The second season premiere of "Loki" was released on October 5, picking up right where the last season ended, with Loki's stubborn variant Sylvie outsmarting him. Returning with Owen Wilson's Mobius, Tom Hiddleston's conceited yet endearing God of Mischief embarks on a breathtaking time-traveling adventure that could potentially keep the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) alive.

Photos: Collected

Sylvie's decision to kill Loki sets off a series of events that endangers the existence of the entire universe. Loki now finds himself in a different Time Variance Authority (TVA) with 'He Who Remains' (played by Jonathan Majors). Mobius is also present there but has no recollection of their friendship. The sudden temporal changes effectively convey Loki's confusion and frustration, further enhanced by the eerie lighting in the first few episodes.

Tom Hiddleston effortlessly reprises his most beloved role. Although Loki is notorious as a trickster, he appears a bit more humble and less insane in this season. Owen Wilson plays the role of his right-hand man Mobius, injecting sardonic humour that uplifts the otherwise sombre scenes. As Ouroboros, Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan is the most notable addition to the cast. With all these characters now firmly established in the MCU storyline, season 2 doesn't take long to return Mobius and Loki to the centre of action.

The first four episodes of season two have a genuine sense of urgency, a welcome change of pace that truly shows how effectively these characters blend together. At long last, Loki has found his team, and it's amazing to watch how far Loki will go to save them, and vice versa.

The branching timelines are the main source of conflict in Loki Season 2. This time, the story is more narrowly tethered to the fact that the entire TVA is in profound danger. The future is uncertain, with millions of lives on different paths through the branching histories, and complete chaos has been unleashed in the absence of He Who Remains.

The remaining two episodes were released in November. Leading up to the penultimate episode, we see Loki go back and forth in time to find the best way to save all of creation. He spent centuries learning about science from Ouroboros so he could return to the timeline at the end of Season 1 and stop 'He Who Remains.' He could either save the Temporal Loom or save Sylvie.

His misery is palpable as he does all within his power to save himself as well as all of time. There will always be death, destruction, pain, and injustice in existence—even in the case of a Sacred Timeline. He realises that sacrificing himself is the only option because of his love for her. Despite their breakup, Sylvie and Loki's chemistry is still spectacular, probably because huge sacrifices define their relationship.

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Despite criticism of Loki being erratic and conceited, he accepts the great responsibility of becoming the one who must keep the threads of time together in the epilogue. The impact of Loki's metamorphosis into Yggdrasil, the Norse tree of life, feels like a story right for the big screen. Nothing seems more important than Loki's sacrifice, but the show tells a tightly wound story without implying any loophole spin-offs in the future or needing to be connected to an upcoming project to be relevant.

With an unpredictable ending and a glorious purpose fulfilled, the storytelling in this season is immaculate. The show does not indulge too much in CGI sets or rehash a multiverse story. This season is addictive, saturated with so much ache and yearning. The beautiful way in which the intersecting storylines reach an ending is simultaneously healing and fraught with pain.