REVIEW: Loki, Season 1 Episode Six 'For All Time, Always'

 REVIEW: Loki, Season 1 Episode Six 'For All Time, Always'

Before Marvel Studios took over the TV division, Marvel television shows rarely affected the film side of Marvel's output. That all changed with WandaVision's release this January, however Loki is arguably the show that seems as though it will leave the biggest impact on the MCU going forward. It's a show that is quite clearly going to have huge ramifications on the entire shared universe.

Not least because it introduces what appears to be the big bad for the next three phases. Whilst Jonathan Majors' antagonist is never actually referred to here as 'Kang', he does refer to 'Conqueror' being one of the names he has been called (as in 'Kang' The Conqueror).  it's clearly exactly who he is meant to be. He's a different sort of villain to Thanos, but he works very well here, with a manic energy and crazed demeanour not too dissimilar to the Master from Doctor Who. Even more intriguing is the hint he drops that his variants are 'worse', suggesting that the Kangs we meet in the future (such as in Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania) will be alternate timeline/universe versions rather than a 'sacred timeline' Kang. 

The main crux of the narrative here is Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) deciding how to deal with Kang. Kang gives them two options: take over the TVA in his place, or kill him and start a new multiversal war. The characters are used extremely well here, with Loki acting as the rational one to Sylvie's more impulsive behaviour. Both perspectives are understandable; Loki believes they should think it through as it affects the entire universe whilst Sylvie wants to lash out at the man who caused her so much pain. There's no right or wrong Loki here, they're just coming at it from different angles.

In the end, Sylvie makes the choice on her own, distracting Loki with a kiss whilst she sends him back to the TVA and kills Kang. This is a significant moment in the MCU as it's the event that truly kicks the multiverse into the gear, and it leads to a really cool visual of the timelines branching. This is quite honestly the best way they could have set up Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, as it means all cards are on the table. Literally anything could happen after this point, and isn't that just exciting?

Kang isn't the only antagonistic presence here. Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) also has a more sinister role to play. She poses a tantalising deal for Loki and Sylvie, one that would see Loki having won the Battle Of New York, killed Thanos, claimed the Infinity Gauntlet and become ruler of Asgard, and Sylvie implanted with good memories in place of her bad ones. It's quite a common story trope for the protagonist to be offered everything they want in exchange for something else, of course, but here it feels the most like our leads might actually take the options being presented to them. They are Lokis after all, and so there's always a question mark on how much you can trust them. It means that this deal is so much more effective here than anywhere else, as it's not hard to imagine a scenario where they agree to these terms. 

Surprisingly Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is more of a tragic figure here. After the previous episode I had assumed she was firmly an antagonist, working to serve who is really in charge of the TVA. However here it seems she is actually genuine in not knowing who's in charge, and just in complete denial over it all being a lie. I actually started to sympathise with her a little here, as she goes off in search of 'free will', and I'll be curious to see if Loki's second season follows up on her progress here. Where precisely did she go: to some other undisclosed timeline or to find Kang The Conqueror?

On a more depressing note is what happens when Loki finds Mobius (Owen Wilson). This scene is truly saddening to watch, as Mobius has no memory of Loki, the man he previously developed this close friendship with. These two are meant to be buddies, but now whatever is going on with the multiverse has set them apart. I hope this will be temporary and Mobius will gain his memories back, as Loki and Mobius belong together, and we need more scenes of their banter for the second season.

Overall, 'For All Time, Always' is a stunning way to conclude this first season of Loki. It's an episode that sets up what promises to be an exciting future for the MCU, whilst providing a significant chunk of character development for our leads Loki and Sylvie. The only real disappointment here is that we still haven't been given a scene of Mobius riding a jet ski. Can we get that for Season Two please, Disney?  

What are your thoughts on the sixth episode of Loki's first season? Let me know in the comments.