As 2023 continues to drag along, superhero fatigue continues to drag our collective tolerance for the comic book genre with it. With the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 and yours truly’s favorite Harley Quinn cartoon, virtually every superhero-based piece of content, across TV and film, has been an underwhelming mess. Nevertheless, Marvel continues chugging along with its current phase, and with it one of its most highly acclaimed properties for a first-of-its-kind second season. When Loki premiered in 2021, the MCU was still in the early days of its foray into television, still riding high off the near-universal success of WandaVision and still harboring some Endgame-related goodwill in theaters. But the Disney+ series have tapered off, to put it mildly, since then, so Marvel is surely hoping some favorable memories are still carried over for its newest spectacle.

Unfortunately for Marvel, the spectre of Jonathan Majors and his ugly legal drama hangs over season two of Loki, nearly derailing the proceedings regardless of the show’s story overall. There’s simply no avoiding it, regardless of how well he tackles the role of He Who Remains/Kang the Conqueror – here he’s mostly a bumbling scientist and con man who still has to figure out who he is and his ultimate role in life. Also not helping matters is a bizarrely out-of-place sponsorship opportunity for McDonald’s that adds next to nothing for the story in episode two. I understand the bills have to get paid somehow, but season one had an entire episode in a Walmart knock-off that didn’t feel distracting or desperate.

Otherwise, season two is mostly fine. It certainly doesn’t reach the heights of season one, but it remains an enjoyable bit of sci-fi time travel. Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson continue to be the secret sauce that keeps the show going as Loki and Mobius, effortlessly bouncing off each other as they try to restore order to the Time Variance Authority. Hiddleston continues to show he can handle all of Loki’s personality quirks, from righteous indignity to sincere regret. Though it’s harder for anyone to give a worthwhile performance when spouting off all the sci-fi gobbledygook within season two, and not everyone makes it out alive in this regard.

Season one worked because it leaned away from the superhero theatrics and more into examining Loki as a character. The primary goal was to take the MCU’s most notorious villain and make him redeemable. Season two mostly sees the God of Mischief as another cog in the machine, and it’s unfortunately rare in the four episodes watched for this review when he actually steps outside the show and examines himself once again. The same goes for his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), who’s still out for vengeance but feels even less crucial to the show this time around. Instead, the show seems more focused on He Who Remains, and setting up his role to play in upcoming films, regardless of how interesting it ultimately makes the project he’s currently appearing in.

It should go without saying that, since Loki is an MCU project, the visual effects are lackluster at best. On the rare occasion that Loki or Sylvie uses their powers, the camera often cuts away to a wide shot and shows as little detail as possible. At least the TVA’s look continues to impress. Though season two loses most of the world-hopping spontaneity of season one, the production design within the TVA is no less eye-catching. As with most shows, season two adds more characters and promotes previous bit players. Eugene Cordero gets an expanded role as a TVA office drone, and he shares a good deal of screen time with Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan, who plays Ouroboros, a kind of TVA law clerk. Though, again, they almost exclusively exist to exalt the importance of whatever a “temporal aura” is.

Were I not watching Loki out of professional obligation, I still don’t think I would view it as a waste of time, as with other Disney+ franchise shows. The heart that showrunner Michael Waldron poured into season one hasn’t entirely dissipated, but the fuel light is on and the nearest gas station feels further away. I’ve mostly enjoyed my time with these characters in season two, but it is indeed frustrating that the title character be relegated to a supporting player in his own show. It is possible that the show will stick the landing and remember what brought viewers along in the first place, but given Marvel’s recent output, I can’t blame anyone for a pessimistic outlook.

Season two of Loki premieres on Disney+ on October 5, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.