This review contains spoilers for Season 2 Episode 5 of Loki.

The penultimate episode of Loki’s Season 2 has arrived, and it is the best one of the entire series so far. Fans have seen the God of Mischief go on a long journey of character development since the series began, but this episode completely transforms his character in a way that has never been seen before. Tom Hiddleston’s performance is brilliant as the new and improved Loki who has shed the title of villain and anti-hero to become the new champion.

Since Loki premiered, fans have seen Hiddleston’s protagonist wander through time and space along with members of the Time Variance Authority. Season 2 saw him slipping in time, something that has been referred to as “a problem” thus far. But, the latest episode of Loki has changed the narrative in so many ways. The series portrayed Loki as the good guy thus far, but this episode humanizes him in ways that fans could not have expected when they first saw the character in 2011’s Thor.

The Loki that fans had gotten used to seeing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe would hold an entire city hostage with the help of magical beings. If it were up to him, he would promote the destruction of the TVA and poke fun at the worlds that were being disintegrated. However, fast-forward to the latest episode of Loki, and the character is now unrecognizable. Fans need to remember that he is the same variant that stole the Tesseract and escaped to a parallel reality. But, since coming to the TVA, Loki hasn’t used his powers for evil and has slowly become a true hero that his own brother wouldn’t recognize.

After last week’s explosive episode, where the temporal loom at the TVA finally caved in, it was expected that the organization and all the multiple branches would have been destroyed. But, the penultimate episode throws a curveball at viewers. When everything is literally falling apart around Loki, including the individuals that he refers to as his “friends,” the God of Mischief expresses an emotion that one wouldn’t expect from him. That emotion is despair. He realizes that whatever he once held precious was lost. And for the first time, Loki does not act out of anger, jealousy, or just pure defiance. His actions are the consequence of his concern, and suddenly he is able to find a solution.

The reason why this episode is so important is that it has changed the Loki that fans once knew entirely. The series has been focusing on his character development, and he has had some emotional moments over the various episodes. But, this week’s episode has transformed Loki into a relatable individual, who has actual friends, unlike the variant that fans saw in the MCU films. This 2.0 version of him seems a lot more focused, and powerful, and could become the weapon that the Avengers need in the coming war.

Additionally, this week’s episode also answers many questions that fans have had throughout the season, including why the season has focused so much on time travel and why the temporal loom collapsing is truly a big deal. Up until this point, fans have only heard about the alternate timelines and what pruning them would mean. However, this week, it all becomes a reality. Fans get a glimpse into the lives of some of the TVA employees on these branched timelines, and what it would mean if all those squiggly lines on the TVA monitor disappeared.

It starts with small things disappearing, such as Sylvie’s McDonald’s meal and Loki’s glass of bourbon. But, when Sylvie walks into the record store and things start turning into cosmic spaghetti, both she and fans realize the seriousness of the issue. It is a callback to the massive moment in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos turned half of all the universe's population into dust with a single Snap. And Loki 2.0 is at the crux of it all this time around. The way he is able to navigate through the time slipping and the massive calamity at hand, with the help of his emotions, speaks volumes of how he can hone his power to tackle any upcoming secret war.

There have been some complaints about the rules of time travel, and how Loki is able to move around so easily. But, it seems like the writers had a response to those concerns as well. This week’s episode of Loki almost asks fans to stop focusing on the “what, how or why,” and instead focus on the “who.” Based on his journey in Loki, fans seem to have forgotten that the protagonist is in fact a god. While he might have used his powers more often prior to the series, he is still capable of strength and durability that is far superior to humans. While time slipping might have led to a far worse outcome for one of the other characters on the show, Loki is able to withstand it. And the latest episode has paved the way for him to control that ability and use it to “rewrite” the timeline.

The episode is extremely well-paced and is perhaps the most stress-inducing one so far. It is crucial in taking the story forward, and not only has it paved the way for the Season 2 finale, but will have a larger impact on the MCU as a whole. From the get go, the episode will keep fans at the edge of their seats. Will Loki be able to save the TVA, his friends, and the multiple branches? Or will everyone turn into dust? These questions will keep viewers glued to their television screens till the last frame of the episode. It is also quite interesting to see the TVA employees live completely different lives, with Owen Wilson’s Mobius finally living out his dream of riding a jet ski.

With this week’s episode of Loki, Marvel Studios has set a whole new benchmark for their future projects, especially the ones on Disney Plus. This series has been the most detail-oriented one produced by the studios thus far, and seems to be paving the way for the future of the MCU more than any other television project by the studio. As far as Loki is concerned, several fan theories have been spun about him and his future in the MCU, but after watching this week’s episode, it seems like the God of Mischief might just play a much more integral role moving forward. Perhaps viewers will even get a chance to see the God of Mischief transform into the God of Stories, Loki’s 2.0 version from the comics. Time will tell. For now, let’s focus on Loki’s newfound glorious purpose.

Loki is streaming on Disney Plus.