Ah, Loki. One of the most beloved Marvel characters has returned to grace us with his presence on the silver screen – if you can use that term for weekly Disney Plus releases watched on my laptop. Season 2 of Loki has arrived at last, over two years after its first season came out in mid-2021. Odd but individual, this six-episode event offered a fresh and unique look into the god of mischief, changing the course of the MCU forever.
My review of season 1 can be read here, but my thoughts can be summarized thusly: while the premise of Loki was interesting, its titular character wasn’t handled as well as he could’ve been. The focus on a messy, unfounded romance between Loki and an alternate version of himself dominates the storyline and leaves us with a protagonist who never feels true to his original self.
As for season 2, let’s take a look at the next chapter of Loki’s winding, trouble-fraught life.
*this review will contain spoilers for season 2, episode 1 of Loki*
The end of season 1 left Loki in a reality where no one recognized him, alone and burdened with the knowledge of the threat the multiverse was facing. However, in this episode, Loki is torn between different timelines, jumping into the past and future. This was a relief – I didn’t want to watch Loki struggling to rebuild his life all over again surrounded by strangers.
I’ve never been a fan of amnesia plotlines, especially when they’re tied up with the old “falling in love again” trope. Those kinds of stories always take away what I initially liked about the pairing, starting their relationship over from scratch. So I was grateful that this episode didn’t pull that kind of nonsense with Loki and Mobius. We got to return to their fantastic dynamic – one of the best parts of season 1.
Watching this episode reminded me how much I love intense acting. I watched Loki almost immediately after finishing the Ahsoka miniseries, and the contrast of each lead’s emotional range caught me very much by surprise.
Don’t get me wrong in the slightest – I adore Rosario Dawson and Ahsoka both. But the former’s portrayal of the latter in Star Wars’ most recent show is so… tame. In a way I get it; it works for Ahsoka’s character. But Dawson’s gentle demeanor and soft contralto can get tiring. It was refreshing to shift from Ahsoka quietly scolding Sabine to Loki hyperventilating and begging Mobius to recognize him. I’ve missed having characters show extreme, genuine emotion. Maybe it’s the fanfic writer in me.
My favorite part of this episode was the arrival of a new face: Ouroboros, a TVA repairs agent. I’m just a fan of Ke Huy Quan, honestly, and he’s so great at casual humor. I’m looking forward to seeing him in more episodes.
Speaking of humor – this was a surprisingly funny episode. I’m used to MCU jokes being clumsy and try-hard – especially with the painful breaks for laughter in the theaters – but I was surprised here. Maybe it was my lack of sleep when I watched this episode, but I laughed out loud multiple times. Mobius and Loki arguing over whether or not Loki’s time slips are scary, only for Mobius to turn to a previously unforeseen redshirt who’s also in the elevator – peak comedy. And hey, the past and present parts bring up some good jokes too.
This episode plays fast and loose with the rules of time travel, utilizing the conceit to the furthest limits of its potential. Much of it is what we’ve seen before in time travel media – references being made before they exist, environments being altered in the past and changing in the future – you know, Frequency stuff. But it’s still fun and entertaining to see these tropes be so deeply explored in Loki. We can only hope to see more scenes of this nature in the coming episodes.
When it was released, Loki was the third Phase 4 TV show of the MCU. Like its predecessors, Wandavision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki was unpredictable and fresh. It broke away from the traditional boundaries of Marvel content, offering the viewer a new but welcome experience. It’s time to see if the show’s second season will live up to the hype from the first – and if Loki’s story will finally get a happy ending.
