In every piece of time travel media, modern audiences have come to expect a dash of historical indulgence. The characters must flirt with their love interests in ancient Rome, or explore a mystery in the streets of eighteenth-century London. We’ve had snippets of these moments in the first season of Loki. But in this episode, we finally get a full immersion into another time and place! This week, we’re spending time at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and it is wondrous.
(I was half-expecting a H. H. Holmes cameo at some point, since he did most of his serial killing during this exact time frame and exposition, but that might’ve been a bit too dark for Loki. I guess the D. B. Cooper scene from season 1 is as much as we can expect.)
Side note: I found it funny that, in the summary of this episode, Disney+ called Miss Minutes “everyone’s favorite cartoon clock.” To modify a quote from Drew Gooden: “I guess by default, yeah, she currently would be number one, but the moment I meet any other cartoon clock they will be taking that spot from her.”
I love how weirdly fluffy this episode and the last one have been. Loki and Mobius are getting the one-on-one time that they deserve, and it does wonders for both of their arcs. A good amount of this episode is just the two of them on a date, and the environment around them couldn’t be more conducive to wholesome interactions. Mobius might not have his jet ski yet, but at least he’s getting to enjoy some of the creature comforts of Earth!
The Norse pavilion was an especially fun moment. Given how far Loki’s come since his first movie, it’s a nice reminder of his origins. And, hey – Loki mentioned Thor by name! It’s been a while since he’s done that! As I’ve said in previous posts, Loki and Thor’s dynamic has always been my favorite part of the MCU. And if we’re actually getting a proper conclusion to their brotherly bond at long last… oh man, I would forgive this show for anything.
In this episode, we also met Victor Timely! The alternate look at a variant of HWR was fascinating, given how distinct the two of them act, and I quite liked the Tesla vibe that Timely had going on.
I found it pretty damn funny that, in trying to convince Timely to join her, Ravonna has to somehow explain the plot of Loki season 1 to him – which isn’t an easy feat, as any MCU fan can tell you!
I know it was certainly temporary, but I let myself enjoy the cute dynamic between Ravonna and Timely in this episode. There’s a very small chance that we’ll see anything more of this in the rest of the show, but hey. It was nice to sit back and aww at shared laughs and small hand touches. I love this stuff.
And then, just when episode 3 almost seemed like a romantic one… Miss Minutes had to come in and ruin everything. And geez, this was an angle I very much did not see coming!
It’s funny, but I’ve never been so uncomfortable watching a TV show. Which is probably more of a reflection on the relatively tame content I watch than anything about Loki itself, but – still. Miss Minutes flirting with an alternate version of HWR and asking for a physical body certainly wasn’t on my Loki s2 bingo sheet.
(Hey, like his electricity predecessor, Timely also has weird romantic partners! Right? Right?)
While we’re on the topic of Timely, though – I quite liked this place we reached in Sylvie’s arc. It might’ve seemed like she cemented her path to the dark side, but now she’s in the same situation. Now, she’s letting Timely live. She could finally be reaching the point where she’ll fight by Loki’s side – although, hopefully, it doesn’t look like she’ll choose to stay with him once all this is over.
When it comes to Ravonna, though, Sylvie deserves to get her revenge. But she still isn’t killing anyone, so that’s a good sign for the light side!
It’s minor, but my heart broke a little when Mobius called Ravonna “Von.” The glimpse we got of their friendship back in season 1 was touching, and this moment from Mobius emphasized this. I hope we’ll get more of Ravonna in this season. She might be an antagonist to Loki and Mobius, but her intentions aren’t malicious. I’d love to see her come around as an ally at the finale.
And hey, speaking of Ravonna… that final cliffhanger about the “secret” Miss Minutes knows was very frustrating. I have my guesses, though. Since Kang the Conquerer and Ravonna are romantically involved in the comics, the reveal could be that they had a history in this universe, too. Or maybe Ravonna’s done something in her past that goes against what she’s marching for now. Again, I’m hoping for a redemption arc – she’s just too fascinating of a character to toss aside.
Well, here we are, already halfway through Loki season 2! So far, the plot and character elements are balancing surprisingly well. And the basis of a strong team is being formed, too. Maybe, just maybe, everyone will be able to escape this show unscathed.
(Well, most of them, at least.)
