Loki and Mobius Get Vulnerable in ‘Loki’ Season 2 Premiere

Loki season 2 starts off with a bang. Loki finds himself in an alternate Time Variance Authority, running from a suddenly hostile Mobius and B-15. He quickly discovers that he’s gone back in time, and when he’s restored to his proper place on the TVA timeline, he’s faced with a whole host of problems at once. He’s time slipping, a painful condition that shouldn’t be possible in the TVA. The TVA higher ups can’t agree on how to handle the problem of a power vacuum and a branching timeline. Oh, and there’s a cataclysmic multiversal war on the horizon.

There are tons of great moments in the Loki season 2 premiere, “Ouroboros.” Loki and Mobius get plenty of chances to banter as they take a series of elevators down to the workshop of new character O.B. (Ke Huy Quan). Loki provides bemused commentary as Mobius puts his foot in his mouth over and over again, after O.B. calls him out for not visiting in 400 years.

The best part of the episode, though, is the vulnerability that Loki and Mobius both reveal as they put a highly risky plan into action to stop Loki’s time slipping.

Loki’s freaking out, but Mobius is there to calm him

When Loki finally finds Mobius after slipping back and forth from the past to the present, Loki is confused and distraught. When he finds Mobius, he practically falls on him, frantically asking if Mobius knows who he is. It’s a moment fans looked forward to for over two years, and it’s a satisfying payoff.

After Loki brandishes a time stick and reveals He Who Remains’ face behind a mural of the Time Keepers, Mobius takes him by the arm and leads him out of the room to a quiet hallway. There, Mobius expresses concern about Loki’s condition, asking him if it hurts. Loki, in turn, asks what it looks like from the outside. They each claim that it’s not that bad, but Mobius insists on getting Loki checked out.

By a doctor, perhaps? Nope—apparently, when you’re getting constantly ripped apart and reassembled at the TVA, you go to Repairs and Advancement. Mobius takes Loki to O.B.’s basement workshop.

On the way, though, Mobius’ veneer finally cracks when Loki time slips again. He admits that it’s horrible to watch. Mobius’ social skills may not be top notch, but his concern is touching.

Mobius is more frightened for Loki than he lets on

Once O.B. gives Loki and Mobius their mission—attach a temporal aura extractor to the Temporal Loom and pull Loki out of the time stream—things get very dramatic very fast. The plan involves Mobius going out on a catwalk in space with the extractor, and Loki pruning himself from the timeline at just the right moment.

Loki is visibly terrified when O.B. tells him it’s time to prune himself. After all, there’s a good chance that it’ll simply erase him from existence. Mobius, for his part, is 100% willing to risk his life (and his skin, as O.B. repeatedly reminds him) to save his friend. The plan goes awry, though, when Loki time slips before Mobius is ready. Mobius suits up anyway, quietly assuring himself that Loki will make it.

The climactic scene in episode 1 is one of the tightest, most heart-pounding sequences I’ve seen in a Marvel project in a long time. Stuck in the future, Loki watches in despair as his timer runs out. Meanwhile, O.B. implores Mobius to give up on Loki and get back inside to safety. Mobius finally heads back when the blast doors start to close, but the radiation starts tearing his suit apart.

Then he sees a flash in the fibers of the loom. Some unknown figure has pruned Loki in the future (but not before Loki sees Sylvie inexplicably forcing open an elevator in front of him). The camera lingers on Mobius’ face as he lights up with hope. Loki flies out of the loom, knocking both of them back into the safety of the TVA. In a little treat for Lokius shippers, the scene ends with the two of them lying in a heap on the floor.

Why the temporal loom scene works so well

The reason that last scene works so well isn’t just because of the stakes. In fact, the stakes don’t quite make sense. If Loki prunes himself, wouldn’t he just go back to the Void? I know Loki’s time slipping is bad, but can’t they take more time to research some safer solutions? Yeah, I know O.B. says his plan is the only way, but he says it after, like, two seconds.

No, the scene works because of Loki and Mobius’ bond. Even though the two of them bicker about whether it’s worse to lose your skin or get atomically disassembled, they care deeply about each other, and it shows. Watching the last scene, you’re not worried about Loki or Mobius actually dying. After all, it’s the very first episode of the season. You’re eager to see their reunion at the end.

Loki and Mobius’ friendship truly is the emotional heart of Loki—although Loki’s relationship with Sylvie is pretty intriguing, too. Here’s hoping the show takes full advantage of both of those relationships by the time the credits roll on the season finale.

(featured image: Disney+)