In this next installment of Loki’s journey through the multiverse – and his attempts to save it – we get a glimpse into the life of a rogue TVA agent. Hunter X-05’s exploits as Brad Wolfe show the humanity and lost lives of the rest of the variants at the TVA. And hey, that chase scene made for some great Loki moments. It’s something of a return to form – this is what Loki fans have been waiting for. I just wish we got more of it.
Frustratingly, this episode has a large focus on Sylvie, aka one of the messiest characters of the current MCU. She has potential, but Loki’s obsession with her is just too dominating over her character.
“What is this? God, it’s weird.”
Brad Wolfe, you took the words right out of my mouth. Will the show just axe this bizarre romance already?
Side note: Sylvie’s hair looks so much better this season. The tamed-down style frames her features much better than the flared-out look she was sporting all through season 1. So props to the hair and makeup team for that.
When it comes to Loki, this show is quickly making it clear that the second season has much more of a grasp of his character than the first did. We see this in a delightful scene halfway through the episode, where he interrogates “Brad.” Loki’s measured threats, his willingness to keep pushing, his capacity for manipulation – it’s exactly what fans have been asking for.
I finished Ahsoka recently, so it’s been on my mind as I’ve watched Loki. The two of them are very different characters, but they’ve had a similar reception by their audiences. Both Loki and Ahsoka weren’t the protagonists of their original stories, but they’re fan favorites. They each got their own YA book (and, coincidentally, they were both confirmed as queer in their respective books). And, of course, they’ve each earned their own central TV shows in recent years.
Character arc-wise, they’ve had contrasting journeys. Loki is a famous anti-hero, whereas Ahsoka has always been on the light side. And that’s what I wish we got from the Ahsoka show – a taste of her tempting the dark. Just a bit for flavor. But hey, we’re getting that from Loki! Even if it was just an act, getting to see Loki at his darkest is a welcome treat.
Mobius had some good screen time in this episode, as well as some insight into his unknown origins. Loki being a good friend to him was nice, too. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – this relationship should be Loki’s main dynamic. Mobius’s belief and trust in Loki when Loki doesn’t have anyone from his past to turn to makes for a great back-and-forth. That’s a plus for MCU shows over the movies: we get many more character interactions. And those are always my favorite parts.
Coming back around to Sylvie, though, she’s actually forming some good depth. I just wish it wasn’t so sped up. We had literally less than a minute of Sylvie’s “life” in her McDonald’s branch. Just knowing that she’s somewhat familiar with her coworkers and that she likes retail work really isn’t enough from a viewer’s perspective. And yet this is her “home” now? Sure, whatever, I’m not arguing against her finding peace in the mundane. But I wish we could’ve seen a bit more of how that came to be in between the last episode and this one. At least now she has something to fight for.
You know Anya and Damian from SPY X FAMILY? In season 1 of that anime (minor spoilers here), Anya’s father is on a mission to get information on Damian’s father. Anya knows this and, as such, works on getting closer to Damian for her dad’s sake. Over the course of the first season, Damian develops a crush on Anya, but it’s most apparent that Anya doesn’t feel the same way. Her focus and attention on Damian are always done with the underlying intent of helping her spy father.
That’s how I’m interpreting Loki and Sylvie’s relationship at this point in time. Loki might still have a (somewhat unhealthy) attachment to her, but Sylvie clearly doesn’t share the same feelings. At least, unlike Damian, Loki is actually nice to Sylvie more than half of the time!
Loki’s “It’s harder to stay” line right as Sylvie left him again really got me. Poor Loki just can’t keep the people he cares about close to him – none except Mobius. We can only hope that he’ll be able to convince Sylvie to help save the multiverse, and maybe then Loki will have a universe where he can be happy.
