At Home with Tech

Season 2 of “Loki” has arrived, and it’s even more weirdly wonderful as the first.

With the exception of “The Hobbit” and “Harry Potter” movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has often dominated my son’s movie streaming over recent years. (A “Star Wars” film occasionally shows up on our 13-year-old’s list, although he was absolutely all in while watching the “Andor” series.)

And I’ve been exceptionally happy to join him on his MCU viewing odyssey (#geekdad #trekkie).

But MCU movies don’t come out that often. So, it’s really the series on Disney+ that have carried the MCU forward across these past few years.

Loki Branches Out
“Loki” kicked it all off back in 2021. The show starred Tom Hiddleston as our reborn God of Mischief, Owen Wilson as Agent Mobius and Sophia Di Martino as variant Sylvie. “Loki” gave us a mind-bending and universe-expanding storyline featuring the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and its questionable mandate to protect the ‘Sacred Timeline.’

There were only six episodes, and of course, the last scene ended with a cliffhanger. This first season was way too short, but every moment felt so fresh.

“Loki” was funny, clever, weird, touching and totally fun. Beyond the great writing, top-notch acting, future/retro look and cool music, its success was mostly driven through character development. Season 1 wasn’t about the explosions and special effects. It was about the people. Each and every character mattered.

“Loki” succeeded because it was a completely different MCU experience. It opened up so many new branches to explore (literally and figuratively).

The MCU Needs to Find its Mojo
Other MCU series on Disney+ followed, and the ones that also focused on being different and not simply a retread were also more appealing. (“Moon Knight” was a perfect example.)

Not to overgeneralize, but as a whole, the current state of the entire MCU (not just the Disney+ series) feels a bit like Thor and his dad bod.

Thank the gods that season 2 of “Loki” has finally arrived.

Ouroboros Rocks!
The premiere did not disappoint. It packed in everything I love about this series. They obviously had some time to tinker with every element, and this first episode demonstrated nice polish.

It was so smart and even more trippy than the first season. Plus, we were introduced to the wonderful new character Ouroboros (O.B.), played by Ke Huy Quan (from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

In many ways, O.B. represents the quirky and magical energy of the entire series. It’s like he’s simultaneously in on the joke and also a part of it.

Pay Attention
Everything doesn’t always make sense (at first), and a casual viewer may feel like the show is choppy, inconsistent and hard to understand.

Exactly. That’s the beauty. There’s a mystery here that needs unraveling. And you’d better pay attention to… everything. (Even what’s blurred out in the background during a climactic moment in the first episode).

The Beginning of Season 2 doesn’t Disappoint
I’ve seen the first two episodes as I write this. The premiere is arguably the best in the entire series to date. The second runs a bit more mainstream, though it also has its moments, including the wonderful pie-eating scene…

The whole story grinds to a halt as Loki and Mobius spend a few minutes eating key lime pie in the TVA cafeteria’s automat. This moment reflects the secret ingredient to this series’ successful recipe: This show takes it’s time to tell its story.

It’s About Time
That doesn’t mean “Loki” is slow. Hardly. But nothing is rushed either. There’s time for character development… for innovative shots… for a great script.

There’s always time for fun and playfulness. And time to simply let a joke… land.

And that’s why “Loki” continues to be the best MCU series on Disney+.

My son and I love it. For all time. Always.