REVIEW: ‘Loki,’ Episode 4 – “The Nexus Event”

Loki Episode 4 kicks off the back half of the series with an episode that features more twists and turns than a slide at a water park. “The Nexus Event” picks up after the events of “Lamentis,” as  Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) are recaptured by the Time Variance Authority. Reeling from the revelation that the TVA is populated by variants from other timelines, Loki attempts to convince Mobius (Owen Wilson) about the deception that the TVA is pulling, while Mobius is wary of the machinations of Judge Ravonna Ravenslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Meanwhile, Hunter B-20 (Wunmi Mosaku) confronts Sylvie about memories of her past life.

The episode begins with Sylvie’s childhood, as she was arrested by the TVA at a very young age. The TVA’s routine for processing variants, which took a comedic turn in the series premiere, is filmed with a frightening new perspective for young Sylvie. Series director Kate Herron films the sequence of events with multiple Dutch angles and low lightning, making the TVA feel less like an intergalactic bureaucracy and more like a cosmic house of horrors. On Lamentis, the adult Sylvie also recounts how she escaped and was forced to live her life in various apocalypses-and Di Martino’s performance will move even the hardest of hearts. Di Martino’s been a welcome addition to the series since her first appearance and I hope that continues through Loki‘s end.

The main Loki himself also gets a fair amount of character development, thanks to being trapped in a prison that traps him in one of the worst memories of his life and doubles as a callback to the very first Thor movie. Loki admits that his actions are those of a narcissist and that his greatest fear is being alone. He also struggles to deal with his burdening feelings for Sylvie-which given that she is an alternate version of him is entirely understandable. I’m surprised that even after a decade of playing Loki, Hiddleston continues to find new layers to the God of Mischief.

“The Nexus Event” finally starts to peel back the layers of the TVA, especially where Ravonna is concerned. Though Mbatha-Raw has mostly played Ravonna as a by-the-book employee of the TVA, here we get to see more of her friendship with Mobius. Said friendship takes a dark turn toward the end of the episode when Mobius comes to terms with the fact that he’s a variant, while Hunter also has a similar revelation. It’s a nice dramatic turn for Wilson and Mosaku, especially since Wilson is mostly known for his comedic work. And viewers won’t believe where both characters end up.

Audiences will also get to see the first glimpse of the Time Keepers, the mysterious beings who govern the TVA. True to the massive statues crafted in their likeness, the Time Keepers sit in a massive throne room, with dark blue fog swirling around them. They also look appropriately alien with their scaly skin, long white robes, and disembodied voices. As befitting an organization shrouded in secrets, there’s a large one concerning the Time Keepers, and it hints at the appearance of another Marvel villain. And I must say, it’s rather fitting that a Marvel show based on the God of Mischief and Lies to be entangled with an organization that is built on secrecy and lies.

Loki Episode 4 features twists and turns throughout its runtime, kicking off the back half of the series with revelations galore. Fans won’t want to miss this episode or the post-credits scene afterwards, which hints that Loki may gain some unlikely allies in his fight against the TVA.

New episodes of Loki air Wednesdays on Disney+.