Following directly behind the events of season one, the second season of Loki dives right into the consequences that Loki and company now face due to the killing of “He Who Remains.” Navigating through time, they find themselves lost between the past, present, and future.
The standout feature of this season is undoubtedly the stellar performances by the cast. Tom Hiddleston is at the top of his game this season and breathes new life into the character of Loki who has felt absent for a long while. The supporting cast of Owen Wilson (Agent Mobius), and Sophia Di Martino (Sylvie) also have such impactful interactions with Loki and bring incredible stoicism, and comradery to this team. A new member of the cast who also really shines throughout the season is Ke Huy Quan. He plays OB, who adds so much heart and great comedic moments to the show. The only lackluster performance comes from Neil Ellice who plays a sort of secondhand man to B-15. His performance often feels over the top and honestly, the role in its entirety does not feel particularly necessary at the end of the day.
Visually, the show stands out with its well-executed cinematography and stylistic choices. Marvel has not exactly had the best track record in recent years with CGI or special effects, but this show is not a part of that conversation. Everything in here is done skillfully, and I would even go as far as to say that as we reach the finale, there is a shot in here that is in my top 5 shots in the whole of the MCU.
One of the issues I found myself experiencing with the first few episodes of the show is that it appeared as though the plot was going to revolve around a series of fetch quests. It felt as though for the first few episodes it was all about “we have to go find a doohickey” or “we have to go find this person” and even though the main story at the center was interesting, those sorts of side quest type of plots were becoming tiresome. Luckily, the end of episode 3 absolutely sets things in motion, and that is the point when the show really comes to life.
Overall, this show was a much-needed win for Marvel. It feels like ever since Avengers: Endgame the whole series has been trying to capture the magic of the first three phases to no avail. Loki seasons one and two are the exception to that, however. I was never that much of a fan of the Loki character throughout the MCU, and this show has absolutely changed my feelings on him. This season gets an 8/10 from me, and I urge you to go out and watch it as soon as you can.
A quick note for viewers: There is an after-credit scene only for episode one! There’s no need to stick around through the credits for every episode.