So, we’ve made it to the second to last episode of LOKI on Disney +!
And episode 5 was a humdinger!
So many crazy easter eggs to the comics and other moments in the MCU proper… as well as a culmination of the events set up in the earlier episodes.
For one thing, We have the Thanos Copter from the comics, which I saw, but didn’t understand the significance of because I don’t read comics…
There was that video game from an urban legend that supposedly was super addictive and engineered by the government…
There was Throg in a jar and another version of Mjolnir… The Sphinx and Pyramids, as well as what could be another version of Stonehenge.
There was a reference to Yellowjacket from the first Ant Man movie… Craziness! President Loki…
But what I want to talk about is where the show seems to be going and what it is trying to tell us. Of course, I know this is just the 5th episode and that there is another episode to go. Another thing is that this show is apparently getting a second season.
So, where will that go?
Of course, a lot of that depends on how Loki season 1 ends… But let’s try anyway.
Yes, I know I am likely to be very wrong and I’m ok with that.
Let’s go! Avengers Assemble!
If I’m right about any of these I will be thrilled.
So what is the overall theme of at least what we’ve seen so far of this show?
My answer is that Predestination VS. Freewill.
The TVA is a rigid bureaucracy who are essentially a sham government policing time and erasing whatever things they don’t like, or whatever doesn’t fit with what SOMEONE has decided the story should be for the timeline.
Essentially, the TVA is big on the notion of Predestination because it allows them the ability to shape the timeline the way they think it should be.
It also sort of lets them off easily because they can say, “this is just the way it is and nothing can be done to change it.” it reminds me of the beginning of the Star Wars Episode 3 novel by Matthew Stover.
“This story happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. It is already over. Nothing can be done to change it. It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice, and the death of dreams. It is the story of the blurred line between our best and our worst. It is the story of the end of an age.”
I absolutely love that opening, just saying.
In Episode 3 of Star Wars, the future literally is written because we’ve already seen episodes 4-6.
In the case of the show Loki, we have this interesting dichotomy between past and future, as well as predestination and free will.
“Is it future? Or is it past?”
You know I have to add Twin Peaks references in when I can.
So, is it future of is it past?
Well, the TVA evidently works different timewise than the normal world does. For instance, when Sylvie is arrested by a Hunter version of Ravonna, Sylvie is a little girl. And as an adult, she has aged, but Ravonna looks exactly the same, she just has a different position within the TVA.
And Sylvie said that Hunter C-20, (who I suppose I’ll rename Celeste because why not?) had memories from hundreds of years before she fought for them. Them refers to the TVA. And when we see Celeste and Sylvie at that restaurant or bar in the scene where Sylvie is trying to pull a memory of where the timekeepers are, and it looks pretty modern- to my eye anyway. So it’s possible that Celeste’s part of the timeline is near ours, temporally.
Now, I’m going to do a little bit of Schrödinger’s Loki…
MCU proper has Loki die at the hands of Thanos in the movie Infinity War which takes place in 2018.
The Loki we’re following in this show is technically the same Loki, but without all the character growth and experiences of MCU Proper Loki who dies in 2018. This is that person in 2012.
But this person who is Loki- the moment he veers off story and portals out with the Tesseract- becomes a variant. This changes his entire story arc.
But arguably, it’s exponential character growth to what we’ve seen thusfar in the other MCU movies he appears in.
And even though his file ends at the point where Thanos snaps 2018 Loki’s neck, killing him, this variant of Loki is having completely different adventures. And having completely different character growth moments, completely outside of his family. And honestly, that’s kind of beautiful.
And having the opportunity to see how his life ends in MCU Proper, causes Loki’s priorities to change.
Which is funny to me because the fact that the TVA brings these variants in for screwing up “The Sacred Timeline”, but shows them a clip show of their lives and their deaths is kinda morbid. And to find out that even when they “kill” someone by pruning them- that they’re supposedly not dying, but also not going back to their own timeline, and also not being erased from existence, but instead going to some garbage planet/ timeline to probably get eaten by a weird demon monster- is just really odd to me.
So the TVA has created a weird opportunity for the variants to be better people. Some of them choose to remain who they were. Others change. Some never get the chance- allegedly.
But from Loki meeting Mobius and bonding with him in the TVA, then falling in love with Sylvie, and seeing alternate versions of him at this void place ends up showing him who he was and who he will be if he doesn’t change.
This is a different thing to the situation with It’s A Wonderful Life where George wants to kill himself because something bad has happened and he feels like he’s a failure because he never left Bedford Falls, and he never lived up to his own expectations… but with Clarence, his guardian angel showing him what his world would look like if he weren’t in it, and never had been, George learns that he isn’t a failure… he has a wonderful life, and they need him as much as he needs them…
I mention It’s A Wonderful Life because it’s one of my favorite movies of all time.
And it’s a convenient foil to the Loki show.
As are scenes from Back to the Future in which people in authority tell Marty that his music is too loud and that, “No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley.”
But the thing is, Marty, through his time-traveling shenanigans learns some valuable information which he uses to make things better. For instance, he encourages his father to be brave and not be such a doormat. His mother now didn’t just marry him because she felt sorry for George, she married him because she genuinely loved him and because they had a good rapport.
Marty also FINALLY learns that he can walk away when someone calls him chicken. Or he can get out of those situations by just being clever… such as that trick he does in Part 3 when Needles wants to race him. Marty reverses the car and saves himself from hitting a Rolls Royce and injuring his hand.
And since his hand never gets injured, he can still play the guitar. And it stands to reason that he can go on to make it big as he wouldn’t have in the timeline he and Doc visit in part 2 (2015)…
Anyway, you might be wondering why I am giving you other random movie references… and well, it’s mostly because I want to. But since I was talking about the concept the TVA has the a Loki is a Loki and they are meant to breed destruction and pain, and chaos. They are meant to destroy and betray. So when one of them veers enough off the beaten path, they are brought in by the TVA and usually pruned.
But let’s think about why.
First let’s dive into the crux of the matter- which is the fact that this series is a 6 part plot. We’ve seen 5 parts, and there’s one more to go. So, it stands to reason that things are going to go down in Episode 6 which will hopefully provide some answers to a chunk of the burning questions, but also keep us wanting more… since we are evidently getting another season.
How I can think of to make this work is that you find out who the big bad is, but realize there’s something else to it, or that perhaps they’re just a piece of the puzzle.
And regardless, whoever is the man behind the curtain so to speak- wants a Loki to act like a Loki. And whether he invented the TVA or it already existed in some capacity before that, he wants all the Loki variants to essentially have the same general story arc. And I suppose they want to rid “the sacred timeline” of any Loki who goes outside of their box too much. Anything that might prevent Loki from dying to Thanos’ hand in 2018 is a no-no.
So it isn’t so much that a Loki CAN’T change. It’s more that someone doesn’t want him to.
Alright, so the best way I know how to explain this to you is to say that in Christianity there’s this thought that sure, God knows your entire life’s trajectory because He’s omniscient. But if he were to just say, “You will all believe in Me. Make it so.” then that robs people of their ability to choose to believe and follow Him. And thus, it is a form of slavery.
Your faith, whether it be in God, or in the value of friendship, or the beauty of the Earth, or whatever- is valuable because it’s given freely.
“A thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts.” Vision says in Age of Ultron.
If someone just TELLS you to do something and you blindly follow and do that thing without measuring it against your moral center or your values set, then whatever you did has no emotional weight. Perhaps that’s simpler, but when you think about it, why is Steve Rogers such a good person and a good hero?
The answer is because that he does what he sees as right, not because he wants to be a hero, not because he wants the glory, not because he is being told to do the right thing. He CHOSE to put that plane in the water because giving up his life was better than having the entire city of New York obliterated.
He was worthy to lift Mjolnir because he never let the supersoldier serum make him into some macho bully. No, just as Dr. Erskine wanted, he remained the same humble person he always was. But not because someone made him do it or because fate predestined him to do it, but because he chose to be that person.
But when he had the chance to go back in time and be with Peggy in some alternate timeline, he took it because part of his journey as a character needed to be that he has to learn that occasionally, it’s not bad to think of yourself and pass on the mantle to someone else. In a way, Pepper’s words to Tony are also true for Steve. “You can rest now.”
He did his part, and he doesn’t need to keep sacrificing himself over and over again. Occasionally, other people need to learn the value of sacrifice and selflessness. Steve already learned that lesson, and in so-doing, he touched the lives of everyone.
Anyway, as always, I’m veering off course…
I know, you’re shocked.
When I clean up all the dishes without being asked, or I switch someone’s laundry for them without being asked, it’s more powerful than if they asked me to do it.
Now I’m not saying that it’s not ok to ask for help, or that you have to be hyper-alert so you can drop everything and clean the entire house for someone when you have other things you need to accomplish… but I’m just saying that you can show people you care by giving of yourself.
Heck, in this show, Loki comes to a point where he even says, “I betrayed everyone who ever loved me. My brother, my father… I know what I did and I know why I did it, and I’m not that person anymore.”
Not only are variant Loki’s the thing that proves free will is real. But that some of them, seemingly- have chosen to band together and not betray each other. And they even help Loki and Sylvie achieve their goal. (at least that’s how it appears.)
Something about life is that we never have all the information. And if we did, we might make different choices. But sometimes, valuable lessons or friendships come out of bad situations, or those moments where in the eyes of the world, you made the wrong choice.
For instance, if I had known my friend group was going to fall apart, I might have not pushed so hard for us to constantly be together… but then I wouldn’t have the memories of finally feeling appreciated by peers…
Sure, some of the memories hurt. But growth hurts sometimes.
Loki seeing how his life ended in the MCU proper, and what happened with his mother, and having his father call him his son even though Loki is adopted… Having Thor giving him that piece of advice in Ragnarok about change… and hearing that Thor thought the world of him even though Thor and Loki competed a lot as children for Odin’s affection… He always loved him, even if Loki wasn’t worthy of it. Because that’s unconditional love.
I’m convinced that seeing all those events caused Loki to think more deeply about his life, and when he meets Sylvie and bonds with Mobius, that takes him to a place where he can truly break free of the cycle that binds him. Perhaps there’s something else to be said for Classic Loki tricking Thanos, hiding out on a random planet until he got lonely, and then getting picked up and pruned by the TVA for leaving, but then bonding with some of the other Loki’s is significant. Perhaps when he sacrifices himself he knows he will be reborn and thus, he can use the lessons he’s learned to do better?
Just as Steve had to learn that he doesn’t always have to be alone, Classic Loki needed to learn that he shouldn’t push everyone away.
Sometimes, you will make mistakes and you have to live with them. But just as we learned in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, you need to accept accountability for the wrongs you’ve committed, apologize in the most honest way you can, feel the weight of it for a moment and let it go. Sometimes the person you most need forgiveness from is yourself.
I’m not saying that forgiving yourself is a get-out-of-jail free card, because it isn’t- but what I’m saying is that while you lived the experience and you made mistakes, it is in the past, and you can choose to be a better person from this day forward- because you have free will. It doesn’t mean that if you admit what you did, apologize, obtain forgiveness, and forgive yourself that you won’t be punished for breaking the law, but at least you’ll have been honest with yourself.
The TVA seems to be telling all these variants who they are.
It’s just like Mr. Strickland telling Marty McFly, “No McFly ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley.”
As in, they haven’t, so you won’t either.
And Mr. Potter telling George Bailey, “You’re worth more dead than alive.”
As in, you don’t matter, you’re a waste of oxygen.
Or even Tony saying to Steve, “Everything special about you came out of a bottle.”
As in, I’ve completely missed the point of why you were chosen to be Captain America and I’m going to let my jealousy over my father liking you better than me (seemingly) overcome me and just be really mean to someone who never did anything to me other than not blindly share my opinion.
Cough.
anyway, back to theme.
Like I said, the main theme seems to be Predestination VS. Freewill.
Another theme seems to be Friendship, Comradery, Loyalty, Unconditional Love.
The Importance of Re-examining Your Goals and Ideals and Taking an Active Role in Managing Your Own Destiny. Or perhaps, Question if Who You Are is Who You Want to Be… But knowing not to beat yourself up too much and just commit to being a better person even if other people try to tell you that you can’t change.
Learn From The Past and Hope For a Brighter Future.
Backstabbing gets you nowhere in the grand scheme of things.
People before systems.
___
There’s this old Natasha Bedingfield song called Pirate Bones…
It poses a lot of existential, philosophical and, moral questions in a fun little ditty.
Verse 1]
What if I squeeze myself into any shape
And I still don’t fit?
What if I bend myself so much that I break
And I can’t mend it?
What if I burn so bright that the fire goes out
And I can’t stay lit?
What’s the point in it?
I could get good at crying crocodile tears
Just to get along
I could carry on telling you what you wanna hear
‘Til my voice is gone
But if I finally get to the place that I think is home
And I don’t belong
What’s the point in it, where’s the benefit
When I’m gaining all, but I’m losin’ it?
[Chorus]
It’s not worth having
If it’s too much to hold
You can dig so deep
That you’re left with a hole
Thirsty in a desert with a bag full of gold
Don’t wanna end up like pirate bones
What I thought was precious, just a pile o’ stones
I might have the treasure, but I’d be lying alone
Just a pile of pirate bones
[Post-Chorus]
(Uh, yeah, oh, oh)
If I forfeit my soul, it ain’t worth having
(Uh, yeah, oh, oh)
If it’s something I stole, it ain’t worth having
[Verse 2]
What if I stake everything I am on a dream
And it’s counterfeit?
If I reach the end that justifies the means
Could I live with it?
And if it’s true that havin’ too much of any good thing
Can only make me sick
What’s the point in it, where’s the benefit
When I’m gaining all but I’m losing it? Oh
[Chorus]
It’s not worth having
If it’s too much to hold
You can dig so deep
That you’re left with a hole
Thirsty in a desert with a bag full of gold
Don’t wanna end up like pirate bones
What I thought was precious, just a pile o’ stones
I might have the treasure, but I’d be lying alone
Pirate bones
[Post-Chorus]
(Uh, yeah, oh, oh)
If I forfeit my soul, it ain’t worth having
(Uh, yeah, oh, oh)
If it’s something I stole, it ain’t worth having
[Bridge]
It’s not worth that much to me
If losin’ out is what it means
To swim in shallow victory is empty, empty
It’s just not worth the price
It’s only a fool’s paradise
If it’s draining every drop of life
Till I’m dry like pirate bones
[Chorus]
(It’s not worth having) It’s not worth having
If it’s too much to hold
You can dig so deep
That you’re left with a hole
Thirsty in a desert with a bag full of gold
Don’t wanna end up like pirate bones
What I thought was precious, just a pile o’ stones (pile o’ stones)
I might have the treasure, but I’d be lying alone
Just a pile of pirate bones
(If I forfeit my soul) If I forfeit my soul, it ain’t worth having
If it’s something I stole, it ain’t worth having (Pirate bones)
Pirate bones
(What I the thought was treasure, just a pile o’ stones)
Pirate bones
(Uh, yeah, oh, oh)
If I forfeit my soul, it ain’t worth having
Think about this a little…
Thanos spent the entire Infinity Saga chasing after these stones so he could wipe out half of all life- a thing no one asked him to do and didn’t want him to do.
And to go forward with this goal, he sacrificed his daughter who he apparently loved- at least, he said he did… but that isn’t love.
And after he used the stones, he was all messed up and destroyed the stones only to have the Avengers go find him and kill him. Sure, that was a rather pointless venture, but if nothing else, it was important for them to try it anyway- even if it didn’t work.
My point is that he found these precious stones and after he used them, they were no longer worth anything to him. And so he gave up his daughter basically for nothing and then lost his life. And that was worth it how?
He not only used the stones to”kill” people, he destroyed the lives of the people who remained.
Because he was stupid and insane, he had to give up everything. And for what?
In Episode 5, when Sylvie asks about what he’ll do when they’ve accomplished their objective, she is like, “perhaps there’s another timeline for you to rule.”
And he is like, “yeah, that’s all I want, to rule.” or something- but in a voice that basically says he’s done with that dream.
His priorities have changed.
And where Thanos was obsessed with getting the stones and wreaked all this pain and havok to get the stones- only to use them and create more pain and havok… the Avengers never really cared about getting the stones until that was the only way to bring back their friends and all the people who vanished in the snap.
And even then, they brought the stones back to where they belonged and were like, see ya, bye!
That is why they’re the good guys- even when they mess up or take things too far, or aren’t more careful about destroying buildings when alien spaceships invade New York or something…
Which is one of those annoying things that I hate in superhero movies- but mostly just because things would have been worse if they didn’t intervene because that’s the point of a superhero movie… or it’s one of the points anyway… I understand being accountable for your actions. But as we learn in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Avengers weren’t getting paid to defend the Earth… They had all this cool stuff because originally, Shield was behind them, and also Tony has a bunch of money… But they weren’t getting paid. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the Avengers compound was built by Tony… so that the ones who weren’t millionaires or billionaires would have somewhere to call home and not some crappy apartment in the worst part of New York.
Anyway… off topic yet again.
But I think that’s all I have for the moment.
I suppose in closing, I will say that even though I haven’t seen Episode 6 of Loki because it hasn’t aired yet- I can proffer a suggestion about what a season 2 could have Loki working on.
So, he has learned that he can change. And he’s learned that he’s stronger than he knows. And, he’s realized the value of friends, family, and loyalty… He can break the cycle.
So season 2 could be all about him struggling with his nature to trick and cause mischief- against his newfound desire to be good.
Or perhaps he can eventually return to his timeline or a similar timeline, and make all the choices he should have made in the first place… build up his relationship with his family again.
Perhaps he can’t go back to his old timeline or anything close to it, and perhaps Loki, Sylvie, and any other good variants can work together and form an Avengers-like group of their own.
Perhaps the next season will have something to do with whatever the mystery is surrounding that castle at the end of the episode and that will have its own lessons in store…
IDK.
But this show has been a fun ride and while I’m anxious to see where it’s going, I admit that I will be sad when it’s over.
Now, I have to click my heels together three times saying, “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.”
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