Loki' Season 2: Inside the World's Fair Recreation and Miss Minutes' Game-Changing Revelation

The Big Picture

Loki and Mobius go back in time to the 1893 World's Fair in search of Miss Minutes to help fix the unstable TVA after He Who Remains' death.

They encounter Victor Timely, an alternate Kang variant who holds the potential to rescue the TVA, yet both Miss Minutes and Ravonna Renslayer pursue him. In a conversation with Director Kasra Farahani, he sheds light on the inspiration driving the World's Fair backdrop and the choice to portray Timely as a deceptive individual, unveiling unforeseen emotions within Miss Minutes.

Editor's Note: The content below contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 3 of Loki. In this episode, titled "1893," Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) and Mobius (played by Owen Wilson) travel back in time to the Chicago World's Fair. Their objective is to locate Miss Minutes (voiced by Tara Strong) in order to seek her assistance in fixing the TVA. Following the demise of He Who Remains (portrayed by Jonathan Majors), the central timeline of the TVA is struggling to handle the increasing number of alternate timelines. This puts the entire TVA at risk of destruction due to the timeline's instability, as He Who Remains' temporal aura can no longer open the blast doors.

Since Miss Minutes possesses administrative access to the system, she may be able to assist them. However, during their search for the animated AI clock, Loki and Mobius unexpectedly encounter Victor Timely (portrayed by Majors), another variant of Kang. They hope to utilize his temporal aura to rescue the TVA. The challenge arises when Miss Minutes and Ravonna Renslayer (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) also pursue Victor Timely. Additionally, Sylvie (played by Sylvia Di Martino) learns of another Kang variant and joins the pursuit.

We had a conversation with director Kasra Farahani, who made his directorial debut with this episode, discussing how he created the aesthetic for the World's Fair, his decision to portray Kang as a trickster in this iteration, the surprising reveal of Miss Minutes' affections for He Who Remains, and Sylvie's choice to spare Victor. Farahani, who also serves as the production designer for Loki and is one of the writers, is renowned for his work as a concept artist and illustrator on notable films like Black Panther and television series like A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Image via Disney+

Our website: To start things off, can you share how you became involved in directing this episode?

KASRA FARAHANI: Following a successful collaboration between the art department, writing team, and creative executives during the first season, Kevin Wright, our EP, and Eric Martin, our head writer, graciously invited me to join the writers' room for Season 2. During this time, I contributed to formulating important season concepts. Eventually, the opportunity arose for me to direct one of the episodes. Determining which episode it would be posed a challenge due to scheduling constraints. Since I needed to complete the entire season's design work first, we had to identify the episode to be filmed last. Fortunately, luck was on my side, and episode 203 turned out to be the one that fell at the end of the schedule.

I believe this is the perfect option for you, especially because it has a strong emphasis on design and offers numerous new elements to admire. This brings me to my next question regarding the Chicago World Fair. It looks absolutely incredible, and I'm thrilled that you had the opportunity to experience it firsthand, as it is one of my favorite aspects of history to explore, particularly American history. Could you please discuss the visual aspects of this season and the process of creating its overall look, specifically for this episode? I mean, even the production of witnessing the loom and the stage performance was truly remarkable.

FARAHANI: Thank you so much, your kind words mean a lot. In terms of the TVA, this season provided a fantastic opportunity to explore new areas within the TVA that were not seen in the first season. Since we are primarily focused on the workings of the loom and the RnA, the majority of our story takes place on what I refer to as the systems level. This level serves as the foundation or infrastructure of the TVA. These spaces had to be established before the spaces seen in Season 1 could exist. If you consider the temporal loom as a combination of a power plant and a maintenance apparatus for organizing time, and view the RnA as the central hub of TVA technology and maintenance, it becomes clear that these locations had to be created first. While the first season drew inspiration from the mid-sixties, this season drew inspiration from the mid-fifties, capturing a Cold War aesthetic in terms of its palette of greens, which were commonly used in institutional settings during that era, and a fortified atmosphere reminiscent of a bunker.

In terms of the World's Fair and the 1970s, this was a season during which we had the opportunity to explore different eras. It was incredibly enjoyable to jump around and immerse ourselves in various time periods. The World's Fair presented a fantastic challenge, especially considering that for most of the season, we were primarily based in the TVA. Building a grand set that is used across multiple episodes makes it easier to justify the cost. However, when it came to the episode I directed, it was more complicated. We only needed those sets for one episode, yet they had to be substantial, fully realized, and well-developed. The challenge lay in always constructing precisely what was necessary without going overboard, and in seeking assistance from our brilliant VFX team, led by Chris Townsend and Sandra Balej, to enhance and expand our work.

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I believe our efforts were rewarded. This entire season has been visually stunning, particularly with the impressive sets. It's truly amazing. Now, regarding this episode, we are finally introduced to Victor Timely, who is noticeably distinct from previous iterations of Kang. I think this is a wonderful choice. However, what led you to focus on this particular version of his character and transform him into a sort of con man or trickster?

FARAHANI: We wanted to explore an intriguing new variant of Kang, one that would defy expectations and, most importantly, serve the narrative arc of this season. As for Timely himself, he draws inspiration from the brilliant minds of individuals like Einstein, embodying the archetype of a creative and unconventional thinker who operates on a much higher level than those around him. However, this also results in his social awkwardness and difficulty connecting on a more basic level. We took a character who possessed immense potential as a child, and then Renslayer and Miss Minutes provided him with a crucial piece of highly advanced technological knowledge that set him on his current path.

Regarding the charlatan/con man aspect, I perceive it as a means of survival. We are discussing an African-American man endeavoring to be an inventor during the late 19th century, and even the World's Fair itself embodies this idea. Why is he presenting his work at the Hofbrau on the Midway instead of the Machine Hall in the White City? These aspects are all intertwined. On one hand, it functions as a survival mechanism, and on the other hand, he is confronted with the fact that his ideas are not hoaxes; his technological designs are genuinely exceptional. However, the technology required to bring them to fruition does not exist in his era. This is where we witness his predicament, caught in between.

Absolutely. Describing it as a survival mechanism is apt since he is constantly on the move, and he isn't attempting to deceive people in the way Loki might. It presents an intriguing twist in the narrative. Another significant revelation in this episode involves Miss Minutes, as it becomes apparent that she harbors unreciprocated feelings for He Who Remains and, presumably, every variant of Kang. Could you discuss the deeper exploration of her character, making her more human, and the possibility of a new villain emerging as a result?

FARAHANI: This season, chasing after the singularity idea was both fun and weird, especially for me. We are exploring what happens when an AI becomes too realistic and advanced. In the case of Miss Minutes, who has been around since the beginning, it's amusing to see her bring all her baggage and project it onto Timely, who is a new variant and has no clue what she's talking about. Additionally, there's a complex dynamic between her, Renslayer, and Timely. While they are allies of convenience, they have their own unique and conflicting connections to Timely. It was incredibly enjoyable to explore these relationships in this episode.

Image via Disney+

It was the most surprising moment for me initially, but then I started to understand and thought, "Yeah, this actually makes sense." [Laughs] Then, towards the end of the episode, there's a massive fight scene where Ravonna, Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie all come together with Timely. Throughout the episode, we see Loki and Sylvie confront each other, almost repeating their argument from the last season, which revolves around whether to kill him or take his place. Do we fix this issue? I'm just curious to know where you stand on this argument. Do you think there's a right or wrong in their responses?

FARAHANI: Well, it's hard to say. I believe both sides have valid points, and since we don't know how it will all turn out, it's difficult to label either of them as wrong. However, there might be a simpler way to put it – a more empathetic perspective that we, as a species, may benefit from adopting by giving others the benefit of the doubt. When Timely pleads with Sylvie, stating that he's not who she thinks he is and that she doesn't know if he'll become He Who Remains, it exposes the hypocrisy in her belief in free will. She assumes she knows his future and is here to kill him, disregarding the potential for individual determination and growth. In general, I think the world would be a better place if people made fewer assumptions about others, don't you think?

You can watch Loki Season 2 on Disney+.

Loki

Release Date June 9, 2021Cast Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard E. GrantMain Genre SuperheroGenres Superhero