Glorious Purpose(s) Fulfilled
- Lexie Vincenty
- Nov 20, 2023
- 4 min read
My hopes about the future of MCU projects have been lifted--at least for now.
After an in-depth battle with myself (as well as a phone call with a close friend of mine), I decided to dedicate time and binge watch the second season of Loki.
As many people in my personal life know, Loki has been one of my favorite Marvel characters since I started my journey into the cinematic universe. His death five minutes into Infinity War really through me for a loop, so when I heard they were making a show for him, I was beyond thrilled.
Needless to say, at the time when the first season came out, I didn't know what to expect. I was left frustrated with a cliff-hanger ending and the amount of information thrown at us that we had to dechiper on our own (sometimes, that part is fun, but this time however, I didn't want anything to do with it). Not only that, but most of the projects that Marvel released between Loki season one and two were not that noteworthy, except a few.
Phases 4 & 5 have shown (at least to me) that the quantity of shows do not make up for the quality. Also, now moreso than ever, talented writers are few and far between.
Being able to create a visually appealing Marvel project and being able to create an all around captivating Marvel project with great characters are two very different things. Most of the projects listed to the left could be sorted into just two categories alone, but as for Loki's second season, I felt it was much more than that.
Everyone's favorite God of Mischief returned to the TVA again this season, but everything was not what it seemed. Time is posing as the largest threat to date, and now Loki and his friends must find a way to fix the Loom that is holding all of the timelines together.
The first few episodes were slow to start (as usual, there has to be exposition somewhere), but I think that was the only thing I had to touch on about this season. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing either; it allowed more tension to rise and it also allowed us to spend more time with our familiar characters as well as the new ones--Ke Huy Quan as O.B. was also one of the best parts of the season, if I say so myself. It was a great deep-dive into this world and it gave the characters so much dimension.
More importantly, the story this season was overall as captivating as the character arcs. Traveling throughout time in order to save the state of the universe is exactly what they did, and it was anything but confusing. As this trope of multiversal travel and different universes becomes more popular in present-day projects, it can be hard to keep the timelines together. Loki had no problem with that whatsoever.
Viewers were immersed in the story as the timelines switched back and forth between past, present, future, and even alternate ones as well.
The takeaway from this season is simple: Loki remains as one of the most underrated and well-developed characters in the MCU--no I'm not saying that because I'm biased.
From his first appearance in the first Thor movie, all the way until now, we have seen him through many different lenses. He's arrogant, mischievious, secretive, ambitious, mysterious, and above all: destined for glorious purpose. Yes, finally, Loki has finally discovered his "glorious purpose" in this season, which is something I never expected it to be.
The last two episodes showcased some of the best writing I have seen from any Marvel project since GOTG3 this past Spring. I laughed, I cried (a lot, thanks to the soundtrack, courtesy of Natalie Holt), I yelled, and I paced around my living room contemplating what would happen next.
Feeling all of these emotions at once is what gave me hope, I guess I would say. It is this part of Marvel projects that make me a diehard fan, and make me want to continue coming back to watch over and over again. The characters all received their own endings (at least for now, until they are featured in other projects) and the plots were wrapped up so well. Of course, there was another cliffhanger, but I liked that I didn't know what was going to happen this time. I don't know what to expect, but I am hoping that the next season/project featuring Loki's world is this enjoyable.
Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson's performances were nothing short of amazing either--the last 20 minutes of the finale had me hugging my knees and grabbing a box of tissues. Loki has fulfilled his own "glorious purpose" and his show fulfilled its purpose of being one of the greatest Marvel projects I have seen this year.
Not only that, I had a chance to think on some things that I have trouble grasping in my own life which is in fact, the loss of time; a theme this show no doubt touches on. A quote that will stick with me for a while was one that Mobius had mentioned in the finale: "I might just wait here for a little bit, let time pass." This reminded me to live in the moment more and appreciate the time I have; not to run away in the other direction from it. In other words, I chose a great time to watch this show as I am in grad school pursuing my Master's degree and I cannot stop thinking about the future, but Mobius's wise words will keep ringing between my ears for months to come.
If you were like me and contemplating watching at all because you've been dissapointed with what the MCU's market has looked like this year, I'm here to tell you to take the time to watch this show if anything. It was moving, fascinating, and fun; just as a classic Marvel project should be.
Which upcoming Marvel project are you looking forward to the most?
0%Echo
0%What If...? Season 2
0%Deadpool 3
0%Agatha: Darkhold Diaries
You can vote for more than one answer.
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