Episode Grade: (8.1/10)
Under pressure to deliver, Loki and Mobius work together to locate the Variant’s hiding spot. Still, the Variant manages to outplay them.
Plot (40/50)
After one of the minutemen is kidnapped by the Variant in their newest attack, the onus is on Mobius to get Loki to cooperate. After a round of research, Loki comes up with a theory that about where the Variant is hiding that is quickly proven correct. Mobius fills in the last missing piece to identifying the Variant’s hiding place. However, when they arrive to confront the Variant, they are met with a surprise.
The Breakthrough
The episode opens with another Variant attack; however, this time around, she kidnaps one of the minutemen. When Mobius and co. respond to the attack, Loki doesn’t cooperate. He has his eyes set on a meeting with the Time-Keepers, but he’s yet to prove himself thus far. Mobius sees through his games and orders the minutemen to set off the prune charges, thus containing the nexus event before its too late. Earlier, we learn that if a nexus event branches past the red line, the TVA can no longer reset it. The deviation would then cause a ripple effect across the Sacred Timeline.
Back at the TVA, Ravonna tells Mobius that the TVA are unhappy with his lack of progress. Mobius makes a case for a last chance for the Loki experiment which is reluctantly granted. He then turns his attention to motivating Loki. Loki, however, is still focused on getting to the Time-Keepers. He tries and fails to gain access to files pertaining to the creation of the TVA. Instead, he’s given more files pertaining to the case. One such file is a report on Ragnarok, the apocalypse event that wipes out Asgard. Loki notices that there was no variance energy detected, and that sparks a theory.
He theorizes that the Variant is hiding in apocalypses because whatever she does won’t branch off any new timeline and is therefore undetectable. Mobius and Loki go to 79 AD Pompei, Italy right before the volcano goes off to test the theory. Loki is, in fact, proven correct. Now that they know the Variant is hiding in an apocalypse, they must identify which one. They sift through a stack of files without any luck before Mobius narrows the search using a clue left behind by the Variant at a previous attack.
Haven Hills, Alabama
The candy bar left behind by the Variant matches a tornado that hits Haven Hills, Alabama in 2050. After getting Ravonna’s approval, Mobius, Loki, and a squad of minutemen make their way to Haven Hills. Once there, they split up into two teams, with Loki being accompanied by B-15. B-15 is enchanted by the Variant soon after. This allows the two Lokis to have a discussion. Loki proposes an alliance whereby the two of them work together to take over the TVA, but the Variant declines and a fight ensues between Loki and a variety of enchanted hosts. This allows the Variant to continue to set reset charges across the store.
Meanwhile, Mobius and co. find the abducted C-20, who reveals that she gave away information on how to find the Time-Keepers. As Mobius makes his way to Loki, the Variant reveals herself to be a female Loki. She sets off the charges at the same time, but she uses timedoors to scatter them across the Sacred Timeline, thus creating a sort of bomb. This forces the TVA to deploy as many of its minutemen as possible to try and contain the situation. The Variant then escapes through a timedoor, and Loki follows her through despite Mobius’ pleas not to.
Final Thoughts
This was a solid continuation of the pilot episode whereby we got some more information about how the TVA operates. The Variant being a female Loki was an interesting twist, as was the revelation that she does not intend to take over the TVA like Loki does. Her plans will likely take center stage in the episode to come. Until then, there are a number of other new questions. Where do Loki’s loyalties stand? Will he get on board with the Variant’s plan, or will he still help Mobius capture her? Who is Ravonna’s other mysterious analyst? And if Loki isn’t the most pruned Variant, who is?
Character Development (12/15)
It should not come as a surprise that this episode was focused on the show’s titular character. I don’t know how much more we can get out of a Loki-Mobius combo only, so it’s good that we were finally introduced to the Variant at the end.
Loki
One of Loki’s best qualities is that he’s sharp. We saw plenty of that here as he continued to seek a way to ensure that he does not get cast aside or pruned after the Variant is caught. On the other hand, blatantly lying to Mobius in an attempt to secure some leverage that he does not have was not clever. Mobius catches on quickly, and that puts Loki on thin ice with the only person rooting for him right now. Mobius believed that Loki’s “insecure need for validation” would motivate him to catch the Variant to prove he was the superior Loki, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Yes, that insecurity exists, but Loki is more concerned about securing his future. He knows that his leverage disappears as soon as he finds the Variant, so he stalls for time until he can learn more. That is, until he comes across the file on Ragnarok. He’s clearly hurt by the revelation, which is an entirely normal reaction to learning your homeland was decimated. It may seem like a small thing, but it continues a series of reactions that serve to humanize Loki.
Anyways, that discovery serves as motivation to continue helping Mobius, and so he does. The two work together to locate the Variant. Once there, Loki and the Variant have a one-on-one conversation. Loki proposes that the two work together to take over the TVA, but the Variant isn’t interested. Loki is agitated and confused, and this goes back to that need for validation Mobius was talking about. He must be wondering whether the Variant has a better plan. Why else would she turn down his offer? He’s distressed by the Variant’s behavior, so he follows her to learn more and potentially foil her plans.
Mobius
Ravonna gave us some insight into Mobius’ character: he has a soft spot for broken things. That would explain his interest in Loki. He believes that Loki can change, that can he do good. That’s why he’s taken it upon himself to supervise him. It’s a rehabilitation of sorts. He’s also smarter than he makes out to be. He’s studied Loki in depth, so he knows when he’s lying. The little pep talk he gave him after their initial failure proves that he can be tough when he has to.
Furthermore, he’s observant. He’s able to connect the candy to an apocalypse, and he notices that Ravonna has a secret analyst working for her. Then there’s the pragmatism. He’s under no illusions about the chaos in the universe. He knows that alot of things don’t make sense, but that doesn’t stop him from moving forwards. Finally, there was a remark about jet skis that seemed intentional. Could it be hinting to Mobius’ past?
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- “I don’t get hung up on believe, not believe, I just accept what is.”
- “Existence is chaos. Nothing makes any sense, so we try to make some sense of it.”
- “It’s real because I believe it’s real.”
- “No one bad is ever truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good.”
- “Why is it the people you can’t trust are always saying trust me?”
Acting (12/15)
I’m going to be writing this all season long, but Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Owen Wilson (Mobius) work well together.
Cinematography (12/15)
- “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler plays over the opening sequence
- Cool shot of the elevator going down through the floors of the TVA (17:37)
- Great shot of the tornado wrecking havoc while tense music plays in the background (35:35)
- Cool shot of the store with from above with the lights off and the charges light up (46:49)
- Shot of a distressed Loki with the all-red lighting enhancing the danger of the situation (47:50)