The second season of Marvel’s Loki has arrived, and it’s off to a bumpy start. We’ve already gotten to see some of our favorite characters (Loki, Mobius, etc.) in the first episode, and we’re only getting a taste of what’s in store for Season 2. But Episode 2 of Loki Season 2 takes things to the next level, reuniting fan-favorites in the midst of heartbreaking losses. Spoilers ahead!
Loki and Sylvie Reunited
In the second episode, we find out that hunter X-5, who is also known as Brad wolfe in another time line, has found Sylvie. However, he doesn’t want to go after her because he’s happy in his life as a film star in this timeline.
Loki, Mobius, and what can only be called a mime-shaped box set off on a strange mission to find where Sylvie is. As it turns out, they find her working at a McDonald’s in the 1980s.
The reunion between Loki (Tom Hiddleston)and Sylvie is anything but warm. She’s still angry that he tried to stop her from avenging herself against the TVA, and Loki is still angry that he was thrown through a time portal, leaving him stranded in space and time.
Sylvia’s hatred for Loki may seem ill-advised, after all, he was only trying to help her understand the ramifications of her actions. After all, her act of murdering He Who Remains had ended the lives of countless innocent people, a fact she refused to accept. In many ways, Sylvia reminds us of a younger version of Loki. The Loki we know and love from the Thor and Avengers movies, an angry, power-hungry individual who is willing to sacrifice the lives of others for his own gain.
Their meeting is interesting because it feels like Loki is facing his past self and it will be interesting to watch how their relationship develops given their hatred towards each other. Loki wants to get back together with Sylvie while she wants to stay in the 80s.
A New MCU Body Count Record
As the story progresses, the temporal loom, the TVA’s power source, begins to malfunction due to the chaos in the multiverse caused by Sylvie’s actions. Some TVA hunter, including a powerful general, turn to bombing new TVA branches, resulting in the destruction of billions of human beings living in these universes.
This scene, which is not shown onscreen, is extremely upsetting, and the falling branches of the universes serve as a heartbreaking reminder of the people who lost their lives. Some members of TVA justify their actions by arguing that these universes shouldn’t exist outside of the Sacred Timeline, but it’s hard not to feel sympathy for Sylvie, whose rage becomes more understandable as time goes on.
In addition, this episode marks a new low for the MCU, with the highest death toll of any MCU film or series, surpassing even Infinity War. Although Thanos’ Snap was ultimately reversed, these destroyed universes are lost for ever, leaving a deep wound on the TVA.
Ending Notes
In the big picture, this second episode of Loki holds up pretty well, although it does have a few lapses along the way. It didn’t quite live up to the intensity of the first episode, and it certainly didn’t feel like it was as fast-paced as the first go-round. But then again, the story’s staying power is so strong that these little lapses are easy to overlook. When the credits closed, my excitement for next week’s episode was palpable. I can only hope that, next week, Miss Minutes will be back, scarier than ever, just like we last saw her!
