(Photo Manipulation by Nathan Rubin)
This review contains spoilers.
After season one, “Loki” (2021) had a very strong case as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)’s best show. However, with the addition of season two, which premiered on Oct. 5, “Loki” comfortably smashes every other MCU show. While the suspenseful and action-packed story is as strong as ever, it is merely the canvas for beautiful character work.
Before I praise the development of great characters from season one, as well as the new characters from this season, I have one gripe: Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) was a central part of Loki Laufeyson’s (Tom Hiddleston) crew, but in this season, her development is sidelined as she gets very few meaningful moments to shine. This is especially unfortunate since Mosaku portrayed the dedicated Time Variance Authority (TVA) agent excellently in season one. I’m expected to care for Hunter as we would for any other member of the crew, which is hard when her character work is almost exclusively limited to season one.
Outside of this small blunder, season two is a triumph of excellent character writing, with Loki, Sylvie Laufeydottir (Sophia Di Martino) and Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) all receiving integral roles in the story and meaningful conclusions. This is reminiscent of the dedicated attention every Guardian of the Galaxy earned in their final film.
Two new important characters are also introduced. First, Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan), a genius physicist and inventor who wrote the TVA’s guidebook and helps Loki and friends figure out how to fix the temporal loom, a central plot point of season two. Quan excellently portrays Ouroboros, adding so much more to the character than you would get with the typical “brains” of every superhero team.
As the season wrapped up, I realized just how important Ouroboros is to the season, as he is one of the only people who could comprehend the temporal mess Loki is in the middle of. Ouroboros is a true confidant for our hero. I began to question: Is Ouroboros, a seemingly random addition to the show at first, my new favorite character of the season?
Part of what makes Ouroboros so great is his rapport with Victor Timely (Jonathan Majors), a variant of He Who Remains who is a stuttering, genius inventor from 19th-century Chicago. Despite being a precursor to a dangerous temporal dictator, Victor is incredibly endearing, especially with his bromance with Ouroboros. Additionally, it should go without saying that Majors gives a stellar performance in this season yet again, portraying both Victor and He Who Remains with vivacious attention to details. It is truly impressive how Majors is able to contrast these two almost opposite personalities while still making it evident that the two are variations of the same man.
Quan and Majors smash their performances out of the park, but the skillful acting does not stop there. Wilson recreates the laid-back personality of Mobius while adding a new layer of personal conflict to the nonchalant time analyst. Mobius’ dedication to the TVA is tested in the first season, but loyalty to his mission and his friends replace this corporate dedication. The idea that he has a simple life as a father on one of the timelines again tests Mobius’ loyalty. The show leaves us with Mobius back on his own timeline pondering a return to a more simple life. Wilson does an amazing job of playing a character that is seemingly simple but is truly way more layered than appears. Di Martino also perfectly plays the instigating Sylvie who challenges Mobius’ tunnel vision to his mission. The strife and friendship between these two never gets old.
Last, but certainly not least, Hiddleston’s acting is a big reason why the transition to hero Loki feels so natural. The actor’s range is remarkable and exemplified when Loki goes back in time to when he first met Mobius. The contrast between The Avengers villain Loki and our beloved hero is present, but at the same time, the progression and refinement of Loki are evident in all of his important character moments. The final Loki moment is perhaps the best, portrayed without any dialogue at all.
In the end, Loki has to make the ultimate sacrifice, leaving his friends behind to destroy the temporal loom and become the new moderator of time, essentially replacing He Who Remains. This ending evokes so much emotion because Loki is now alone with this power forever. A few episodes earlier, Sylvie has questioned Loki’s reasons for suddenly becoming this selfless hero who wants to bring everyone together to prevent the loom’s destruction, eventually getting it out of Loki that he simply wants to be with his friends and preserve the TVA so they would have to work together. This makes Loki’s final choice even more meaningful as he takes on this challenge alone so his friends can live, even without him.
The moment is an example of all the bountiful character growth in the new series: This sacrifice shows Loki’s growth from only a few episodes earlier. We are meant to believe Loki has grown from a power-hungry tyrant, but Sylvie points out his motivations for being a hero are still selfish. He progresses from only wanting to be a hero because he wants to be with his new friends to sacrificing his ability to be with his friends to save all of time.
The ending of “Loki” starkly contrasts mediocre endings to shows like “WandaVision.” Loki finally becoming an all-powerful god is fitting because, although this is what he had always wanted through the entire “Thor” and “The Avengers” franchises, when the time comes, Loki reluctantly accepts this role to save countless lives.
Once the final credits rolled, I was filled with emotion, not knowing if “Loki” would have another season. On one hand, I felt melancholy because I love these characters and do not want their collective story to end. On the other hand, I am happy that this story has come to such a beautiful conclusion and all our main characters have gotten the endings they deserved.
Many projects since “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), such as “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022), “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (2022) and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2023), had many worried that the MCU was on a decline. Season two of “Loki,” along with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” should be a beacon of hope for Marvel fans everywhere after an underwhelming “Phase 4.” This series is an emotional, well-written, character-driven triumph that the MCU, especially their Disney+ exclusives, desperately needs.
Samuel Bartlett (26C, he/him) is from Durham, North Carolina whose major is undecided. Outside of the Wheel, Bartlett is involved with the Emory Climate Reality Project as an executive, helping plan events to raise awareness about climate change. He loves watching UNC basketball and exploring Atlanta.
