Starting with the field mission, it’s interesting that Mobius trusts our Loki enough to let him go, but I think what is poignant here is that nobody else has faith. It’s almost unusual at this point for a character in the MCU to outright say how flawed a plan is - unless it’s for comedic effect - however, here we begin to see the full strength of the TVA. This strength continues when we see Loki lapse into old behaviours of trickery and deceit, only to be called out on it for the first time in the MCCU.
Amazingly though, our Loki pulls through, returning to Mobius with the idea that the variant is hiding out in apocalyptic events. There’s a convoluted idea about not being able to create a nexus event in these moments that is tested when the two of them enter Pompeii. This is a delightful scene, completely removed from the seriousness of the series as we watch Tom Hiddleston play with the character. It’s almost reminiscent of the MTV: After hours ‘Loki’d’ skit, which, if you haven’t seen it, I absolutely recommend you go do so. Anyway, Loki’s theory is proved correct, and Mobius remembers ‘Ka-Blooie’ (The gum from the first episode) was only sold on earth during a limited timeframe.
What follows is a montage of report-scouring to find an apocalyptic event that occurred in this timeframe. I think it is worth noting at this point that the child Mobius speaks to in France in the opening of the first episode claims that the Loki variant gave him the bubblegum. It is possible that this was a deliberate move to allow the TVA to find them and potentially deliberately deliver Loki to them. This would of course rely on the Loki Variant knowing that the TVA had employed their counterpart, which is certainly feasible, but it’s just as likely it was designed as a trap to spread the agency thinner for their inevitable bombing and our Loki joining the agents was just a cheeky bonus.
The montage leads them to ‘Roxxcart’ a supermarket located in Haven Hills in the year 2050. The well-informed among you will recognize this easter egg, Roxxcart is presumably named after Roxxon Energy Corporation, an evil entity in the MCU (loosely based on the real-life company of Exxon). Probably just a subtle nod to a recurring company in the MCU and not at all relevant to the events of Loki, but interesting none-the-less. Haven Hills is about to be hit by a ‘category ten hurricane’, given we see in the apocalypse montage that Ragnarök itself is a category 8 event, we can assume that 10 is a low-scale apocalypse event. Another potential link to Roxxon here is that all of the ‘apocalypse events’, bar Ragnarök are environmental. Thanks for the climate-change reminder, Marvel!
Anyway, it is in Roxxcart where we, after lots of teasing, get a reveal of the hunted variant and it’s…Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor! I jest, kind of, but Sophia Di Martino’s variant certainly does resemble a dark incarnation of our current Doctor, coincidence? Or are Disney really pulling that MCU Doctor Who thread? Anyway, we are led to believe that the nod to Loki’s gender fluidity in the last episode was a teaser all along and we are in fact being introduced to Lady Loki, who taunts our Loki before detonating the reset bombs she has been collecting and blasting the sacred timeline right open. She escapes into a portal and the episode ends with our Loki trailing behind. Exciting stuff.
Lady Loki has an interesting detail about her, one of the horns on her, rather understated, headpiece is broken. Those of you who are fans of the comics will recognize this look from ‘Loki: Agent of Asgard’, a series which sees Loki working for the AllMother to erase the crimes of his past. Could this be what our Loki Variant is trying to achieve by bombing the timeline? It is just as likely to be a red herring or innocent nod to an extremely popular Loki iteration.
Likewise, Lady Loki is just as likely to be a red herring. We have assumed this reveal due to the TVA’s insistence that they are hunting a Loki variant and her headpiece. However, I can think of one other Marvel villain who has a penchant for green (both visibly and magically) and is linked to Loki. You may or may not know exactly who I’m referring to, but I will keep it to myself until I know for sure.
Loki is streaming now on Disney+
Preferring the company of fictional characters to living, breathing people; it should come as no surprise that Hannah is a connoisseur of all things geek. Whilst their body resides in the capital of Wales, their heart resides in Middle-Earth and their mind remains firmly lodged in the memory of that embarrassing thing they did when they were eight.
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