Warning! This article contains spoilers for Loki season 2.
Summary
- Loki destroys the Temporal Loom, reminiscent of Thor destroying the Bifröst Bridge, showing their willingness to sacrifice important things to save others.
- Loki's actions are motivated by his love for Sylvie, similar to how Thor's actions were driven by his love for Jane Foster.
- Loki demonstrates that magic and science are intertwined, just as Thor explained to Jane in the first Thor film, by using his newfound magical powers to fix the timeline.
Season 2 of The Loki season 2 finale elevated Loki's godly status to new heights, leaving him at the center of creation for the Marvel Universe's chronology. Through his adventures with the TVA, Loki has far sured his Asgardian origins, and in doing so, he becomes even more like his brother and father.
Despite featuring Thor's major antagonist as its hero, Loki doesn't have much to do with any of the Thor movies, focusing instead on the grander fate of the Sacred Timeline. An underrated entry in Thor's MCU story, Phase One's Thor has gotten surprising recognition from Loki's season 2 finale, with the trickster god mirroring his brother's journey. Redditor u/hapworth_16_1924 astutely observed these similarities in a thread discussing the finale.
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4 Loki Destroys The Temporal Loom...
...Just As Thor Destroyed The Bifröst Bridge
At the end of Loki season 1, Sylvie made the difficult decision to kill He Who Remains, ending his control of the Sacred Timeline and ending his hold on the TVA. The aftermath of this event is felt throughout the second season, the lack of control putting intense strain on the TVA's Temporal Loom, a powerful machine that refines raw time into a usable, physical timeline. In the end, Loki chooses to destroy the Loom, shouldering the device's responsibilities himself rather than allowing it to destroy the universe.
This act is strikingly similar to Thor's destruction of the Bifröst Bridge at the end of Thor, preferring to shatter the realm-connecting ageway rather than allow it to be used for war. The royal Asgardian brothers seem to have a penchant for destroying important things in order to save others, with Thor pulling a similar stint on Asgard itself in Thor: Ragnarok. It's hard to imagine the action didn't bring back memories for Loki.
3 In The End, Loki Does Everything For Sylvie...
...Just Like How Thor Did It All For Jane
Saving the known universe is well and good, but for both Thor and Loki, it's a romantic interest that truly fuels their selfless actions. In Loki's case, his unprecedented romance with his own variant, Sylvie, was a first for the character. Despite the mixed fan sentiment on Loki and Sylvie, it's tough to say that Loki would be capable of making his ultimate sacrifice to take the Temporal Loom's place as the God of Stories without this bond.
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This act draws parallels to Thor's relationship with Jane Foster in Thor. In the destruction of the Temporal Loom and the Bifröst Bridge, respectively, both brothers saved the lives of their newfound loves, even though the act of doing so cut them off from one another. Just as Thor seemingly dashes his chances at traveling back to Earth and seeing Jane again, Loki too allows Sylvie to live a new life without him as he shoulders his new burden.
2 Thor Describes How Magic And Science Are One And The Same...
...But Loki Puts This Theory Into Practice
Part of the charm of the first Thor film was seeing a younger, more hot-headed Thor adjust himself not only to the temporary loss of his hammer but to Earth's culture. While this disconnect is mostly played for laughs, Thor shares a thoughtful exchange with the analytical mind of scientist Dr. Jane Foster, explaining that the magic of his world isn't so different from the science of hers. This line has finally been paid off after 12 years, as Loki demonstrates just how similar the two are.
Having been cursed with temporal slipping as a result of his variant's meddling in the first season, Loki finds himself careening through the timeline in season 2. Eventually, he learns to master these powers, spending centuries using them to try to figure out a way to fix the timeline while keeping it free of the influence of He Who Remains. The culmination of his scientific method is to "change the equation" with his newfound magical powers, creating a new Yggdrasil, which just so happened to be Thor's example to Jane all those years ago.
1 Loki Makes His Choice To Ascend On A Desolate Bridge...
...Whereas Before, He Made The Choice To Fall Off Of One
Not every scene that mirrors Thor in season 2 of Loki strictly compares the trickster god to his brother. In many ways, Loki's journey in his own series reflects his growth from a one-note egotistical villain to a dynamic hero capable of self-sacrifice. In the season 2 finale, Loki finally makes his breakthrough on how to save everyone, transporting himself to the moment before The Loom is destroyed. Slowly walking across the isolated, broken bridge leading up to the loom, he ascends, making his choice.
The beautiful cinematography of this striking visual provides a direct comparison to his old actions as the villainous god of mischief. At the end of Thor, Loki dangles from a similarly desolate gangway. Ever desperate for his father's approval, he demands Odin accept him, letting himself fall into nothingness when the Allfather refuses to humor his pleas. The decision to put Loki in a similar spot 12 years later in the Loki season 2 finale, only to see him make the right choice and ascend to greatness rather than fall into the depths of despair, is a genius one.
