Episode 5: Journey Into Mystery (Spoiler Discussion)

[Closerframe]

Really good episode, but there really are moments that just don’t feel organic (ex. Ravonna talking to B-15) or Old Loki’s random sacrifice. I understand the latter hearkens back to his story about escaping Thanos and feeling alone but I felt like they should have introduced his character earlier to real build the emotional depth.

And can we all agree that Kang is the villain and this show serves as his introduction to the MCU? They’ve now dropped all the hints possible within one episode.

 

[ZenTheAvenger]

I really enjoyed this episode and what a series this has been!

I have to say, although there are so many hints at Kang (the TVA, Ravonna, Alioth, timelines etc) I can't help but think he won't be the villain, as much as I'd love him to be. I can't wait for him to appear at some point.

It just doesn't fit the narrative or theme of the series. I try to put myself in the shoes of the writers and look at it from their perspective. They have to tell a story which works not just for us fanatics but also the general audience who won't necessarily know who Kang is.

To introduce a random villain in the final episode just doesn't fit narratively or thematically and that's why I don't think it will be Kang. If anything I think Kang may appear in a post credits scene tease, perhaps he was lurking in the background, perhaps this even sets up his origin story? But I don't think he will be the villain.

For me, I think the villain has been staring us in the face from the beginning. It is Loki. Or rather, a Loki variant but one who won and is subsequently completely evil. Perhaps he was brought in but defeated the Timekeepers and replaced them with robots, taking control of the TVA? Some of the deception around the TVA is classic Loki after all.

They could really go the Doctor Who paradoxical route and make it a form of time loop, where our Loki that we are watching reaches this castle and realizes he is the one who sets up the TVA in the first place, creating the events of the series and a causal loop.

Either of those things to me fit more with the narrative and theme of the series, about destiny and identity.

Interested to know others thoughts on this, hope I made my theory clear enough and didn't waffle too much. Love this series!


ps. I just noticed there is a finale speculation thread so I'll post this there too.

 

[samsnee]

Where was Ronan’s ship?

 

[Zarex]

And can we all agree that Kang is the villain and this show serves as his introduction to the MCU? They’ve now dropped all the hints possible within one episode.

I'm still thinking it has been the anthropomorphic cartoon clock all along.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Never been overly fond of the guy, but Richard E.Grant was superb here, and his final scene was epic as ****.

 

[Holy Slapper]

The episode was meh. It was nice seeing Loki variants but didn’t really move the plot along, especially for it being the second to last episode.

This show be like

 

[Drizzle]

There were so many easter eggs in this episode that watching it on my phone on the train to work did it no justice whatsoever so I'll be rewatching it on a bigger screen. I didn't even catch the Thanoscopter and Throg was hard to see. Highlights of the episode were Loki's last scene with Mobius and all the variant shenanigans.

Overall this episode made me want to go further down the variant rabbit hole and see what the other Lokis' versions of Thor, Iron Man and Captain America look like.

 

[Web-Head]

I'm still not loving this show like many others of you are but this was another pretty solid episode. Looking forward to seeing how it all goes down in the finale next week.

I'm with @ZenTheAvenger though, as much as I'd like to see Kang, I don't think it'll be him. It's possible we get a small tease or two but if I had to guess it probably is a Loki who's somehow behind it all. Storywise it just makes the most sense.

 

[P Supreme]

Where was Ronan’s ship?

Towards the end when they all looking ar the purple cloud right before Mobious ask whats their first move u see it on Loki left its not a blink and u missed it its clearly the ship

 

[TheVileOne]

Where was Ronan’s ship?

I forget exactly when, but you see it laying in the Void wasteland sitting as like a wrecked, derelict ship, like midway through.

 

[Silvermoon]

 

[CaptainWagner]

Loved this episode. They got some amazing Easter Eggs in there. I do feel like they rushed through the first act, though - the President Loki sequence was way too short. I wanted a lot more of him and Boastful Loki, who was terrific. They definitely could have trimmed the climax more to give that scene room to breathe. (Or just, you know, shot a longer episode. I don't get why they're so reluctant to actually make a full 50 minute episode instead of 44 mins. + 6 mins. of credits)

 

[The Caped Knight]

i thought I saw Frog Thor in that montage. Thank you for the proof.

 

[The Caped Knight]

IMO Richard E. Grant stole the episode as Classic Loki. He gave a stunning performance while wearing the comic book accurate costume.

 

[KBX]

Best scene was seeing Loki, looking at all of his variant forms seeing each other backstabbing one another. That scene probably had the biggest personal growth lol.

 

[Another_Fool]

Great episode. Can't wait for next Wednesday.

So question: Does the fact that Classic Loki doesn't get picked up by the TVA until he's old and looking for Thor suggest that Loki never died in Infinity War? Or is it that Classic Loki was a seperate event but never interfered with anything after he faked his death to Thanos to raise any alert to the TVA? Either way if the show left it opened ended on that, I think that would be great.

Huh... That's the 4th black character showcased in an antagonistic light. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.. Couldn't be, right?

Yeaaa I noticed that. I guess one could say B-15 is now no longer an antagonist. However I couldn't help but pick up on it too.

 

[The Caped Knight]

When Rovana mentioned a ship that could travel through time

I almost expected to hear the name “Damocles” a reference to Kang’s Ship.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

Huh... That's the 4th black character showcased in an antagonistic light. Maybe I'm just overthinking things.. Couldn't be, right?

Gonna be five once they show Kang is the mastermind. But still, good point.

Loki producers…

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Really good episode, but there really are moments that just don’t feel organic (ex. Ravonna talking to B-15) or Old Loki’s random sacrifice. I understand the latter hearkens back to his story about escaping Thanos and feeling alone but I felt like they should have introduced his character earlier to real build the emotional depth.

And can we all agree that Kang is the villain and this show serves as his introduction to the MCU? They’ve now dropped all the hints possible within one episode.

At this point it's either Kang or it's a Loki working for Kang. It can't be anything else imo.

 

[TheFuture]

Probably my favourite episode so far but that being said put me in the "it's not Kang" camp. I just don't see how they can do it in the allocated time. I'd agree with those saying it'll be a Loki variant or maybe even Renslayer.

 

[CaptainWagner]

At this point it's either Kang or it's a Loki working for Kang. It can't be anything else imo.

I'd agree. They've now introduced two characters with intimate connections to Kang and revealed a world almost identical to Kang's personal domain. And they already announced his casting years before his announced debut despite us still not having casting news for movies coming out much earlier. I really don't see how they finish this without introducing him.

So question: Does the fact that Classic Loki doesn't get picked up by the TVA until he's old and looking for Thor suggest that Loki never died in Infinity War? Or is it that Classic Loki was a seperate event but never interfered with anything after he faked his death to Thanos to raise any alert to the TVA? Either way if the show left it opened ended on that, I think that would be great.

It seems the variants only get pruned when they disturb the timeline. (See - Sylvie being left alone until presumably some time after she chose a female form) So Old Man Loki just drifted in space for a while before becoming a hermit on a backwater world. He wouldn't have created a nexus event, because he didn't interfere with the timeline. But the minute he tries to see Thor (Who I insist must be Sean Bean in this scenario) he gets targeted.

Yeaaa I noticed that. I guess one could say B-15 is now no longer an antagonist. However I couldn't help but pick up on it too.

I noticed that as well. And while B-15 isn't an antagonist anymore, Kang will likely be taking her place. It's not egregious, but Boastful Loki being the only Black Loki and then turning on the "good ones" did definitely stick out as bad optics. I really wish we'd gotten more of him, he was a lot of fun.

 

[Zarex]

At this point it's either Kang or it's a Loki working for Kang. It can't be anything else imo.

 

[Silvermoon]

Great episode. Can't wait for next Wednesday.

So question: Does the fact that Classic Loki doesn't get picked up by the TVA until he's old and looking for Thor suggest that Loki never died in Infinity War? Or is it that Classic Loki was a seperate event but never interfered with anything after he faked his death to Thanos to raise any alert to the TVA? Either way if the show left it opened ended on that, I think that would be great.



Yeaaa I noticed that. I guess one could say B-15 is now no longer an antagonist. However I couldn't help but pick up on it too.

The implication I got was that Classic!Loki surviving Thanos was a deviation from the "sacred timeline" but, since he went into hiding/lived an isolated life on whatever planet it was he found, his continued existence didn't cause a severe enough branch to be picked up by the TVA.... it was only when he decided that he missed his brother and wanted to go see him that his timeline's branch "spiked" and caught the notice of the TVA

 

[InCali]

Really liked this episode myself and can't wait for the finale....kinda wish there were more. I got up early to watch it and took a nap afterwards. I had a dream that the FF showed up; which prolly tells you what movie I want to see.

I liked that the name of this episode was "Journey into Mystery". That was the name of the original Thor comics. Don't know if anyone noticed/knew that.

 

[SirStrangefolk]

It still could be all of the things people speculated tbh.

- yet another Loki to fit with this being all about Loki? Possible, though I'm not sure which version since we've already had an old Loki, etc.
- There are a lot of ties to Nathaniel Richards (Kang/Immortus) for sure, so it could definitely be him
- This episode took a lot of elements from the "Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective" comic and also showed Ravonna to be the kind of person who is willing to dedicate herself to the idea of the TVA without even knowing what's truly behind it, so it being Terminatrix (a Ravonna variant) is an option.
- Miss Minutes did seem to be trying to hide things not only from Sylvie but also Ravonna, so perhaps she is the true villain?
- It could also still turn out that He Who Remains is the one remaining at the end of time and who created the TVA to guide the timeline.

None of these options have been ruled out yet for me.

Aside from all things mentioned they gave us fox version of Galactis lol

At least this time it's supposed to be a cloud (and a character I didn't expect to ever show up)