The Variant

"The Variant" is the second episode of the Disney+ streaming television series Loki. It was released on June 16, 2021.
==Synopsis==
Mobius puts Loki to work, but not everyone at TVA is thrilled about the God of Mischief's presence.
==Plot==
Hunter C-20 and a unit of Minutemen show up at a Renaissance Faire in 1985 to find the Loki Variant. However, they are ambushed inside a tent, where the Variant enchants C-20, making her attack her own Minutemen. The Variant steals their reset charge and takes an unconscious C-20 hostage. At the TVA, Loki reads Mobius's jet ski magazine while he is quickly put through a crash course by Miss Minutes as part of his training. Mobius recruits Loki to join a unit of Minutemen to 1985 to see what became of Hunter's C-20 and her unit because they went dark after going to the Renaissance Faire branch. Analyzing the temporal energy left behind, they concluded that C-20's unit was ambushed by the rogue Loki Variant, but they still don't know what kind of Loki is. Mobius reminds the others that they are not hunting any kind of Variant, they are hunting a Loki similar to the one helping them, which is a type they are familiar with because they had pruned more Lokis than any other Variant. 
Before they leave, Mobius tells Loki that he and the TVA are not concerned about being betrayed by him, because that will not get Loki close to the Time Keepers, making Loki realize that he might allowed to have an audience with the creators of the TVA if he helps them. Upon arriving at the Renaissance Faire, Mobius wonders if Loki has been studying and a Minutemen quizzes him about the reset charges that the Variant has been stealing. Loki replies that the tech is for the timeline to "heal its wounds" according to the TVA propaganda, noticing that it actually means "disintegrate everything in its vicinity". They find the tent where the ambush happened and realize that C-20 might has been taken captive. Loki then warns the TVA that the Variant has set up a trap outside the tent. Loki tries to explain how he would think in this situation, but then he mentions he needs assurances to continue to help them. So, Loki asks not to be disintegrated the moment the job has been completed and talks about a meeting with the Time Keepers. Mobius quickly realizes he is using a stalling tactic and tells the others to reset the timeline. 
Afterwards, Mobius meets with his superior, Ravonna Renslayer, inside her office. He notices she has many trophies from solved cases, but can't remember where they got one of them. Ravonna tells him that he is not the only analyst working for her. Ravonna reads the report about the mission at the Renaissance Faire, which was a failure, and tells Mobius to not let his judgment be clouded because of any sympathy for Loki. She reminds him that Loki's role is being an evil lying scourge on the timeline. Mobius wonders if Loki wouldn't be able to change, and Ravonna tells him that it will only happen if the Time Keepers decree. Mobius then asks her about the Time Keepers since he has never seen them in person. Ravonna says that they are more involved in this case than any other, they want the Variant caught. She then tells him that he will have one last chance to work with Loki, before handing him the report and a pen. Mobius notices that the pen is from a high school named "Franklin D. Roosevelt" and says he doesn't remember when they got it either but brushes aside assuming that it was from another analyst.
Right after, Mobius meets Loki, and says that he wants the God of Mischief to help them, despite knowing he will continue to attempt to deceive them to get to the Time Keepers and take over the organization. Mobius explains that the Variant seems to be a superior version of him and Loki's need to prove himself better will motivate him to catch the killer. When Loki asks why Mobius is risking so much for him, the agent admits that he does sympathizes with him personally, perceiving him as a "scared little boy", but at the same time he also just wants to capture the Variant. Mobius warns Loki about this being his last chance to help, and tells him to read files regarding the Variant in the Archives to find something that the TVA might be missing. Reading files, Loki becomes emotional upon learning about Asgard's eventual destruction due to Ragnarok. However, he realizes that there is zero variance energy during apocalypses, he comes to the conclusion that the Variant Loki is using total apocalyptic events to cover his tracks. 
Loki finds Mobius and explains that if everything is destined to be destroyed during an apocalypse, the Variant could do anything there without branching the timeline and the TVA would never detect it. Mobius is reluctant to take Loki to the field to test this theory, aware of his backstabbing habits. Loki states that even if he cannot be trusted, Mobius can trust that he loves to be proven right. With this, Loki and Mobius go to the destruction of Pompeii just moments before the volcano erupts. Loki causes mischief and tells the locals that him and Mobius are from the future and announces that they all are going to die in the apocalypse, but it results in zero variance energy, cofirming that the theory is correct. As they discuss their breakthrough, Loki asks about the jet ski magazines. Mobius tells him that he loves jet skis although he has never been on one. Mobius says that a TVA agent showing up on the timeline on a jet ski would surely cause a branch, but he keeps the magazines as a reminder of what they are fighting for. 
Mobius reveals that he, as well as everyone in the TVA, were created by the Time Keepers to help maintain order in the past. Loki finds Mobius' explanation hard to believe. Mobius tells him that the TVA is real because he believes it is and says that his job is his life. Loki asks Mobius how time is supposed to end. The Time Keepers are untangling the future and once they are finished, there will be no more nexus events, only order and peace, but Loki says that everything would be boring without chaos. While they talk, Loki reminds Mobius that he called him a "scared little boy" earlier and tries to correct that statement, causing Mobius to remember another clue: a Kablooie candy bar found at a scene of the crime, the Cathedral in France. After more research, they conclude that the Variant is hiding in 2050 at a Roxxcart superstore during a terrible hurricane phenomena. Mobius tells everything to Ravonna manages to convince her to have a team be sent to the destination, although she shares her concerns after Loki blew his previous mission and has now figured out a major blind spot in their security. She still thinks that trusting Loki is not a good idea and tells Mobius that if anything goes wrong, she won't be able to do much to help.
Before leaving to the location, Hunter B-15, reunites everyone for a briefing and warns that they are entering a Class 10 Apocalypse and that they should be alert about missing reset charges. When the TVA arrives at Roxxcart, the Variant becomes aware of their arrival upon seeing them through surveillance cameras and prepares to set a plan in motion. After entering the store, B-15 orders that Loki remain with her while Mobius should go with a Hunter identified as "D-90" and the rest of the team check the premises. Mobius is reluctant to accept this order, reminding B-15 that Loki is still a threat and is under his supervision. B-15 argues that this is her field of operation and Loki agrees to go with her. Loki assures them both that he will try to earn their trust. Loki and B-15 search the store, coming across a suspicious man who grabs B-15's arm transferring the Variant's magical enchantment to her and causing the two Lokis to finally meet. Meanwhile, Mobius and the team find C-20, who is in a catatonic state, repeating "It's real". Mobius tries to comfort C-20 and when she asks to go home, he offers to take her there. Mobius tells a Minuteman to call the infirmary of the TVA, but then C-20 admits that she revealed the location of the Time Keepers to the Variant. 
While the Variant continues to use magic to swap the mind-control of bodies of individuals inside the store, Loki reveals that he is trying to take over the TVA and offers the Variant a place by his side as his left hand. The Variant refuses to be called "Loki" and claims to have no interest in ruling the TVA, so a fight breaks out between them. At the same time, after being realized from the enchantment, a confused B-15 wakes up and finds Mobius, telling him that she lost sight of Loki. Believing Loki betrayed them, Mobius, B-15 and D-90 search for him. Loki realizes that the Variant has set up reset charges all over Roxxcart, believing that the plan is to blow up the store. Then, the Variant finally faces Loki in person, revealing to be a female version of himself.
The plan of the Variant is executed, with the reset charges she has been collecting being connected to her TemPad and sent through Time Doors to random time periods as the TVA panics over the sudden increase in number of branches. Watching the chronomonitor from inside her office, Ravonna becomes horrified as she witnesses the Sacred Timeline branching off and picks up her Time Stick to get into action. At the superstore, the Variant collects her TemPad and leaves through a Time Door, while Mobius, B-15, and D-19, finally find Loki. As the trio rush to get to him, Loki decides to follow the Variant, so he goes through the Time Door, leaving a flustered Mobius and TVA behind.
==Cast==
===Starring===
* Tom Hiddleston as Loki
* as The Variant
* Owen Wilson as Mobius
* Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer
* Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15
* Sasha Lane as Hunter C-20
* Eugene Cordero as Casey
* Tara Strong as Miss Minutes (voice)
===Guest starring===
*Neil Ellice as Hunter D-90
*Kate Berlant as Ren Faire Woman
*Philip Fornah as Minuteman #1
*Dave MacDonald as Minuteman #2
*Michelle Rose as Minuteman #3
*Sarafina King as Minuteman #9
*Alvin Chon as Minuteman #10
*Ilan Muallem as Minuteman #11
*Jesse Gavin as Analyst #1
*Jordan Woods-Robinson as Analyst #2
*Lucius Baston as Male Shopper
*Austin Freeman as Randy
*Ricky Muse as Warehouse Employee
*Hawk Walts as Country Hoss
*Zele Avradopoulos as Archives Shusher
*Dayna Beilenson as Archivist
*Lauren Revard as Miss Minutes On-Set Reader
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*The Variant is revealed to be a female version of Loki. In the comics, Loki transforms into a woman, called "Lady Loki".
*Miss Minutes is revealed to be not just a talking cartoon. When Loki asks if she is a recording or alive, she responds, "Uh, sort of both."
*When it is revealed that Loki has been pruned by the TVA dozens of times, among the Variants, it is shown one that seems to be a Hulk-ified version of him.
*In the Spanish dubbed credits for the episode, Sophia Di Martino's character "the Variant" is already listed as "Sylvie", even before her revealing that this is what she calls herself in the following episode. The TVA file on her that appears in the episode also lists her as "Sylvie Laufeydottir".
*The episode aired on June 16, or 616, a reference to the official earth designation of the Marvel Universe.
==References==
==External Links==
*
*
*
Category:Loki episodes