This past October, Disney+ welcomed fans back to the Time Variance Authority (TVA) with the release of the second season of the hit Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show, Loki. In 2021, Loki premiered as one of the first three MCU shows on Disney+ along with WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With Loki being a fan favorite character ever since his debut in the 2011 film, Thor, no doubt thanks to actor Tom Hiddleston for bringing him to life, it was no surprise when Loki was the only of these three shows to be renewed for a second season. With expectations already high following the release of the legendary first season, this second installment went above and beyond in almost every aspect from production to plot. Beware, there will be spoilers ahead.
This season opens exactly where the last one ended: Loki is being hunted by the TVA because they have evidently forgotten who he is. This confused viewers everywhere during the first season finale when they saw Mobius (Owen Wilson) with no memory of Loki even though they spent most of season one together. Not long into the first episode, we find out that this is because Loki was in the past before any of the TVA knew who he was. He promptly but inadvertently returns to the present with his newfound and uncontrollable ability of time slipping. Time slipping became a monumental component in the conclusion of this story. The one issue I had with this, and one of the few issues I had with the season as a whole, was that time slipping was rarely addressed until the second-to-last episode.
The writing on this season and show in general is perplexing. What amazes me the most is that the head writer, Eric Martin, has very few writing credits to his name. I believe, however, that this show is by far the most well-written Marvel project for a while. There were so many layers to every line and callbacks to past projects that are sure to bring long-time fans to the brink of tears (wink wink episode 6). One of the things I enjoyed about the script was that it simplified the extreme complexities of time and the multiverse. In other words, they delved into some very confusing topics in a way that was easy to understand and enjoyable to watch.
Now I might be biased because Loki has always been my favorite MCU character but I truly believe that he has had one of the biggest and best character arcs in the history of not just the MCU but film in general. Right off the bat in Thor, we learn about his complicated family life and his thirst for a throne and power, which leads him to become one of the original MCU villains. As time went on, however, the character developed in ways that no one saw coming. From him nearly sacrificing himself for Thor in Thor: The Dark World, to him actually sacrificing himself in Avengers: Infinity War, he has proven himself as one of the most loveable anti-heroes in the entire franchise. The version of Loki in this series was no exception. He continued to grow and learn about the nature of himself and others which is what led him to ultimately sacrifice himself and his desires and achieve his “Glorious Purpose.”
This show has an all-star cast. Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Jonathan Majors, and Wunmi Mosaku are only a few of the actors who brought this project to life. However, one of my favorite performances was by Ke Huy Quan who made his MCU debut this season playing Ouroboros (O.B.), the TVA mechanic. O.B. really brings a bit of sunshine to an otherwise dark story. His joy is contagious and you can’t help but root for him. O.B. was one of my favorite elements of this new season as a whole and I don’t think they could’ve cast a more perfect person for the job. Hiddleston was, as expected, amazing and I think it was so fun to continue to see his chemistry with both Wilson and Di Martino as the dynamics between the characters have changed.
Loki was one of the first projects of the Multiverse Saga and really the first to address the multiverse directly. Because of this, we could assume that this show would be a huge contributor to the next couple of phases of the MCU. Now with season two, it is very clear that not only the season but the character of Loki will have an even bigger impact than anyone would’ve thought with him literally holding the entire multiverse together. Though it is not confirmed that Hiddleston will ever return as Loki, even in his possible absence the effect he will have on the future of the MCU is undeniable.
Loki was an incredible ride and it ended with the most tragically beautiful finale that truly played with my emotions. Though I am of course sad that this is possibly the last time that we will see all of these beloved characters together, I think Loki finally sacrificing it all and getting his throne right after realizing that it is in fact not what he has always wanted, shows even another level of depth to a project and a character already as deep as the ocean. Loki will continue to be one of my all-time favorite MCU projects and I cannot wait to see what the future holds.