Why Lady Loki Doesn't Mind Control Loki | Screen Rant
Warning: SPOILERS for Loki episode 2, "The Variant."
Lady Loki's mind control powers were on full display in Loki episode 2, but why didn't she use them on Loki? The show's main 2012 variant Loki finally encountered the other version of himself the TVA is after. Lady Loki revealed herself to him at the end of Loki episode 2, and she comes with a new power set from the original Loki. She has the ability to possess other people using mind control and frequently used this power during the episode. Lady Loki's powers were highlighted at the very beginning when she took possession of Hunter C-20 to dispatch other TVA agents.
When Loki and the TVA traveled to 2050 Alabama to find Lady Loki hiding in an apocalyptic event, it doesn't take long for them to find her posing as someone else. Lady Loki then begins mind-controlling Hunter B-15 and continues to hop to new hosts as she converses with Loki. This eventually leads to a brawl between the two Loki Variants as Lady Loki finishes setting up her time bomb for the Sacred Timeline. Once it goes off, though, Lady Loki uses the TVA tech to open a portal to leave, and Loki decides to follow her. But why didn't Lady Loki ever mind control him?
Based on Lady Loki's actions, she wants Loki to leave with her. She leaves the portal door open until he goes through it, so Lady Loki clearly wanted him to make that decision. She had plenty of opportunities to use mind control and ensure that he would come, but she never attempted that. While it is possible that another Loki might not be vulnerable to this type of magic, Lady Loki might also have more respect for him than others. After all, along with her, 2012 Loki is one of the few Loki variants who hasn't been pruned by the TVA. She has no issue possessing random humans and TVA hunters to do her bidding, so she clearly wanted Loki to make the decision to follow her for himself.
During the exchanges between Lady Loki and Loki, she delivered a potentially revealing line about her plans when she said, "It's not about you." It might be true that Lady Loki's plans go beyond Loki himself but leaving the portal door open is also a hint that she could need him. If a partnership with Loki is what Lady Loki needs to pull off her plan, then it would be best if that began with him making the decision to go with her. Forcing Loki to go somewhere else and work with her likely would've backfired. Now, Lady Loki and Loki's partnership can begin on the right foot.
If Lady Loki does need Loki, it will be fascinating to see why that is. The TVA believes that she is superior to Loki, so why would she need aid from someone lesser than her? This potentially could be tied to revelations about who Lady Loki really is. Then again, this could be a simple case of two Lokis are better than one. Perhaps she begrudgingly respects him or simply doesn't want to see another Loki get pruned. Either way, it takes Loki away from the TVA, and he was the one who figured out how to track Lady Loki down in his short time working for them, making him a more valuable asset to the TVA than some might care to admit.
Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+