Marvel has made it clear that it wants its shows to succeed, and not just as a means to an end (i.e., foregrounding future films). The expansive expose about the studio’s decision to make Daredevil: Born Again from scratch shared how Marvel has chosen two ideals — She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (yes, those shaking their head in disbelief, I am with you) and Loki season 2 — to shape its TV land. While the latter only inspires Marvel to give its shows the time (and episodes) they need to really shine, there are many more path-breaking decisions the second season has made — like ditching the oldest MCU tradition and effectively sidestepping the confirmed puddle of criticisms.
What plagued you the most when Doctor Strange (in Multiverse of Madness) casually chatted about Spider-Man needing his help in Spider-Man: No Way Home? What bothered you about Nick Fury’s return to Earth after he was last seen in the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: Far Away From Home?
The damn time jumps that hardly ever manage to fill the gap with in-universe logic, leaving viewers to either come up with their own conclusions, wait for future projects to explain the inconsistencies, or curse the MCU. Or do all three.
This is mine: Iron Man 3 took place just six months after The Avengers, and yet no reason has ever been provided to explain why Cap, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Fury, or Hulk didn’t come to Tony’s aid against the Mandarin. Yes, I know, “it was an Iron Man movie,” but that doesn’t govern logic now, does it, when crossovers in solo films have happened, when Guardians poked their head in a Thor film, or Doctor Strange literally erased Spidey’s problems.
Well, Loki season 2 neatly leaps over this landmine and starts precisely where season 1 ended — with Loki in the past where Kang and his variants openly ruled the TVA. We know where Loki ended up, we saw Sylvie land in 1980s Broxton, and we have seen the immediate aftermath of her killing He Who Remains and not some uncertain time in the future where we are given flimsy excuses regarding what happened or just expected to add 2 + 2 and believe it is somehow 7.
Loki season 2 is cooking mysteries of its own — even if it is passionately ignoring a big plot hole and is blatantly retconning retcons — and is also answering them as its story progresses. This and Tom Hiddleston flipping his hair all over the TVA? It is a treat indeed.