‘Loki’ Director Explains That Controversial Tandem Bicycle Shot

One of the trailers for Loki season 2 includes a scene that made Lokius shippers scream—but when the episode finally dropped, it didn’t deliver what it had promised. Now, director Kasra Farahani has some insight into why he made that controversial choice.

In the scene in question, Ravonna Renslayer is escaping with Victor Timely, whom Loki and Mobius need to take back with them to the Time Variance Authority. Mobius finds a tandem bicycle and pats the second seat, inviting Loki to hop on.

Loki, looking appalled, shakes his head and says, “Absolutely not.”

Despite his initial refusal, the trailer footage seemed to indicate that we would see Loki and Mobius on a tandem bike. But in the actual episode, we only see them on the tandem for a split second, deep in the background of a nighttime shot of Victor.

Now, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Kasra Farahani explains why he and the other filmmakers decided on that particular shot.

“Even the [deep background] shot that we do have of them arriving on the bike, we really went back and forth on whether we wanted to do that, because it almost is better in our imaginations,” Farahani says. “The potential for that to happen is almost better than any way it could ever be executed.”

I’ll admit, I can see his point. Showing Loki and Mobius on the tandem would have been an undeniable moment of fan service, but it wouldn’t have necessarily served the story. In a way, it’s enough just to know that Loki caved to Mobius’ idea. Similarly, fans have been clamoring to see Mobius finally getting to ride a jet ski, but unless there’s a compelling reason to include that in the plot, it’s possible that it’s better left to our imaginations.

Still, it’s fun to imagine what it must have been like for Wilson and Hiddleston to roll into that brief shot together. Did they have to figure out how to ride a tandem (it can be harder than it looks!), even for such a short trip? Or were they so in tune with each other that they mastered it on the first try? I want to see some fan art of that.

(featured image: Disney+)