Loki: Season 2. God of Mischief to the Rescue? [REVIEW of Premiere Episode]”
Few viewers would bet a dollar that the last hope of many MCU fans for the universe’s return to the right tracks would rest on Loki’s shoulders. The burden is unbearable to the extent that it could crush. After all, unlike most Phase IV productions, the first season of the series brought a lot of joy and satisfaction to many viewers. Expectations were high, but the interest in the series and the universe decreased with each subsequent production. It’s not surprising, considering that Loki played new, very significant cards in the freshly formed puzzle related to the functioning of the multiverse. He provided and explained the precise way it operates. However, the TVA organization and its rules had practically no translation to what happened in Phase IV later on. Therefore, many viewers began to find this formula tiresome and tedious, revenues started to decline, and productions like Quantumania almost nailed the coffin for Marvel cinema. In this perspective, Loki performs surprisingly well and seems to be, especially visually, almost a masterpiece. Well, in this perspective.
The second season of Loki starts with a bang. The story begins exactly at the point and moment where the previous season ended. If we recall that – incidentally, very well-built in terms of stakes and tension – moment, we know that the creators faced a considerable narrative challenge. I remind you that there is an absolute culmination of events – Loki and Sylvie discover the truth about the TVA, He Who Remains, or Kang. There is a branching of timelines. We part with the characters in a very tense moment, and the creators of the second season take on this challenge and dive into the story with full enthusiasm and narrative edge. A lot happens from the beginning, and surprisingly, despite some moments that are slightly over-talked, despite new mysteries, the introduction of the character Uroboros (Ke Huy-Quan), it is very pleasant to enter this chaos. That’s the essence of Loki.
The series stands at a surprisingly high artistic level. Especially compared to previous productions, including the movies. Visually, it is probably currently the most characteristic, authorial production of the MCU – the color palette and tonality of what we received in the first season are maintained, and even the bar is raised a bit in terms of editing and cinematographic madness. The scene of Loki and Uroboros talking happening on two different time planes is something truly ingenious. I don’t remember such visual extravagance anywhere else in MCU series before. This, in turn, makes me realize that this universe should slowly move away from a comprehensive, hermetic form in which everything is connected to a more autonomous, separated production. This would provide greater scriptwriting freedom and maneuvering room for creative creators.
The series about the Marvel’s God of Mischief defends itself in just this way – it is watched as Loki, not necessarily as another production belonging to a giant epic. One frame with a characteristic color palette and retro-futuristic gadgets is enough to recognize this series. Against the backdrop of the mundane MCU Phase IV productions, it looks like a small masterpiece. If you add positive narrative madness, the charming Ke Huy-Quan, who enriches the series, and the stakes, you have a recipe for a really great start.
Marcin Konczewski