Loki season 2's final episode features a direct callback to the original Thor movie

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It shows just how far the God of Mischief has come

Loki season 2
(Image credit: Marvel/Disney Plus)

Loki season 2 concluded today with an incredible episode that, in some ways, brought the God of Mischief's story full circle. You can find out more about the cosmic implications of that spectacular ending in our guide here.

Appropriately enough it's also an episode that directly calls back to the very first time that we met Tom Hiddleston's charming and mercurial take on the character, way back in 2011's Thor. 

At the end of that film, a very fresh-faced Loki has been knocked from the Bifrost Bridge and is clinging on for dear life while Odin and Thor look on in despair. Loki says to his father, "I could have done it, father! For you. For all of us," before letting go and tumbling off into space.

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He repeats those words, "For you, for all of us," in this week's episode 'Glorious Purpose'. The context this time is very different, however, as he prepares to sacrifice himself for the sake of the multiverse by stepping into the Temporal Loom.

In Thor, Loki wanted to prove to Odin that he is a worthy son, but he was far too narcissistic, duplicitous, and malicious. His actions in the new episode, however, suggest that all these years later (and it's been centuries for Loki, don't forget) he finally is worthy of the respect and love that he craved. He even gets a throne, of sorts, though the context is entirely different.

Loki season 2

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

It's not the only connection to the first film. "Your ancestors called it magic. And you call it science. Well I come from a place where they're one and the same thing," Thor once told Jane Foster while explaining the concept of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. In this episode Loki spends centuries learning the science of the Time Loom, only to unite that science with magic in the episode's beautiful final moments where his throne sits at the heart of a tree that looks uncannily like Yggdrasil brought vividly to life.

We know from a recent interview with the show's executive producer Kevin Wright that there is a desire to reunite Loki with his brother Thor one day. Perhaps this beautiful, ambiguous ending is setting the stage for that.

Or perhaps like the title of the episode, 'Glorious Purpose', which is the same name as the first episode of season one, it's just a way of bringing things neatly full circle. An ouroboros, if you will.

Loki season 2 is streaming now on Disney Plus.

For more on Loki season 2, check out our guides to:

Will Salmon
Will Salmon
Streaming Editor

Will Salmon is the Streaming Editor for GamesRadar+. He has been writing about film, TV, comics, and music for more than 15 years, which is quite a long time if you stop and think about it. At Future he launched the scary movie magazine Horrorville, relaunched Comic Heroes, and has written for every issue of SFX magazine for well over a decade. His music writing has appeared in The Quietus, MOJO, Electronic Sound, Clash, and loads of other places too.