Loki season two

After the resounding success of the first instalment, Disney+’s Marvel series Loki has returned for season two. Following immediately from the previous finale, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has become unstuck in time, literally being pulled from period to period, past to present to future. His counterpart Sylvie (Sophia Di Martin) is enjoying the life she dreamed of after killing He Who Remains, but this life is short-lived when she is tracked down by Loki and Mobius (Owen Wilson), needing their help urgently as multiple timelines are being pruned by the TVA.

Loki continues to be one of the last surviving favourite original MCU characters. The lovable charm and allure of Hiddleston and Wilson envelop the viewer like a warm blanket, and the introduction of the now Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan as TVA technician Ouroboros comes as a welcome addition to the team. Di Martin continues to be a shining star in a cast that collectively shines throughout every episode. The narrative structure is slightly messier this time around, perhaps taking advantage of its now secured fanbase to spend an episode or two reversing the immediate results of the season one finale, but each episode continues to move at breakneck speed.

Loki is edgy and colourful, and as season two hurtles through different settings, the production design continues to be exemplary, showcasing the best the studio has to offer and keeping Loki one of the more exciting Marvel products visually. The problems arise when addressing what everyone is really running in a frenzy from. Amongst the fun, games and witty humour, we lose the romantic connection between Loki and Sylvie. Instead, everyone is too swept up in the dramatic events to continue strengthening character relationships.

As well as this, the same issue returns, one that seems to plague all recent MCU releases: the market has simply become oversaturated, leaving numerous series rendered pointless and making it impossible for fans to stay up to speed with the universe like they once did a decade ago. We are now in what Disney calls “Phase Five” of the MCU and the midpoint in the Multiverse Saga, but the franchise has run into trouble both onscreen and off. The highly anticipated Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania bellyflopped into the pool and main antagonist Jonathan Majors is facing trial for charges of assault and aggravated harassment. It’s hardly calm waters for Loki season two to set sail into.

Loki is still undeniably a good time and the best Marvel series out there, but there are cracks that suggest it may, like the MCU as a whole, be losing its sense of direction.

Guy Lambert

Loki season two is released on Disney+ on 6^th October 2023.

Watch the trailer for Loki season two here: