Loki: The Variant

After an action-deficit first episode, The Variant does not shy away from jumping right into the action, providing viewers a glimpse into the havoc-wreaking business of the rogue Loki variant, who kicks some serious ass to Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out for A Hero at a Renaissance Faire in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the year 1985. (Brace up folks, there's some serious time-traveling) Subduing the Minutemen, he (or she?) also ventures to nab a reset charge and take one of the troopers (Hunter C-20) hostage.

Meanwhile, our Loki is taking a lesson from none other than Miss Minutes herself on the TVA’s protocol as per Mobius’ direction. We learn that Miss Minutes is more than just TVA’s animated mascot—she is an anthropomorphic sentient hologram who’s clearly vexed when whipped at by an ever-vexatious Loki. Although I must admit that it was, in fact, amusing to see the glint in Loki’s eyes as he gets back to doing what he does best.

Word of the attack disconcerts the team who immediately sets forth to capture the troublesome variant. Loki agrees to help on the stipulation that he gains an audience with the Timekeepers.

On arriving, however, Loki attempts to hoodwink the team but Mobius sees right through his BS and calls off the mission. Back at the TVA, the no-nonsense Judge Renslayer, calls Mobius to her office to debrief him.

Mobius marvels at the beauty of her office and enquires why he doesn’t get to keep many of the impressive trinkets and accolades from solved cases, despite having a major role in acquiring them. Oddly, she contradicts the argument by noting that she approved all the missions and by the virtue of that fact, is more deserving of the awards. From their conversation, it is revealed that Mobius has never once met the Timekeepers and doesn’t intend to. Renslayer reveals the Timekeepers are alarmed and invested in every aspect of this case with a warning that this might be very well his last chance with Loki.

Loki, tasked with the reviewal of files on the Loki variants, lackadaisically flips through documents until his eyes fell upon the event report of Ragnarok. His eyes well up as he learns the extent of destruction and the death figures which was in the thousands. Minutes later, however, when Mobius offers his condolences, Loki couldn’t care less, brusquely responding with: Very sad.

That is Loki’s Achille’s heel. He cares about his people and his family, but his egotistical self does not want him to accept it. At least, not in front of others.

In a light bulb moment, Loki formulates a working theory to locate the variant and discover his potential hiding spots. Euphoric, he rushes to Mobius to assess the viability of his theory.

Citing Ragnarok as an example, Loki hijacks Mobius’s lunch with his elucidation of his apocalypse theory with some very questionable props including Mobius’ lunch(salad), salt, pepper, and Casey’s drink. You might as well call it the salt and pepper salad theory.

To test out the theory, Mobius and Loki travel to Pompeii, Italy in 79 AD, mere minutes before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius where Loki animatedly runs into the piazza and heralds the decimation of the city. Just as he was done, the volcano erupts sending the townsfolk into a frenzy and much to the amusement of the audience, a gleeful Loki revels in the chaos.

As theorized, Loki’s involvement did not cause the timeline to branch nor did the Tempad (a device that detects the presence of a variant) show any signs of variance energy, confirming his theory that the variant might be hiding in apocalyptic natural disasters.

A light-hearted chinwag with Loki triggers a thought for Mobius who connects the dots to an anachronistic candy he had collected from a previous encounter with the variant.

With two variables, the Kablooie candy, and the cataclysmic disaster, they whittle it down to a Class 1o hurricane in Alabama, 2050. Renslayer begrudgingly approves the mission with an ominous warning that if the operation goes sideways, it will be out of her hands.

Loki’s assurance that he can be trusted was met with much scorn by Mobius who retorts: Why is it the people you can't trust are always saying, 'Trust me'?

Loki teams up with Hunter B-15 and proceeds to surveil the aisles while Mobius sets out with Hunter D-90. Soon enough, the Hunter B-15-Loki duo comes across a civilian who claims to be shopping for Azaleas. Seriously, when the city is literally going kablooey?

The variant seems to have enchanted the civilian, who upon contact with Hunter B-15 transfers into her body. Through various characters in the store, the variant communicates with Loki, expressing his contempt for Loki’s allegiance to the TVA, which Loki promptly denies stating that he only works for himself.

Mobius and the team locate a delirious Hunter C-20 who reveals she disclosed the location of the Timekeepers to the variant.

After the variant communes through a particularly disruptive host, she reveals herself, in classic fashion, by dropping the hood to a sinister background score. Let’s give it up for (drumroll) Lady Loki!!

An alternate version of Loki? A paramour? Speaking of alternate versions, did a Loki variant win the Tour De France? Turns out he did.

With her Tempad, she transports a plethora of stolen reset charges across various time portals before stepping into one herself.

“Brace yourself. This isn’t about you,” she hisses, before parting.

Loki considers the situation for a moment, before following in her wake, ignoring Mobius’ desperate pleas to not follow the variant.

Back at the TVA, the Sacred timeline splinters off, setting off alarms across the headquarters, prompting a baffled Renslayer to leap into action.

The second episode definitely picks up the pace and ups the ante, with the excitement and interest for the series at a fever pitch. Aided by the brilliant performances of Hiddleston and Wilson along with Kate Herron’s ingenious direction, the episode is enthralling with just the right amount of tension, suspense, and humor.

With the conclusion of the second episode, however, viewers can no longer hope to witness the comical Loki-Mobius dynamic, which I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed and eagerly look forward to seeing more of.

Rating: 4.5/5

Now streaming on Disney+