The black and white flickering screen sets the stage. A feeling of anticipation and excitement is in the air as the jaw-dropping opening theme profoundly plays and the start of your multiversal journey begins. Such is the sensational start of each episode, every Thursday, for six weeks filled with the “glorious purpose” of watching the next Loki episode. Though there is often a fear that the second season of a show might fail to compare to the original, this season defies that fear in every sense. It was emotional, satisfying, witty, fascinating, mind-bending, and surreal in the best way.
One of the most well-received aspects of this new season was all of the new characters and the incredibly complicated yet immense journey that all Season 1 characters go through. New characters such as Ourobrus (a fan favorite), Victor Timely, and Brad Wolde added a new layer of depth to the series and this new season answered many of the burning questions that were circulating after the first season such as “What happens now that He Who Remains is killed?”.
This question is specifically addressed by returning characters. Miss Minutes, another fan favorite from the original series, reveals her desire throughout this season to be a human and rule the TVA with He Who Remains – the primary antagonist who designed the TVA and, in a nutshell, removed free will from the multiverse. Renslayer, an antagonist figure from the first season, joins forces with her in order to reinstate He Who Remains in control of the TVA and increase their own power status. Mobius, Loki’s closest friend from Season 1, accepts that he is a variant and visits his sons, and Sylvie, the primary love interest of Loki from the first season, has to learn to accept the consequences of giving the multiverse free will.
Though all of these story arcs are fascinating, the true stroke of genius comes from Loki’s own story. Within this new season it is revealed that Loki’s primary motive to save the multiverse is not simply to protect countless lives and prevent a second multiversal war, but to save his friends. Although it sounds cliché, this a major confession on his part given that this variant of Loki single-handedly launched an attack on New York City not long before this season. As the plot progresses with unsuspected twists, Victor Timely, a variant of He Who Remains, is posed to be the hero but it is Loki who is the true hero in the end. The season ends with him overcoming his biggest fear of being alone, he saves the entire multiverse, and everyone except for him can return to their chosen lives.
The series concludes with a phenomenal ending. The emotion that Tom Hiddleston, the actor of Loki, was able to portray is moving to the core and the visuals add all the more emphasis. He saves the multiverse by using his abilities to weave branches of time into the tree of Yggdrasil (the tree of life from Norse mythology), and in the center of it he sits alone on a throne, the very thing he had searched for all his life prior to season one of the show. Additionally, the episode is titled “Glorious Purpose,” which serves as a poignant callback to his iconic line iterated throughout the years.
There were moments in this season where I simply sat there in awe, with my jaw dropped, completely unsure of what direction the next episode will take. Personally, a show is well done when you not only connect with the characters, but the story as well, no matter how unrealistic it may seem. When I watched it I hung onto every single word, and I would recommend this show to anyone because it is a truly unforgettable viewing experience.
