REVIEW: ‘Loki’ Season 2 Episode 4 — “Heart Of The TVA”

Things are looking grim on Loki Season 2 Episode 4. Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, the episode leans further into its science fiction elements, touching on Doctor Who-style atmospheric notes in what is, along with the premiere, the other truly great installment of the second season. From the very start with the He Who Remains/Kang variant (Jonathan Majors) now in their custody the episode is a race to the finish line things grow increasingly hopeless. From Renslayers (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Miss Minutes’s (Tara Strong) infiltration of the TVA to

The episode is instantly better due to the spotlight pivoting to the core cast with Majors getting a significantly decreased screen time following Episode 3. Ke Huy Quan’s inclusion also betters it, his infectious energy imbuing each scene he’s in with a palpable, livewire synergy that the rest of the cast feeds off of. The assured pace is aided by the breakdown of key, narrative components that drive the tension of the episode: Renslayer is looking to take over the TVA, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Mobius (Owen Wilson) and co., are trying to save it, and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) is stuck somewhere in the middle.

The first produces a tremendous moment, with Loki Season 2 Episode 4 containing one of the darker moments in MCU history for what it withholds. TVA members who had been behind trying to destroy the variant timelines are being held captive. With the establishment’s foundation-shaking, it takes very little for Brad to fully agree to work with Renslayer and Miss Minutes, even if it means sacrificing the lives of other TVA members he’s worked with.

The rest of the members are killed offscreen, in a torturous, claustrophobic method. It’s demonstrative of how best to reach certain areas of darkness without succumbing to forced violence. Secret Invasion which touted its “adult” style narrative and espionage leanings. While Secret Invasion showed more bloodshed and violence, Loki Season 2 Episode 4 succeeds in how little it shows.

It confirms that Renslayer makes for a mighty and formidable adversary as she’s emboldened by all that she believes was taken from her. It’s that belief that makes her a terrific foil for Sylvie, who too had her life taken from her and from Renslayer’s own hands. With all of these characters being given the spotlight, Loki himself is acting as a secondary character who is used for others to bounce off of. Namely, Sylvie and Mobius, the two of whom are at constant odds at how best to handle rogue TVA members and He Who Remains. The latter of which is trying to help stabilize the time loom of the TVA before everything reaches a pivotal, chaotic climax.

There’s a need to stress just how vital Benson and Moorehead’s direction and taste is here, from the moments of horror to the clip at which the story moves. As greater mysteries of previous episodes reveal themselves, such as Loki pruning a variant version of himself in the first episode, the story remains concise and clear. Weaving throughout the hallways of the TVA, the episode is given a distinctive, science-fiction atmosphere that allows Loki to transcend its studio trappings. Culminating in one of the most shocking developments of the series thus far, it confirms that the best thing the show did was bringing Benson and Moorehead on board.

With momentum and plot developments that would rival the best penultimate episode despite there still being two left, Loki Season 2 Episode 4 stuns. Despite Loki himself taking a backseat, the episode is yet another strong installment for the season that makes clear the significance of having a striking and clear vision behind the camera.

Loki Season 2 is streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.