On Oct. 5, fans all across the multiverse waited anxiously for the second season of “Loki” to release. After watching season one over ten times, saying I was ecstatic was an understatement; my expectations for season two were extremely high.
Episode one started exactly where the finale of season one ended, and the transition was immaculate. There were no plot gaps, and the episode kicked off the season with a bang. Tom Hiddleston’s performance as Loki never ceases to amaze me, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry during tense scenes he comedically uplifted. However, my favorite part of the episode was the post-credit scene depicting my favorite character Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) on her way back from the Citadel at the End of Time.
Episode two followed up on the post-credits scene with a long-awaited Loki/Sylvie reunion. Loki spent three out of the four “Thor” movies being shamed as the villain and getting called too narcissistic to ever be loved, so when he met and fell in love with Sylvie in season one, I loved them together. I was extremely excited for their reunion, and it was great to see them fight side by side during the episode.
Episode three had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. From the time period change to the side plots, this episode was enthralling and my favorite of the season. I loved the scene where Loki and Sylvie fought in the carousel, while Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Ravona Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) had an awkward confrontational moment. It was the “couples therapy” we all needed.
Episode four was something out of a horror movie script, and not just because everyone “died” at the end. From the lighting to the sound of the episode, it was by far the spookiest. I was thrilled that Loki and Sylvie were finally able to fight together against a common enemy instead of each other, and their scenes were my favorite part of this episode. Fans have definitely seen a change in emotions of the two Lokis as the series has progressed.
Episode five went to the timeline and showed everyone’s original variant (except the Loki’s) due to the characters “dying” in the prior episode. The bar scene from Sylvie’s adoptive timeline got to the emotional core of the story, highlighting that Loki simply does not want to be alone, and will do anything to not be, which was a scene I wish we could’ve seen more in depth. The toll of finally being alone allows Loki to control his time-slipping, which was a great emotional and physical development. However, a lot of the episode proclaimed to be almost entirely filler, while leaving many dangerous questions still unanswered.
The finale episode was released on Nov. 9, with many plot holes needing to be filled. The first part of the episode was amazing, placing me on the edge of my seat the whole time, my favorite part being the scenes where Loki went back to season one. I loved watching him throughout the episode interact with Sylvie, it was exactly what I had waited for all season long. I enjoyed the homage to season one, and the idea that all of season two was a branched illusion was such an amazing idea. I was very excited about this seemingly perfect end to the season- or so I thought.
Loki sacrificing himself at the end of the episode was completely ludicrous and I hated the fact that no one will ever get to see him again, further complicating the Marvel timeline as a whole. This completely rewrote Loki as a character and demolished all of his development and his new personal morales. What bothered me more was that none of the other characters seemed upset by this, not even Sylvie. The ending was horrible and as a huge fan, I was extremely upset.
Ultimately, I was furiously heartbroken with the finale ending, and in my opinion the only way for the show to redeem itself from the monstrosity of the ending is to make a season three where they find a way to free Loki from his new burden, or to provide further insight in upcoming Marvel movies. What hurt most was having to say goodbye to one of my favorite characters, as he took his place as the newly appointed “God of Time”. Season one will always be a favorite, and the reason that I am so hooked on the show. However, the rest of season two was still amazing and I will continue to love this show with high regards.
