The TVA doesn’t learn quickly, that’s for sure. After what happened with Ravonna Renslayer, they’re all scrambling to figure out how to move forward, and their solution is enlisting a group of judges to listen to a case from Hunter B-15, Hunter D-90, and Mobius. And sometimes Loki, when he time-slips into the room. The case is all about what happened in season 1, and while Mobius and his allies are trying to get the TVA to stop pruning the timelines until they can figure out what is going on, Dox (Kate Dickie) doesn’t seem to want to hear it.
Dox has X-5 (Rafael Casal) at her side, and the two are in step with each other throughout the entire meeting, even touching foreheads at the end. While tensions are high, they do have a dynamic that is worth noting. It seems that Dox has a similar mindset to Renslayer; she is someone who is clearly more interested in what she wants and doesn’t care about anything else. Dox is someone who does things by the book: where Hunter B-15 tries to speak freely to get to the point, X-5 and Dox are the ones who keep everyone on point.
What is it about upholding the TVA and its rules that is so important to Dox and X-5? What in that rigid structure is worth keeping? There’s something in the way that Dox carries herself at that table, especially with X-5 at her side, that inspires fear of what they are capable of now that Renslayer isn’t there to oversee things happening at the TVA.
Forehead touch with your homie?
Renslayer wasn’t perfect, but this first episode of Loki season 2 reveals a lot of power struggles happening beneath her that are almost more frightening than what Renslayer was up to. At least with her we sort of knew what we were getting. Dox’s relationship with X-5 and her obsession with pruning, especially in this courtroom scene, is telling.
What I really want to know about is Dox and X-5 touching foreheads. That relationship is fascinating. Is there a rule in the TVA about relationships? Are they dating? Was that a platonic thing? Is a forehead touch something that can be just like, “wow, we’re stressed but it will be okay, buddy”? Because to me that’s incredibly romantic. Not to be that person, but I’ve never thought, “let me just comfort my bestie by touching foreheads.” Sorry, that’s not really a move.
I don’t know what their deal is and I don’t know if I want to figure it out, but there is something going on between them and it really is interesting in a weird way. So whoever Dox is, I don’t think we want to trust her, but I do think we can trust at least some members of the council that Hunter B-15 spoke with. They were at least willing to listen—and not touch foreheads with each other.
(featured image: Disney+)
