Geek Review: Loki Season 2 (Disney+)

*This review is based on the first four episodes of Loki Season Two. 

Brush up on your understanding of time-traveling shenanigans because you’re going to need it for the second season of Loki, as Marvel’s God of Mischief makes his return after two years, and after breaking time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but not before giving himself a good time that is.

But all is forgiven because of Tom Hiddleston, who reprises his role in the new season of Marvel’s popular Disney+ series. But can we really say reprising because this version of Loki he’s playing isn’t exactly the same one audiences know and love, but a variant really.

Season one saw Loki attempt to escape the TVA (Time Variance Authority) and find He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), the person who controls the TVA from the comforts of a citadel at the End of Time. Of course, as fans would know, Loki variant Sylvie (Sophia diMartino) killed He Who Remains, unleashing multiple branches on the prime timeline, and worst of all, releasing  all the variants of He Who Remains, including Kang the Conqueror, who we already met in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Season two picks up right from where we left off, with Loki time-slipping and trying to make sense of what is happening to him. If you’ve forgotten bits and bobs of season one or haven’t seen season one, there’s a chance you’ll be lost but because whatever’s unfolding in the coming episodes are so chaotic, you wouldn’t mind it. Loki season two is absolute mayhem, so it is best to sit back and enjoy the ride. 

Returning with Hiddleston are the TVA crew, including Owen Wilson as Mobius M Mobius, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravona Renslayer, Tara Strong as Miss Minutes and Eugene Cordero as Casey, and of course, Jonathan Majors as Victor Timely (that’s another variant. We think.). Notable newcomers include Ke Huy Quan as OB (short for Ouroboros), a TVA employee in the Repairs department, and Rafael Casal, who plays an actor and producer named Brad. 

Ke’s OB is a quirky repair guy, but turns out to be a very brilliant man who helps Loki and Mobius understand what exactly they’re up against and how to get around it. Brad is unlikeable but is someone viewers can empathise with at some points in his journey. As for Majors’ Timely, he is nothing like He Who Remains, and definitely nothing like Kang the Conqueror.

Timely is eccentric and from what we’ve seen so far in the first four episodes, a character we root for. This may come as a surprise to many, especially given Timely’s strange history in the comics, but we’re quite pleased with his characterisation. Of course, with two more episodes to go, there’s still room for things to turn around.

Loki also gets a stronger, albeit different characterisation here. The character has often toed the line between villain and hero. And while The Avengers movie definitely cemented him as a villain, his ability to care for others time and time again shows a deep potential for him to be a hero. In season one, Loki has been redeemed as one of the good guys but if you’re hoping to see Loki tempted or lured back to old tactics, then season two is going to hit the spot. We have really seen Loki grow throughout the MCU movies and now, two seasons of his solo series. Fans of the character would love seeing how he has come full circle.

What we deeply enjoy about Loki season two is that every single character introduced plays a key role, which allows us to not only know the characters and care for them and the actions they take, but also provides a deeper understanding of the TVA.

The TVA was just a big organisation in the first season, but season two delves into what makes it tick, and most importantly, the people behind the undoing or redoing of it – depending on which side of the clock you like to look at. One group is bent on saving the sacred timeline and stopping an imminent threat from taking over the TVA and the multiverse, while the other uses the TVA and the multiverse to bring said threat forward, and unsurprisingly, both sides believe that they’re doing it for the greater good. 

Given how Loki season two is focused on the prevention and coming of a war, it is tonally darker than season one and if you thought pruning was horrible, be prepared to see more ruthless tactics used to get one’s way. There’s plenty more action, and of course, terms thrown around, like ‘Temporal Aura’, that would only make sense once you catch the series. 

Thankfully, not much of the comedy is lost. Loki’s humour, much like the titular character himself, is witty and sarcastic. The humour does feel a tad different, perhaps due to a change of writers between seasons, from Michael Waldron to Eric Martin, but we enjoy this more sitcom-like humour. 

One complain we do have, which has been carried over from our review of season one, is that there is a lot of conversing that doesn’t necessarily drive the plot forward, or particularly add to the character’s growth. An example is Sylvie’s desire to kill every single variant of He Who Remains. Sylvie’s impulsive act of killing He Who Remains in season one is what started this entire mess, but she doesn’t care and wouldn’t stop expressing how much she wants to kill He Who Remains’ variants, no matter how much Loki tells him not to. 

That aside, Loki is enjoyable and remains the best Disney+ MCU show on the platform, and this a much stronger outing than the first season. While season one felt like the God of Mischief was running around like a headless chicken, we see more sense of sureness in him – even if he’s being pulled apart across time and space.

Season 2 of Loki premieres on Disney+ on 5 October.