The Loki Fan Theory That Changes Everything About Episode 3's Train Scene
The Marvel Cinematic Universe jumped into the streaming world in 2021 via Disney+, and it's plain to see those behind the franchise made the right call. From the moment the credits rolled on the first episode of "WandaVision" — the first program to arrive on the streamer –, it became crystal clear that MCU fans are all-in for this form of entertainment. By the time 2022 rolled around, five series had graced the small screen, with one of the most talked-about being "Loki": a show that has boldly redefined the Marvel universe as we know it.
Following the events of "Avengers: Endgame," the titular God of Mischief (Tom Hiddleston) finds himself in the sights of the Time Variance Authority. The organization seeks to keep the Sacred Timeline pure of anomalies, variants, and all other forms of disorder. Naturally, Loki, as well as his TVA-combatting companion and variant from another timeline, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), become a thorn in its side as they uncover its secrets. They ultimately end up sending the multiverse into disarray, setting us up perfectly for a second season that can't come soon enough.
As a result of its timeline-hopping, history-altering nature, "Loki" conjured up more than a few fan theories in its day. Here's one that'll change the way you look at the train sequence from Episode 3, "Lamentis."
Did Loki make a scene to catch the TVA's attention?
By way of a TemPad, Loki and Sylvie find themselves on the planet Lamentis, which is about to be destroyed by a moon that's hurtling toward it. Their device is out of power, so they either need to find a way off-world or secure a way to power it. They opt for the first option and board a train to reach a ship that'll get them away from the coming apocalypse, but Loki just had to find a way to complicate things. He gets drunk on the train and causes a scene, leading the guards to throw him and Sylvie off.
On the surface, this seems like the type of self-sabotage that tends to befall Lokis no matter what timeline they're from. However, according to a theory posted on Reddit, Loki's drunken outburst and subsequent fight with the guards wasn't at all a foolish misstep. "Loki's "drunken" public performance on the train was an effort to get noticed and potentially rescued by TVA/Mobius," claims the original post.
The theory goes on to explain that Lamentis' interplanetary communication could likely broadcast Loki's shenanigans to other nearby worlds. Thus, the TVA could locate them despite Lamentis' impending destruction. Some "Loki" fans, like Redditor ThrowAwayAct0000, agreed, writing, "Loki is a great actor, he knows how to blend in." Numerous other commenters made the same claim and gave Loki plenty of credit for his scheming nature.
Others, however, interpreted the scene differently. "He missed home after remembering his mother...he could've been drinking to cope with the pain of seeing his life play out in front of him," posits gillyfinesse, calling back to a heart-wrenching moment from Episode 1, "Glorious Purpose." Using TVA technology, Loki was able to see how his life would unfold — from the death of his mother, Frigga (Rene Russo), to his own demise at the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin). No matter who you are, that's some heavy stuff to process.
"Loki" was full of twists and turns, and it certainly left us with more questions than answers. Will we ever know what Loki's true intentions were on the Lamentis train? Likely not, but to some extent, that's just a part of the fun.