LOKI 2

by Joshua Xiang

"I enlight in loneliness and crown love as king."

Initially, there was only one main universe, which was the ten years of Marvel we have seen, but these were all stories written by Kang, the legacy man. Stories beyond the scope of Kang's writing would be cut by the Time Administration, but Loki gave up his own freedom and gave each universe its own free will. He did not want the multiverse to be destroyed. Each universe has countless lives, and what we see in the future will be the story of this universe itself, which will not be affected by anyone's writing. Loki is omniscient and omnipotent, but he will only protect each multiverse and will not intervene.

Loki's dizzying, dazzling second season may rely on sleight of hand to distract from its slightly less satisfying storyline, but the end result still contains enough of that old Marvel magic to entertain. (Critic Consensus, Rotten Tomatoes)

As always, the MCU is very good at building suspension for every upcoming episode. After last week's very shocking fourth episode of Loki season 2, it was hard to predict how things were going to play out next. If the first half of the season had a clear path on display, the second one seems always to be a step ahead of the audience.

After watching episode five, I've come to realize that this show is gradually evolving into a sci-fi series reminiscent of Black Mirror. I'm genuinely excited to see that the director is placing more emphasis on stylization. It's an encouraging sign for Marvel's TV series, indicating that the creators and writers are not solely using this show to weave the intricate narrative of the MCU. I truly appreciate the pacing of the story and the exceptional acting skills of the cast, especially Jonathan Majors in the role of Victor Timely. Each episode seems to be skillfully building towards a gripping climax, and the director has done an impressive job in conveying the situation and creating a tense atmosphere.

Another aspect that deserves significant recognition is the remarkable aesthetic enhancements made throughout this season. The lighting, color schemes, set design, wardrobe, and props have all undergone a stunning transformation, coming together to create a visually exquisite and tangible atmosphere, further enhanced by the musical accompaniment. The incorporation of a vintage vibe and the application of Wes Anderson's scene composition style unexpectedly harmonize with the theme of this season. As someone who has often found certain aspects of MCU productions lacking in visual appeal, this was a noteworthy and gratifying development for me.

More importantly, The playful, inventive visuals also continue to give “Loki” an added edge, from the crammed gadgetry of OB’s workshop to a quick detour in 1970s London to an entire episode set in 19th century Chicago.

Overall, Loki 2 became a successful display for being the first prequel of MCU's TV series. And unsurprisingly, it turns out to be the best show that Marvel released in recent years.