Lokius vs Sylki season 2 episode 2 (cinematography wise)

Green background (in this show I’ve analyzed it’s usually used as a color for enchantment)

Bodies overlap from our angle

Completely facing each other

Nothing blocking them from each other

Equal playing field (both eating pie)

Orange/yellow tones (I’ve analyzed this color is usually used for lying and betrayal)

Bodies separated

Not entirely facing each other (though they do later)

BIG ASS CASH REGISTER AS A BARRIER BETWEEN THEM

Unequal playing field (employee vs customer)

the fact that O.B. remembers meeting Mobius before indicates that the TVA forgot to wipe his memory because they forgot he was even there at all

A review of the moment in 2x1 when Loki disappears right in front of Mobius, to add to @percheduphere’s lovely analysis of this scene. The pause is truly so significant and is way too long to not be meaningful (in a totally feelings-realization not-entirely-platonic way). I previously timed Loki's long stare at Don/Mobius in 2x5 when declaring who his time-slipping is about, which is almost 10 seconds of direct eye contact. This scene in 2x1 holds for almost 13 seconds of Mobius processing Loki's disappearance before finally announcing that Loki Making It Back is the Only Option. Season 2 really started off by immediately exploring how much Loki and Mobius mean to each other and I’m so grateful their dynamic was given such focus and intention in the final half of the show.

Loki’s costume at the end of S2E6 was perfect.

Yes, every part of it, down to those slippers.

And here’s my unsolicited (and delayed) thoughts on the matter.

First, let’s talk about his robe. Not only was it utterly beautiful, down to the draping and the deep, rich shade of green (and I mean come on, would we expect anything less?), its style was incredibly symbolic.

If you look at previous Loki ensembles, especially the ones that include a horned helmet, there is an air of grandeur and finery about them. The exquisitely stitched, buttery leather; the shiny gold trimmings and metal armor accents; the dramatic, billowing capes and overcoats. Even the silhouette of these looks is broad and structured — one might even say severe. Everything about these past looks screams “Look at me; I’m important” and reinforces Tony’s own observation in The Avengers that Loki is a “full-tilt diva” — he longs for the respect and attention that he deserves (and has been denied almost all of his life) and that longing is reflected in his clothing. They are reminiscent of the royal palace in which he was raised. They allow him to be battle-ready, because he’s had to fight and claw for every scrap of love and attention he’s managed to get. They represent a broken prince. A warrior cloaked in royalty. A would-be-king.

Now, compare that to his robe in Loki S2E6. It isn’t flashy. It has a soft silhouette. The shade of green is deeper and richer than we’ve seen; more earthy. An earthy shade of green which, in my opinion, is a nod to Yggdrasil, the cosmic tree that he will weave the branches of the multiverse into. The gold trimming across the front is subtle and understated - I even missed it at first and didn’t realize there was any gold trimming on the robe at all until I got a closer look later. It is simple. The draping is reminiscent of the robes worn by Buddhist monks. His robe reflects a Loki that has more wisdom and humility, and who has realized that being a good king — a proper god — means he will spend his life in service to others. It is the robe of a man who is confident and self-assured and knows exactly what kind of god he needs to be.

Now let’s talk about the slippers. I noticed that they got quite a bit of flack immediately after the finale aired. And I get it — they’re an odd choice, especially when we are so accustomed to the dramatic boots and finely-crafted and statement-making dress shoes he typically dons. For similar reasons as the robe, they are symbolic and fitting for Loki’s development into a wiser, more humble character. Don’t get me wrong, these loafers are still impeccably stylish, and no doubt they are of the finest craftsmanship, because this is still Loki we are talking about here. But they have a purpose, and that purpose is to get him to his final destination. These simple slippers barely even protect Loki’s feet, showing us a kind of vulnerability that we’re unaccustomed to seeing from Loki. He isn’t guarded in this moment; he’s open, connected to his purpose, and sure of himself. The shoes aren’t for battle; they aren’t meant to impress. They are meant to serve.

Now, about what is, quite possibly, my favorite feature of the costume. The horns. These iconic horns which we’ve associated with Loki from the very beginning take on an entirely reimagined look in the finale. First of all, they are bigger than any set we’ve seen resting upon Loki’s brow. So big, in fact, that they weren’t actually a physical part of the costume Tom Hiddleston wore. So big that they would likely hinder his performance if he actually had to bear their weight on his head.

In addition to their size, the horns are made of the same temporal-infused material from which both HWR’s talisman and the citadel at the end of time are constructed. Gone are the opulent golden horns that glisten and shine with the grandeur of royal finery. These horns are dark and heavy. They symbolize the unfathomable weight of the burden that Loki bears in his godly endeavor to save the multiverse. The golden temporal material that runs throughout the horns like veins is reminiscent, to me, of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken things with gold. And in a way, Loki is a broken thing that has been healed and mended throughout his personal journey of self-acceptance and friendship, and is now more beautiful than he ever has been. More humble. More selfless. More godly.

In addition to the horns, the cape, too, is the largest we’ve seen Loki wear. And while at first, this dramatically oversized cape may seem to stand in opposition to the humility that the rest of the outfit encapsulates, it works. It works because, like the horns, it is symbolic of the burden Loki has chosen to bear. This cape would be unbearably heavy; it would make even the most basic movement difficult. And on top of its sheer size, his cape even becomes torn into strips that are woven into the timelines themselves, literally securing his burden — his service to the multiverse — around his neck.

Lastly, I want to talk about the way this outfit manifested. There’s been a common thread throughout this discussion about the humility and selflessness that this ensemble puts on display. And while that’s true, we’re talking about a relative level of humility and selflessness, when compared to Loki’s previous tendencies. This is still Loki we’re talking about here. He’s got a flair for the dramatic. He’s nothing if not intentional about the way he presents himself. And the way he marched down that gangway like it was his own personal runway, while his clothing fell away in shreds and tatters to reveal this completely fresh but familiar look, was completely on-brand for him. It was theatrical. It was glorious.

His outfit at the end featured accessories that were heavy and larger than life. Those parts were a burden.

It wasn’t short on the style and drama that we’re so accustomed to seeing from Loki. It was glorious.

And every part of it, down to his humble shoes, was fit for purpose.

One look at this finale costume and you know, without doubt, that Loki is burdened with glorious purpose.

A/N: If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my unsolicited thoughts on this beautiful piece of costume design! Also, apologies for the delay in posting. I know some of you have been told this post was coming since the night the finale aired, weeks ago. Thank you for your patience with me as I gathered my thoughts and found the time to organize them and type them out.

🏷️ @peachyjinx @acidcasualties @muddyorbsblr @lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @mochie85 @tallseaweed @give-me-a-moose @fictive-sl0th @coldnique @maple-seed @loopsisloops @gigglingtiggerv2 @simplyholl @superficialdomina @mischief2sarawr @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @wheredafandomat @liminalpebble @ladyofthestayingpower ++

I've seen some posts going around expressing frustration with Loki not telling Sylvie how he feels, at least as of the third episode of season two. And I'm not saying you're wrong, but like, can we just take a minute to think about this from Loki's point of view?

When they fought in the citadel at the end of time, the last thing Loki said to Sylvie was that he just wants her to be okay. Nothing else -- not power, not a crown, not the ability to rewrite time to his desires. He just wants Sylvie to be okay.

And in response, she kissed him. For those of us who ship them, obviously that was The Moment, and it probably felt like it to Loki, too. But then Sylvie immediately pushes him through a time door and kills He Who Remains, exactly what Loki was trying to keep her from doing.

We don't really know how Sylvie feels about Loki, but from Loki's point of view? That wasn't a kiss because she has feelings for him too, or even to acknowledge his feelings for her. That kiss was a trick, just as much as Loki creating a double or Sylvie enchanting someone. She used it to get him out of the way, because she realized she couldn't kill him and she couldn't convince him. So she kissed him to distract him long enough to get rid of him.

Loki has to have realized that pretty immediately. His face after she pushes him through the time door certainly looks like he knows exactly what Sylvie just did, and why. He tells her he just wants her to be okay, and she betrays him with a kiss. He looks appropriately heartbroken.

He then spends the first two episodes of season two trying to find Sylvie. Not just because the TVA is falling apart, but because he still wants to make sure that she's okay. She killed He Who Remains, she completed the one goal she'd had for so long, and Loki knows she would have been alone at the end of time after killing He Who Remains. Even before the TVA crises start piling up, he wants to find Sylvie, just because he needs to know that she's okay.

We as the audience get to see how desperate Loki is to find Sylvie, and it's obvious to everyone at the TVA, even Brad who has been off on his own on the sacred timeline for however long.

But when they finally find Sylvie, she really doesn't seem happy to see Loki. Her face falls, her posture is distinctly cold and defensive. When they talk, she tells him that she just wants to be left alone. She tells him that she's happy living there in that branched timeline, that she just wants to stay there, alone.

And once Sylvie makes that clear to Loki, he backs off. His feelings for her haven't changed -- but from his point of view, she's just reinforced that the kiss didn't mean anything to her. Because he loves her, Loki just wants Sylvie to be okay. And she makes it clear that she is okay, living a quiet life of her choosing.

Personally, I read Loki's behavior in the most recent two episodes as him intentionally respecting Sylvie and her wishes. All he wants is for her to be okay. All she wants is to be left alone to live the life of her choosing. He loves her, so how could he do anything other than give her what she wants?

Jet-Skiing through Identity: a deep dive into Mobius M. Mobius (part 5)🚤

The analyst is now going on missions, and he is doing such a great job. Plus, he's looking damn good doing it.

I think that in episode 2, "Breaking Brad" (one of my favs, like i really really love this one) , we get to see both extremes of Mobius as a character, which is great! We begin with his steady personality, looking for trouble to resolve it, not to cause it.

This is when we can see Mobius and Loki use that trust that they previously built, and working together. The comfort emanated in the scene where they're trying to fix that TemPad, for example, feels so good and natural specifically because it has background. (...and they're very, very good together. And Tom and Owen always knew what they were doing. Anyway, you get the point.)

Brad/ X-5 is a complicated person, and the others knew that when trying to get information out of him. Does that stop Mobius from trying to ease the atmosphere with one of his jokes? No: he's still running to the beat of a good heart, he can't help it. His way of being, this approach, is part of him, and we've seen that in season 1 as well.

The trigger is, however, pulled in him when Brad tells him he's a nowhere man. He usually endures things well, so what made him snap this time?

I think that hearing it out loud, AND put like that (f u brad), Mobius finally got hurt by the emotions he was trying so hard to suppress.

Distancing from that, and all the past he knows nothing about, he alienated from himself too, because they are essentialy part of him.

Saying "You're a nowhere man" to Mobius is similar to saying "What, like you did with your mother?" to Loki. It's a half truth that hurts especially because it was left in the darkness. Like someone flashing a lantern in your eyes after you've been wandering though a cavern.

We can see he uses denial too as a coping mechanism, in our most beloved scene: the pie room one. He doesn't admit it at first, but with Loki being Loki (and the person he cares the most about as well), he admits he's wrong: "Listen, that wasn't tactical. I lost it".

So it's not pride when he doesn't want to see his mistakes! it's a need to make everything perfect, for others more than for himself.

It's also no secret that Mobius finds comfort in food, especially pie. So having a sweet with Loki certainly calms him down.

Next, he tells Loki:

"The TVA is the only life I've ever known. I like it!"

and

"Something bad I can handle. What if it's something good?"

Does he really like his life there, or only the meaning of it?

I interpret him not wanting to look, not even now, for avoiding feeling guilty about leaving that behind. Maybe he even draws a parallel, and realizing that he has a life on the timeline it hits harder that so did all the people from the timelines he pruned

But also, he can't leave his mission! He can't leave Loki! Remember how in season 1 he told Ravonna that if he could go anywhere, anytime, he'd go to his place on the timeline? This changes now, when it's actually possible. A life he never known doesn't have a purpose for him. This one, though? This one definitely does.

One last thing thing I want to mention *for today* is how sweet Mobius is telling Loki that he's the God of Mischief. After years of this title being used negatively, Mobius says it as a compliment. He not only knows the comfort of touch (s2e1), but of words of affirmation too:

see you for the next part!! I underestimated how long this series of analysis would be :)), but only 2 more parts to go 💙

Lokius Nation we won, but at what costs? A quick breakdown of my thoughts on the Loki Finale!

Watch on the Clock App

Transcript below!

Let’s talk about the Loki Finale.

Spoilers incoming.

Sighs deeply

As Twitter user Han (@hansoeii) put it, Lokius Nation, we won, but at what cost?

Now you might be thinking, but we didn’t get a Lokius kiss or a love confession, how could we have won?!

Let me explain…

In episode 5, when Loki is talking to Slyvie at the bar, he talks about how he wants to give his friends - and Mobius - the chance to choose. To choose to stay at the TVA or to have a life on the branch if they want. Of course, he wants Mobius to choose to have a life with him - but after the time loops and talking with HWR, he realizes this isn’t possible because he’s the only person who can make the difficult choice - To give up his own life to give everyone else the chance to choose. To finally accept his Glorious Purpose, his burden, as Mobius puts it.

The other heartbreaking part is that Loki doesn’t talk to “his” Mobius before making his decision. Because if he did, Mobius wouldn’t have let him make that decision. He wouldn’t have let him go alone. That's why Loki can’t say anything before heading down those steps.

But after all this - Mobius realizes he doesn’t have a purpose at the TVA without Loki. So he goes down to the branch to see Don and his boys - the life he could have had.

Apologies I can’t find the post, but on Tumblr someone pointed out that Mobius might have left the TVA just so Loki could see him on branch. Since the TVA exists outside of time, Loki, and formerly HWR probably can’t see directly into it, which is probably partly why HWR created Miss Minutes to keep an eye on the TVA and report back.

So Mobius goes down to a branch and stands in the light. Sylvie joins him. When we cut between these two, we see this green and gold light around only Mobius. Green and gold? Do I have to spell it out?

Finally at the end it’s revealed that Loki is watching the conversation, but we specially hear Mobius’ words echo across time. Let time pass.

I absolutely adore this post from @makkarisbelova, “Mobius wanted to just stand there and let time pass simply to feel himself in a timeline sitting in the palm of Loki’s hand.”

Loki was watching, and Mobius knew.

The fact that Mobius and then Loki are the last shots of the show solidified that whether you consider them romantic partners or best friends, their friendship is the center - the heart - of the show.

Obviously this is extremely heartbreaking and feels like it’s perpetuating the trope where gay people are never allowed to be together. BUT I will give you one more breadcrumb.

Tumblr user @kcscribbler pointed out that Loki's magic includes duplication-casting, along with time manipulation. Theoretically, he could cast a duplicate of himself into any timeline, without leaving his new throne.

So I think at some point, whether it’s right after the screen cuts to black or perhaps sometime after when they’re both ready, Loki casts a projection down to Mobius’ branch and he’s able to talk to him and explain why he did what he did. Then Mobius can finally have closure, because remember, he has no idea that Loki went through thousands of time loops trying to fix the loom. Loki can finally have all the time in the world to explain everything to Mobius, including confessing his true feelings.

It’s still not a perfect, happy ending by any means, but all things considered, I think the writers and of course the actors understood how special and important this relationship is. So please don’t be discouraged that we didn’t get a happy ending. Please keep creating art, writing fic, posting your theories, and loving them. And since we now have an infinite multiverse… everything is possible 💚

i can't stop listening to the 'purpose is glorious' track from this season's ost and thinking about how lovely the title and its meaning are. it's just such an amazing underlying theme in this show, and - while i do have criticisms about some of the choices made for the series finale - i really do feel the writers wholeheartedly delivered in sending that message home. for me personally, loki's ending is so gratifying and a large part of that is solely from viewing their arc's conclusion with the perspective of this theme in mind. to have spent years watching this character i hold very dear to my heart struggle to find belonging, to feel as though they matter and there is reason in their existence, finally get a chance to show - and recognize - their worth was so, so rewarding. and honestly, i think the message behind the phrasing of 'purpose is glorious' is all the more meaningful because of how loki's arc finished. yes, the outcome was bittersweet; yes, we're left knowing loki didn't get the happiness they undeniably earned after everything they'd gone through. it smarts something fierce to know their journey up until they deviated from their timeline and became a variant, as well as seen their eventual intended fate. the ache is only worsened after witnessing everything that happens within the TVA and the entirety of loki's character growth leading up to a redefining moment where they willingly choose to undergo a nightmarish amount of time in the endeavor to do the right thing. of course we want them to emerge victorious when they've struggled for so long, but that's not the point. loki's final moments are them forfeiting their right to a happy ending to preserve the stories of others because all stories matter and should inherently reserve the free will to be written; as sylvie says, loki makes their choice so their loved ones and life across the multiverse still have a chance to belong somewhere and embrace their place in the world. the take away is that even burden can be glorious. even with all the hardships of life - all the inevitable heartache, disappointment, and grief we encounter just by being alive - we have meaning in our existence. there is meaning in the trials we face, and the suffering we endure in order to overcome them. our pain gives us purpose; it gives us the ability to love, to grow from and for each other, and choose to sacrifice our happiness for the benefit of another. loki's purpose was forged in the bonds of those they met in their time at the TVA and the sense of value they gained from their companionship. their sacrifice perfectly conveys how the human capacity to love is one of cosmic greatness, which can ultimately surpass our instinctual desire to preserve one's self. we can move immovable mountains and challenge insurmountable adversity in behalf of the ones we love and their welfare. if that isn't an act deserving of glory, I don't know what is.

tldr; loki's purpose is the friends they made along the way = as the saying goes, 'tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. or: our own lives have purpose because of the connections we share with others, even when we are met with great loss.

so not to make it weird or anything, but you like the loki show? it seems kind of anti God (can explain if you want)

It might be, a little, after watching the second season. I just think it's well-done (the first season; second one's hit-or-miss.) I also like the points they make about "free" will, and "who gets to decide?"

Basically, it starts an intellectually honest conversation about free will. And it's a very, very good character study of Loki. Which I think is what the point of the show is: who is Loki, and once he understands who he is, what does he do with that?

Now. The show doesn't have much coherent to say about God, our God, the real God. It has no answer for a true higher power. He Who Remains starts out like a higher power simply because he's outside the timelines, controlling them. But he's a fallible human mortal, who had a beginning, and can be thwarted. All of that makes him not a higher power—just another super-powerful person. Then at the end of the show Loki seems higher-power-esque...but you have two problems with Loki As Higher Power. One is that he also is a fallible mortal, same as the problem with He Who Remains. (You know what I mean. He's a superpowered alien, not an eternally preexistent being outside of our reality.) But the other problem is that he's passive.

So if anything, the most anti-God thing about the show is that it has no good answer for "Okay, so everyone has a choice—even if they're not gods with every choice available, they have some wiggle room to choose. But who made the choices possible?" The show has no good answer for that question. Because it either says "a fallible tyrant made the choices possible" or it says "a passive but sort-of benevolent guy makes the choices possible--but that's all he does."

God is neither starting up the machine and then stepping back passively (Loki in the Chair)—nor a tyrant (He Who Remains.) He is better and outside of all of that.

But I really don't think the show was trying to comment on our God, the God of the Israelites and Christians. I think it was trying to comment on Loki, and because Loki starts the show thinking of himself as a god, it has to explore those themes to stay true to the character.

So. Yes, I like the first season. But that doesn't mean I can't acknowledge the problems in it. Tell me more. What do you think of the show's relationship to a commentary on the real God?

everyone has these thoughtful reasons and careful media analysis to make their point about why sylki will/won't "be endgame" and thus it's okay (or not) if they argue a bit first and i am slightly ashamed to admit that my entire thought process thus far has just been "well there's six episodes to fill, of course they'll drag the romance plot out as long as possible." :'(

I'm sorry, but if you tell me "go touch some grass" that's just my incentive to ignore you. Because all that tells me is you no longer have any rebuttal, no longer have any arsenal in your argument left, no more parroting repartee. You've been backed into a corner, so now you wanna attack the fact that I'm passionate about my interests, regardless of what they may be. You're the one that needs to get a life, because mine is filled with interesting engagements, fascinating metas, intellectual exchange of concepts and ideas, artistic interpretations, and more. I like the way my life is, you're the one that has a problem.

Just sayin...

are we going to talk about the fact that even though loki was being violently ripped through time and had like five whole minutes to get that fixed before he dissipated all together, he still tried to go and find sylvie before the TVA did and mobius had to restrain him to get him to stop

many thoughts.

Loki's arc is so beautiful and so, so tragic. He's always been a favourite of mine because of his story and now??? Now I am in agony and I'm not even mad about it.

The symbol of the Ouroboros is so prominent in the second season and it's so well explored. It's established in the time-slipping in THE VERY FIRST EPISODE then it's BROUGHT BACK AND ITS LIKE. WOAH. Loki is pruned, but we do not see by who. Sylvie is there, and Loki has no idea why. We don't either. Sylvie's being at the TVA at the same time as Loki's past self in the future is what sends Loki off on his journey to find her and that's what sparks a lot of the show. It's the Ouroboros. It occurs slowly throughout the show, and the last two episodes are just so. yes.

Loki's arc is not only going back to just what has been explored in that season specifically, but it goes back to who Loki was at the beginning of the show. It goes back to who Mobius was at the beginning of the show, and the TVA.

It goes back to Loki's arc before the show even began. It goes back to when Loki's greatest desire was to be King, was to rule the world with the power he thought he deserved. He got that wish, but it came at a greater cost he could have fathomed. It came at the cost of the only people that had loved him for who he was. He is selfish; he wants the companionship that he has come to depend on. He doesn't want to be alone. He no longer wants that throne.

But he was right when he said that his Glorious Purpose was to rule. Time may be a web that can be weaved and its strings may be changeable, but one will always be caught in that web like an insect, always ending up in the same destination. Loki may not want to be alone, but he sits on a throne overlooking all that has been, all that is, and all that will be. He sits on this throne, and he is alone.

Ouroboros; the snake eating it's own tail. You may fight for something, your views may change, you may love and you may be loved, but you cannot escape. The inevitably of time is impossible to defy, even for the God of Stories. Glorious Purpose is a burden, and with it will bring loss. Whether or not one will accept it is up to them.

You ever think about how Loki in the MCU could have been a pretty boring antagonist with boring writing had it not been for Tom Hiddleston really really selling the shit out of this guy?

I rewatched the first Avengers film many years ago with a more critical eye and couldn't really find a whole lot of interesting nuance with the character (I mean, it's an ensemble film, so it's hard to do that with any character). Loki then showed up several times in various movies, particularly related to Thor, and I don't think he was ever really written as a deuteragonist to Thor, and as much as I generally find the Thor movies boring (exception being the fun romp that Ragnarok was), Tom Hiddleston always steals scenes. The man is too powerful. You can't not like Loki.

wow. alright. just got through loki season two last night. here are my thoughts

alright so first and foremost. the ending was bullshit.

something something pretty imagery pain and suffering godlike potential and he wants to be a good god. i just. gods there are so many other ways you could've done that in a way that didn't reaffirm that loki would suffer alone forever. that he would be burdened with a glorious purpose til the end of time. he doesn't deserve that. loki has been through enough and finally deserves something akin to peace and happiness.

don't get me wrong as a norse mythology nerd the imagery in this episode was nice. some concepts were lovely. the time travel tie together of a lot of stuff at the end i appreciated it. but loki didn't and doesn't deserve pain and suffering. one of the points of the show is that you are not tethered to fate and that you can try and make your own choices and destiny and is fighting back against the predetermined.

i will also be bitter that we as a fandom got queerbaited. again. don't come over to me crying but serena a romance subplot would've been rushed it wouldn't logically have worked, oh serena not everything has to have romance. well sure. i know. but i also call bullshit. if the writers can cram in a drawn out uncomfortable ai x romance scene then i'm pretty certain that they can make two characters who already have chemistry kiss. it could be like. a five second scene. a quick kiss on the cheek. anything to confirm that they. were actually together. it wouldn't have taken much considering the characters already have chemistry unlike some which they somehow managed to squeeze in there [coughing sylki cough coughing]

queerbaiting in the fact that we as a fandom were robbed of our potential loki genderfluid representation, along with barely given the Concept of him being bisexual before instantly forced into a seemingly straight relationship that resembled a selfcest fic. [the scene where loki said if he won't come back and was going to say something to mobius before time slipping was queerbaiting and you can fight me on that] loki using he/him in the mcu is why i am primarily using those pronouns for him. pronouns don't equal gender, he can still be genderfluid and use only he/him pronouns. or if his character were to come out and prefer different terms those pronouns would be used. either way i'd be thrilled because finally genderfluid rep

okay um flashes mythology nerd badge lets get into some imagery that i enjoyed despite not. like. enjoying the end of the finale.

yggdrasil. in the norse mythology is a giant tree that all of the nine realms exist upon. this giant tree is ruled over and protected. okay yeah most people who know anything can see that imagery in the end of the show. this matters even more but i'll get to that soon.

the imagery of the throne reminds me of odin's throne in norse mythology. it was a grand all seeing throne that no one else but the king of gods was allowed to touch [that didn't stop of lot of people though]. and while my memory of this is a bit fuzzy it does remind me a lot of the throne used.

it even more reminds me of the punishment that was used against loki in norse mythology where the god was chained to a rock with a snake dripping burning venom of their face

alright back to yggdrasil imagery. the branches of multiverse and the like are pretty obvious meanings. but what really stuck out to me was rather the fact that in the first captain america movie with the red skull, the tesseract was found in a carving of yggdrasil.

loki then proceeds to fight over and chase after this tesseract desperately as one of his motives. only to end up in the tva. and for fate to have destine for him to destroy the loom and basically restore yggdrasil.

do i like this ending ? no not one bit loki deserves so much better. do i think the imagery is pretty ? sure i do i appreciate the touches but i do think it could've just as been as meaningful without loki being sent to eternal suffering.

don't get me wrong the show to me was enjoyable. i was excited for it each week, but it was hard to watch due to a lot of wasted potential, unneeded moments, scenes that made no sense, and so forth. and also the fact that it feels like they don't seem to care about a lot of the characters ? maybe that's just me but yk

I rewatched Loki (and got progressively angrier), here are the highlights:

(featuring my queer analysis/rewrites hehe)

Episode 1

22:03 - “if looks could kill” Mobius ab and to Loki

22:05 - “What do you want from me?” “Well, let's start with a little cooperation.” “Not my forte” “really? Even when you’re wooing someone powerful you intend to betray? Come on.” Mobius and Loki - GAY

24:35 - “I am smart.” “I know.” “okay…” “.. okay” actual weirdos

Episode 2

5:13 - Loki ‘reading’ Mobius’s jet ski magazine hehehehe

14:03 - “Look, I know you have a soft spot for broken things.” Ravonna to Mobius as he talks about why he should be allowed to keep Loki alive

16:30 - Loki adjusting Mobius’s tie as he talks about how ‘adorable’ it is that Mobius thinks he can manipulate him, because hes a freak

24:34 - “Loki, i've studied almost every moment of your entire life” Mobius literally what is with you

24:53 - Pompeii scene my beloved

Episode 3

7:16 - “don't ever call me that” “Tech savvy?” “no, a Loki.” Sylvie and Loki silly funny sibling behaviour

22:15 - “You’re a prince. Must’ve been would-be-princesses or perhaps, another prince.” “A bit of both. I suspect the same as you.” ah the beloathed line that haunts my nightmares

31:28 - “y’know, i feel like i've told you so much about me, i really don't know the first thing about you.” yeah ‘cause there is LITERALLY NOTHING TO LEARN ABOUT HER Sylvie is so badly written it actually kills me

Episode 4

7:26 - “like me being born the Goddess of Mischief” - Sylvie is arrested by the TVA for having been born a girl, and presumably that later meaning that if she wanted to she could become a Valkyrie if she wanted to - which i'm fairly certain it's mentioned that Loki wanted to be a Valkyrie when he was younger. This is actually so fucking stupid. The file on our Loki variant states that they were born with a “fluid” sex (whatever the fuck that means), and we are to assume that a lot of parts of variants are intrinsically the same between each other, so you’d assume that Sylvie would also be born with a “fluid” sex

10:07 - Loki and Sylvie are finally bonding by discussing what “makes a Loki a Loki” and Loki insisting that its their collective ability to survive - of course they have to be fucking weird about it which causes a Nexus event, because plot i guess

11:00 - i hate that we don't get to actually see Loki and Sylvie get picked up

12:39 - isn't it a little fun, a little silly, that the bad memory Loki is stuck in is Sif saying “I hope you know you deserve to be alone and you always will be”

17:17 - it's interesting however that it doesn't really hit for Loki until after hes admitted that he does things for attention because he's scared of being alone - BUT i don't like that that is probably reason that the writers had for him falling for Sylvie, him thinking that because she is like him that she has similar fears and thus wouldn't do something to lose that companionship, rather instead it would have been interesting in its use to how Loki has inexplicably grown attached to Mobius of all people (especially because it is immediately followed by Mobius coming in)

15:27 - “aren’t you supposed to be interrogating your variant pet?” r15 to Mobius

19:11 - “I'm going to miss these little tete-a-tetes.” “Me too.” mocking from Mobius, a bit more genuine from Loki

20:59 - “you like her.” Mobius to Loki about Sylvie - im going to kill myself

22:14 - “your female self” good god im going to drown myself its so bad - neither Loki nor Sylvie should be considered a male or female version of the other, because they are both NEITHER male or female, they are both “fluid” in sex - the writers clearly did not know, nor give a fuck about the queerness of Loki and the character it actually makes me want to tear my own head off

34:26 - okok, i think it's fun and a little silly that Loki has a big reaction to Mobius being pruned, one that's harder for him to conceal than the one when he's told that Sylvie’s been pruned - but also, a bit nitpicky here i know, it's really dumb that he's just standing there, he doesn't even try to reach out to Mobius to move him out of the way or anything

41:18 - the “No, i have to tell you something” & “back on lamentis…. This is new for me.” & grabbing Sylvie’s shoulders - clearly supposed to set up the idea that Loki has some-fucking-how fallen for Sylvie (which is dumb as even worse written than most straight relationships) and wants to tell her now? For some reason? HOWEVER, it could have so easily been (and would have been better) instead, him trying to tell her that he trusts her and sees her as a partner in crime and a friend. Because that's the whole thing, right? Loki is scared of being alone, and yet doesn't do friends, and doesn't do partners, because he knows that he will always be alone anyways. The nexus event is him finding solace in the fact that he will die beside a friend rather than alone like he's always known he would. But nooo selfcest is definitely better than meaningful friendships, why dont you fucking kill me for thinking otherwise. Anyways he gets pruned here anyways so L Loki, fucking loser.

Episode 5

Unrelated but where the hell did the Lokis get their clothes - like, i get Sylvie because shes been fucking off all over the timeline for a long time, but everyone in the void? Why do they have their clothes

Again it seriously kills me that Sylvie has no character - no likes, no goals outside of destroying the TVA, no self-reflection, she's the woman character that is smarter and cooler than her male counterparts because they need to be looked after in order to not be killed

Another note on this, we can get a vague idea of what Loki will want when everything is over - he jokes about wanting to rule an entire universe/timeline, but in reality everyone knows he will just want to go somewhere where he's cared about and seen as equal, somewhere where he won't be alone - but we don't know what Sylvie will want, we cant even conceive an idea, because all we know is that she wants the TVA and whoever controls it gone, and we can assume that she wanted to be a valkyrie when she was little, but we know literally nothing else about her, so we have to assume either her and Loki are going to figure out their paths together, or that she will go off to figure it out on her own and we won't hear or see her again until she has a dumb cameo I think i would respect how little we know about Sylvie if it were a “i've spent so much of my life surviving and fixated on this one thing that i haven't had time to figure out who i am as a person and what i like and what i want after its all over”, but we never get anything like this, at least in any kind of depth that would make it good The Strong Woman trope is what I was looking for

16:04 - “Have any of you met a woman variant of us?” “Sounds terrifying.” i'm going to bash my head against the wall until my brains are crawling out the other side

Whoo president Loki, aka the only version of Loki selfcest i can stand behind, because at least commit to the bit if you're gonna do it

The one black Loki is the overly aggressive one that betrays everyone first, because what else should we expect from hollywood. Fucks sake

I do adore that the Lokis have so easily adopted Mobius within their little group and how good he is at understanding all of them

30:18 - “Mobius isn't so bad” “or so good. I think that's why we get along.” “he cares about you” Sylvie and Loki 

okay, I'm not saying that they should have made Mobius the love interest, however I absolutely am saying that. I personally think that would be far more compelling than the selfcest plot, it wouldn't be out of nowhere like i'm sure some may argue because so much of this show was spent on showing that Mobius is the only person that's been able to truly understand Loki and get a good read on them and Loki views him as a friend despite it all, on the other hand i think the selfcest plotline is absolutely out of nowhere, but its not viewed as such because its portrayed as straight and thus expected, they have little to no romantic chemistry, they have had very very very few scenes where they are interacting positively with each other that aren't surrounded with the fact that they are working together because they have the same goal and are trying to survive and most of those interactions are sandwiched between arguing.  I just think this scene could have easily been about Loki acknowledging that he cares about Mobius in a way that he doesn't think he has anyone else before, Sylvie could make a call back to her mailman, and then Loki can go quiet and amongst that have the blanket thing w/o the strange glances and awkward pauses and then they can discuss betrayal and what they want to do once everything is all over

31:48 - “i dont have friends. I don't have… anyone.” Sylvie - well now you do because thats all that this will be right? :D ��� the face of denial

36:47 - “looks like you got away in the end” Mobius to Loki - you are a homosexual

37:09 - the lokius hug & Loki’s face before it

40:48 - “I don't know how” “you do, because we’re the same.” Loki and Sylvie - well you dont fucking say! Gee golly! Who woulda thunk it? Certainly not me, Mr. sylkie-is-selfcest-no-matter-how-you-twist-it. Good god I hate this stupid show.

Episode 6

I hate this show so so much, but i do really like when the silly mascot character that is kind of overlooked as comedic relief turns out to be a vessel for the villain, or at least are more sinister than they first seemed and they just become kind of uncanny and unsettling 

I also really like immortal characters that have been alive for so long that they are truly exhilarated by their end

33:45 - Loki having a “no stop, this isn't you ;(” moment is so funny

34:56 - the grossest moment of the show. Selfcest, ladies and gentlemen!

35:12 - i feel like it is very important to note that sylvie saying “but i'm not you” here, is NOT her denying that her and Loki are the same, just that the experience and feeling that Loki is expressing is not shared

39:49 - “Who are you? What's your name?” Mobius to Loki - sobs it's so upsetting i can't do this - imagine how much more tragic this scene would've been if Mobius was set up as the love interest shm my head stupid fucking show

End :))))