It's been fifteen years since the MCU, or Marvel Cinematic Universe, introduced Iron Man and Phase I of their multi-year plan. Since then audiences have been treated to 32 movies with another dozen supposedly on the way. However, the MCU's reach didn't stop with theatrical releases when, beginning in 2013 they created television series based on some of the ancillary characters (i.e. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). They also created limited series on streaming including WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel - all of which tie into the movies. One of the most popular series, Loki, will debut its second season on Disney+ this week.
In Season One of Loki (Tom Hiddleston; Kong: Skull Island), the God of Mischief and the adopted brother of Thor, finds himself at the TVA (Time Variance Authority) for the crime of stealing the Tesseract. However, Loki is a variant and must choose between being destroyed or chasing down another Loki variant, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino; Yesterday), to stop her from murdering He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors; Creed III).
Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful and, as Season Two begins, the TVA is in shambles with multiverses branching off the timeline, overloading the system, and threatening to destroy everything and everyone. Loki once again teams up with Morbius (Owen Wilson; Haunted Mansion) to not only find Sylvia but also Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw; Belle) and Miss Minutes (Tara Strong; Batman: The Killing Joke), both of whom have gone AWOL. They also work with Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan; Everything, Everywhere, All At Once), who is a quirky repair guy, to try and stop the TVA from melting down. By episode four, things don't look good but there is always hope...at least there is in the MCU.
Hiddleston and Wilson have great timing making one reminiscent of bygone days and such great comedy teams as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and Tony Randall and Jack Krugman of The Odd Couple. Hiddleston also has a terrific connection with Di Martino which is part of what made Season One so interesting. While they technically are offshoots of the same being, they are different and alike in even measure. Some might think of them as brother/sister while others might consider them potential love interests (which would actually be creepy and apropos all at once since everyone knows how much Loki loves himself). Quan was a genius casting move as he brings so much comic relief to rather tense moments while offering a glimpse of what Data (from The Goonies) might have looked like as an adult.
Of course, when one talks about Disney and Marvel, there are certain technical expectations and Loki delivers on a grand scale. From the "Core reactor" (a temporal something or other) to the time jumping, the effects are extremely well done. The costumes are also very well done and all of O.B.'s "gadgets" look as though they might actually be functional sometime in the future. The script can be confusing at times but that is typical when dealing with a time travel plot.
If Loki Season One was your cup of tea, then Season Two simply adds scones and finger sandwiches for you to enjoy. At a mere six episodes (one per week beginning on October 5th and ending on November 9th), the limited series manages to pack so much detail in and, though I haven't seen all the episodes yet, I am already hoping for a Season Three.
One of the better offerings from the MCU, Loki Season Two is worth your time and attention.
Grade: B+
