That wild end credits scene from the previous episode was quite the setup for this week’s episode as we jumped into a journey taking place in the end of worlds. Be wary! Our Loki Season 1 Episode 5 recap includes spoilers for other Marvel shows and related Marvel films.
A quick recap of the previous episode immediately started with a quote from Judge Ravonna telling Mobius that Loki can’t be trusted. The irony! Then we get a reminder of the time Loki got a look at several pruned Loki variants, a recap of the big ol’ lie that is the TVA and how all the workers are variants, and a look at that special connection between Loki and Sylvie.
Loki in the Void
Having recently been pruned, Loki awakens to find himself in a desolate wasteland filled with decrepit buildings and towering ruins. He’s also in the company of four additional Loki variants: the hammer-wielding Boastful Loki, the youthful Kid Loki, the vibrant Classic Loki, and a cute but ferocious alligator Loki complete with horns. With little time to spare, and apparently little time for explanation, the five of them take off as the gigantic purple smoke monster in the distance billows in their direction.
After a bit of running, the group of Lokis come to a stop to give us some much-needed exposition. Everyone is confirmed to be a Loki variant sent to the Void after the TVA came into their timeline and ultimately pruned them. Kid Loki killed Thor and leads this band of Lokis for that fact. Classic Loki used a convincing magic projection to escape death by the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. He then lived on an isolated planet until loneliness got the best of him and was immediately picked up by the TVA after starting his journey back to his brother. Boastful Loki says he killed Captain America and Iron Man but nobody really buys it.
The demon cloud with glowing red eyes is named Alioth and it is always on the hunt to devour all matter, especially objects and people that were recently pruned. After reaching the underground base where the Lokis seek refuge from the monster, our Loki begins to brainstorm how to escape after learning there are no TemPads and that Nexus Events won’t interest the TVA here. He explains that any living thing can die and killing Alioth is the way to get back to Sylvie and stop the TVA. Our Loki leaves to brave the task on his own and is greeted by a dozen more Lokis up above.
Back in the underground bunker, a series of betrayals go by. President Loki is here to overthrow Kid Loki who is being thrown under the bus by Boastful Loki who is himself getting backstabbed by President Loki. Naturally, the room full of Lokis break out into a fight. Our Loki, Classic Loki, Kid Loki, and Lokigator, as I like to call it, manage to escape. Outside they agree to help our Loki reach Alioth, but Classic Loki in particular is unconvinced a Loki can truly change his backstabbing and untruthful ways.
Sylvie’s Quest to Find Loki
Also picking up from the previous episode, Sylvie has captured Judge Ravonna and is looking for those sweet answers and explanations both she and all of us are desperately looking for. She throws out that Loki is not dead and that all pruned people end up in the Void, the point in time where all timelines converge and simply stop.
Seeking more info, Sylvie has Ravonna pull up Miss Minutes to get classified files on the TVA. As Miss Minutes very delicately looks through all the files and pulls up more info on the Void, Sylvie discovers she needs to find out what’s past the Void. Since she can’t bypass it, she wants to go through it with Ravonna at her side. Miss Minutes quickly brings up an experimental timecraft to get there and as Ravonna and Sylvie shake hands as a means to both uncover who is behind the TVA, Sylvie realizes this is a setup and breaks free before guards burst through the door. After some back and forth, Sylvie prunes herself. And that’s that!
But it’s actually not because as we’ve learned, pruned individuals are sent to the Void. Waking up in an abandoned bus, Sylvie steps outside and nearly comes face to face with Alioth. As she’s sprinting for her life, Sylvie catches a short glimpse of a mystical castle as the purple smoke surrounds her. Let’s put a pin in that for now.
A car drives up and gives Sylvie an actual chance at escaping. It’s Mobius! The two chat it out. Sylvie lets him have it after he compares the things he did at the TVA to what she did to try to evade the TVA. Ultimately he apologizes. But hey, now they’re working together for a common goal: to destroy the TVA.
Elsewhere, Ravonna enters a room and opens a futuristic cell to speak with Hunter B-15. Apparently, she was captured after having released both Sylvie and Loki’s neck braces in the Time Keeper’s chambers. She wants to tell the people of the TVA the truth but Ravonna says the TVA needs stability while things are figured out. B-15 realizes Ravonna wants to know who is behind all this too but that Sylvie will get there first. Ravonna leaves B-15 and speaks to Miss Minutes again to actually get the files on the creation of the TVA.
One Giant Smoke Monster
To get a better sense of Alioth and how to take him down, the group of Lokis watch from the top of a valley as Alioth completely annihilates the people on the USS Eldridge, a naval ship that was just pruned in. Maybe time for a new plan! At that moment Mobius and Sylvie arrive and the group is back together! Loki’s plan to destroy Alioth is tossed out with a second thought and the new plan is for Sylvie to enchant the beast and see where it’s been.
Before the plan takes hold, everyone sits around and gets some mental prep going. Mobius chats with the other Lokis and notes just how similar they all are. Our Loki and Sylvie get some sweet and awkward alone time as the cold gets them to inch closer and conjure up a blanket. Being Frost Giants and not really needing protection against the cold makes this scene a bit sweeter, if you want to look at it that way. They wonder if there will be any betrayals among them and what will happen when they’re done. What will be that final untrustworthy trick?
Time to put the plan into action. Mobius gets Sylvie’s TemPad to return to the TVA and wreak havoc. The other three Lokis decline and declare the Void their home. Our Loki agrees to go with Sylvie to enchant Alioth. The two take off and realize they need a distraction for Sylvie to work her magic. Loki does a very un-Loki thing and runs off to make a scene using the sword he received from Kid Loki. It works but only for a moment. Just as Sylvie is about to be devoured, Classic Loki appears and creates an absolutely massive illusion of Asgard that quickly captures the attention of the beast.
Alioth begins destroying the fake Asgard as Loki and Sylvie join hands to enchant the smoke monster together, a first for Loki. Classic Loki is devoured but not before showing that a Loki can indeed change. Loki and Sylvie successfully enchant Aloith and get a first look at the galactic space mansion they’ve been desperately searching for. No post-credits scene!
With the penultimate episode of Loki behind us, the end is just a mere week away. The Disney+ exclusive show and six-episode series will release its final episode next Wednesday where you can also catch our detailed recap shortly after.
