So, last week, we saw Loki (or Loki Variant L1130) apprehended by the Time Variance Authority. Created by the Time Keepers to maintain the “sacred timeline” (the result of the aforementioned “space lizards” organising multiple different timelines into one to stop a reality-ending multiverse war, though anything from an organisation that has its own in-house “Narrative Commission” to write its infomercials I’d take with a large grain of salt), they weren’t too happy with Loki making off with the Space Stone and creating a deviation from said timeline. Loki hit rock bottom as he realised both how powerless he is and how pointless his quest for power was, and Mobius recruited him to help track down a Variant of himself that been ambushing the TVA’s Minutemen.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We begin at a Renaissance Fair in 1985 Wisconsin, where Hunter C20 (Sasha Lane) and her team are investigating a Nexus Event. But it’s a trap and, with the best lead in to a song ever, C20 is taken over and kills the rest of her team, before being kidnapped by the mysterious hooded figure from last week—presumably by our villainous Loki Variant.
After the titles, we return to the TVA to find Loki watching some training videos (held by Miss Minutes, who apparently can do a Roger Rabbit and appear as entity outside of screens—leading to a funny little game of whack-a-mole when Loki decides he’s had enough) before Mobius tells him to suit up for a mission. We see a few of the Loki Variants the TVA has pruned before (I immediately want to know more about the one who won the Tour-de-France) before returning to the Ren Fair. They find the deceased Minutemen and C20’s helmet, noting that this is new behaviour as the Variant has not taken hostages before. Mobius gives Loki a chance to prove himself and almost botches it by stalling for time while the branch approaches redline—beyond which it would no longer be able to be patched—in order to try and get an audience with the Time Keepers. We also get a bit of further explanation regarding the mechanics of the TVA’s time travel in how the reset charges work— they prune everything in the radius of a branch timeline, allowing time to “heal its wounds”, which Loki quips as sounding “like a nice way of saying disintegrating everything in its vicinity”, which, when we see it in action a short while later, doesn’t seem far off.
Back at the TVA Mobius has a (slightly flirty?) meeting with Renslayer, in which we learn that even Mobius has never met the Time Keepers and Renslayer warns him that trusting Loki is not a good idea, making the slightly disturbing statement that people can only change if the Time Keepers decide they can. Mobius sticks up for Loki but his patience is running out. He takes him to the TVA records department (otherwise known as the most awesomely intimidating library ever) and puts him to work combing through the reports on the Variant’s crimes to try and find a pattern or clue. It proves fruitless until Loki gets his hands on his own file and comes across a report on the destruction of Asgard. There’s a poignant moment where we see just how many people died as a result (something Thor Ragnarok glossed over) but it makes Loki realise something: the Variant is hiding out in apocalyptic events. Because if everything and everyone around you was going to be destroyed, then nothing you say or do will matter because the timeline can’t branch. (R.I.P. Mobius’s salad which died in service of that explanation.) Mobius is reluctant to let Loki test this theory, citing his chronic backstabbing tendencies (they have a wonderful Catch Me If You Can dynamic), but Loki points out that the one thing Mobius can trust is that he loves to be right.
So to test the apocalypse theory, they arrive in Pompeii, 79 AD. Loki causes chaos by releasing some goats (“be free my horned friends, be free!”) and cheerfully informing the people of their incoming doom. Vesuvius erupts “right on cue” and Mobius finds that their interference isn’t registering as an error. Loki was right. But they need to find a way to narrow down which apocalypse the Variant could be hiding in. A philosophical debate about the absurdities of their respective belief systems (during which Mobius reveals he has a thing for jet-skis, and Loki states that “no one bad is ever truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good”—remember that, as it’s likely to be a key them going forward) makes Mobius realise that they do have something to narrow it down: the Kablooie bubble-gum left behind in France. Since it was only sold regionally on Earth between 2047 and 2051, they’re able to determine that the Variant is likely hiding in out in 2050 in the Alabama town of Haven Hills, which is due to be wiped out by a hurricane. Renslayer reluctantly agrees to green-light the operation but warns Mobius she won’t be able to help much if things go south.
The team arrives with the storm in full swing, at a Roxxcart store (possibly a subsidiary of or reference to the Roxxon Energy Corporation from Marvel comics, which has appeared in the background of the Iron Man films and Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.) being used as a storm shelter. They split up to search, unaware that they’re being watched through the store’s security, and that observer leaves behind a timer—descending numbers rarely bode well. Loki and B15 come across a man who reveals himself to be another of the Variant’s ‘puppets’, switching control from B15, to a Roxxcart employee to another townsperson. All the while Loki tries to find out what the Variant wants, even offering them a place at his side in overthrowing the Time Keepers, which the Variant promptly declines, saying they’re not interested in ruling the TVA and a fight ensues (during which we see Loki use telekinesis to summon a Roomba like Thor summons Mjolnir).
Meanwhile, Mobius and the rest of the team finds a shell-shocked C20, who says she told the Variant how to get to the Time Keepers. The plan is then revealed as the timer reaches zero, all the stolen reset charges activate and are sent through time doors. Havoc ensues at the TVA as branches begin to splinter off in numerous locations at once (many of them key MCU locations: Vormir, Asgard, Sakaar, Ego, Titan, NYC, Hala etc.), realising that someone has bombed the sacred timeline. The Variant then finally reveals herself (Sophia Di Martino). Lady Loki? Not necessarily. It’s been speculated that Di Martino’s role would be one of two characters: Lady Loki or Enchantress. In the credits she’s listed as “The Variant” but in one of the foreign language dub credits she’s listed as “Sylvie”, which could be a reference to Sylvie Lushton, the second incarnation of Enchantress who was given her powers by Loki. So it could be that character she’s portraying— during their encounter, she does say “don’t call me that” when referred to as Loki, and even Loki himself comments that he wouldn’t treat himself this way—or it could be a composite, as she is referred to in a single frame shot as “Sylvie Laufeydottir” on an incident report. Either way, Lady Loki not 100% confirmed yet. The Variant then leaves through a time door and, despite Mobius’s pleas, Loki follows.
So, the Variant’s true intentions and motive still remain something of a mystery, but so do our Loki’s. Is he following because it’s the only way he’s going to get answers? The cast and crew have said that they’re taking Loki on a new journey in this show, but is this him falling back into old habits? Just remember, Loki has gone through a redemption arc once already, and that no one bad is ever truly bad, and no one good is ever truly good. Slap that on a t-shirt.
