Since Sylvie and Loki's titular take on the God of Mischief first met cute, viewers have had mixed feelings about their growing romance. And with no real-world analogs for two people who are variations of each other from separate realities falling in love, some have likened the pair to siblings.
Loki director Kate Herron spoke to Polygon about this read and explained why Loki and Sylvie, as complicated as their relationship is, aren't brother and sister. "My interpretation of it is that they’re both Lokis, but they aren’t the same person," Herron said. "I don’t see them as being like brother and sister. They have completely different backgrounds […] and I think that’s really important to [Sylvie's] character. They sort of have the same role in terms of the universe and destiny, but they won’t make the same decisions."
They certainly don't make the same decisions. While the kiss was a joyous moment in some instances, it was also full of tension. Though neither of the characters ended up stabbing the other in the back -- or front, rather -- Sylvie did use the intimate moment to grab He Who Remains' TemPad and push Loki through a doorway to the TVA. But those involved have insisted that despite this sly move, the kiss was still real to Sylvie.
"Emotionally, from Sylvie’s perspective, I think it’s a goodbye," Herron continued. "But it’s still a buildup of all these feelings. They’ve both grown through each other over the last few episodes. It was important to me that it didn’t feel like a trick, like she was deceiving him. She is obviously doing that, on one hand, but I don’t feel the kiss is any less genuine. I think she’s in a bad place, but her feelings are true."
Ultimately, the kiss fits into the theme of the entire series and explores just what makes a Loki, a Loki. In the end, Sylvie and Loki diverge in dramatic fashion, setting up the conflict of Season 2 and kicking off the multiverse in the MCU.
"[The show is] looking at the self and asking ‘What makes us us?'" Herron said, explaining how the Lokis falling for each other is a form of self-love for them both. "I mean, look at all the Lokis across the show, they’re all completely different. I think there’s something beautiful about his romantic relationship with Sylvie, but they’re not interchangeable."
The kiss between Loki and Sylvie, along with the rest of the Loki Season 1 finale, is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: Polygon