'Loki' Season 2 Episode 2 Review
Image Source: CNN
The Time Slip issue was resolved thanks to O.B. in the Loki Season Two premiere, allowing Episode 2, titled “Breaking Brad,” to slow down the chaos just a little bit. However, this episode's sense of urgency remains apparent with Miss Minutes still MIA. At the end of Episode One, General Dox deploys Hunter X-5 and other field agents armed to the max to find Sylvie. “Breaking Brad” opens with Loki and Mobius in London, UK, in 1977 as they find themselves at the movie premiere of Brad Wolfe’s (X-5), Zaniac. It turns out that X-5 chose to desert his mission and make an entirely new life for himself.
After a chase that culminates with Loki reminding Brad, aka X-5, of the type of coercion that the god of mischief is capable of, the new TVA takes him into custody. Back at the TVA, O.B. is still working on repairing the Temporal Loom, and the team learns that Miss Minutes is with Renslayer and that Renslayer erased the data from her TemPad. The Blast Doors in the Temporal Loom can’t be opened, and without either Miss Minutes or He Who Remains’ Temporal Aura, the TVA will soon cease to exist.
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Image Source: WJJY
During the two interrogations of X-5, fans get glimpses of the character development in Mobius and the journey from villain to hero in Loki. X-5 is good at his job. X-5 is an asshole. This is Mobius’ warning to Loki before they enter and begin his questioning. The foreshadowing of Loki losing his temper and reverting to his old reaction types is misdirection. Viewers hold awkward witness to Loki breathing through every insult, including calling him a loser, telling him he is the villain and nothing more, and even daring to bring up Frigga, Loki’s deceased mother. Then he hits Mobius – hard and where it hurts. Mobius has not checked the sacred timeline to investigate his old life, and X-5 punches that raw nerve until Mobius punches him. This, of course, ends this interview. Mobius claims he was tactical. The following scene shows Loki’s growth as he cares for his friend, telling him it is okay to get angry and “lose it” sometimes. Loki even provides a personal example when he reminds Mobius of that one time he was super angry with his dad and brother, took over NYC with an alien army, and threw Tony Stark off a building.
Fans see the regret for those actions in Loki while learning that Mobius doesn’t fear discovering something terrible about his previous life – it is finding out good things he doesn’t want to live within his head. After working through their feelings, they take another crack at X-5. Mobius suggests that Loki harnesses his mischievous nature when tackling the second interrogation. Round Two shows the good cop/bad cop ideal, making X-5 think that Loki is off the rails. This makes the use of the torture machine even more effective.
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X-5 did indeed find Sylvie before he went AWOL. Once reunited with Sylvie, viewers are privy to what X-5 already knows. General Dox's mission is to prune all the alternative timelines, murdering billions of people. X-5 returns to detainment at the TVA while Mobius, Sylvie, and Loki attempt to thwart Dox’s mission. Sylvie and Loki join hands, and Sylvie says, “Don’t overthink it.” They combine their magic, saving lives but still losing many timelines. The loss of life hits the heroes in their hearts, showcasing the difference between Loki and Sylvie’s respective states of grieving the tragedy of their lives. While Loki appears to be moving toward acceptance, Sylvie is still too angry to process her pain. She leaves, still possessing the special TemPad that belonged to He Who Remains.
Some areas feel underdrawn regarding Sylvie and her newly chosen life at McDonald's in 1982 Broxton, Oklahoma. It will be interesting to see how she evolves this season. The best part is the chemistry between Owen Wilson’s Mobius and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki on screen. They play so well together, and the dialogue written between them is a chef’s kiss in every episode. Don’t forget to catch next week’s episode on Disney+ Thursday at 9 p.m. (ET) or 8 p.m. (CST).
Rating 9/10
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