The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues with Loki season 2, a continuation of the MCU Disney+ present that premiered in 2021. Season 1 of this sci-fi present ended with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killing a variant of He Who Stays (Jonathan Majors). Loki (Tom Hiddleston) returns to the Time Variance Authority to warn Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) about his arrival. Nonetheless, after they don’t acknowledge him, Loki discovers a statue of He Who Stays on the heart of the TVA. The primary 4 episodes of season 2 decide up proper the place this story ends, this time with just a few new faces and a time-bending journey.
Whereas season 1 was run by Kate Herron, Loki season 2 brings in Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to be the artistic voice. This director duo beforehand labored on the MCU present Moon Knight, they usually herald one thing that each feels in keeping with the earlier season whereas that includes one thing new. The season premiere encompasses a route harking back to a psychological thriller. Loki is horrified and out of breath for a lot of this episode. Seeing the villain of earlier MCU content material appearing so petrified of a looming risk makes the risk really feel a lot scarier.
Moreover, Loki finds himself glitching in a means that’s just like what we noticed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. As they resolve this, we get just a few extra humorous moments with Mobius, who’s horrified by the glitching. Quickly sufficient, the present introduces us to a brand new character named Ouroboros, performed by Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan. It’s great to see Quan get the high-profile roles he deserves, particularly since he brings attraction to this collection. The primary episode additionally has loads of enjoyable with the idea of time journey, taking Loki to the previous and seeing how that impacts the longer term.
With time journey, there are a lot of methods to discover it in movies and TV. There’s a superb second within the first episode the place a visible joke/operating gag turns into an indicator of the place Loki is in time. Components of the present lean into the horror film aesthetic, however like most Marvel content material, it doesn’t absolutely decide to it. It’s additionally value noting that the primary episode encompasses a mid-credits scene, which it is best to stick round for because it units up the following episode very properly whereas placing a smile in your face.
The second episode takes you out of the TVA and begins with a mission surrounding a brand new character named X5 (Rafael Casal), who turns into a film star underneath the alias of Brad Wolfe. That is the place the present will get attention-grabbing. The TVA is a enjoyable idea, however the premise is that it’s a boring workplace the place the characters can not use their powers. When the present takes Loki out of the TVA, it appears to recollect that he’s a god with immense energy. The introduction to Brad is just a little bit unusual at first, given how separate it feels from the place the primary episode left off. Nonetheless, because it will get tied into the principle characters’ aim, it really works significantly better. The characterization for him is fascinating, too, as he’s unperturbed by the phrases of Loki and Mobius.
One other robust facet of the present is the way it pushes Mobius to a tragic place. The most effective scenes is a dialog over a slice of key lime pie, the place we find out how snug Mobius is in his life on the TVA. He needs to stay in ignorance of what his life was earlier than, not desirous to know what he could possibly be lacking out on. It’s a well-written thought, and it’s performed marvelously by Wilson. The second episode is a light enchancment over the earlier one.
The third and fourth episodes actually decide up steam. The MCU is establishing their new large dangerous with Kang the Conqueror, or as he’s recognized on this present, He Who Stays. The strongest facet of this villain is that there are a lot of variants, and every one feels very completely different. It’s a personality that an actor like Jonathan Majors can feast upon. Comedian e book film performances typically face criticism for being uninteresting in comparison with an actor’s full potential. Nonetheless, Majors is killing it as this character. His efficiency on this season as a stuttering scientist is vastly completely different from what we noticed within the Loki season 1 finale, which can also be very completely different from what we noticed in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
General, the primary 4 episodes of Loki season 2 are entertaining and in keeping with the standard we now have seen from the present earlier than. There’s extra of Loki and Mobius as a mismatched detective duo, together with some enjoyable moments that come up from that. There’s a subplot surrounding Miss Minutes (Tara Robust) that’s the actual sort of darkly humorous factor I by no means knew this present wanted. The weather that really feel like they don’t belong, reminiscent of a storyline with a brand new character named Dox, usually have a decision that makes it really feel earned. With just a few strong character moments with our present group, Loki is a largely inoffensive present that does every little thing it needs to do with out doing far more.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s assessment coverage explains, a rating of seven equates to “Good.” A profitable piece of leisure that’s value testing, however it could not attraction to everybody.
Disclosure: ComingSoon acquired screeners for Loki season 2 episodes 1-4.