We’re finally here! After 5 weeks of having our minds blown to varying degrees, we have reached the final episode of Season 1 with Loki Episode 6. We say season 1 because there will definitely be a season 2! That is great news for MCU fans who have been watching the weekly escapades of everyone’s favorite trickster.
Setting Things Up
When we left our hero Loki Variants (Sylvie and Loki) at the end of episode 5, they had made their way through the Void, defeated Alioth, and opened a doorway to The End of Time, where we see a foreboding castle in the distance.
Mobius had escaped the void after becoming a full member of Team Loki. With Sylvie’s assistance (and the TemPad she borrowed from Judge Renslayer), Mobius was making his way back to TVA HQ to effectively burn it all down. On to Loki Episode 6!
Kicking into spoiler mode!
Welcome to the Citadel at the End of Time
As Loki Episode 6 kicks off, Sylvie and Loki make their way to the castle, which opens for them ominously. As they work their way through, a familiar Miss Minutes suddenly appears. Let’s be clear, we always thought that little virtual clock character knew more than she was letting on. She welcomes our intrepid Variants and says that He Who Remains congratulates them on their victory. She then offers them, everything they ever wanted. Loki can go back to a timeline where he defeats the Avengers in the battle of New York, kills Thanos, and reigns as King of Asgard. Sylvie can go to a place where she is happy, having no memory of her life on the run.
This offer falls on deaf ears, as Sylvie and Loki both see it as a likely trick. We’ll never know, but it seems like the right call. Miss Minutes then flicks away, telling them that He Who Remains is waiting. We are then at long last introduced to the man behind the curtain.
It was He Who Remains all Along!
Let’s get this out of the way. We know the villain character is a Variant of Kang the Conquerer. We know this partly because of the comic book background and that the actor (Jonathan Majors) was already tabbed to play Kang in an upcoming MCU film (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). So, while the episode never names him, this is a version of Kang that we are going to see a lot more of in future MCU films.
So, He Who Remains levels with Sylvie and Loki, explaining that the story told by the TVA is partly true. There was a multiverse war and creating the Sacred Timeline was part of winning it (with the aid of Alioth the guard dog of the Citadel). However, there were no 3 Time Keepers. There was always just He Who Remains/Kang. He mentions that in the multiverse war, he fought many versions of himself who were bent on destruction and domination of all timelines. So, he presents himself as, if not a benevolent timeline ruler, then the lesser of a multiverse of evils. He says that creating the Sacred Timeline and using the TVA to preserve it was the only way to keep all the universes from simply destroying each other. He claims to have seen all of time and knows exactly how everything will turn out. But, he also acknowledges that he is much older than he looks (which makes sense as he’s effectively as old as time) and is tired. So, he offers Sylvie and Loki a choice.
The Real Choice
Instead of Miss Minutes’ offer of all they ever wanted, He Who Remains offers them two stark choices and then admits that from this point forward, he doesn’t know what will happen.
1 - Take over as the new rulers of the sacred timeline and run it as they see fit going forward.
2 - Exact their revenge on him, killing him, and releasing the multiverse again
Sylvie believes it’s just another lie and wants to kill him. Loki feels otherwise and at least wants to discuss their options. A fight ensues between Sylvie and Loki, where they come to recognize that there is one hurdle to their odd relationship - Sylvie can’t trust anyone and Loki can’t ever truly be trusted. With that and a kiss between the two Variants, Sylvie uses the master TemPad to send Loki back to the TVA and she then stabs He Who Remains through the heart. His dying words, an ominous “See you soon.”
Meanwhile, Back at the TVA
Mobius escaped back to the TVA near the end of episode 5 and we see that he has done exactly what he said - he’s burning it all down. He and Hunter B-15 have found a way to let everyone in the TVA know the truth about their origins as Variants who have had their memories altered.
Mobius confronts Judge Renslayer, who has been given a bunch of files by Miss Minutes that come straight from He Who Remains. We never see those files, but they seem to have spurred Renslayer to pack up and get ready to go off on a mission. She tells Mobius that she is certain that the creator of the TVA had good reasons and that in the end, only the leader can be allowed free will. She then leaves Mobius behind and gates away to parts unknown through her TemPad.
The Multiverse has Arrived
When Sylvie kills He Who Remains, we see the timeline explode with branches. The multiverse has clearly returned. Loki tries to track down Mobius in the TVA, but when he finds him, Mobius doesn’t seem to know Loki at all. It’s then that Loki looks around and realizes he is in another timeline altogether. One where Kang appears to rule the TVA openly, based on the giant statue of him in the building.
And with that, season 1 of Loki draws to a close. But wait! There is a post-credit scene simply to let us know that Season 2 is coming!
There is a LOT to unpack in Loki Episode 6 and the entire series. It is basically laying the groundwork for the main plotline of the entire Phase 4 MCU, with Kang as the ultimate bad guy. We’ll come back next week with a look back at the season and more importantly, a look ahead and what might be on the horizon!
