Warning! This article contains spoilers for Loki season 2, episode 1.
Summary
In Season 2, episode 1 of "Loki," the issue arises as to why Loki is experiencing time slips while the rest of the TVA remains unaffected. The episode leaves viewers with numerous unresolved queries, such as Sylvie's role in the forthcoming events, an enigmatic phone call, and the identity of the individual responsible for pruning Loki.
It is speculated that either Loki's multiversal travel or deliberate interference caused him to time-slip, setting in motion the events of the season.
Continuing directly from where season 1 left off, Loki season 2, episode 1 raises numerous questions, leaving one of the biggest mysteries unanswered. In the previous season, Loki woke up in an alternate version of the TVA under Kang's control. In "Ouroborus," the premiere episode of season 2, the story quickly establishes that Loki is experiencing time-slips, shuttling between the past and present of the TVA. This explains why Mobius and Hunter B-15 have no recollection of him.
By the conclusion of the first episode of Loki season 2, the mission to prevent Loki's time-slipping has been implemented. The intricately woven storyline reached its climax when Loki, after being mysteriously pruned, finds himself transported to the future of the TVA. This occurred as Mobius activated a device called a Temporal Aura Extractor to bring Loki back to the present timeline. While the issue of Loki's time-slipping appears to have been resolved, the crucial question surrounding this plot point remains unanswered in episode 1 of Loki season 2.
Loki Doesn't Explain Why He's Time-Slipping
The reason behind Loki's time-slipping remains unclear in Loki season 2, episode 1. While Loki himself experiences the phenomenon, others such as Mobius, B-15, O.B., and even Sylvie in the post-credit scene seem to be unaffected. This discrepancy raises questions, as the Temporal Loom overloading is speculated by O.B. to be the potential cause, but no concrete explanation is provided within the TVA.
Why Is Loki Time-Slipping?
However, Loki's time-slipping is not the sole enigma that remains unresolved in Loki season 2, episode 1. The episode seems to be constructing a captivating narrative with multiple lingering storylines, akin to a mystery box. From Sylvie's involvement in the TVA of the future, an enigmatic phone call, to the identity of the individual who pruned Loki, numerous unanswered questions abound. It is highly likely that as the show progresses, more answers will be provided, shedding light on these perplexing elements. Consequently, the elucidation of why Loki, in particular, was experiencing time-slipping while others were not could be disclosed in the forthcoming five episodes of Loki.The reason behind Loki's time-slipping remains unclear, leaving speculation and educated guesses as the only means to determine a plausible explanation. It is possible that his frequent travel across the multiverse throughout season 1 led to a confusion in his exact position on the timeline, resulting in him slipping through time. In season 2 of Loki, it is revealed that the Temporal Loom was struggling to handle the increased number of branching timelines, causing it to overload. This overload at the Citadel at the End of Time, where Loki was present when the multiverse exploded, could have triggered his time-slipping.
Someone may have intentionally triggered Loki's time-slipping abilities. In Loki season 2, the rules of time-travel differ from Avengers: Endgame, as it is revealed that Loki can change present and future events by traveling into the past. It is possible that someone from the past or future, such as Loki himself, Sylvie, or even a variant of Kang, caused Loki to start time-slipping in order to initiate the events of Loki season 2, which ultimately lead to the future timeline shown in the episode. Catch new episodes of Loki on Disney+ every Thursday at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.