Marvel Mondays: Loki, Episode 3
June 29, 2021
Warning: Spoilers for Loki, Episode 3 “Lamentis” ahead!
Recap:
After escaping the TVA, Loki and the Variant (now going by the name Sylvie) find themselves on Lamentis-1 in 2077, a moon that is about to be destroyed in an apocalypse. When the TemPad, their only way off the moon, runs out of battery, the pair sneak onto a train heading to a ship to try and recharge the device. Loki gets drunk and draws attention to them. Eventually, they fight the guards who throw the pair off the train. With the TemPad now broken, Loki and Sylvie try to hijack the ship to use it to escape. When they finally arrive at the ship, meteors destroy it, leaving the pair stranded on the doomed moon.
Overall thoughts on the episode:
Audrey: I thought that this episode was another great one! It does feel a little bit slow given how short the series is. The entire episode contributed to purely getting to know Sylvie and learning the dynamic between Loki and Sylvie which was a bit much in my opinion. This whole episode probably could have been squished into twenty minutes and have the other twenty be more plot advancement but I understand why it was what it was.
Mason: I thought this episode was good but overall definitely weaker than the other two. I think it was important to establish the dynamic between Loki and Sylvie and establish Sylvie as a character, but the whole thing could have been done in a shorter time or more engaging way. Also, the lack of Owen Wilson in this episode was a major disappointment for me.
How do we feel about Sylvie?:
Audrey: I like her character. She’s spunky and has the Loki charm with her own spin on it. Learning the little bit that we did about her backstory is interesting to me and I would like to learn more about it. I do think that she will still be a bad guy in the show though.
Mason: I like her, but I still feel like I know nothing about her. I don’t think the episode really told us any more about her, which kind of makes me question the point of the entire episode. I still don’t trust her, but I’ll be interested to see what happens next. Also, I am still not sure she is a pure Loki variant! Some fan theories I like are that she is the character Enchantress or a Frigga variant.
What does the future look like for Loki and Sylvie?:
Audrey: I think that the two of them have a lot of potential for a great duo, but their personalities are too strong and in the end, it won’t work out. Loki and Sylvie have to get out of the current pickle they are in, being trapped on a moon with no way to escape. Although it’ll be bad news for Sylvie and Loki, I have a feeling that the TVA is going to track them down to save them, and episode 4 will pick up from there.
Mason: I definitely think Mobius and the TVA are going to come to find them, and they’re both going to be in a lot of trouble (especially Sylvie)! I think Sylvie has to either have a redemption arc or become a complete bad guy to justify her addition to the show.
Will the TVA become the antagonist of the show?:
Audrey: I believe that the TVA and the timekeepers (whatever they are) will be the antagonist of the show but Mobius will be on Loki’s side and they will work together to take down the timekeepers and come up with a more fair and less conflicting way for the TVA to be run.
Mason: Definitely, especially because we found out that all TVA workers are deviants! Like Audrey, I’m still hoping that Mobius will be on Loki’s side.
Thoughts on the hint to Loki being bi (which has sent the TikTok community into a tizzy):
Audrey: LGBTQ+ representation is very important and should definitely be more popular in the MCU. This subtle hint of Loki being bi has made all of social media very excited for his character. When Sylvie asks him about his love life by saying “must’ve been would-be-princesses or perhaps another prince” and Loki replies by saying “a bit of both.” I think that this would be a really cool thing to explore if there is a potential romantic interest for Loki.
Mason: I thought that they handled that scene very nicely. It was subtle, but noticeable and just seemed natural. It also definitely fits the Loki character. I just hope Marvel makes this a large part of Loki’s character and doesn’t just leave it with that scene.
Final thoughts on the episode:
Audrey: One thing I must add is a note on the final scene. It is all filmed in ONE-SHOT! The final scene literally runs for three minutes with no visible cuts. I was in awe watching it. The rehearsing that must have taken with marks and camera movements and even afterward doing all of the CGI in post-production must have been such hard work! This show and the other MCU shows never fail to amaze me when it comes to production value. If you didn’t recognize that the final scene is all done in one shot, from when Loki and Sylvie walk into the busy city at about 36 minutes to the end of the episode, I recommend rewatching.
Mason: That one-shot scene is amazing! But as I mentioned earlier, the lack of Owen Wilson in this episode was a problem for me. I think this episode shows how integral and fun Wilson is on this show. Tom Hiddleston is also really great, Sophia Di Martino definitely holds her own, but I’m excited to get Wilson back next episode. Finally, especially after just recently rewatching Thor, watching Loki smash a glass on the ground and screaming “Another!” made me laugh.
