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Meanwhile, after interrogating an imprisoned Hunter B-15, Renslayer instructs [[Miss Minutes]] to give her information about the TVA's founding so she can reach whoever organized the TVA before Loki and Sylvie do so. After reuniting with Loki, Sylvie proposes a plan to approach Alioth and enchant it in the hopes that it will lead them to the real mastermind behind the TVA's creation. As the Lokis head toward Alioth, Mobius uses a [[TemPad]] Sylvie stole from Renslayer to return to the TVA, stating that he intends to reveal the truth to everyone. He offers the Loki variants to come with him, but they decline.
Meanwhile, after interrogating an imprisoned Hunter B-15, Renslayer instructs [[Miss Minutes]] to give her information about the TVA's founding so she can reach whoever organized the TVA before Loki and Sylvie do so. After reuniting with Loki, Sylvie proposes a plan to approach Alioth and enchant it in the hopes that it will lead them to the real mastermind behind the TVA's creation. As the Lokis head toward Alioth, Mobius uses a [[TemPad]] Sylvie stole from Renslayer to return to the TVA, stating that he intends to reveal the truth to everyone. He offers the Loki variants to come with him, but they decline.


Kid Loki and Alligator Loki escape while Classic Loki creates a large illusion of [[Asgard (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Asgard]] to distract Alioth, sacrificing himself in the process. This allows Loki and Sylvie to successfully enchant the creature and move past the Void. Noticing a [[citadel]] in the distance, the pair walk towards it.
Kid Loki and Alligator Loki escape while Classic Loki creates a large illusion of [[Asgard (Marvel Cinematic Universe)|Asgard]] to distract Alioth, sacrificing himself in the process. This allows Loki and Sylvie to successfully enchant the creature and move past the Void. Noticing [[Kang the Conqueror|Kang's]] [[citadel]] in the distance, the pair walk towards it.


== Production ==
== Production ==

Revision as of 03:45, 9 July 2021

"Journey into Mystery"
Loki episode
Promotional poster
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byKate Herron
Written byTom Kauffman
Cinematography byAutumn Durald Arkapaw
Editing byCalum Ross
Original release dateJuly 7, 2021 (2021-07-07)
Running time49 minutes
Cast
  • Neil Ellice as Hunter D-90
Episode chronology
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List of episodes

"Journey into Mystery" is the fifth episode of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Loki. It follows an alternate version of the character stranded amongst other Loki variants as he tries to escape their captive Void. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Tom Kauffman and directed by Kate Herron.

Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki from the film series, with Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack Veal, DeObia Oparei, Tara Strong, Richard E. Grant, and Owen Wilson also starring. Herron joined the series in August 2019. Filming took place at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, with location filming in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

"Journey into Mystery" was released on Disney+ on July 7, 2021.

Plot

Sylvie learns from Time Variance Authority (TVA) Judge Ravonna Renslayer that Loki was teleported to the Void, a dimension at the end of Time where everything the TVA prunes is dumped into.

Meanwhile, Loki learns from four time variants of himself – Boastful Loki, Classic Loki, Kid Loki, and Alligator Loki – that a cloud-like creature named "Alioth" guards the Void and prevents anyone from escaping. In an attempt to reach Loki, Sylvie prunes herself, and narrowly escapes Alioth with former TVA member Mobius M. Mobius' help. Boastful Loki attempts to betray the other Lokis for a separate Loki group led by President Loki. However, the Lokis betray each other, causing a fight to ensue and forcing Loki and his variant allies to escape.

Meanwhile, after interrogating an imprisoned Hunter B-15, Renslayer instructs Miss Minutes to give her information about the TVA's founding so she can reach whoever organized the TVA before Loki and Sylvie do so. After reuniting with Loki, Sylvie proposes a plan to approach Alioth and enchant it in the hopes that it will lead them to the real mastermind behind the TVA's creation. As the Lokis head toward Alioth, Mobius uses a TemPad Sylvie stole from Renslayer to return to the TVA, stating that he intends to reveal the truth to everyone. He offers the Loki variants to come with him, but they decline.

Kid Loki and Alligator Loki escape while Classic Loki creates a large illusion of Asgard to distract Alioth, sacrificing himself in the process. This allows Loki and Sylvie to successfully enchant the creature and move past the Void. Noticing Kang's citadel in the distance, the pair walk towards it.

Production

Development

By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a limited series starring Tom Hiddleston's Loki from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films.[1] Loki was confirmed to be in development by Disney CEO Bob Iger in November.[2] Kate Herron was hired to direct the series in August 2019.[3] Herron and head writer Michael Waldron executive produce alongside Hiddleston and Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Stephen Broussard.[4] The fifth episode, titled "Journey into Mystery", was written by Tom Kauffman. The title shares its name with the comic book series in which Thor and Loki were introduced.[5]

Writing

"Journey into Mystery" expands upon the additional Loki variants–Classic Loki, Boastful Loki, Kid Loki, and Alligator Loki–first introduced in the previous episode's mid-credits scene. Hiddleston called it "completely surreal and an absolute delight" to explore other versions of the characters with different actors and felt when all of them were together, it was "some sort of surrealist party" with Hiddleston's Loki initially being the most unlike the character than the others.[6] Ahead of the series' premiere, Feige had mentioned one of the benefits of exploring the multiverse and "playing with time" was being able to see other versions of characters, particularly of Loki.[7]

Classic Loki's backstory was conceived after Waldron pondered the "what if" question of what would have happened if Loki had survived his death in Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Calling the backstory a "thought experiment", Waldron added it was "just so sad" and a "tragic thing" when Classic Loki realizes he is meant to be alone.[6] Alligator Loki, an original variant created for the series, stemmed from Waldron's initial pitch meeting with Broussard and co-executive producer Kevin Wright, with the reasoning for his including being that he was green; this is also a point of discussion that the Lokis have in the episode, trying to determine if Alligator Loki is actually a Loki. Waldron explained that the possibility of an alligator variant is "so stupid, but it also makes total sense... It's just the sort of irreverent thing that, in this show, we play straight and make the audience take it seriously."[8]

The episode features many Easter eggs in the Void from the comics and MCU, such as Thanos' helicopter, Throg,[5] Qeng Tower, a tower associated with Kang the Conqueror,[9] the Living Tribunal's head,[10] Yellowjacket's helmet,[5] Mjolnir,[11] a Helicarrier, and the Dark Aster.[12]

Design

President Loki's costume was inspired by the comic miniseries Vote Loki,[13][14] while Classic Loki's costume drew inspiration from the character's 1960s comic design by Jack Kirby.[5]

Casting

The episode stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki and President Loki, Sophia Di Martino as Sylvie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, Jack Veal as Kid Loki, DeObia Oparei as Boastful Loki, Tara Strong as the voice of Miss Minutes, Richard E. Grant as Classic Loki, and Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius.[9][15]: 45:07–45:45  Additionally, Neil Ellice appears as Hunter D-90.[15]: 46:33 

Filming and visual effects

Filming took place at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Atlanta, Georgia,[16][17]: 9  with Herron directing,[3] and Autumn Durald Arkapaw serving as cinematographer.[18][17]: 2  Location filming took place in the Atlanta metropolitan area.[19] Alligator Loki was created through CGI, with a stuffed stand-in used during filming, which Herron felt was useful for the actors to interact with. The design of Alligator Loki also shifted several times, after an early version was more of a cartoon style that was "a bit too cute". Herron felt it became "funnier and funnier" as the design became more life-like, hitting the "sweet spot" when it "felt like a real alligator, but with a kind of slightly jaunty horns on".[8]

Visual effects for the episode were created by Industrial Light & Magic, Rise, Luma Pictures, Crafty Apes, Cantina Creative, Trixter, and Method Studios.[20][15]: 47:45–48:03 

Music

Beginning with this episode, composer Natalie Holt incorporated a 32-person choir into her score, in addition to the other elements.[21]

Marketing

After the episode's release, Marvel announced merchandise inspired by the episode as part of its weekly "Marvel Must Haves" promotion for each episode of the series, including Funko Pops for the Loki variants, a President Loki Hot Toys Cosbaby figure, apparel, accessories, and jewelry.[22]

Release

"Journey into Mystery" was released on Disney+ on July 7, 2021.[23] The Simpsons short film The Good, the Bart, and the Loki released alongside the episode on Disney+, which sees Loki interacting with Bart Simpson in a crossover that pays homage to the heroes and villains of the MCU. Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki in the short.[24]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average score of 8.07/10 based on 18 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "An epic penultimate joyride, "Journey Into Mystery" pushes the pedal to the floor and lets a gaggle of Lokis do their thing—especially a scene stealing Richard E. Grant in fine Asgardian form."[25]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone said in the comic series Journey into Mystery "anything was possible... which makes it an apt moniker for an absolutely wonderful episode of Loki where the same holds true". He stated the episode was reminiscent of the series Lost, and believed what made "Journey into Mystery" special was "the way that it explores the untapped potential of Loki himself, in his many, many variations". Other highlights were the hug between Loki and Mobius and the expanding of the relationship and connection between Loki and Sylvie. Sepinwall concluded his review by hoping for a strong final episode, something he noted had not been the case with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, though Loki "feels different so far" and "everything up to this point deserves" a good ending.[5] Giving "Journey into Mystery" an 8 out of 10, IGN's Simon Cardy said the episode did "a great job of keeping up the pace set by last week's final revelations. It displays impressive scale, ranging from stunning apocalyptic threats to tender character moments for both new and returning cast members. And while it may not move the overarching plot along to the same extent as Episode 4, it's an enjoyable ride and one of Loki's strongest episodes yet." He noted while all the Loki variants featured had their moments, Grant's Classic Loki and "the absurdity of Alligator Loki" made a "particularly strong impression", and the "standout scene" was Loki and Sylvie expanding their feelings for one another; Cardy felt Hiddleston and Di Martino "play the moment out beautifully, bringing a touching sense of humanity". Cardy did, however, call it "a shame" that Renslayer was still an underdeveloped character, given the audience still did not know much about her. Concluding his review, Cardy pointed out there was "a lot left to do" in the final episode, and hoped the series "manages to end on a stronger note [than WandaVision] and deliver an ending as thrilling as the mystery weaved throughout deserves".[26]

Writing for The A.V. Club, Caroline Siede stated, "Journey Into Mystery" "is a blast to watch. It delivers a darkly madcap sense of fun worthy of its mischievous protagonist. And it ends with an appreciably big-scale action sequence and a compelling cliffhanger to take us into next week's finale." She felt the various Loki variants brought "a welcome spark" to the series, expanding up on the question of what makes a Loki a Loki, and welcomed the return of the question of free will, which had been "the most compelling thematic thread of the season". Siede did feel the episode "tries to do too much", saying "While the episode’s madcap energy keeps things moving along nicely, some of the emotional beats feel rather rushed"; she had hoped there would have been more time spent in the Void over the extended time on Lamentis-1 in the third episode. She concluded, saying "this episode is fun, stylish, irreverent, and character-centric in a way that serves the series well", giving the episode an "A–".[27]

References

  1. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 18, 2018). "Loki, Scarlet Witch, Other Marvel Heroes to Get Own TV Series on Disney Streaming Service (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  2. ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C.; Hipes, Patrick (November 8, 2018). "'Rogue One' Prequel Series in Works For Disney's Streaming Service, Now Named Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Vejvoda, Jim (August 24, 2019). "Loki Will Take Character "to an Entirely New Part of the MCU"". IGN. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Anderson, Jenna (May 19, 2021). "Loki Star Tom Hiddleston Officially Announced as Executive Producer on Disney+ Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Sepinwall, Alan (July 7, 2021). "'Loki' Episode 5 Recap: You Want Lokis? You Get Lokis!". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Paige, Rachel (July 7, 2021). "Meet the Other Lokis in Marvel Studios' 'Loki'". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  7. ^ Agard, Chancellor (May 20, 2021). "Loki takes over: Tom Hiddleston on his new TV series and a decade in the MCU". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Paige, Rachel (July 7, 2021). "'Loki': The Glorious Debut of Alligator Loki". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Morgan, Lauren (July 7, 2021). "Loki recap: Beyond the end of time". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  10. ^ Stewart, Brenton (July 7, 2021). "'Loki': Marvel's Most Powerful Entity Just Made His MCU Debut (Sort Of)". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Welch, Andy (July 7, 2021). "Loki episode five recap: glorious mystery with Richard E Grant". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  12. ^ Anderton, Ethan (July 7, 2021). "14 'Loki' Episode 5 Easter Eggs and What They Could Mean for the Marvel Cinematic Universe". /Film. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. ^ Polo, Susana; Patches, Matt; McWhertor, Michael (December 11, 2020). "All the Easter eggs in Marvel's Loki and Falcon and the Winter Soldier trailers". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  14. ^ Burton, Jamie (July 7, 2021). "Every Version of Loki Seen in Episode 5 of 'Loki' Explained". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  15. ^ a b c Kauffman, Tom (July 7, 2021). "Journey into Mystery". Loki. Season 1. Episode 5. Disney+. End credits begin at 43:44.
  16. ^ Sandberg, Bryn Elise (July 2, 2020). "How Georgia Hopes to Lead Hollywood's Return to Production". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Loki Production Brief" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  18. ^ Fisher, Jacob (November 16, 2019). "Autumn Durald Joins 'Loki' (Exclusive)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on November 16, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  19. ^ Walljasper, Matt (February 29, 2020). "What's filming in Atlanta now? Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Samaritan, DMZ, and more". Atlanta. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  20. ^ Frei, Vincent (May 19, 2021). "Loki". Art of VFX. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  21. ^ Burlingame, Joe (July 1, 2021). "The Weird, Unsettling Music of 'Loki': Composer Natalie Holt Breaks Down the Marvel Series' Score". Variety. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  22. ^ Paige, Rachel (July 8, 2021). "Shop Marvel Must Haves: 'Loki' Episode 5". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "(#105) "Journey Into Mystery"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  24. ^ Ferme, Antonio (June 30, 2021). "Loki and Bart Simpson Team Up in Marvel-'Simpsons' Crossover Short on Disney Plus". Variety. Archived from the original on June 30, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  25. ^ "Journey into Mystery". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  26. ^ Cardy, Simon (July 7, 2021). "Loki: Episode 5 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  27. ^ Siede, Caroline (July 7, 2021). "Loki's penultimate episode is a madcap thrill ride". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
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