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Loki Episode 4: The Truthful Tricksters and The Lying Time-Keepers

The fourth episode of Loki is here! It’s titled “The Nexus Event”, and though it’s on the shorter side, it’s more jam-packed than any of the previous episodes! Of course, spoilers ahead. This is an episode you don’t want to miss.

First, we get a glimpse into Sylvie’s past. She was only a kid when the TVA apprehended her, and for what reason, she never knew. It was heartbreaking watching the little Sylvie go through the same process Loki did in the first episode. Once she’s brought before the judge, however, she manages to escape by using an agent’s TemPad. That TemPad belonged to Renslayer, the judge who presided over Loki’s case and Mobius’s possible love interest. More on her in a bit, because wow, she’s got a lot going on.

Like I predicted last episode, Mobius does come to the rescue. We’d previously left Loki and Sylvie stranded on Lamentis, about to die during the apocalypse. Curiously, they have a bonding moment, which triggers a new Nexus event. That was all Mobius and the TVA needed to locate them. But once they’re saved, it’s not all sunshine and happiness. Both Loki and Sylvie are quickly taken into custody pending interrogation. They’re both Variants, after all! Mobius, of course, is tasked with questioning Loki, and Sylvie gets dragged off to her own cell. I actually learned this episode that those “cells” are called “theaters”. Creepy, but on brand, if you ask me.

Even though Loki’s brought back to the original cell room, he’s also thrown into a time cell. Essentially, as a form of punishment, he’s forced to relive a painful memory over and over again. Before he enters, however, he manages to tell Mobius that the TVA is lying to everyone. He doesn’t get the chance to elaborate more, but at least he planted the first seed of doubt in Mobius’s mind. Once he’s in the time cell, the memory he must relive becomes apparent. That memory involves Lady Sif, enraged that Loki cut her hair while she was sleeping. Two sucker punches and a kick to the nuts later, Loki’s down on the ground. And he has to relive it over and over and over again.

Meanwhile, Mobius comes across Renslayer. He asks a lot of questions, mainly about interrogating Sylvie and Hunter C-20. For anyone who doesn’t remember, that was the agent who Sylvie enchanted in the second episode. Renslayer is hesitant to spill the beans, but eventually she caves and says that Hunter C-20 is dead. The news shocks Mobius. She was disoriented and spouting nonsense, sure, but she seemed otherwise healthy. Yet Renslayer tells him she deteriorated once she reached the TVA and sadly passed away. Mobius is skeptical, just like I was, but he accepts this explanation without further conflict.

Mobius then returns to Loki and sits him down for questioning. Frankly, I hated this scene. Mobius is acting like a spoiled child who didn’t get what he wanted for Christmas. He jumps to a lot of conclusions, asking Loki how he triggered the Nexus event and how long he’s been working with Sylvie. Loki lies to him, of course, saying that he’s been using her as a pawn in his own scheme. However, he comes up with a lie of his own. Sylvie’s dead, killed by Hunter B-15 as she tried to escape. Loki’s façade breaks, and Mobius immediately assumes he’s in love with her. How narcissistic! How could a Loki fall in love with a Loki?

Loki’s thrown back into his time cell, and we cut to Sylvie. Hunter B-15 approaches her, and they return to the 2050  convenience store from episode two. B-15 was one of the poor souls enchanted by Sylvie in that episode. As such, she caught a glimpse of her past life before the TVA. She asks Sylvie to show her again, and she does. From there, B-15 appears to have switched sides. Back with Mobius, he carefully switches his TemPad out with Renslayer’s, intent on discovering the truth for himself. He finds a recording of C-20 confessing that she remembered her past and that everyone in the TVA is a Variant. So, C-20 was likely killed to keep that truth from spreading. But now Mobius knows the truth, and he successfully switches sides too.

It doesn’t last long, though. After he frees Loki, Mobius gets pruned. Renslayer caught on to his schemes, and of course, he wasn’t allowed to live with what he’d learned. Loki is then escorted to an elevator, with Sylvie not far behind. Renslayer says that the Time-Keepers have requested an audience with them. Finally, we get to see them! They appear high and mighty, but then we see B-15 free Sylvie and Loki from their collars, and the real action begins. Sylvie and Loki take out every single agent there, and Sylvie takes out one of the Time-Keepers in the process. Only…he’s an android! They’re all androids! So if they’re not real, then who created the TVA, and who’s pulling the strings?

Well, that’s not answered. Instead, Loki uses this moment to try and confess to Sylvie. Great timing, Loki. Renslayer agrees that it’s bad timing and promptly backstabs Loki and prunes him. Sylvie takes Renslayer hostage, and it seems like the show has a new protagonist. But, one cheeky end credits scene later, we learn that Loki’s alive! And he’s with four other Lokis. The first is Classic Loki, played by none other than Richard E. Grant. He looks like he took a couple hints from Wanda in Wandavision’s Halloween bonanza. The second appears to be Boastful Loki, played by Deobia Oparei. The last one is Kid Loki, played by Jack Veal. He holds a little Crocodile Loki in his arms, too. He’s got the horn crown and everything! Best character in the series, hands down!

So what’s going to happen next episode? Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think Renslayer’s going to end up being the ultimate antagonist, however. I also don’t believe Mobius is dead, judging by Loki’s fate in the end credits scene. But where did he end up? Am I being too hopeful and he’s actually dead? Guess we’ll find out soon, since there’s two episodes left in the series…

What did you think of episode four? Do you think Crocodile Loki is the superior Loki? What happened to Mobius? Let us know in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!

About the author

Kayleigh Clark