A Thor Callback Could Hint At Loki’s Secret Plan

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Loki episode 3.

Loki episode 3 includes a callback to 2011’s Thor that may hint the God of Mischief has a secret plan. The new Loki episode finally pairs Tom Hiddleston’s titular character with Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie, a Loki variant who changed her name. Apparently, Sylvie plans to destroy the Sacred Timeline and take down its overlords, the Time-Keepers, to create chaos. Unfortunately, Loki tags along and ruins the scheme. As the TVA closes in on them, Loki uses a time-traveling device known as a TemPad to transport them both to an alien world called Lamentis-1.

Lamentis-1 is not a place they want to be. Sylvie explains it’s a moon that’s about to be completely destroyed. And to make things worse, their TemPad is out of power, leaving them with no way to escape. The pair devise a plan to charge the TemPad with the power from the moon’s evacuation vessel, but that doesn't work out either. The device gets destroyed when they are both booted from a train. Now, the pair have only hours to escape and time is running out.

After the Loki variants are kicked off the train, the episode has a telling Marvel Cinematic Universe callback to Thor. Sylvie, distraught that the TemPad has been destroyed, throws a fit before walking off to sit down. Loki sits down beside her, offering some words of comfort and a new plan. The scene mirrors how Loki offers Thor advice after Chris Hemsworth’s character similarly has a fit. In the Thor scene, the God of Thunder is angry that Anthony Hopkins’ Odin doesn’t want to retaliate after the Frost Giants break into Asgard. Loki puts the idea in Thor’s head of going to Jotunheim, the home of the Frost Giants, to fight. When the plan goes awry, Thor is banished from Asgard, which is exactly what Loki wants. In both MCU scenes, Loki offers advice, and the other character goes along with his ideas.

The similarities between the moments may hint that Loki is also manipulating Sylvie. Loki, who’s particularly calm for someone supposedly facing complete annihilation, makes a plan to get to Lamentis-1’s evacuation vessel and get off the moon before it’s destroyed. Sylvie goes along with it, but—like Loki's plan for Thor on Jotunheim—things don’t go well. The vessel blows up, and the pair seemingly lose hope of ever getting off of Lamentis-1. But is this what Loki wants to happen? The episode also explains how Sylvie manipulates people through enchanted memories, a power Loki has already shown a glimpse of in Thor: Ragnarok when he breaks into Valkyrie’s (Tessa Thompson) mind. He may be doing the same thing here. Lamentis-1 may exist in Sylvie's head, and the callback could point to Loki's manipulation.

The mirrored moment doesn’t seem like an accident. The episode has another reference to Thor, with Loki smashing a glass and yelling, “Another,” so the 2011 movie is clearly an inspiration. However, the callback could merely be an Easter egg that doesn't have a deeper meaning. The Loki premiere has a scene that mirrors an early moment from 2008’s Iron Man simply because it's an homage to the film that started the MCU. Still, there's always the possibility that the God of Mischief has some tricks up his sleeve.

Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

More: Loki Copies Thor's "Another" - And Changes The 2011 Meaning