"Loki" Season Two Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

It's Almost Time

​

Disney+ Streaming Date: October 5, 2023 (weekly, Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT)

Directors: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Dan Deleeuw and Kasra Farahani
Head Writer: Eric Martin
Cast: Tom Hiddleson, Own Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mabatha-Raw, Tara Strong, Eugene Cordero, Ke Huy Quan, Wunmi Mosaku, Kate Dickie, Jonathan Majors
Rating: TV-14

Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15, and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous Multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes, and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

Episode 1 "Ouroboros" - October 5, 2023

Loki finds himself lost to time and torn, quite literally, between past, present and future.

Official Links:
-Official website

Related Links:
-Avengers Talkback
-Avengers: Infinity War Talkback
-Avengers: Endgame Talkback
-Spider-Man: No Way Home Talkback
-Loki Season 1 Talkback
-Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness Talkback
-Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania Talkback
-Disney+ News & Discussion Part 7

 

[Frontier]

Loki on the run from the TVA! Again! Although this time we get to see more of the city, which was cool .

"She's fine!" And she actually was! You can see her hovertruck puttering in the background .

Restoring free will in the Multiverse and ending the executions of Variants is all well and good B-15...but I don't think anyone was prepared for the onslaught of Kang the Conqueror and his Variants. I don't think the TVA has enough giant ants to oppose him .
'
Oh snap! Kang and Ravonna were a thing! Or at least were working together! Just like in the comics !

So is the idea that the TVA used to serve the Council of Kang's (or the Kang from Quantumania?) before He Who Remains sealed them up and then remade it to serve his own ends and mindwiped everybody? Were they all Variants even back then ?

They really dragged out getting the dream team of Loki and Mobius back together .

So in lieu of the robot trio, now the TVA is more or less run by the three remaining judges. That one judge seems particularly close to that confrontational TVA guy and it seems like they'll cause a lot of trouble for the main cast this season as they hunt for Sylvie and try to fix what was broken .

O.B.! Ke Huy Quan is a national treasure and O.B. is quite precious! Was he the only one who didn't get mindwiped because he was underground? Is that why Mobius didn't remember him exactly and he seems to know certain things that the rest of the TVA don't? Well, maybe if they'd read his manual ...

Mobius really just wanted to keep mentioning the "burned skin" thing .

I should've realized Loki would timeslip into the future at some point. Though things seem catastrophic for the TVA even then, but Sylvie was there and seemed happy to see Loki. Who pruned him though? Someone who knew that was the exact moment they'd need to do it ?

What is it with these Asgardians and Broxton Oklahoma ?

Figures Sylvie may have doomed the Multiverse but finally feels free to live her life and enjoy the pleasures previously denied to her...makes me kind of satisfied to know Loki is just going to drag her back into it to fix the mess she made .

 

[Fone Bone]

Loki "Ouroboros"

The bad news is I didn't understand much of that. I watch the MCU, but I don't obsess over the MCU. I'm a general viewer regarding the franchise, not an actual nerd. Not the same way I am a Star Trek or Twin Peaks nerd. Or even a Justice League Unlimited nerd. I feel very much that people really into it would totally dig it. But me? I'm confused.

But they sure did hit the ground running, didn't they? Regarding of whether I "got" it or not, I still enjoyed it. And that fact is why I remembered last season really wound up the only Marvel Studios' show I DID like, that didn't fall apart by the end after promising Pilots.

And OB is beyond cool and I love who they cast for it.

It feels very very strange Miss Minutes, perhaps the character after Loki the show is best known for, it entirely absent from the long awaited season premiere. I'm not sure I approve of that.

I wonder how many nerds are gonna walk into a McDonald's and repeat Sylvie's insane order verbatim. I'm betting quite a few.

I have no idea what I just saw. And yet, I'm on-board. It was a blast whether I was able to follow it or not. ****.

 

[Yojimbo]

Starts right after the season 1 finale which feels like ages ago. But what a great, exciting start.

The time slip dilemma was hilarious but glad it was just a season premiere problem. Mobius lying that it didn't look horrible. OB having to reconcile it can happen in the TVA (side bar interesting that he can track the passage of time in the TVA unlike the others).

Intriguing reaction to the big lie. General Dox wants to keep pruning. Judge Gamble doesn't. That's gonna be a problem.

Then there's the power surges because of the Time Loom overloading which OB seems to be on the road to stabilizing. Loved OB, too. Loved the idea of Loki talking to past OB and back in the present, that OB was starting to recall the new changes.

I was under the impression He Who Remains created the TVA. He said that last season didn't he? To help keep the one timeline and thus lock out the Council. But now they're not. I guess the question is which Kang is going to arrive at the TVA, presumably to destroy it.

Nice detail revealing he and Renslayer's history.

Huhh, kinda lucky someone knew to prune Loki at that exact moment or in that timeline, was trying to prune him anyway? lol.

Sus. They going after Sylvie with all those hunters or are trying to secure the End of Time for some secret agenda? Maybe recapture Miss Minutes.

lol, so instead of Disneyland, Sylvie goes to a 1980s McDonald's to celebrate her victory.

Certainly a chaotic in media res premiere. Well, we'll see where this goes.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

"Ouroboros" - I guess technically I Am Groot is the first Marvel series we've seen that has gotten a second season but this is the first one you know that really counts. Unlike most of the other Marvel shows which were either self contained or were leading to events in future movies. Loki's first season ended on this mass cliff hanger that not only was to tease the next main big bad of the MCU (which kind of floundered with how he was handled in Quantumania which I still like but I get why a lot of others had problems with him) but also Loki having more adventures with the TVA. And though I did enjoy Loki as a show overall it wasn't one of my favorite of the Disney Plus Marvel shows but you know after something like Secret invasion which failed on so many levels, made me look forward to this all the more. Because even with it's fault Loki still worked because of it's primary star and you know having an actual personality and uniqueness that mixed the grandiose ideas with the personal drama this kind of show needs and yeah glad to report we're getting to see that more in this second season as well.

First off I'm glad they established that contrary to what a lot of us thought of Loki at the end of last season getting sent to another universe it was more the time door sent him to another part of the TVA and that thanks to the actions of himself and Sylvie time even in the TVA was categorized differently. I'm also glad they made clear at least from this episode (I haven't seen any others) that they're only really doing the "Loki is slipping between the time stream" here as that's a good gimmick for an episode but it would get old if it kept happening so you got to have the fun with it here and have a reason for why they had to stop it but also a good reason to do it here with this allowing Loki to take a peak at a potential future cause yeah it's clear that time itself can also be changed within the TVA. As the moment I knew this show was really working for me was Loki and mobius visiting OB and Loki timeslipping to the past and talking with OB and that giving information to him that he was now recollecting talking to Mobius. That's the high concept kind of weirdo insanity that also allows for a quirky sense of humor that makes the episode feel more fun to view, especially in Loki realizing how Mobius doesn't really know this guy due to likely constantly getting his memories wipes and OB talking about how painful the procedure could be of having to fix Loki and Loki and Mobius arguing whether it's worse to be ripped from all time and existence or just have all your skin peeled off. Like those are the kind of unique moments and scenarios I didn't feel Secret Invasion bothered with at all that really let you bond and connect more with the characters and yeah the episode could still be serious when it wanted to and still have in those moments that made you care about the character.

I'm also glad that though there are some mysteries regarding what happened to Renslayer and you know what happened to the future the TVA actually is taking steps right in this episode to try and correct mistakes. Like yeah if the timelines actually are benign and these altered people were vicously just wiped out I like B15 actually wanting to fight not to do that anymore to the judges or later within all the timelines being shown. I heard there were nods and winks to other series briefly there but I didn't really see them but I still appreciate that yeah they do realize more now about what "He Who Remains" is about. I think it is ruined somewhat now by Quantumania that yeah showed how tough one Kang could be but the danger of all these variants and what he could represent has been lessened since we are seeing the heroes winning out over Kangs which if this is still in his build up phrase probably shouldn't have done. I do feel that even if the visuals of Mobius in that suit and Loki running throug hteh future TVA were nice that ending sequence went on a bit long (though how Loki popped up to knock back Mobius before the time stream swallowed them was good) but the opening build up between the little chase and Loki realizing how he's been moving through time were well handled bits. Same with the ending of what happened to Sylvie. I heard she would be in a MacDonalds and that sounded lame but I do like the idea of her actually being around happy people getting to live a life not connected to the TVA and how they kept messing with her and wanting to explore more of it and the joke about the nuggets was decent too.

So yeah solid season premiere. I think this was better then the first due to the first episode having had so much given away in promotion in season one and this better setting up a differnt kind of mystery and quest for the team and again still keeping up a high amount of amusing jokes and bits. Like Loki trying to say it was a tie between him and Slyvie and Mobius asking if that meant he kicked her through a time door... again shows there's a life to this series after Secret Invasion I really needed. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and hopefully I can stop talking about the bad MCU series and focus on this good one.

 

[Yojimbo]

Been looking at some sites and easter egg breakdowns to see what I missed.

And whoa! Casey was listening to the same Staying Awake podcast Steven does in Moon Knight!

Some people think the big circular vault door for the Temporal Loom was a nod to the Cerebro room in the Fox X-Men movies but eh, I think it's a coincidence.

Then in the end credits during the Ke Huy Quan card, there's a book called "The Zartan Contingent." Maybe someone's a G.I. Joe fan? Unless it's an obscure nod to "Dr. Watson's Call To Fame" in a 1943 comic, Marvel Mystery Comics #41.'

And as some have noted, the Broxton connection to Thor comics.

Lastly, I certainly didn't know but McNuggets did't debut until 1983, but there are some reports it was tested in select markets in 1981. So Sylvie got lucky, lol.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 2 "Breaking Brad" - October 12, 2023

With the TVA on the verge of a temporal meltdown, Loki & Mobius will stop at nothing to find Sylvie.

 

[Frontier]

Dang, a lot of stuff happened since the last episode for X-5...I mean, "Brad" .

It was nice to see Loki cut loose, God of Mischief style. I guess the first clue the gang were fake were they all had British accents. Though it was cool seeing the horns on the shadows, it just makes me wonder when Loki is going to bring them out himself .

"Brad" is a dick...but you kind of see where he's coming from that the TVA was kind of a lie and their entire identity as a group and as individuals is kind of a lie, even if he's still a dick about it. But talking about Loki's mom was a low blow .

Genuinely curious, would O.B. have worked on the Temp Pad instead if they'd asked or would they have needed to make a good argument for why? Though having them try to actually use the manual was cute .

Ha! Loki describes his invasion of Earth as just being angry at his dad and brother and that time he booted Iron Man off of (pre) Avengers Tower .

Figures the Supervillain would go the torture route...except it was Mobius' plan. And a very effective one at that. Couldn't have squished a nicer guy .

Rutherford, is that you? No, seriously though, Casey geeking out at meeting O.B. was a fun moment. Casey's probably one of, like, five people who've actually read the manual. Too bad the TVA is about to implode without Miss Minutes or Kang...so are they going to find her? Use a Kang Variant? Or Ravonna ?

Sylvie working minimum wage at McDonalds feels a little beneath her yet freeing all at the same time, yet her reunion with Loki is as awkward as you'd expect. And of course she has no interest in bothering to help or clean up the mess she made, always blaming the TVA instead of taking any responsibility for her actions. That's our Sylvie .

I love Mobius seeming genuinely interested in "Brad's" movie .

Not that she is wrong about how the TVA caused a lot of messes but they were just being strung along by HWR, and it doesn't seem like she takes the threat of the Kangs seriously...feel like Loki is the only one who does. Then again, he thinks the TVA are the only ones who can stand a chance at stopping them, but we all know we'll really need the Avengers. Or an army of ants and Ant-Man !

Dang, I did not have multiversal genocide on episode 2 on my bingo card for this season. All those timelines and worlds destroyed .

So what is Ravonna up to? Trying to find Kang ?

 

[Fone Bone]

Loki "Breaking Brad"

They really have something here, don't they? It's not just my imagination. I half-believed after dreadful MCU series after dreadful MCU series I perhaps looked back on the first season of Loki more fondly than it deserved. Understandable, considering the dreck that followed. But the dreck that followed wasn't exactly a good barometer to judge great television by, was it? Maybe I built up Loki Season 1 in my head because it was competently made, rather than great, and that's my current Marvel Studios bar. I'm thinking after seeing this, it was probably great. Why am I thinking this? Because THIS was.

Basically, we are in for a treat based on the freaking recap! Let me let you in on a little secret of mine. I HATE recaps. With a passion. They are entirely absent from Gilda And Meek And The Un-Iverse because of my disdain for them. The thing I hate most about them is that sloppily written shows will bring up a minor plot-point from a previous episode in them, thereby telling us that plotpoint IS major after all, and spoiling the "surprise" twist they think we're still gonna be shocked by despite the recap telegraphing it to us like we're a buncha dopes. The great thing about this recap isn't that it spoils anything. But the dire nature of it sort of gives context to how serious things have gotten, which we might have forgotten from last week's goofy premiere and being delighted by O.B.. The recap was great because it was like, "Oh, yeah, before the last couple of ridiculous Thor sequels, the MCU actually used to have stakes! Been awhile since we actually felt those."

I'm going to give the show a compliment I have not heard it being given elsewhere. And the reason I don't think anyone brings it up is because people take it for granted. I think the series really knows how to find real character humor in the absurd. And people will shrug, "MCU stuff is always funny, and Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson both have comedic timing and charm to spare. Big whoop." It kind of IS though. Did you actually think Thor: Love And Thunder was funny? Or Quantumania? Or God help me, She-Hulk, Attorney At Law? The fact that Brad's interrogation was by turns brutal, hilarious, surprising, cruel, and twisty is not something you can say, "No biggie. Marvel knows what it's doing," about. If that were so, more of the recent stuff would be better. The turnarounds of fortunes in that interrogation where you believe Brad has gotten into Loki and Mobius' heads, and you realize that fact that it's pissing them off in that specific prison setting is... unwise to say the least, is amazingly written, not just for the broadly played strokes of Loki musing if he is truly a loser and villain. But for the nuances that pass between the characters as Brad quickly sees that things have gotten outside of his control. It's all great, commendable stuff, that nobody bothers commending the show over. Its sense of humor is played JUST right, even with a character like O.B. now in the mix.

Second episode this season without Miss Minutes. It feels WRONG she's been absent for the entire beginning of the season. It makes me truly think she must be sinister.

I mentioned I hate recaps, and that this show did right by the trope for one of the few times I have ever seen. Do you know what else I hate? Product placement. Sadly, this episode was just as cringe there as every single other TV show forced to do it. I'm figuring if Disney is gonna make me cough up an extra five bucks a month for the bundle I shouldn't have to listen to people acting like a meal as McDonald's is a feast, rather than a gross habit people should avoid and partake in rarely. Let's be real. Even if pink slime was probably not a thing in 1982, still, it's freaking McDonald's. Spare me about how great it is.

I read a terrible article today about how Marvel television shows are created, and it's why they've turned out to be disasters. For some reason "We'll just fix it in post" works for this show. I strongly suspect probably because there is ultimately little that needs fixing. It's just freaking solid all the way down. *****.

 

[Yojimbo]

Another solid episode.

If they sold a TVA Handbook like they did Scott Lang's memoir, I'd totally buy it.

It was nice to see Loki cut loose, God of Mischief style. I guess the first clue the gang were fake were they all had British accents. Though it was cool seeing the horns on the shadows, it just makes me wonder when Loki is going to bring them out himself.

It was just a welcome sight to see him using his magic so much.

"Brad" is a dick...but you kind of see where he's coming from that the TVA was kind of a lie and their entire identity as a group and as individuals is kind of a lie, even if he's still a dick about it. But talking about Loki's mom was a low blow.

It was an entertaining battle of mind games. Really well done writing and acting. Not pulling any punches. It is also quite worrying shades of old Loki are still there and that it's some of these Hunters turn out to be good, empathetic people like B-15 while others, horrible selfish people like X-5.

Ha! Loki describes his invasion of Earth as just being angry at his dad and brother and that time he booted Iron Man off of (pre) Avengers Tower.

Points for saying what we were all thinking.

Too bad the TVA is about to implode without Miss Minutes or Kang...so are they going to find her? Use a Kang Variant? Or Ravonna ?

Since we do know about the Victor Timely variant showing up this season, I wonder if Loki and Mobius end up failing to find and convince Miss Minutes to return and help them so they go for Plan B: trying to look for a non-evil Kang variant, in this case Victor, to help gain them access to parts of the TVA as O.B. can continue with repairs and modifications.

I love Mobius seeming genuinely interested in "Brad's" movie .

It's funny. Are any of the MCU movie stars normal people? One's an Eternal. One's a rogue TVA hunter. Another one's gonna be Wonder Man. lol.

Speaking of, posters at the theater reference said Eternal as well as a Phone Ranger, who is a legit Marvel character. lmao.

Not that she is wrong about how the TVA caused a lot of messes but they were just being strung along by HWR, and it doesn't seem like she takes the threat of the Kangs seriously...feel like Loki is the only one who does. Then again, he thinks the TVA are the only ones who can stand a chance at stopping them, but we all know we'll really need the Avengers. Or an army of ants and Ant-Man !

1 Kang who is mainly a warrior, not so hard. A squad of purely evil Kangs coming to destroy the TVA? Probably a bit more challenging.

Dang, I did not have multiversal genocide on episode 2 on my bingo card for this season. All those timelines and worlds destroyed .

General Dox don't play. That was pretty brutal.

So what is Ravonna up to? Trying to find Kang ?

Yeah, can't wait to get some answers about that finally.

Second episode this season without Miss Minutes. It feels WRONG she's been absent for the entire beginning of the season. It makes me truly think she must be sinister.

Hope it's not a letdown. This feels like STAS Brainiac being a benevolent program helping Kryptonians prosper, then turns out to be an evil AI that leaves them when its existence is critically threatened. Miss Minutes was there at the End of Time and clearly answered to He Who Remains. She clearly did not like Loki and Sylvie's response to her offer and she gave files to Ravonna she didn't ask for but HWR thought would be more helpful. But like the TVA, I'm wondering if Minutes will have an identity arc, too. Supposedly HWR gave her free will to evolve on her own, but was that a shame and she's just as much a puppet as the TVA? And since she believes in HWR's mandate of single sacred timeline - are we in for her doing some terrible things to preserve the timeline? Curious where she could possibly be - a soon to be revealed unexplored room in the TVA, still at HWR's base at the end of time, somewhere else?

For some reason "We'll just fix it in post" works for this show. I strongly suspect probably because there is ultimately little that needs fixing. It's just freaking solid all the way down.

It feels like the regime change from Kate Herron and Michael Waldron to Eric Martin and Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead righted the ship for the Loki series. I know just 2 episodes in, I love season 2 way more than season 1.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

"Breaking Brad" - Okay here's a problem if we're now supposed to care about the fact that variants and other worlds are apparently dying and it's a bad that timelines and parallel branches are popping up; this needs to be a SHOW not just a tell. And I don't mean them showing them on just a line. That works for how the TVA viewed things when they didn't know and thus wanted to see variants and dangers be pruned but if we're going with them seeing that wrong and wanting these alternate realities to thrive and it's supposed to be a bummer seeing these agents blowing up so many worlds, there needs to be a better showcase of that. I don't need like huge crowds instantly disappearing or like these super imposing graphics showing the worlds no longer being but I need to see an example of the danger. That's why in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 when Ego was shown in the process of trying to take over worlds we actually saw some of earth begin to be taken over; because we need an example of what exactly the stakes are. The first season didn't really need it as much due to it being centered more on Loki's journey but this is a season dealing more into how the TVA operates and how it should operate so we should be seeing those wider dangers more when they're brought up so this kind of ending doesn't fall flat which it kind of does. I feel like this is the problem with the shows Marvel is hopefully going to correct because they want them like the movies to usually have these higher stakes but don't realize they can't just say it if they don't have the budget like the movies to more show it.

I will say though I appreciate the character focuses and feel like they work. Such as Mobius actually losing his temper at Brad and admitting to Loki he doesn't want to know what his previous life was like since if it did suck he would be fine with the TVA life he had now but if it wasn't that would devastate him knowing what he was taken away from. That's a very interesting point with these variant lives I am glad that they are taking advantage of. I also appreciate that even if Loki is actually on the heroes side and trying to do the right thing they are leaning more on him actually uses his trickster powers and cruelty better. I really dig how he did those illusions with Brad and then trapping him with his shadow powers and then later torturing him with that "will slowly shrink down and crush you" function when they're questioning wasn't previously working and even framing it like Mobius was against this plan and then revealing him not being in on it was actually part of the plan. Like it is nice we are seeing the darker edge with Loki that I feel shouldn't be totally ebbed away even by doing more the right thing. I do wish they did more with Sylvie outside of MacDonalds. Like why not show her have also now a stable home life in addition to a job and car and you know really having found something for herself. I do feel her annoyance and distancing herself from Loki and the others works though since she doesn't want to be involved with the TVA anymore and calls out Loki on the whole point of them being the only guard against he who remains with half of them still wanting to expunge timelines. Again though we keep hearing talk of hear who remains kang and Renslayer working with Miss Minutes but they aren't really showing the dangers as much as they really should be. Like we are now getting the whole point of what this season is but not enough time is really placed on seeing those dangers in action four ourselves at all.

That said there were entertaining moments. I like Brad just wanting to be this 70's action star and fear of being around Sylvie not only knowing what the other agents are but because snuffed out so many TVA agents in the past and Mobius thinking Loki was leading them and Loki pointing out "Mobius you were ahead of me' and Casey geeking out seeing O.B who appreciates the fan. Little fun bits that honestly I appreciate more seeing something like Secret Invasion that snuffed out the fun entirely. Still this one needed more actual menace from you know not just talk or seeing lines being taken out to really get behind the danger. But still pretty okay episode I'm at least curious to check in to see more of them trying to get Renslayer so let's hope something more happens with it.

 

[Magmaster12]

Sylvie must really want to be in the hit Mac and Me if she likes being where she is.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 3 "1893" - October 19, 2023

Loki & Mobius go on the hunt to find everyone's favorite cartoon clock as they try to save the TVA.

 

[Frontier]

What a "timely" rendition of the intro befitting a very "timely" episode of Loki .

So, that young version of Timely on the "Sacred Timeline" - is that the source for all Kang's? HWR made it sound like he was some kind of future scientist who discovered the multiverse, so is that boy only the progenitor of Kang's and not always explicitly Kang himself? But he is specifically the Victor Timely Kang Variant ?

I love how O.B. cannot stop mentioning how they're all going to die and keeps misreading the intention of Mobius' lines .

Balder the Brave name-drop! I think that's the first time they've explicitly called him out by name and had someone admit he exists! I think the resemblance to Odin was kind of uncanny though, but of course Loki had to throw in a dig at Thor .

Whatever you think of Jonathan Majors as a person, it cannot be denied that he is a phenomenal actor, able to portray so many different yet distinct versions of himself, as he does here with Victor Timely. A man who comes off as an awkward, anxious, and surprisingly charming inventor but who still has some of the arrogance, desire for success and recognition, and broad mind that defines a Kang .

Ugh. Ravonna playing the betrayed victim card? Come off it. All she really wants is power and status, she doesn't really care about restoring the Sacred Timeline .

I see Sylvie's method for solving problems is still to stab it to death. It still feels like she's vastly underestimating or ignorant of the greater threat to the timeline from the Kang's and her own part in it, beyond blaming everything on the TVA, but at least she couldn't kill someone who wanted to be defined on their own terms like she did. I still kind of want to see her get wrecked by a Kang though .

I was expecting a Rama-Tut reference when Timely tried to hide in the Egypt area of the World Fair...

I see Victor and Ravonna have immediate chemistry. I wonder if all Kangs have a weakness for Ravonna? Though he does end up ditching her. This might not even be the first time a Kang's done it .

I didn't expect a weird love triangle between Timely, Ravonna, and Miss Minutes who has lusted after HWR since he created her...but never gave her a robot body. Though seeing how obsessed she is with him, I don't blame him .

Ravonna getting stuck with HWR decayed corpse feels fitting, but it sounds like Miss Minutes is going to tell her what HWR did to her...betraying her and mind-wiping her despite promising to stand beside her? Is Ravonna going to try to destroy the TVA herself ?

 

[Fone Bone]

Loki "1893"

Oh, so it turns out that Miss Minutes is totally crazy. Okay. Good to know.

I liked the old timey piano Marvel opening.

People thinking Tara Strong was gonna get fired as Miss Minutes were kidding themselves. If Jonathan Majors hasn't been recast than Strong certainly won't be.

Here is my problem. This is supposed to be Loki's show. He's essentially a minor character not just in the cast, but in the entire arc and mythology of the show. That's a bad thing and a failing. That's also something I needed to point out, as complimentary as I was for the first two weeks of the season.

I had some misgivings about this one, but I wouldn't call it bad by any stretch of the imagination. ***.

 

[Yojimbo]

So, that young version of Timely on the "Sacred Timeline" - is that the source for all Kang's? HWR made it sound like he was some kind of future scientist who discovered the multiverse, so is that boy only the progenitor of Kang's and not always explicitly Kang himself? But he is specifically the Victor Timely Kang Variant ?

I think they might reveal that on the Sacred Timeline, Victor Timely was an ancestor of the original Kang from the 31st century and not a Variant. And by Miss Minutes and Ravonna giving Timely the guidebook, He Who Remains would have a failsafe in the event of his death - someone to stabilize the Loom. But I doubt he took into account Miss Minutes might go MIA and not want to help.

I see Sylvie's method for solving problems is still to stab it to death. It still feels like she's vastly underestimating or ignorant of the greater threat to the timeline from the Kang's and her own part in it, beyond blaming everything on the TVA, but at least she couldn't kill someone who wanted to be defined on their own terms like she did. I still kind of want to see her get wrecked by a Kang though .

I can see Sylvie is still in total denial she's living on borrowed time in her alternate 80s Broxton and will eventually have to make amends with Loki Variant. She can't live the rest of her life stabbing Kang variants. But wow, if she did succeed in killing Timely who might only be an ancestor...

I didn't expect a weird love triangle between Timely, Ravonna, and Miss Minutes who has lusted after HWR since he created her...but never gave her a robot body. Though seeing how obsessed she is with him, I don't blame him .

Yeah, that was... unexpected. And that makes Minutes a dangerous variable in all this like AIDA on AOS. Ultron getting a body didn't turn out well either.

Ravonna getting stuck with HWR decayed corpse feels fitting, but it sounds like Miss Minutes is going to tell her what HWR did to her...betraying her and mind-wiping her despite promising to stand beside her? Is Ravonna going to try to destroy the TVA herself ?

Yeah, sounds like it or she's not even the variant that Kang was partnered with to begin with.

Mobius presenting the bicycle made me chuckle. Loki refused. Then cut to them arriving on it, lol.

Well, we're half way through. We'll see if this Throughput Multiplier is the solve. Or if we're in for more headaches. EDIT: Oooh, I'm dumb. That greatest creation he had to get in Wisconsin was a tiny Multiversal Engine version of the one in Quantaumania.

 

[Neo Ultra Mike]

"1893" - I have a feeling I wouldn't have liked this episode if it was one of the shorter episodes of the season as this is kind of a slow burn episode despite having a couple of chase scenes in it and also having some "character seemingly shows up at the right/wrong time moments that sort of pad things out" mostly with Sylvie. Like I probably would have been annoyed if we only got that once and it led to Victor and Ravonna getting away for like another episode but since this is a longer one it does wrap back around and actual reveal the full scope of this episode and reveal who will likely be the main villains for this show; a pair of demented gals kind of fighting over the same man who doesn't technically even exist right now in their lust for full power and control.

Yeah after being gone the first third of the show we got a big time return of both Ravonna and Miss Minutes. I do like the idea since He Who Remains can see everything coming he actually did have a plan that would wind up with him back potentially on the throne if he were to die. Like a sort of emergency "okay these Lokis are probably gunk up the timeline if I really left them in charge so I should have a way back" and putting that on the two. And honestly again if this left off early I could see this as pretty lame and weak but the fact they did reveal more made it work. I know that in the comics Kang and Renslayer are a thing so when Victor was sort of flirting and she showed interest I know it was based on their previous shared history but eh I wasn't really feeling it. Nothing against the actors here but I don't think this show really hanldes romance that well. Even the Loki and Sylvie stuff last season I wasn't feeling that much and same here but I actually do like where they go with it. Having Miss Minutes be jealous and convince Victor to set her adrift and then reveal the thing she wanted most in the entire world was a body to actually be He Who Remains full on partner. You know Infinity War/Endgame didn't really have the time or need to have the Thanos/Lady death plot point but I think it actually works giving it here to this AI clock mascot who we find out has her own goals and ambitions and will use and manipulate anyone to get that.

And then you have Renslayer come in to try and get her way only to be blasted around thanks to Sylvie coming back and... talk about her and Victor later but I actually do like the idea at least of her confrintation with Renslayer. Like Sylvie wanted this revenge and to make her pay but may be finally seeing the consequences of her actions and now having more of a normal life not wanting to go through with it plus realizing "you know if you want power so much how about I ironically give it to you in a way I think will be what you least want" thus kicking her to the end of time with the dead he who remains. Since I assume Sylvie's who line of thinking is "yeah now YOU are stuck in this place where the guy previously in charge of the timelines was and can't do anything about it" not realizing Renslayer had Miss Minutes on her who knows all about how to run it and probably will reveal to Renslayer her and Kang had some sort of relationship before and ultimately make them the ones in charge of the timeline which will ultimately be bad and be who Loki and likely Sylvie have to take out at the end. Again though He Who Remains is obviously manipulative I do like the idea that he isn't really the villain here and it's these ladies kind of fighting over him but more importantly wanting to be the ones in charge who are likely going to be the main problem in their desperate need for order. Like I guess the point they are trying to make especially with Loki as the supposed star is that you do need some chaos and can't have order as we do know there will still be a multiverse by the end of this show so curious what exact that sort of threat will entail.

I will say this did feel annoyingly extensive at points. Like the banter between Mobius and Loki about different approaches and snacks and even the little mini statues to the other gods and Mobius admitting "oh I keep forgetting you're one of them" is decently amusing. And I guess it was worth having those muscle headed other investors chasing around for the scene of Loki blasting them away during that second chase. Still you did feel the length in certain scenes. I'm guessing the team behind this really left Jonathan Majors go to town with how he played Victor Timely based off how everyone loved He Who Remains but honestly what made He Who Remains so cool was the confidence and power in addition to the quirkiness. Here just ranting about time with that stutter wasn't nearly as interesting honestly so that whole presentation dragged. And I get that Sylvie catching up to Victor and Loki so she could try offing him and Loki point out why that won't work would mean more and make more sense with her deciding to spare him the second time but again that also felt like it went on too long and yeah them bringing up that it's a repeat of how the first season finale went didn't really help matters. This does also remind me how little impact Loki is really having at points. Some people say that was a big problem last season but you could still also see it was a journey for this Loki and him evolving as a character but now that we have that evolution feels like it's less about him. I mean her certainly still has more charisma as a lead the Jackson did in Secret invasion or Dawson in Ahsoka but this really is the season of "yeah this is less a Loki show and more a TVA one" especially when he's not doing that much. Even the last two episodes of this season he still had a majority of screen time and much more character bits to chew on which isn't really the case here. Still for the dynamic of Miss Minutes and Renslayer and for how this positioned them to be the main villains of this show and moving things ahead it was a solid episode.

 

[Magmaster12]

I'm kind of disappointed this is a major shift from Kang's origin of being a descendant of Reed Richards and finding Doom's time machine. Having him be a descendant of Tony Stark who has all of his ego with no restraint would have worked much better, it provides better justification for why there needed to be a 5-year time skip for Morgan to be born and Tony being the one to invent Time Travel. I am really disappointed by the lack of connection with Endgame they are going with.

 

[Yojimbo]

I'm kind of disappointed this is a major shift from Kang's origin of being a descendant of Reed Richards and finding Doom's time machine. Having him be a descendant of Tony Stark who has all of his ego with no restraint would have worked much better, it provides better justification for why there needed to be a 5-year time skip for Morgan to be born and Tony being the one to invent Time Travel. I am really disappointed by the lack of connection with Endgame they are going with.

Yes. It would have also been a great callback if he was a Stark descendant because how he says he can't make his inventions because of the technology of time restricting him paralleling what Howard says in the secret recording Tony watches in Iron Man 2. But I'm still suspicious Victor Timely might be an ancestor not a variant. Using the name, the same actor, etc. could be a red herring.

 

[Yojimbo]

Episode 4 "Heart of the TVA" - October 26, 2023

The TVA's Loom nears catastrophic failure but Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie have a He Who Remains variant.