We've now reached the halfway point of Loki, and while it appears we've now seen most of the footage included in the trailers, TV spots, and featurettes for the Disney+ series, that's not quite the case.
Marvel Studios is certainly being careful not to give too much away, while Tom Hiddleston has insisted that the series will go through some major changes from episode four onwards. After Wednesday's action-heavy effort, there are a lot of unseen moments we're looking at in a new light now, including a location we now know to be the home of the Time-Keepers!
That's right, we've figured out where those rascally lizards are hiding out, while it's apparent that more surprises are heading our way about Sylvie's place in this story as well.
Be warned, though, as a lot of what's featured here could be considered a tad spoilery for upcoming episodes...
8. Sylvie Is Apprehended By The TVA (As A Child)
With only three episodes left, we don't really have time for one of them to be devoted entirely to Sylvie's origin story. We can, however, expect some flashbacks, something that's evident from this shot of the Variant being brought to the TVA as a child.
It seems the organisation took issue with her existence from a young age, but something must have happened that led to her escape from the TVA. Having lost her timeline, Sylvie has likely been plotting revenge ever since and it might be interesting for Marvel Studios to explore Loki's decision to be a woman (he is genderfluid) as being the reason why the TVA wanted to prune her.
And yes, that appears to be Cailey Fleming, the actress who played Judith Grimes in The Walking Dead and young Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
7. Laevateinn
Laevateinn is Loki's mystical, ancestral blade from Norse mythology and the comic books, and something clearly happens that's big enough to warrant him unleashing its powers.
The God of Mischief's arm has been cut which suggests he's been in some sort of battle by this point, and it feels like this moment could be the aftermath of his and Sylive's time together on Lamentis-1. We've yet to see the scene with the two of them watching the moon break apart around them, a shot we mistakenly thought was Loki and Black Widow on Vormir not too long ago.
"The universe wants to be set free, so it manifests chaos like me," is a line from Sylvie we're also expecting to factor into next week's episode fairly early on.
6. Loki And Sylvie Caught By The TVA
Loki and Sylvie's time on the run won't last long. One shot from the show's promos sees the God of Mischief stepping through a Time Door, a sign perhaps that the TemPad isn't broken after all; however, Loki has been spotted back in one of those collars, so it's likely Mobius and the rest of the TVA don't trust him, even if he does choose to bring them Sylvie.
It's worth noting that when Sylvie is apprehended, it's with wet hair (Loki's is dry), so we're wondering if she plays along with her capture so they can both get back to the TVA and find the Time-Keepers.
Either way, they're likely captured separately, and the TVA is obviously going to get the best of both Variants. Here's hoping what looks like a heated discussion between the collared Loki and Mobius leads to the latter discovering the dark truth behind the organisation he works for.
5. New York City In Ruins
This remains one of the most intriguing shots from the early trailers, and it's once we still haven't seen in the series itself. New York City lies in ruins, with the one-time Avengers Tower among the skyscrapers that have been badly damaged by what could be a natural disaster of some kind.
It could be as simple as Loki hopping through time to see the damage Sylvie wrought when she bombed the Sacred Timeline or a sinister glimpse into the MCU's future.
Whatever the case may be, we're wondering if it lines up with those shots of the God of Mischief arriving in a desolate landscape where he seemingly encounters the remains of a pirate ship.
4. Behind The Golden Doors
In this week's episode of Loki, we learned that the Time-Keepers can be reached by travelling up an elevator hidden behind golden doors. Now, these scenes from promos for the series make more sense, such as Hunter B-15 entering this alien landscape via what we now know to be a fancy elevator.
Sylvie's hair is still wet at this stage, so she's obviously not kept captive by the TVA for very long, and as well as a number of Hunters, Renslayer also looks set to get in on the action.
The Time-Keepers' home looks vastly different to where the TVA works, and we're fully expecting a twist of some sort. Whether this is meant to be the same location as the cracked castle we know Loki and Sylvie eventually visit is hard to say, but that's bathed in the incorrect color hue.
3. Renslayer Flashback
Renslayer has proven herself one of the more intriguing characters in Loki, especially when she has access to the Time-Keepers. Not even Mobius gets to communicate with them, so aside from her position of authority, what is it about the Judge that makes her so special?
The series might be about to elaborate on that with a flashback to her time as a Hunter. If she's another Variant who has been manipulated, then it might make sense to revisit her past and learn what led to her rising up the ranks of the TVA and being chosen by that mysterious trio.
We're not expecting this to be a major part of proceedings, but it's definitely got us asking some questions!
2. President Loki
Much of this series has been marketed around "President Loki" and the followers who end up turning on him, but we still don't know what he's hoping to be appointed ruler of.
The TVA after the Time-Keepers are outed as frauds? A desolate future? A version of Earth where he managed to defeat The Avengers and lay waste to New York? Who knows, but it feels like things are about to change for the God of Mischief in a big way, and with only three episodes left, there's not long left to establish his new place in the MCU potentially beyond this series.
As for Sylvie, we've had no glimpses at what lies in store for her, but it would be a shame for these two to clash again, especially after they developed such a fun dynamic in the latest episode.
1. Return To 2012
Loki kicked off in 2012 when the God of Mischief escaped from his timeline, but it looks a lot like we'll return there. At some point, the villain does end up back in Tony Stark's penthouse, and we're hoping this isn't a time loop situation where Loki goes back to his place in the Sacred Timeline and lives out his fate with the knowledge of what's to come right up until Avengers: Infinity War.
That would be a pretty crummy ending all things considered...unless Loki is able to change his fate and somehow escape his demise at the hands of the Mad Titan.
Interestingly, Loki has also been spotted in Asgard wearing his 2011 costume from Thor as well, so unless this is the story of an alternate God of Mischief (played by Richard E. Grant, perhaps), we're definitely confused. Needless to say, we're expecting clarification to follow in future episodes.
h/t u/iwannalynch