‘Loki’ For All Time. Always Review: Even Heimdall Can’t See Where The MCU Goes after Loki’s Timeline Breaking Season 1 Finale

After a mind-bending, effects-heavy penultimate episode, Loki closes out its freshman run by hanging the fate of the sacred timeline on a conversation. While not perfect, Loki‘s season one finale sticks the landing due to terrific acting, great writing and stakes that will change the course of the MCU.

Jonathan Majors makes his much anticipated MCU debut. He doesn’t disappoint as the mysterious He Who Remains.

Sylvie’s inability to see beyond her rage rears its ugly head at an inopportune moment for the multiverse. Tom Hiddleston‘s complex portrayal through this first season leads to a fitting conclusion for the god of Mischief. Loki is finally able to see the bigger picture beyond his own agenda but still suffers a defeat.

Owen Wilson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are great as Mobius and Ravonna Renslayer. However, the conflict between these two former friends feels so much lesser than He Who Remains. After wondering how much Ravonna knew, it turns out she knows very little but is more than willing to live the lie than shine a light on the truth.

With the non-spoiler details out of the way, let’s dive into another For All Time. Always. Loki is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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The Sacred Timeline in the Season One Finale

Before Loki and Sylvie meet the past, present and future Kang, they’re met by Miss Minutes. She presents them with the same opportunity that Kang does and is able to show the first signs of distrust between Loki and Sylvie.

When He Who Remains emerges, Sylvie immediately goes for the kill. He knows her and Loki’s every move and is able to evade her blows. He Who Remains knows when everything is going to happen. For example, he saw Loki and Sylvie’s moment in the void and knows all of their misdeeds.

He Who Remains explains his role. In another century, the universes were sort of stacked on top of each other. There was a war. He Who Remains is cagey on who started that war. In the end, he was able to weaponize Alioth, end the war and create the TVA. By adhering to the sacred timeline, they can prevent the timelines from fighting.

There’s isn’t a tv show in recent memory that handles exposition as well as Loki. During this part of the season one finale, Loki and Sylvie say very little. Majors essentially monologues for half of the episode and it’s thoroughly entertaining.

His take on this version of Kang is an eccentric one but never crosses into absurdity. Loki and Sylvie are only a threat if he allows them to be.

The subject of predestination vs free will is sort of the driving theme here. Although Kang certainly seems to appreciate his own free will. There is a point in the episode where Kang suddenly declares he lied. He knows everything that’s going to happen up to a certain point in time. Basically, he doesn’t know whether Loki and Sylvie kill him or replace him. The freedom and wonderment on the face of Majors is terrific.

He Who Remains For All Time. Always

The character played by Majors is never called Kang in this episode. There are several allusions to the conquerer’s namesakes. Majors’ take on this character is a version of Kang at the end of time. He has seen it all and kept the sacred timeline in order, but he wants out.

He Who Remains offers Sylvie and Loki two options. They can kill him or take his place running the TVA and keeping the sacred timeline in line. Killing him will obliterate the timeline, which will cause multiple variations of himself to exist simultaneously and create chaos.

Loki processes the ramifications. He tries to persuade Sylvie away from killing He Who Remains.

Can’t you see? This is bigger than our experience.

Loki

They fight. Loki makes one final plea, which choked me up just a bit.

I just want you to be okay

Loki

Sylvie kisses Loki, opens a portal and kicks Loki back to the TVA. The helpless look on Loki’s face when he’s back at the TVA is a truly wonderful acting moment by Hiddleston. She closes the episode by killing He Who Remains. He tells her he will see her soon. Sylvie crumples to the floor with the stark realization there is no comfort in vengeance. The total lack of satisfaction on Sylvie’s face was a terrific way to end Sophia Di Martino‘s breakout performance in this series.

Mobius vs Ravonna Renslayer

Mobius confronts Ravonna back at the TVA. He accuses her of betraying him. She retorts that Mobius betrayed her by trusting variants over their years of friendship. Mobius believes everyone should know the truth. Despite not knowing the full truth herself, Ravonna wants to find out more about the TVA to essentially protect the lie better. Essentially, protecting the sacred timeline is more important than knowing why they’re variants. They have a clumsy scuffle where Ravonna has the opportunity to prune Mobius again. She exits through a portal in search of “free will”

The most interesting aspect is how little Ravonna knows about The TVA and Kang. She’s seemingly no more knowledgeable on the matter than Mobius.

Hunter B-15 heads to 2018 Ohio. She shows one of the minutemen Ravonna’s variants.

After Loki returns to The TVA, he runs to find Mobius. He explains that a war is about to break out. Unfortunately, Mobius and Hunter B-15 don’t remember Loki. Sylvie’s decision has already caused the timeline to change, which robs Loki of his friend in addition to his possible paramour in Sylvie. The episode and season end with a look at the statue of Kang.

The Loki, Sylvie and Kang storyline was all about providing answers. Unfortunately, the TVA subplot provided no resolution for any of the characters at the TVA. Mobius, Hunter B-15 and Ravonna don’t learn anything new in this episode. The only person that does is the Minuteman in Ohio.

Season One Finale Final Thoughts

There’s no mid-credits scene. Just a nice little note that Loki will return in season two.

Loki is the best of the MCU tv series. The season finale is a fitting culmination to the season that placed its focus on Sylvie, Loki and the man running the TVA. The TVA subplot had some good moments but didn’t measure up to the ramifications of He Who Remains.

I’m excited to see where they can take season two and where Loki might pop up next in this crazy MCU multiverse of madness.

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