Loki - Episode 6/Season Finale

By Ephraim Belnap

Loki ends its first season on a cliffhanger that promises adventure on TV and film.

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophie DiMartino

Created by: Micheal Waldron

Episode 5 directed by: Kate Herron

3.5 Out Of 5

    What's this really all about? Really? Loki the show has danced around the answer, while Loki the character - and by extension, we - have been searching for it. It's unclear if it's a story of redemption, a story of loneliness, a story of betrayal, a story of time travel ethics? Frustratingly, the finale doesn't give closure to this. The heart of a story is set-up and pay-off. But Loki's first season refuses to pay off either its metaplot mystery or its character one. And all the cool CGI in the world can't mask poor story, as many moviegoers have found at one time or another.

    The set-up is good; after five episodes of struggle, Loki and Sylvie have reached the end of the road. They've found the home where the architect of the TVA dwells. They're going to guilt him, or they're going to kill him. But either way they're gonna get some godforsaken answers. And they do. A mysterious figure is waiting, and they lay out how this all started. And the answer is satisfying, explaining the TVA's origins well. The character involved is fascinating to watch; someone unbound by time who can do whatever they want. And as the episode wraps up, they reveal that there’s more than one choice available to the Lokis now. 

     With beautiful imagery, good performances, and sedate characters, the story is entrancing to watch. This new character in particular - whose name might be a major spoiler - is enthralling. The episode ends, ending the season, but unlike the other Marvel shows on Disney+, this is not a one-season series. This episode doesn’t wrap up everyone’s stories. Instead, it ends on a frightening cliffhanger, teasing another great mystery. Not just one for the Lokis’ world, but for the wider Marvel world as well. If the show is going to maintain this level of quality, it’s going to be a good show. The charisma of its lead is still palpable, and the questions it’s been discussing - the multiverse, alternate realities, free will - are still compelling. 

     But that said, it’s not perfect. 

     Perhaps it’s because it’s going to be more than one season. Perhaps it’s because it built up its mystery so much. But the show’s decision to end the season with a huge new mystery feels like a bad sign. If the TV show Lost proved anything, it’s that mystery can only get you so far. People want satisfaction too. The show’s refusal to conclude either of the Lokis’ arcs this season feels like a mistake. Both characters receive token development, but not a conclusion. And the refusal to pay off that set-up might not bode well. At this point, you could say, it’ll be a mystery. 

We’ll just have to see what happens.

Stay tuned for more updates! 

Loki is available to stream on Disney+. All six episodes of Season One are now available