S02.E01: Ouroboros

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Loki finds himself lost to time and torn, quite literally, between past, present, and future.

Dropping on Disney+ on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 9pm EDT/8pm CDT/7pm MDT/6pm PDT.

[kay1864]

[AimingforYoko]

I am so here for Ke Huy Quan's second act. As to the episode proper:

 

[phalange]

I missed this show. Feels like it's been a million years. Maybe I'm time-slipping, too.

Love Ouroborus/OB and how calm he is about everything despite the insanity going on around him.

Mobius had some great lines. "You both kicked each other through a time door simultaneously?" And when he said time slipping looks like being born, or dying, or both at the same time. The camera panning over to a random TVA employee in the elevator with them was hilarious. Can't blame Mobius for being concerned about the Time Loom, since having your skin ripped off does sound pretty awful, though being spaghetti-fied sounds equally terrible. 

I was confused at first about how Loki got pruned since he clearly didn't find a pruning stick in time, but you can see the outline of the pruning stick behind him, so someone else must have done it. Sylvie is there, so future Loki and Sylvie go back to the TVA to prune past Loki, maybe? And who was calling on the phone? 

So THAT'S how Sylvie ends up working at a McDonald's. The set pics had me thinking it was the 70s, but I guess late 70s/early 80s styles overlapped a bit.

Edited October 6, 2023 by phalange

[magdalene]

I have always enjoyed Doctor Who so I am used to the timey-wimey wibbly-wobbliness. Which comes in handy with this episode for sure.

I am glad this show is back and I am eager for the next episode. I gave up on Secret Invasion during the first episode and it feels good to want to stick with this.

I don't care at all for the whole Kang thing but give me Tom Hiddleston as Loki doing his thing and I am a happy camper.  His chemistry with Morbius is the icing on the cake.

The acting and the set design remain top quality.

[Bill1978]

Wow, that episode flew by and I'm not sure I know what exactly happened - kinda wished I rewatched S1 to remember what happened. But who cares, it's so great to have the show back. I missed the Loki/Morbius interactions. Absolutely loved the scene where Loki was influencing present OB's memory by talking to Past OB - that I understood.

I also enjoyed the return of the mid-credit scene.

[festivus]

Well, we are off to a promising start. I just about died laughing when Mobius said he had no memory of getting his memory wiped. Loki slipping through time did look freaky as fuck.

It was fun seeing the McDonald's of 1982. I worked at the KFC in 83 and we had to wear hideous polyester uniforms. (Although strangely, I liked them) They were doodoo brown. And a visor too. 

[MadyGirl1987]

So glad to have this show back! Was not expecting the reason Mobius didn’t know Loki was what it was a different time. I’m interested to know more about that. I’m looking forward to this season. OB will be a welcome addition, but I think the Loki/Mobius interactions will be the real highlight, as always. 

[dwmarch]

Wow, this was glorious chaos! I have no idea what is going on but it is awesome. So far I am getting a 12 Monkeys vibe from it in that we are seeing things now that make no sense but will fully make sense in context.

[thuganomics85]

Loki is back to hopefully wash out the bad taste that Secret Invasion left in a lot of people's mouths.  And I'm optimistic it will do it.  Whatever flaws it has or ends up having, it at least never fails to entertain and actually seems to be trying new things (even if it ends up falling back on old tropes at times.)

So, instead of Loki being in another universe, he was actually going through time instead, and the stuff with Mobius and Hunter not knowing him and being set at a TVA filled with Kang shrines was from a time that has been erased from their memories: likely when Kang was forming the TVA.  Didn't predict that, but that explains a lot of stuff.  Of course, as usual, the timey wimey stuff still gets confusing, but I've kind of learned to just roll with it at this point.

No surprise that OB is already shooting up as another character I love due to Ke Huy Quan.  The Ke Huy Quanaissance has definitely been one of the best things to happen this past year.  Short Round finally gets his due!  Looking forward to more of his character going forward.

Loki and Mobius continue to be one of the best duos in the MCU for me.  Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson really seems to have develop a chemistry with one another that works despite arguably having different kind of acting styles and charisma.  But instead of a hinderance, it actually ends up complementing each other instead.  All in all, there really seems to be a gold mine of potential here with these two.

Not trusting new Hunter and the General.  Especially since the latter is played by Katie Dickie a.k.a. Lysa Arryn from Game of Thrones, and she was a big ball of crazy!

Glad they fixed Loki, but I'm definitely curious about who pruned him.  Did they know they were actually helping him or was it ill-intent?  And what was going on with Sylvie apparently being at the TVA and stuck in the elevator come future time?  And it seems like she is currently in 80s Oklahoma right now, discovering the world known as McDonald's?!

Welcome back, show!

[paigow]

4 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

And it seems like she is currently in 80s Oklahoma right now, discovering the world known as McDonald's?!

She ordered the entire menu, but has no money...so she has to work it off?

[Valerie]

Sooooooo amped for Seaon 2, I even resubbed to Disney+, haha. I rewatched Season 1 last week (grabbed the blu-ray release) to get myself refreshed.

Loki's hair was very majestic in this episode. /shallow

OB was adorable and hilarious. I loved the timey-wimey bits, his conversation with Loki in the past affecting his conversations in the future.

The Loki/Mobius friendship is the best. I absolutely love their chemistry.

[kay1864]

I just realized: 1. People don’t age while in the TVA (which we probably could have inferred, since they’re outside of time). 2. People work there for hundreds of years and somehow don’t get bored?

also… Why does OB remember Mobius, but not vice versa? Sounds like Mobius has had his memory wiped more than once?

Edited October 6, 2023 by kay1864

[kay1864]

1 hour ago, paigow said:

She ordered the entire menu, but has no money...so she has to work it off?

And being Sylvie, she of course has to “try everything”.

Which links to another Disney product 😆

Edited October 6, 2023 by kay1864

[tkc]

1 hour ago, Valerie said:

Loki's hair was very majestic in this episode. /shallow

Glad to meet another fan! 😄

Also loved the fact that in the first scene with O.B., we had “Wow” from Ke Huy Quan and Tom Hiddleston, but not Owen Wilson!

The long wait is over; welcome back, Loki!

[Fool to cry]

Great having the show back! One of my favorite Marvel Disney Plus shows next to WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. The best part continue to be the Loki and Mobius buddy comedy. Hiddleston and Owen Wilson's chemistry is as fantastic. 

The scene where we meet OB feels so Wes Anderson and I loved it 

 

[tennisgurl]

Oh yeah, now this is the MCU we know and love! After the mess that was Secret Invasion I am so glad to have this show back, and its already hit the ground running. I love this bizarre mashup of Dr. Who, Brazil, and a wacky buddy cop movie as directed by Wes Anderson and its already washing that nasty Secret Invasion taste out of my mouth. 

Loki going through the past instead of alternate dimensions makes a lot of sense, in a very timey wimey wibbly woobly kind of way. I'm glad that Loki is already back from being blinked in and out of the time stream and reunited with Mobius, Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson have such excellent chemistry. Their natural banter elevates what is already a strong script into something extra special. 

"Well I'd ask who won, but..."

"It was a draw"

"You both kicked each other through Time Doors simultaneously?"  

Its been so long since I last saw this show that I was hit again by how great the production values are, I adored the big room of stuff where OB works. Speaking of, I already love Ouroboros, its so great to see Ke Huy Quan here, he already fits in so well. Did Mobius get his memory wiped since the last time they apparently met? 

Sylvie finds herself in the strangest the place yet...a McDonalds in the early 80s!

Edited October 6, 2023 by tennisgurl

[Enigma X]

I loved it! Although I knew Loki would somehow be pruned, I was still on the edge of my seat. And Mobius and his funny way of saying "temporal." I like Sylvie, but my favorite relationship on this show has always been Loki/Mobius.  Anyway, a great start, and hope it keeps going on this positive trajectory. 

[Kirbyrun]

5 hours ago, kay1864 said:

also… Why does OB remember Mobius, but not vice versa? Sounds like Mobius has had his memory wiped more than once?

I suspect it's because it hasn't happened for Mobius yet. He'll end up 400 years in the past and meet OB briefly.

[steelyis]

14 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Not trusting new Hunter and the General.  Especially since the latter is played by Katie Dickie a.k.a. Lysa Arryn from Game of Thrones, and she was a big ball of crazy!

Right? She looks amazing in that TVA uniform, though.

 

I thought reviewers were overly enthusiastic about Ke Huy Quan stealing every scene he's in because he's generally awesome and likable, but no. No, he did steal every scene he was in.

And the easy chemistry between Hiddleston and Wilson as Loki and Mobius hasn't lost a step between seasons.

I'm curious where the show goes from here in terms of stakes, but I'm all in for season 2.

[Spartan Girl]

Oh Tom Hiddleston, I’ve missed you and your dramatic hair flipping!

I’m trying not to get my hopes high after the MCU has let me down over and over lately (fuck you, Secret Invasion), but we’re off to a good start. I love OB and how he and Loki basically pulled a Bill and Ted to get all the stuff they needed in the present. And of course the bromance with Loki and Mobius is as great as ever.

6 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Sylvie finds herself in the strangest the place yet...a McDonalds in the early 80s!

Well, I guess that would be as good as place as any to drown your sorrows after screwing over the multiverse lol. The decor sure took me back though…

[Fleegull]

It's pretty telling that Sylvie was keying in on the happy couple and the groups of friends chatting in the McDonald's, it's the peace she never got to experience, I don't blame her for wanting to sit a spell and just be a person.

Let's never discount that Tom Hiddleston does a lovestruck gaze better than pretty much anyone else, when he saw Sylvie in that elevator that was the money shot for me.

[arc]

I love time shenanigans, so the conversation happening in two time periods was awesome. They also did a good job using little details like glasses or Mobius' idle dust-graffiti to help signpost which era was which.

Also, this show's Modern(ish) art direction in the whole design of the TVA is sublime. I love it so much. The 1982 McDonalds was great too.

Overall, Loki the show is one of the least directly adapted from any comics runs, right? S1 was a great story and I'm excited for S2 too.

[angora]

That was a lot of fun. I'll echo all the love for OB, who's just a delight. It's sad but sweet to see how cheery he is about everything, working all by himself down in the basement, going 100s of years being visitors but happy to be part of the "team." It's also interesting that he specifically acknowledges that it's been 400 years since Mobius's visit. If time doesn't work in the normal way in the TVA, hence why people are convinced Loki can't be time-slipping there, how could he know it's been 400 years? Is he keyed into this place in a different way, has he gone much longer than any of the others without memory wipes, or is it something else?

It's cute that Loki ends up being the one who gives him his nickname OB when he time-slips and meets him in the past. The whole past/present conversation between Loki-OB and Mobius-OB is great. But I think my vote for favorite moment of the whole episode is when OB pulls the manual out of his pocket while they're walking and casually tosses it over his shoulder, then Loki catches it. The timing and execution are just perfect--I love it!

It's good to have Loki and Mobius back together again, even if it quickly deflates the big cliffhanger from the end of season 1. But I enjoy their banter so much that it doesn't really bother me. It's sweet that Mobius is so worried about Loki's time-slipping and is immediately focused on helping him, being all, "Yeah, yeah, apocalyptic doom warning, first we've gotta get you sorted out!" And both of them trying to reassure the other that the time-slipping doesn't look/feel that bad, cute.

Intrigued by the timey-wimey stuff and excited to see where it's going. Great moment of Loki breaking through the mural in the meeting room to reveal the He Who Remains images beneath, and I love that brief glimpse between Loki and Sylvie in the future.

Glad to have the show back. I'm ready for the ride!

[paigow]

13 hours ago, Fleegull said:

Let's never discount that Tom Hiddleston does a lovestruck gaze better than pretty much anyone else, when he saw Sylvie in that elevator that was the money shot for me.

Is Sylvie a female Loki Variant?  

[Megras]

Just now, paigow said:

Is Sylvie a female Loki Variant?  

Yes

[paigow]

Loki: Sylvie, you complete me.

Sylvie: No, I double you.

[Morrigan2575]

On 10/6/2023 at 3:41 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Not trusting new Hunter and the General.  Especially since the latter is played by Katie Dickie a.k.a. Lysa Arryn from Game of Thrones, and she was a big ball of crazy!

Oh, thank you. I knew she look familiar but, couldn't place her.

I enjoyed this episode, I hope Ke Huy Quan has a main role this season, he was an interesting character and I enjoyed his vibe with Mobius and Loki.

I find the Loki/Mobius friendship/interaction to be the best part of the show, so I was quite happy this episode.  I'm curious as to what they've building up towards with Kang/He Who Remains.

My least favorite part is Sylvie, I'm here for Loki/Hiddleston and Loki/Mobius (and now OB).  I'm so over Super Special Sylvie....please don't shove her down my throat again show.

[Athena]

Just now, Morrigan2575 said:

My least favorite part is Sylvie, I'm here for Loki/Hiddleston and Loki/Mobius (and now OB).  I'm so over Super Special Sylvie....please don't shove her down my throat again show.

I'm with you. I rarely dislike a character like this in an otherwise great show. This show has great art direction, fun sci-fi, and brilliant leads and supporting cast (now expanded!), but I still don't like Sylvie. I watched S1 on a binge so this will be my first time watching it live. I really liked not having her around. Don't think it's the actor's abilities or even the chemistry because Tom Hiddleston can have chemistry with a phone book. I just don't feel for her and I don't care about their star crossed self-love relationship.

Love Mobius. Really liked OB and the other TVA cast as usual.

I don't care about Kang either but I've read reviews of the first 4 eps are generally favourable so here's to another fun season.

[Enigma X]

Before certain real-life events transpired, I was over Majors as an actor (not as great as people were telling me) and Kang as a villain because I hate the way everything is being written in the MCU as all part of Kang's plan as if the characters have no free will. And yes, I am over Sylvie, too.

[Tachi Rocinante]

Wet blanket time. Sorry.

Loved the first season and I enjoy time travel shenanigans, but this episode was a mess for the most part.

[SnarkShark]

For me, that was both ridiculous and awesome.  MacGuffins galore, but in the best way. 

And I'm certainly not going to complain about getting Ke Huy Quan.

 

 

[Macbeth1966]

I loved it.  Watching Loki is the only connection I have to the Marvel Universe at this point.

It's the little details that matter.  There is a warning written in the floor right outside the doors that lead to the Temporal Loom.  It was obviously written by OB.

"DANGER.  Temporal radiation levels escalate beyond this threshold. Likelihood of Spaghettification increases 7000%.  Proceed with caution. "

I am thrilled that Loki is back.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Macbeth1966

[Affogato]

On 10/6/2023 at 7:40 AM, paigow said:

She ordered the entire menu, but has no money...so she has to work it off?

You pay before you take the food at McDonalds, so if she didn't have money she probably didn't get the food.

On 10/7/2023 at 9:42 AM, Megras said:

Yes

I think the show would have more traction if both Sylvie and Loki were less, oh, upstanding, there should be a constant undercurrent of manipulation and trickery there, along with the relatable moments. In my opinion, it would make a better show. Marvel still isn't good with the shades of grey heroes.

[paigow]

6 hours ago, Affogato said:

You pay before you take the food at McDonalds, so if she didn't have money she probably didn't get the food.

Why is she working there???

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 10/6/2023 at 9:15 AM, kay1864 said:

I just realized: 1. People don’t age while in the TVA (which we probably could have inferred, since they’re outside of time). 2. People work there for hundreds of years and somehow don’t get bored?

also… Why does OB remember Mobius, but not vice versa? Sounds like Mobius has had his memory wiped more than once?

OB hasn't even slept for 400 years!

Perhaps since OB has been alone for so long, no one remembered to reset his memory

.

 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Did anyone else notice that OB is wearing what appears to be a watch on his left wrist in both timelines periods?  He has a multi-handed clock on the wall in his department, which he never leaves, so I wonder if the watch has another purpose.

Edited October 12, 2023 by ItCouldBeWorse

[tkc]

Also, what about Casey's description of Loki's time slipping? Before the opening credits, Casey is taking Loki to see Mobius and B-15. As he walks away from Loki, we hear a whoosh and Casey turns to see Loki gone. However, when Casey meets up with Mobius:

CASEY: Hey, uh, Mobius? Loki was just here looking for you.

MOBIUS: Loki's here?

CASEY: He was, and then he disappeared.

B-15: I don't understand.

CASEY: He disappeared right in front of me. He looked like he was in pain.

Either an editing/directing error, or Casey embellishes!  😲

[ItCouldBeWorse]

2 hours ago, tkc said:

Also, what about Casey's description of Loki's time slipping? Before the opening credits, Casey is taking Loki to see Mobius and B-15. As he walks away from Loki, we hear a whoosh and Casey turns to see Loki gone. However, when Casey meets up with Mobius:

CASEY: Hey, uh, Mobius? Loki was just here looking for you.

MOBIUS: Loki's here?

CASEY: He was, and then he disappeared.

B-15: I don't understand.

CASEY: He disappeared right in front of me. He looked like he was in pain.

Either an editing/directing error, or Casey embellishes!  😲

The only way I could explain it is that 1) he didn't mean  "right in front of me" literally, but meant colloquially, as in "we were just together, and then in a second, he was gone" and 2) "He looked like he was in pain" was either a reference to how Loki looked when he time slipped/appeared in front of Casey, which Casey did see, because he said "Loki?" in a somewhat shocked manner, and/or to the mental pain that Loki seemed to be in directly after when he peppered Casey with questions.

I'm fine with my explanation for #2, but #1 could be an error.

[Tuggy]

Just here to mention that the title of this episode (and the name of this exciting new character) is a reference to the symbol of an animal eating its own tail, which is often taken as representing a cycle that repeats itself.

I wouldn't conclude anything from it, but this seemed like something worth noting 🤔

Edited October 11, 2023 by Tuggy

[johntfs]

On 10/9/2023 at 9:35 PM, paigow said:

Why is she working there???

To get paid in Quarter-Pounders?

[SnarkShark]

On 10/10/2023 at 1:19 PM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Did anyone else notice that OB is wearing what appears to be a watch on his left wrist in both timelines?  He has a multi-handed clock on the wall in his department, which he never leaves, so I wonder if the watch has another purpose.

What "both timelines"?  It's one timeline.  Just different times in it.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

4 hours ago, SnarkShark said:

What "both timelines"?  It's one timeline.  Just different times in it.

"Both time periods."  You are correct.