We left off with Victor Timely meeting an untimely death at the end of the last episode, leaving our friends in disbelief before everything went pitch black.
What did we do wrong, Hunter B-15 asked?
Let’s find out in my Loki Season 2, Episode 5 recap, Science/Fiction.
SPOILER ALERT: This post may contain spoilers to movie or show plots.
Let’s do the time loop again
We start off with Loki opening his eyes after the nuclear explosion. He’s alone so he quickly sets off to find his friends.
His first stop? The infamous pie room. Because of course, in times of crisis, that’s where his BFF Mobius would be. Makes sense.
Just as he reaches the prisoner containment room next, he time slips – but to which timeline?
He’s in the control room and sees a figure – looks like himself. But before he can get more than a hello out, he time slips back.
Confused, he heads straight to the control room, where he sees Casey’s handbook at his desk. Just as he picks it up, another version of him walks in but time slips before he can say more than hello.
It’s a time loop.
Suddenly, everything starts to turn to spaghetti and he time slips again before it spreads to him.
1962 San Francisco, California
We next move to San Francisco in 1962. Casey and two others are attempting to escape Alcatraz.
Loki appears, relieved to see his friend, who has no idea who he is.
And his friends are more confused as to why he is calling him Casey, because his name is Frank, rather than how he got there.
Some people have different priorities, I guess.
You gotta find your own way off this rock. Sorry, pal.
Frank / Casey
I love how Marvel always weaves in real life historical moments into this show, like last season’s D.B. Cooper reveal.
In real-life, four inmates attempted to escape Alcatraz in June 1962, although one failed. Three were successful, one of which was named Frank Morris. The men were never found and the FBI just assumed they drowned in the waters (source).
Well apparently at least one of them went to the TVA, rather than drowing in the waters off of Alcatraz.
Before they can chat more, Loki time slips, first to McDonalds, then to a Piranha Power Sports, then back to the TVA, then…somewhere else.
2012 New York, NY
Next we land in 2012 NYC, where we meet Dr. Willis, aka Hunter B-15.
After fixing a cast for a young girl, she leaves only to walk in on Loki time slipping into her timeline and then back out.
She’s too shocked to say anything.
I’m guessing it’s before May 2012, as that is when Loki attacks New York City in The Avengers when he was in his villain era.
Which makes me wonder if all this messing around Loki is doing with the timeline – will the Battle of New York be erased from time?
2022 Cleveland, OH
We move to Cleveland, Ohio, in 2022 to the moment we’ve all been waiting for, Mobius ON A JET SKI. Well, technically a SeaDoo.
Except his name is Don and he’s a jet ski salesperson!
Loki time slips into his timeline and we’re back a Piranha Power Sports.
He walks in and tells Don/Mobius the TVA is gone.
But Don/Mobius assumes he means ATV, to which he says he has 2 in stock.
LOLs.
Just then, another employee at the store tells Don/Mobius his son is on the phone, to which he says he’ll call him back.
He mentions he’s a single dad of two boys.
He turns back to Loki, but he’s gone.
Don’t forget that 2022 is during Thanos’ snap, so it’s likely that Mobius’ wife perished due to that.
1994 Pasadena, CA
We next move to Pasadena, California in 1994, where we meet A.D. Doug, aka Ouroboros.
A.D. Doug / Ouroboros is at a bookstore, attempting to buy a book called The Zartan Contingent, but the book won’t scan at the register.
Uh, that’s because it’s his book and he’s trying to sneak stock of it onto the shelves.
Another employee shoves the stack of books back into his arms and he walks out, defeated.
Back at his home, which looks like an abandoned warehouse on the outside, but oddly like his basement dwelling at the TVA.
Loki time slips into A.D. Doug / Ouroboros’ home and attempts to explain who he is and why he’s there, but he needs little convincing.
Of course I believe you. It’s a dream come true. One of my characters has come to life and needs my help. This reminds me of what happens in The Sons of Yoron.
A.D. Doug / Ouroboros
So it turns out A.D. Doug / Ouroboros is not just a writer, but also teaches theoretical physics at CalTech.
Loki tells him he wants to go back to before the Temporal Loom goes boom.
A.D. Doug / Ouroboros says that’s impossible but also not to let that stop him.
He tells Loki he needs to learn how to control his time slipping, but Loki says he can’t because it seems to happen randomly.
With Science, it’s all what and how. But with fiction, it’s why. So why do you need to do this?
A.D. Doug / Ouroboros
Loki explains that he needs to save the TVA to prevent what’s destined to come if he doesn’t (ie, Kang the Conqueror).
He attempts to force himself to time slip by focusing on the why, but it doesn’t work.
Loki suggests they focus on the science instead.
A.D. Doug / Ouroboros gets to work testing theories to see what activates the time slipping first with electrical currents and then fight or flight.
Neither works, so Loki suggests he create a TemPed, but A.D. Doug / Ouroboros is hesitant because without the knowledge it could take a lifetime to get there.
And just then, Loki remembers he has the TVA handbook that Ouroboros wrote in his jacket pocket.
He hands it to A.D. Doug / Ouroboros, telling him he wrote it, which excites him because he always wanted to write a bestseller.
Well, it’s not exactly a bestseller, but same, same.
And just then, Loki time slips.
Let’s get the band back together
We’re back in Cleveland. Don/Mobius is in his backyard picking up after his two boys, Kevin and Sean.
Loki approaches him, apologizing for not sticking around earlier.
He explains that his name is Mobius and he belongs at the TVA.
And just as he’s about to hit Loki, A.D. Doug / Ouroboros walks through a Time Door with a TemPed.
The three then walk through another Time Door, but only to a few moments earlier, as they watch Loki approach Don/Mobius while he’s picking up after his boys.
Reality isn’t what you think it is.
Loki to Don/Mobius
Loki is trying to convince Don/Mobius to go with them, but naturally, he’s hesitant, especially to leave his boys.
But he likes the sound of the name Mobius, so he’s in.
Loki then uses the TemPad to gather the rest of his friends, Dr. Willis aka Hunter B-15 and Frank aka Casey.
They all end up in OB’s lab.
Except for Sylvie.
This is going to sound strange
Loki goes off to Oklahoma to get Sylvie. He starts off with his new line, “This is going to sound strange.”
But Sylvie knows exactly who he is and what happened. She tells him to get in the car and they head to a bar for a drink.
Loki and Sylvie don’t see eye to eye on whether the Temporal Loom explosion was a good thing or not.
Loki is attempting to get the band back together, but Sylvie thinks this is all for the best, as people are back to living the lives they had before He Who Remains stole it from them.
Loki says he wants his friends back. He doesn’t want to be alone.
But what about Thor? And all his other Avengers frenemies?
We’re all writing our own stories now. Go write yours.
Sylvie
Loki arrives back at OB’s lab, just as Casey was about to use a TemPad to slip into a bank vault.
Feeling defeated after his conversation with Sylvie, he tells them all to go home.
Oh, sweet nuthin’
Sylvie walks into a record store, also feeling defeated.
I got just the thing. This will either cure what’s ailing you or make it a whole lot worse.
Record store owner
The owner says he has just what she needs and pulls out Loaded, an album by The Velvet Underground.
Sylvie sits down on a couch at the back of the store for a listen as Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ comes on.
As she listens, the store slowly starts to turn to spaghetti. The owner runs toward her, but just as he is about to grasp her hand, he’s gone.
Sylvie uses her TemPad to open a Time Door and escapes.
Guess the album worked. But is it a cure or is it going to make everything a whole lot worse?
I can rewrite the story
Loki is explaining to the crew that they should all just go back to their lives.
Casey’s a little antsy, being an escaped prisoner and all.
But then Sylvie walks in through her Time Door.
They finally have all the pens together and can read the collective temporal aura to try to get back to before the loom explodes.
Except they can’t find the TemPed.
Loki approaches Casey, assuming he stole it. But as he’s defending himself, he turns to spaghetti.
Then A.D. Doug/Ouroboros.
Don/Mobius, too.
And Dr. Willis/Hunter B-15.
All gone in a matter of seconds.
There’s nowhere left to go.
Sylvie
And finally, Sylvie.
Loki tries to grab the spaghetti, but it just dissipates. He screams.
And suddenly he’s back to a few seconds before and Sylvie is still there.
He takes a deep breath. And he’s back to a few seconds before that and everyone is still there.
He’s done it. He’s learned how to control his time slipping!
It’s not about where, when, or why. It’s about who. I can rewrite the story.
Loki
And just like that, we’re back to the Temporal Loom control room, before everything fell apart in the previous episode.
Have questions? I might have answers.
This episode left us with some new questions, as well as hope that everything will be alright with our besties at the TVA.
Let’s dig in to the most common questions after episode 5.
Does Loki Season 2, Episode 5 have a post credit scene?
Technically there isn’t a post credit scene in episode 5.
However, after the credits roll, we do here a snippet from the Zaniac game, featuring Brad/X-5, which showed up in the background a few times throughout the episode.
You died, insert your coin, loser.
Brad, in Zaniac video game
What record is Sylvie listening to?
When Sylvie is in the record store, she is listening to Oh Sweet Nuthin’ by The Velvet Underground off of their album, Loaded.
Where is Renslayer and Miss Minutes?
I kind of missed our unconventional villains this episode, how about you?
Surely we will see one or both of them in next week’s episode, as it’s the season finale.
Will there be a season 3 of Loki?
Marvel hasn’t announced that the show has been renewed for another season as of November 2, 2023.
It’s likely they’ll need to assess the upcoming movies and shows once the strike with the Screen Actor’s Guild is over before they determine if the show can go on or if it’ll be wrapped up into the movies.
What was your favorite part of Loki Season 2 Episode 5?
Don’t forget to tune in for episode 6 next week on Thursday, November 9, at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT.
I can’t believe we only have one more episode left!
Let me know what your favorite moment was from this week’s episode in the comments section below. Until next week!
Catch up on past episodes of Loki, Season 2:
About the author
Meg Frost is the creator of The Park Pixie, where she covers Disney World, Disney+, and Disney fandom.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and B.S. in Communication & American Studies from University of Miami in Florida.
This post was originally published November 3, 2023. It was last updated November 6, 2023 with additional photos.
