Loki Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Ouroboros

Loki Season 2 Episode 1, “Ouroboros,” is a marvelous return to the Disney+ series after a two-year hiatus, featuring numerous moments that will make fans smile. 

This episode, written by Eric Martin, Michael Waldron, and Katharyn Blair, is an excellent start to Loki‘s second season. Its focus on beloved characters like Loki and Mobius is as enjoyable as introducing the new character Ouroboros. 

Despite being on the longer side, the episode moves along quickly and so entertainingly that it’s nearly impossible to be bored. 

“Ouroboros” shows us an exciting look at time travel, especially regarding Loki’s sudden and unexpected time slipping. 

The visual effects of this time slipping are unique and a bit jarring at first. It seems the impact could be the intention. Mobius’ admission that time slipping looks really “bad,” and how he describes the phenomenon is amusing and accurate. 

The audience is undoubtedly as confused — at least, at first — as Loki is, and when things are explained, it’s done in more of a bury-the-exposition manner as opposed to an exposition dump. 

Of course, by the time the episode ends, we have had a lot of information thrown at us, so we’re hardly expected to understand everything. And that’s okay because, if this season is like the first one, we’ll get answers in due time. 

This episode also features a brand-new character: Ke Huy Quan’s O.B. (aka Ouroboros), who is a fantastic addition to the show. The Oscar winner seems right at home in this sci-fi universe, his quirky energy fitting right in. 

Hopefully, we’ll see more of him this season, as O.B. is an interesting character who’s also a bit mysterious.

And, inevitably, Quan nails the myriad emotions of O.B. on this particular episode and the two different versions of the character through time. 

This episode contains plenty of humor, mainly in the scenes with O.B., Mobius, and Loki. And these aren’t mere chuckles. Several laugh-out-moments break up the more serious matters at hand. 

Mobius and Loki aren’t the only exciting characters on Loki. 

As Hunter B-15, Wunmi Mosaka brings a fierce authenticity that enables her to steal nearly every scene she’s in. Her passionate plea to the TVA higher-ups is so well-acted that you honestly believe what the character is going through. 

Despite not being onscreen in this episode, Kang/He Who Remains is still very much present, hopefully leading to more — as teased in the post-credits of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania. 

Unfortunately, we only get brief glimpses of Sylvie on this episode, although Sophia Di Martino makes every second count. That fact is especially true in the mid-credits scene, which shows both the wit and softness that Sylvie possesses. 

One thing that helps make this episode stick the landing is the focus on the relationship between Loki and Mobius, who had become friends by the end of Season 1. It makes sense, then, that Mobius would risk his life to rid Loki of his time slipping. 

Even after a two-year hiatus, Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson step back into their characters’ relationship with ease. 

Hiddleston’s God of Mischief has undergone quite a transformation since his appearance in Thor, and the classically-trained actor has always played it so believably.

Wilson has made Mobius a likable character who is fully formed and interesting. His chemistry with Hiddleston makes their relationship one of the most interesting in the MCU.

The writers have also ensured that the characters’ actions and interactions stayed true to who they were, and the dialogue is as sharp (and sometimes funny) as ever. 

This episode is a reminder of why Loki is potentially the best Disney+ show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far and is unlikely to suffer a sophomore slump.

The ending of “Ouroboros” is emotional and epic, but deservedly so. 

Stray Observations:

• The one odd thing about this episode is that it begins with a slow-motion chase, which doesn’t fit with the rest of the episode. 
• This episode circles back to Mobius’ fascination with jet skies, which gets some serious side-eye from Hunter X-5.
• The relatively rapid pace of this episode is in line with the chaotic nature of the TVA in the present, which is fun to watch.

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New episodes of Loki air Thursdays at 9/8c on Disney+.

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