REVIEW #324 Loki (Season 2)

Season 2 picks up right where the first left of, with the god What of mischief working frantically to try and fix the multiverse with his new friends from the TVA. 

Wow, Loki season 1 was loved by fans, myself included, some believed that with just how hit and miss marvel have been as of late, that season 2 would find it difficult to live up to its debut season. Well it’s fair to say it did and in the process it blew me away with its storytelling, its performances and its immaculate cinematography. It’s only fair to give the MCU its credit where credits due and what they have created here will leave a lasting impact on the franchise for the entirety of the next phase and beyond. Firstly I want to commend Tom Hiddleston who continuously delivered throughout the show, it almost felt like a theatre stage performance and I mean that in the best possible way. He elevated every duologue he was part of and of course that works hand in hand with the writing which was another element at such a high quality. There were so many character interactions that just meant more, that were jam packed with emotion and had me choked up on more than a few occasions. Loki going back for advice from a season 1 Mobius, the pie room with Silvie, the final duologue with Jonathan Majors, these are just a few examples where it felt like marvel was back at its best, with some of the best writing from the entire franchise.

The story itself is a direct continuation of season 1, with no involvement or links to other projects, which works in its favour. But there is no doubt that the events that unfolded here will impact everything hereafter. Kang is also the main feature, through two variants, Victor Timely and of course he who remains. Once again Jonathan Majors illustrates his incredible range and acting ability. Stepping aside from the overarching narrative for a second, Lokis personal character development exceeds expectations yet again, selfish to selfless, a man willing to risk it all for his friends and better yet the trillions of people that he has never met. He finally lives up to his godly status and in the process becomes one of the most powerful characters in the multiverse! The cinematography is a stark contrast to the first season which included vibrant colours and illustrious designs that lit up our TV screens. Where season 2 kept it simpler, using perfectly framed shots and a reoccurring brown colour grading which worked perfectly with setting. My personal favourite shots were the symmetrical wide shots within the TVA corridors, simple shots don’t get me wrong but they had a wonderful aesthetic.

Now finally I want to discuss the finale and this paragraph will include spoilers. It ended with what seemed like Loki taking the place of he who remains, giving every timeline a chance to thrive and fight for survival by using his powers to repair and hold each timeline in place. In the process of that, we saw an amazing costume transition giving him the iconic Loki godly look and that was one hell of a moment. He also harnessed time, equipping the new power to time slip on command, freeze time and bend it to his will. Now that does make him pretty overpowered but it makes him the perfect person to face off with Kang down the line and I have no doubt he’ll play a crucial role in Secret Wars and the Kang Dynasty. But the thing I’m looking forward to most is that reunion with Thor as his brother witnesses the person who he has become, that’s enough to make a grown man cry! So congrats to the Loki production team and the wonderful directors who brought this to life because you’ve created a show where every interaction holds weight and meaning, nothing felt hollow and it’s something all marvel fans can love.

Overall (9.5/10)

Thanks for reading.

Callan