Let’s Work Through Sylvie’s Complicated Feelings Towards Loki in Season 2
Viewers may have noticed that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie’s (Sophia Di Martino) relationship in Loki season 2 seems unusually tense. Their relationship hasn’t always been cordial, but they came so far together in Loki season 1 that this new dynamic may be off-putting. Sylvie is a variant of Loki, and when they first met, he sought her help in overthrowing the Time Variance Authority. While Sylvie initially had no intentions of working with Loki, they were forced together and slowly began to form a connection, bonding over their similarities and tragic pasts.
They made quite a great team, striving to find the truth behind the TVA and prevent the organization from stealing the lives of more innocent people. In the end, their ideas about the best way to achieve that goal varied greatly. Sylvie was desperate for revenge and wanted to take down the TVA at all costs, not stopping to think about the consequences of killing He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Loki begged her to reconsider her decision, fearing what would happen to the Sacred Timeline upon He Who Remains’ death.
At the end of season 1, the pair were separated, with Sylvie completing her mission and Loki being tossed into another timeline. However, Loki‘s season 2 renewal promised their story wasn’t over. After season 2 premiered on October 5, it was just a matter of time before the two were reunited. When that reunion came in episode 2, “Breaking Brad,” though, it wasn’t as fulfilling as some may have hoped.
What’s going on with Loki and Sylvie in Loki season 2?
While we know that Loki and Sylvie had their differences in season 1, we still expected their reunion to be quite emotional. They fell in love, and they can’t deny that just because they went on separate paths. Eventually, Loki tracks Sylvie down in the 1970s, where she’s made a new life for herself and works at McDonald’s. Loki shows a lot of emotion, struggling to find the right words and unable to stop staring into her eyes. But Sylvie’s reaction is unexpectedly cold. Her face registers no joy or emotion at seeing Loki, and instead shows only indifference as she reluctantly agrees to speak to him on her break.
Unfortunately, Sylvie is unwilling to listen to anything Loki says. She still believes she fixed things by killing He Who Remains and even mocks Loki when he claims to have seen the future. Sylvie leaves no doubts about her feelings as she tells Loki she wants nothing to do with him and his mission. Later, she helps him stop Dox (Kate Dickie) from pruning the branching timelines, but ultimately still chooses to leave, expressing disappointment and anger at Loki and the TVA for not doing more.
There are a few reasons why Sylvie is so angry at Loki. For one, there is the initial disagreement that set them on separate paths. While this might have been forgivable initially, it likely feels like a betrayal to Sylvie that Loki is now working with the TVA to try to fix the timeline. The TVA stole her life and forced her to spend most of it running. Clearly, Sylvie hasn’t worked through all her intense (and understandable) emotions about what the TVA has done to her and it’s clouding her judgment. So it’s unsurprising that Loki’s mere association with anyone in the TVA would cause Sylvie to put her walls up.
There’s also the fact that Sylvie has found a new life in Loki season 2, which she claims is a happy one. After all, she is not running and has free will, which is all she ever wanted. Loki reappearing with the TVA and news of timelines being pruned threatens this life that Sylvie has spent so long dreaming about. Even if it’s not as perfect or happy as she’s letting on, the thought of shattering something that feels safe and stable to her for the first time is likely challenging. Regardless of how Sylvie feels about Loki, he is a piece of her old life, and she doesn’t want her old life anymore. She’s determined to protect what she has built, which might not include Loki.
Ultimately, Sylvie’s anger and coldness are understandable as she’s simply working through the complex process of healing and finding what that looks like for her.
(featured image: Disney+)
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