic reminder that the MCU can still be pretty awesome. By the way, creatives need more time to work on these projects.
Loki Season 2 Episode 6 Spoilers: What Will Happen in the Finale?
What are Loki Season 2 Episode 6 Spoilers?
Loki will likely try to fix the Temporal Loom himself instead of sending Victor Timely once again in the Season 2 finale.
We can also expect the return of Viktor Timeli, as Loki's time has been pushed back to the moment before the temporal loom exploded. He perished in episode 4 after being exposed to raw temporal energy. So instead it will be Loki trying to fix the bench on his own.
The trailer above shows Loki making his way to the Loom without his costume on. Since the OB shuts down the magical dampers, Loki's Frost Giant physiology allows him to retain temporary energy longer than humans.
Aside from trying to fix the weaver, we expect Miss Minutes to return. But, perhaps most importantly, the trailer also showcases Ravonna Renslayer opposite Alioth in the Void. Since Alioth is a pet for the Remnant, who co-founded TVA with Ravonna, it's possible that he'll return as one of the show's villains after taming the cloud monster.
What will happen at the end of Loki Season 2?
Loki Season 2 is expected to set up Deadpool 3, as TVA will reportedly appear there.
With Loki trying to fix the loom, Viktor Timeli could be the next He-Remnant. However, it is also possible that someone else, like Loki himself, will eventually take the Castle's place and follow the Multiverse.
Additionally, we should expect a build-up to Deadpool 3 as Owen Wilson's Mobius and even Miss Minutes are reportedly in the movie.
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