Episode Grade: (8.1/10)
Amidst the chaos at the TVA, sides form over opposing policies. Loki must contend with spontaneous timeslipping. Everyone is after Sylvie once again.
Plot (43/50)
Season one’s ending presented a number of writing challenges that were well-navigated in the opening episode of season two. Loki’s timeslipping was a good way to demonstrate that there were direct consequences to killing Kang, but it also allowed for the logical preservation of one main timeline. Trying to maintain multiple timelines at once would make an already complex premise more difficult to follow. Of course, there’s bound to be some crossover. If the writers stick to the same sort of contained exposure we saw here, that shouldn’t be a problem.
The Aftermath
The episode picks up right where the previous one ended. Mobius does not recognize Loki so he and the minutemen chase him around the TVA. In the middle of the pursuit, he gets transferred back to the original Timeline. He quickly concludes that he was in the past. When he learns that General Dox and Judge Gamble have formed an emergency council in Ravonna’s absence, he heads towards the War Room. However, before he can get there, he’s pulled back into the past. There, he learns that Kang and Ravonna led the TVA together.
Back in the present, Mobius and B-15 argue that they should no longer prune any timelines, citing what they’ve recently learned about the TVA. Judge Gamble sides with them, much to the dismay of General Dox. As the two sides continue to argue, Loki reappears. He warns of the incoming Kangs and the threats they bring with them. He then prunes the Time-Keepers mural on the wall to reveal a statue of Kang from the past. Still, General Dox is not convinced. She believes Sylvie is to blame, so she orders X-5 to find her.
Timeslipping
Mobius takes Loki outside to try and calm him down. As Loki explains that he was just in the past, he disappears and reappears before Mobius’ eyes. Mobius tells Loki that he needs to get some help, but Loki refuses to call on Miss Minutes because she can’t be trusted. Instead, Mobius takes Loki to Repairs & Advancements, where they call on Ouroboros (O.B.) for help. He immediately identifies Loki’s condition as timeslipping, which shouldn’t be possible inside of the TVA. What ensues is a sequence whereby Loki and Mobius probe O.B. for a solution in the past and present, respectively.
The solution consists of three main steps. First, Mobius must connect the Temporal Aura Extractor to the Temporal Loom. Then, Loki must prune himself within a limited window of time. Finally, the Extractor will pull Loki to the present, where he and Mobius must get back through the blast doors before they close. When they get to the Temporal Loom’s control room, O.B. observes that the surge in branches is causing the Loom to overload. He can create a device to increase its capacity, but it will take some time for him to do so. In the meantime, he must close the blast doors to protect the TVA. This means that Mobius and Loki must execute the aforementioned plan immediately.
With the plan underway, Loki timeslips into the future, where the TVA is in a state of desolation. He franticly searches for a time stick to prune himself as his brief window of time opens. Just when it looks like time will run out, he locates Sylvie and is pruned by an unknown individual. He’s pulled back into the present, where he and Mobius make it past the blast doors with no time to spare. Meanwhile, Dox and her crew had raided the armory and made their way through a timedoor to supposedly find Sylvie. A post-credits scene reveals that Sylvie is in 1982 Oklahoma ordering McDonald’s.
Final Thoughts
This was a strong start to the season that featured a fast pace befitting of the chaos unleashed at the end of the previous season. I really liked the way they justified sticking to the main timeline while still offering glimpses of the past and future through Loki’s timeslipping. It gave viewers an idea of the magnitude of chaos that would take over if the timelines are allowed to branch freely. That demonstration legitimizes Kang’s warnings and set up the arrival of at least one of his Variants perhaps as soon as episode two.
The recording Loki listened to in the past poses an interesting question: what exactly is the nature of Kang and Ravonna’s relationship? From the recording, it seemed like Ravonna is Kang’s partner, not his subordinate. We were also introduced to the Temporal Loom. It’s the beating heart of the TVA, so if it shuts down, would the TVA collapse? It certainly seemed that way from what Loki saw in the future.
I also like that the battle will now spill into the real world, past the confines of the TVA. It’s unclear what Dox is up to, but she seems intent on finding Sylvie at the very least. Add Ravonna and Kang to the mix, and all of a sudden you have at least three sides to this conflict. That’s going to make for good television.
Character Development (11/15)
This was probably the least character-focused episode of the series. They had alot of ground to cover to bridge the gap from season one to the rest of this season, so the decision is understandable. Still, we were introduced to a couple of important side characters in the form of O.B. and General Dox.
The “Good Guys”
Loki and Mobius’ friendship was the second-most important relationship in the first season, but because of how it ended, we didn’t get to see them express how much they value each other’s friendship. We (kind of) got it here. Right as they’re about to execute their risky plan to cure Loki’s time jumping, Loki starts what would’ve been an emotional appreciation for his pal in case the plan fails and he’s lost to time. He doesn’t get to say anything because he’s immediately pulled into the future. Nonetheless, Mobius got the message, and his willingness to put himself in harm’s way for Loki is evidence that the feeling is reciprocated.
Aside from Loki and Mobius, there were some minor developments in other “good” characters. B-15 has taken on a leadership role alongside Mobius as they fights for people’s right to know the truth. She makes a strong case for permanently halting the pruning of branches that garners Judge Gamble’s support. Elsewhere, O.B. had a solid introduction and played a very prominent role in this episode that would suggest that he has a big role to play moving forward. Finally, after getting her revenge against Kang, Sylvie is trying to make up for lost time by trying “everything.”
The “Bad Guys”
Arguably the biggest revelation of the episode was that Kang and Ravonna were running the TVA together. Considering Kang did a complete overhaul of the TVA and wiped everyone’s memories, it’s possible that he wiped Ravonna’s memories as well. As for why he did that, it could be that the people of the TVA rejected Kang as its human ruler, so he had to create the Time-Keepers as their gods. Neither Kang nor Ravonna made an appearance here, so there’s not much more to be said.
One character who did make an appearance was General Dox. She blames Sylvie for all this disorder, so she armed her team and set out to find her. That’s what she says, at least. B-15 believes she has other motives based on how much weaponry she took with her, so she’s definitely one to keep an eye out for.
Theme/Messages (3/5)
- Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
Acting (12/15)
The chemistry between Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Owen Wilson (Mobius) keeps getting better and better. The focus was once again on them, and they did not disappoint. Ke Huy Quan (O.B.) is a great addition to the show. He brought a ton of energy to his performance that meshed well with Hiddleston and Wilson. Wunmi Mosaku (B-15) did well with the extended screen time she got here. Finally, Liz Carr (Judge Gamble) and Kate Dickie (General Dox) played their limited roles effectively.
Cinematography (12/15)
- Shot of Kang’s symbol on the ground (4:21)
- Shot of the branches going past the threshold (8:42)
- Cool transition from the War Room with all the Kang statues to the one with the Time-Keepers (10:10)
- Another cool transition shot (27:32)
- Shot of the Temporal Loom being overloaded with branches (29:38)