Loki Recap: Episode 2 | Loki meets his match

WRITER’S NOTE: The following post contains spoilers.

With the series premiere of Loki on Disney+ heading off to a great start, fans of the MCU have continued to show their love for the series. And now that it’s Wednesday, Episode 2 is finally available to watch, and fans can return back to their screens to watch the God of Mischief continue his adventures.

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Episode 2 titled “The Variant” first takes us to 1985 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. During the middle of a Renaissance Festival, TVA agents appear. Trying to locate a Variant of Loki, the agents are then alerted that a Variant has been detected and make their way over to one of the tents at the festival.

Hunter C-20 (Sasha Lane) leads the agents to where the Variant has been located and alerts the other agents that they have been trapped. Unbeknownst to them, Hunter C-20 has been touched by the Variant and then turns into them, taking down the Minutemen. It isn’t until that the Variant takes back their original form, steals a TVA TemPad, and holds Hunter C-20 hostage, that they travel to an unknown location.

Still located at the TVA, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is seen taking a refresher course with Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) all while browsing through a jet-ski magazine. This is the first time viewers see Miss Minutes outside of a television screen from when we first saw her in Episode 1.

Curious as to whether Miss Minutes is even physically real, Loki asks whether she’s a recording or if she’s alive, and Miss Minutes shares that she’s kind of both (and we love her even more).

With his moment of teasing Miss Minutes cut short, Mobius (Owen Wilson) appears and informs Loki that there has been another attack. Handing him a TVA jacket for him to wear, Loki officially begins his work in helping the TVA capture the Variant.

Getting updated on the latest ambush of C-20 and her team, Mobius informs the team that they are looking for a “Loki,” a variation of the 2012 Loki they are working with. Showing the many Variants on his TemPad, Mobius explains that the TVA has pruned many of them, almost more than any other Variant.

When it comes to a Loki, Mobius also informs the team that no two are alike. Each one has slight differences in appearances, different powers which include shape-shifting and illusion-projection. But before Mobius can explain which one of the powers is his favorite, Loki cuts him off and shares with the team the power of duplication-casting.

Explaining that illusion-projection is a completely different power from duplication-casting, Loki explains that with illusion-projection, it involves depicting a detailed image from outside oneself, which is perceptible in the external world. With duplication-casting, it entails recreating an exact facsimile of one’s own body in its present circumstance, which then acts as a true holographic mirror of its molecular structure.

Smug that none of the TVA agents or Mobius knew of this important fact, Loki prides himself on this shining moment. In preparing to leave, Loki asks whether or not he will be given a weapon but once he learns that he won’t, Loki reminds Mobius that he will have his magic back, which then leads him in asking Mobius if anyone is concerned with that.

However, Mobius reminds Loki that the TVA will catch him either way and lets him know that if he does betray them, it won’t get him any closer to getting an audience with the Time-Keepers — this is something that instantly catches Loki’s attention.

Traveling back to 1985 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Loki, Mobius, and the other TVA agents make their way to the tent where the Variant made their attack. Finding what was left of the ambush, Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) requests that the other agents go and look for Hunter C-20 and informs them that they are only at three units until redline.

Before the agents can begin their search, Loki notices something and stops them from leaving. Explaining that if they leave the tent, they too will be ambushed,  Loki shares with Mobius that he sees a scheme and in that scheme, he sees himself.

Explaining to Mobius a saying that they have in Asgard, Where there are wolf’s ears, wolf’s teeth are near, Loki informs Mobius that it means for one to be aware of their surroundings. Explaining to Hunter B-15 and the other agents that they are underestimating the Variant they are looking for. Hunter B-15 is adamant about finding C-20, but Loki informs them that that’s what the Variant wants them to do and that it is a trap.

Loki explains to the team that he is the key to the Variant’s plan and that the Variant believes that they and Loki can overthrow and rule the TVA.

But Loki shares that’s not what he wants because he now has a new purpose working as a servant of the Sacred Timeline. But in knowing all that he knows about the Variant’s scheme, Loki informs everyone that he can deliver to them the Variant that they have been looking for.

With their limited time only units away, Loki tries to persuade Mobius into giving him assurance that he will meet with the Time-Keepers because they are in graver danger than they have all realized. But before he thinks he has been able to convince Mobius, the TemPad and informs them all that the timeline has to be reset.

Back at the TVA, we see Judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) sitting down with Mobius and discussing the mission that he just messed up. Renslayer reminds Mobius that Loki is insubordinate, stubborn, and unpredictable.

In continuing their discussion of Loki, Renslayer informs Mobius that the Time-Keepers have been closely monitoring every detail of this case. Before he can leave, Renslayer asks Mobius if he truly believes in Loki.

Mobius shares with Renslayer that Loki believes in himself enough for the both of them. However, Mobius then goes on to tell Renslayer that if his idea of bringing Loki onto this case doesn’t work, he will delete him himself.

I don’t know about you, but isn’t that information (and the way he says it) giving off some major foreshadowing vibes to something later on in the series? Just me? Okay.

After his meeting with Renslayer, Mobius puts Loki to work and research every case file that they have on the Variant, and to look at it from his perspective — or a Mobius put it, Your unique Loki perspective —with the possibility of finding something that the TVA might have missed.

In trying to obtain files that pertain to the creation of the TVA, the beginning of time, and the end of time, Loki finds that the only file he can access is his own.

In looking through his file, Loki learns about the destruction of Asgard which is something MCU fans know already all thanks to Thor: Ragnarok.  Learning about the total destruction of his home planet brings Loki to sadness but it’s when he takes a real look at his file and reads that there was zero variance energy detected.

A revelation for Loki, he runs to Mobius and informs him that the answers they have been searching for in trying to catch the Variant aren’t in the files, but rather on the timeline. Loki explains to Mobius that the Variant has been hiding in apocalypses.

Going into another detailed explanation and with the help of a salad, Loki explains to Mobius that when everything and everyone around you is destined for imminent destruction, then nothing that you say or do will matter, because the timeline will not branch. It gets destroyed either way.

In simple terms, for the Variant, they could be hiding in any apocalypse and do whatever they want, and they [TVA] would not know.

Somehow managing to convince Mobius that they should test Loki’s theory, the two then show up in 79 AD Pompeii, Italy. Giddy for the volcano to erupt, Loki makes a disturbance while Mobius keeps an eye on the TemPad for any variance energy.

As Loki continues with trying to create a disturbance to the timeline, Mobius is surprised to see that Loki was right all along and that the Variant has been hiding out in doomsdays to cover their tracks.

Taking a break from their research, Mobius and Loki discuss jet skis, creation and existence, and more. For Loki, some part of him still believes that the TVA is all made up, but for Mobius, he explains that the TVA is his life and working with them is his purpose.

Loki asks Mobius what will happen when everything ends, but Mobius explains to him that while the TVA protects what came before, the Time-Keepers are, as Mobius shares, untangling the epilogue from its infinite branches.

In reminding Mobius of when he called Loki a ‘scared little boy,’ Loki tells Mobius that he knows of something that children don’t. This is that no one bad is ever truly bad and no one good is ever truly good. 

Mobius picks up on the ‘scared little boy’ and remembers the one he met in the church with the blue bubblegum in Episode 1. Going back to his research, Mobius finds the evidence from the crime scene and tells Loki that the blue bubblegum aka Kablooie, was only sold on Earth from 2047 to 2051.

In cross-referencing this fact with every apocalyptic event that happened from this time, Loki finds an event from 2050 in Haven Hills, Alabama where a category eight hurricane destroyed everything and everyone.

Meeting with Renslayer once again, Mobius tells her of his plan to go to Alabama and capture the Variant. Renslayer is apprehensive with Mobius trusting Loki so easily, but convincing that they will catch the Variant, Renslayer gives Mobius the go-ahead to go on this mission.

https://twitter.com/LokiOfficial/status/1405148156875182084?s=20

Before going on their mission, Mobius, Loki, and other TVA agents are given a briefing from Hunter B-15 on the Variant. B-15 explains to them that every time that there has been an attack, the Variant is known to steal a reset charge.

Making their way to Haven Hills, the group enter Roxxcart and begin to split into teams. Mobius at first says that he and Loki will check out the Green House, but Hunter B-15, still apprehensive with Loki, decides against that decision and makes Loki team up with her.

Mobius, visually frustrated with B-15’s decision, Loki assures him that he can trust him. Before they go their separate ways, Mobius asks Loki, Why is it the people you can’t trust are always saying, “Trust Me”? 

As the groups finally split, the Variant is seen on the security cameras of Roxxcart watching their every move and before leaving the security room, the Variant leaves a countdown timer on — indicating that they are planning something.

With Loki and B-15, they run into someone who’s shopping for plants who claims that there’s a hurricane sale (as someone who has experienced hurricanes their whole life, I can assure you, this is not a thing) but when B-15 reaches out and touches the shopper, she is then the Variant in disguise.

While Loki is talking with the Variant, Mobius is informed that there is something he needs to see. In following one of the TVA agents to the security room, Mobius finds Hunter C-20.

Loki and the Variant are walking throughout the store and the Variant goes on to change their form. In trying to learn more about the Variant and who they are, Loki has an offer for them and that is that he plans to overthrow the Time-Keepers and he could use the Variant’s help. However, to Loki’s surprise, the Variant has no interest in ruling the TVA.

Back at the security room, before Mobius can inform the TVA that they found C-20, she tells them that she gave away information to the Variant on how to find the Time-Keepers. When trying to reach B-15 and inform them of this news, the other agents begin to realize that something has gone wrong.

All while this is happening, Loki is still trying to get information out from the Variant as to why they don’t want to rule the TVA, he discovers the reset charges,  that B-15 was talking about.

Taking on another form, the Variant and Loki fight one another. Outstrengthed by the Variant, Loki goes on to fight the Variant again but before he can, the body that the Variant disguised themselves in drops to the floor, and Loki then finally comes face-to-face with the true Variant (Sophia Di Martino) who just so happens to be a woman.

Before Loki can even do anything, the power in Roxxcart shuts down and all the reset charges are engaged. Mobius and the other agents are watching them all disappear and question where they are going. However, over at the TVA, agents who are working to maintain the timeline notice that the Sacred Timeline has been messed with.

As the Variant waves goodbye and escapes, Mobius and the other agents run towards Loki. But before they can reach him in time, Loki jumps into the timeline that the Variant went in and follows suit.

New episodes of Loki are available to watch every Wednesday on Disney+.