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, once they don’t acknowledge him, Loki discovers a statue of He Who Stays on the middle of the TVA. The primary 4 episodes of season 2 decide up proper the place this story ends, this time with a number of 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 inventive voice. This director duo beforehand labored on the MCU present Moon Knight, and so they usher in one thing that each feels according to the earlier season whereas that includes one thing new. The season premiere incorporates a path 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 performing so petrified of a looming risk makes the risk really feel a lot scarier.
Moreover, Loki finds himself glitching in a manner that’s just like what we noticed in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. As they resolve this, we get a number of 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 allure to this sequence. 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 numerous methods to discover it in movies and TV. There’s a superb second within the first episode the place a visible joke/working gag turns into an indicator of the place Loki is in time. Elements 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 incorporates a mid-credits scene, which you need to stick round for because it units up the subsequent episode very nicely 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 below the alias of Brad Wolfe. That is the place the present will get fascinating. The TVA is a enjoyable idea, however the premise is that it’s a boring workplace the place the characters can’t 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 a bit of 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 primary characters’ objective, it really works a lot better. The characterization for him is fascinating, too, as he’s unperturbed by the phrases of Loki and Mobius.
One other robust side of the present is the way it pushes Mobius to a tragic place. Among the finest scenes is a dialog over a slice of key lime pie, the place we find out how comfy Mobius is in his life on the TVA. He needs to dwell in ignorance of what his life was earlier than, not desirous to know what he might 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 organising their new huge dangerous with Kang the Conqueror, or as he’s identified on this present, He Who Stays. The strongest side of this villain is that there are numerous variants, and each feels very totally different. It’s a personality that an actor like Jonathan Majors can feast upon. Comedian guide 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 totally different from what we noticed within the Loki season 1 finale, which can be very totally different from what we noticed in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Total, the primary 4 episodes of Loki season 2 are entertaining and according to the standard we’ve got 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 Sturdy) that’s the precise form of darkly humorous factor I by no means knew this present wanted. The weather that really feel like they don’t belong, equivalent to a storyline with a brand new character named Dox, usually have a decision that makes it really feel earned. With a number of strong character moments with our current group, Loki is a largely inoffensive present that does every thing it needs to do with out doing rather more.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s evaluate 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.