‘Loki’ Season 2, Episode 5 Recap: Loki Takes Control of His Destiny

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the series being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Loki Episode 4 ended with one of the biggest cliffhangers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, this episode begins exactly where it left off, answering some long-awaited questions while also setting up for a climactic and action-packed season finale. Loki Episode 5 introduces some old, yet seemingly new characters after the aftermath of the explosion of the temporal loom and the original lives of the TVA workers are revealed. Let’s dive in and break down the action in our Loki Season 2, Episode 5 recap.

The fifth episode begins on a concerning note, instead of being with the usual gang, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is alone in the temporal observatory room. As he wanders around what is left of the TVA, he is ultimately alone and his time slipping has returned. He stumbles/time slips upon himself only 15 seconds ahead of time and quickly slips back.

As confusion hits Loki in the penultimate episode, the TVA and this branch in time fall in on itself, similar to when Victor Timely is destroyed to spaghetti at the end of Episode 4. With panic coursing through Loki’s body, he time slips to another timeline and a menacing message from the TVA/Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) appears in the final moments of the TVA on the screen – “Thank you for your service.”

Loki Episode 5 heads straight to 1962 San Francisco in Casey’s (Eugene Cordero) timeline, who is now known as Frank. Casey is imprisoned, however, this new and unkind side to Cordero’s character is shocking. Casey is breaking out of the prison alongside his two friends until Loki time slips straight into this branched timeline. The convict has no idea who Loki is, and it appears his life on the Sacred Timeline has been restored.

Casey assumes Loki is there with a boat to help them escape, however, Loki is just as confused as they are, and he quickly, without warning or meaning, time slips again. This time through three branches, he jumps back to the TVA but not for long until he ends up on B-15’s (Wunmi Mosaku) timeline.

B-15, now referred to as Willis, is back on her original timeline in 2012 in New York, as a doctor, seemingly for children. All is well on B-15’s timeline until she witnesses Loki’s time slipping, however within seconds, he time slips back out of her timeline and into Mobius’ (Owen Wilson), leaving B-15 confused and shocked.

Loki Episode 5 continues straight into Mobius’ timeline, 2022 Ohio with the name of Don, he finally gets his jet ski. It is very swiftly revealed in the first 20 seconds that Mobius has two sons. After a failed sale, Loki time slips just outside of Mobius’ workplace, and funnily enough, just in front of an inflatable tube man who wiggles around the same as Loki does. Instantly spotting Mobius, Loki heads inside and explains that the TVA is gone, but Mobius doesn’t remember Loki or anything about the TVA. Once again, Loki swiftly time slips out of this place in the timeline, and straight into O.B.’s (Key Huy Quan) timeline.

1994 California, O.B ‘Doug’ is in a bookshop full of his books. After trying to not so subtly convince the shopkeeper of how good this book is, it is revealed that he is a failed writer and is unable to sell his science fiction books anywhere. As he leaves and heads back, his home resembles his workshop in the TVA with the large walls and mechanics dropped everywhere, Loki time slips right to this exact moment. Loki tells O.B.: “What I’m about to tell you, is going to be hard to believe” – and O.B. instantly believes him. Why? This revelation resembles the plot of his book.

After Loki explains the TVA, O.B. begins to coach him on how to control his time slipping as he believes it could be the only way to restore the TVA. O.B. explains that if Loki can control his time slipping, he believes that although the TVA does exist anymore, he can travel back to it to rectify and change the events and ensure they never happen.

All of this is only theoretical without a Tempad, and after Loki asks O.B. to remake one, O.B. doesn’t remember anything. Without any knowledge, this could take him a lifetime. This problem is quickly solved as Loki whips out the TVA handbook, written by O.B., to give him a head start and the knowledge needed. After some failed attempts to control his time slipping, Loki time slips back to Mobius’ time on the Sacred Timeline.

Loki goes on a mission to recruit the other TVA members in hopes that their temporal aura can help them get the TVA back. Back on Mobius’ timeline, we are introduced to his children and Loki and Mobius reunite.

After some unsuccessful attempts to sell a jet ski from Mobius, Loki explains the TVA and his time as a worker for them, and although he is not convinced O.B. appears with his newly built time Tempad. With the evidence, Mobius goes with Loki and O.B. to help restore the TVA. Swift, similar interactions happen with Casey and B-15 and the gang is back together, minus one vital piece of the puzzle, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino).

Sylvie is in Oklahoma and after finishing her shift at McDonald’s, we see the first instance of the destruction of the branches outside the TVA as her food separates into strings just like the TVA and Victor Timely did. After Loki arrives to recruit her to his cause, Sylvie’s memory is intact, and she remembers everything including the TVA and her time there.

According to Sylvie, everyone is back where they belong and to restore the TVA would mean to strip them from their lives, just like the TVA did in the beginning. Loki admits in a heartwarming moment that he “wants his friends back. I don’t want to be alone”. The two again can’t agree on a situation and part ways while Loki heads back to the rest of the gang.

After the two part ways, Sylvie heads to a record store after her conversation with Loki. However, her home world is quickly destroyed as the branches are breaking and the world around her is disintegrating. This causes Sylvie to realize they must save the TVA as she jumps into the Sacred Timeline to reunite with Loki and the others.

O.B.’s home becomes the new headquarters for their operation to save the TVA. Just as Sylvie joins and frantically explains that the Sacred Timeline is unraveling and breaking around them, everyone swiftly turns to string around him. However, Loki masters his control of his time slipping just before the destruction of the timeline takes his life alongside his friends. Time slipping back to just 10 seconds before his friends disappeared, he finds himself back at TVA just before the temporal loom is destroyed at the conclusion of Episode 4.

Loki Episode 5 makes puts the future of the TVA in jeopardy with the Hunter’s return to their timeline and Loki’s time slipping. With only one episode remaining in the season, Loki has little time to rewrite his destiny, but his newfound time slipping power will surely serve in his favor.

New episodes of Loki Season 2 stream every Thursday at 6 PM PT/ 9 PM EST exclusively on Disney+. Follow the Agents of Fandom socials to stay up to date with the latest entertainment news.