REVIEW: ‘Loki,’ Episode 5 -“Journey Into Mystery”

Loki Episode 5 finally shows what would happen if you placed various different versions of Loki in the same location, and the answer, true to the God of Mischief’s penchant for backstabbing and grabbing power, is sheer chaos. “Journey Into Mystery” picks up immediately after the events of “The Nexus Event,” with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) being transported to a place known as “The Void.” There he encounters multiple versions of himself including a younger version of himself (Jack Veal), a version who claims to have killed the Avengers and gathered the Infinity Stones (Deobia Oparei), and an older version skilled in magic (Richard E. Grant). Meanwhile, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) attempts to force Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to find a way into the Void so that she can rescue Loki and discover who’s truly behind the Time Variance Authority.

In the same vein as “Lamentis,” director Kate Herron and production designer Kasra Farahani create a visually stunning apocalypse in the form of the Void. It’s a cold, desolate place littered with the remains of alternate timelines, which leads to perhaps the most Easter eggs that I’ve ever seen in a comic book adaptation. Eagle-eyed fans will notice various shoutouts from the Thor comics, including one that fans have been wanting to see for a while and another that made me go “they didn’t!” (They did, and it’s glorious). The Void also features a monstrous being in the form of Alioth, a massive purple mist that devours everything it touches. Alioth often takes the form of a wolf, which is rather fitting given that it’s a predatory being, and is utterly terrifying. Even the Lokis, normally arrogant and boisterous, tend to avoid it.

However, the true fun comes from seeing Loki interact with his various selves. As Kid Loki, Veal moves with confidence and arrogance belying his youthful appearance; the only real indication that he’s a kid comes from the fact that he sips on a juice box while the other Lokis enjoy glasses of wine. Grant is a delight as the older Loki, especially as he dons a costume similar to Loki’s appearance in the classic Thor comics and speaks with the weariness of an immortal who has suffered great loss. I genuinely admire Grant; it’s rare that an actor of his caliber is willing to tackle roles like these and I’m glad he gives it his all.

The episode also features some rather emotional moments courtesy of Hiddleston and Di Martino. Hiddleston plays double duty in the episode as the Loki audiences have come to know and love and a Loki who was apparently President Loki in his reality, with the latter featuring prominently in Loki‘s marketing. He also gets to show off a new side of Loki, as the God of Mischief learns that he is first and foremost a survivor. Di Martino gives Sylvie a more altruistic spin, as she literally crosses time and space to save Loki. Whether the bond between the two is platonic or romantic, this series has shown that Loki truly is capable of caring about other people.

If there’s one issue with “Journey Into Mystery,” it’s that the ending is rather abrupt. I know that the series is probably saving all of the revelations for the finale, but the previous episodes have all had fairly solid endings that wrap up the plot while still leaving room for more exploration of the series’ theme and story. I couldn’t help but feel “that’s it?” once the credits rolled; hopefully next week’s episode will feel more like a complete story.

Loki Episode 5 is sheer unfiltered chaos that plays on the God of Mischief’s various identities while inching closer to the series finale. Although it has a rather abrupt ending, the stage is set for the revelation of who, or what, is behind the TVA as well as a new future for Loki in the process.

The season finale of Loki airs Wednesday July 14th on Disney+.