#instead we got a sidelined Mobius and B-15 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

work-your-loki · 3 years

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Some more coherent (but still preliminary thoughts) about the finale before I go to read more opinions and theories.

Warning for spoilers and long post:

Sylvie, girl, I'm so sorry you were reduced to a plot device just so that Loki didn't have to be the "villain" who unleashed the next MCU big bad in his own show. And I'm sorry all your complexities got overshadowed by discussions of this ridiculous romantic storyline that ultimately… didn't have any impact at all? Their connection didn't break reality or bring forth the multiverse. The only thing it did, narratively, was to alert the TVA that they were on Lamentis and gift us with that legendary interrogation scene. In fact, you could remove that element entirely from the show and the only thing you'd have to change would be the tone of said interrogation scene, which is interesting. Probably unintentional, but still, food for thought.

I understand now why Kate Herron said they decided to focus on that aspect later in the filming process, because it just wasn't needed in their planning, so it didn't materialize from the beginning. I think maybe they assumed that them being in love would make their fight have more of an emotional impact to the audience, rather than if they just had a simple human connection? Convenient that this never get considered as an option for all their "bro" duos.

It's actually kinda staggering to think that you could just remove Sylvie from the narrative right now and continue the show in all sorts of different directions without her absence causing any plot related problems.

Speaking of which, I can't imagine at all what the goal will be next season. If Kang is meant to be the main villain in the next phase, I assume he will have to be defeated in the movies? Where does that leave Loki? He has essentially nowhere to go now and no way to fix this? Does it even need to be fixed? Is he going to take control of this particular TVA and defeat this particular Kang, while other versions of him appear in the movies? I suppose a lot depends on when the next season will come. But I think it's going to be good for Loki as a character to be removed from this revenge quest in which he was ultimately a passenger, and have him chase his own plan and explore his own agency. As much as I loved the potential Loki and Sylvie had as duo, I can understand the criticism that he was kinda sidelined in his own show.

For all that talk about burning down the TVA, that storyline was very underwhelming. I wish we'd gotten to see more of B-15 and Mobius' plan and how they communicated it to the others and the emotional impact this reveal had to everyone and if there was resistance to it. I feel all that could have easily been its own episode, instead of a footnote to an hour of clunky exposition. And I definitely expected more of that Ravonna/Mobius showdown. Props to him for figuring out the pen thing though, that was clever. Does that mean Ravonna actually remembers her nexus event?

But, ultimately, I'm glad we got to keep the TVA. Whether or not it should exist at all is a whole other moral debate, but I really love the world building they did with it. I love the sets, the characters, all the possibilities you can explore within that setting.

I also saw some people say that this a TVA in a different universe, and thus our characters are stranded back in the timeline we met them in, but didn't Sylvie push Loki through the portal before the multiverse was created? And doesn't the TVA also exist outside of that? My first assumption was that they all had just been reset, but that they were just the same people. I'm also wondering how Sylvie made that portal? What was she holding?

Was the point of the sword just that Loki could have a weapon he could fight Sylvie with? 'Cause the "You're going to need this on your journey" line made it sound much more important.

🤡Now, the actual important stuff. Let's clown:

After 'sick, twisted and demented', now we also have 'unnatural' to add to the list. I don't think all of these are not words you really want characterizing your central romance. Not if you want people to root for it.

Still absolutely no verbal confirmation from either side that their connection is romantic. Just another assumption, a much more subtle one. (That's how you react if you have no stake in the game, my petty king)

In fact, I got a very concerned familial vibe from Loki during their fight. Of course, I could also be projecting. I do that a lot. Or Loki could be projecting. He also does that a lot.

The earth-shattering, dimension-breaking kiss was literally a "Judas kiss"? She kissed him just to distract him. I mean, good for her, since it worked, but not a great basis to build a relationship. Does it hold any more narrative weight than the Steve/Natasha kiss in TWS? It could, I guess, if they're dead set on continuing this storyline, but the way it was done, you could just as easily handwave it as the Luke/Leia kiss if they want to scrap it. They have had audience reactions now, and while I'm not keeping up a lot with GA reactions, the few bits I've picked up where either negative or bewildered. But, like I said, I could be entirely wrong there, I'm not following that all that much.

The thing I'm personally most excited about all the good fics that are going to come out of this! I can already feel all the talented writers breaking out their keyboards to serve us bucket loads of angst and fix-its until next season. The possibilities of where we left Loki and Mobius are endless.

And, yes, it was a sad way to end the season, but I can't describe in words how fascinating I find the concept of exploring a Mobius who knows nothing about Loki and has no assumptions and preconceptions about him. They are at the exact opposite point of where they started, and I can't wait to see Loki explore that and to realize how desperate he is to get their friendship back and how important it is to him. Their relationship could go anywhere from here. Mobius could instantly like him, in which case they're soulmates, sorry, I don't make the rules. Or he could dislike him and we'd get hilarious bickering and gut-wrenching angst. Until, of course, Loki remembers he can actually enchant him now and we get the forehead touch.

And I'm just tickled that I don't have to change literally anything in this episode to support my assumption that the love interest/best friend dynamic is inverted (or can potentially be). I can, for example, view that last scene as Loki being heartbroken that a person who he admired and looked to as a role model to better himself was ultimately so broken by the injustices done to her, that she could not find any hope to conceive a better future for herself. And that he felt the same despair about himself just as he was starting to see a different path becoming available to him.

And that all lasted until he collected himself and run to find the one person in the universe that is convinced he can change his story. And that next season he can use the impact that relationship had on him to save the person who saved him. So, I can essentially continue to troll myself until whenever the next season comes out, and all that without changing anything about canon.

To sum it up, I think the open ending is going to be great for the fandom between seasons, and, honestly, that's ultimately that's why I'm here for!

#loki spoilers #loki show #loki finale #loki #loki x mobius #lokius #all thoughts still very jumbled #and subject to change at any moment #my posts

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