Loki Full Season 2 | True Review

 

Courtesy of Disney+

With the publication of Thor twelve years ago, Loki's adventure in the MCU began. He transitioned from villain to anti-hero, and in Avengers: Infinity War, we saw him die a heroic death. And in this TV series, we got to see him do it all over again. It's an amazing character arc, and if I were a ranking woman, I would argue that his character's exploration and growth had surpassed Tony Stark's in the MCU. I say this without any fangirl bias: Tom Hiddleston's efforts are largely to thank for this.

He has portrayed the role with genuine empathy, highlighting both Loki's virtues and weaknesses. With Loki's physical attributes, he creates such unforgettable moments, such as his precise combat technique and hair flips. The reason we ever got a TV program in the first place is largely due to his depiction and the character being a fan favorite. 

I have to say that the first half of Season 2 of Loki was not as good as the first season, even if I really like Season 1. Naturally, the buddy cop relationship between Hiddleston's Loki and Owen Wilson's Mobius—who probe Renslayer's (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) intentions and behaviors from her earlier forays—is what made the film work. At this point, we also meet one of Kang's incarnations, Victor Timely (Jonathan Majors), who is a con artist as well as a scientist. 

Timely isn't nearly as compelling as Majors' portrayal of He Who Remains, which was and still is great. The performance is strong, but in general, we don't care about a man like Timely, and the story suffers from having so many dragged-out sequences with him and Renslayer. I see the idea behind the scenes—to show the audience that He Who Remains is really a villain who has deified himself—but they are not particularly captivating or interesting. Even though we do have a great set piece from the Brad Wolfe subplot, it feels superfluous as well. As Ouroboros, Ke Huy Quan is hilarious, and he really comes alive in the sequences where he interacts with Wilson and Hiddleston. 

Things really start to become fascinating in Episode 4, as additional episodes center on Loki's persona and his time travels. Is there a connection between this and the growing branches that the Time Loom is unable to contain, and if so, why is this occurring to him? The script's intricate construction of the time-slipping element is just astounding. Like Loki, we start to realize that the time slipping isn't happening at random and that, in order to prevent oblivion, he must attempt to control it. 

Watching Loki's interactions with Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) in Season 1 was particularly fascinating. While Sylvie is largely sidelined this season, we don't get as many of these moments, the ones we do get are powerful. Loki confesses to Sylvie that he has developed an emotional bond with his buddies in the TVA throughout their talk, and that has contributed to his determination to find a solution so he may save them. Loki, who has always damaged the people he loves and felt so out of place in Asgard, has now developed a sudden feeling of generosity. His perspective on the world has changed, and he no longer solely thinks about himself and his wants. 

All of these little revelations bring him full circle to the crucial scene in Season 1 with He Who Remains. Majors maintains the same level of intensity in the part that I loved from his first season performance. He truly captures the tired lighthouse keeper look, and his line delivery is flawless ("Reincarnation, baby" is a highlight in particular). Finding out that his final words, an apparently carefree "See you soon," had a deeper significance than we first thought is very upsetting. When Loki finds himself in a pickle, he looks to his pals for advice. True purpose, according to Mobius, carries a burden; making the correct decision is not always simple but it is imperative. Sylvie believes that there is more to it than meets the eye, as perhaps ruination might pave the way for something more effective. Thus, after making his decision, Loki transforms into a deity who is able to elevate people beyond his own faulty, egotistical viewpoint. The resolution, however heavy with grand purpose, offers something so poignant and yet perfectly appropriate for Loki's path.

When the titles rolled and the phrase "Loki will return" was missing from the screen, I admit to crying a bit. It's possible that the MCU may bring the character back at some point, but this is probably Hiddleston's final turn as Loki. Hey, everything nice has to end sometime, right?