Well, Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers), it was fun while it lasted. In the fourth installment of Disney+ and Marvel Studios’ original series, Loki incorporated numerous twists and turns for the God of Mischief, Goddess of Mischief, and the Time Variance Authority as a whole. Additionally, it served as some interesting potential departures from the series and a reveal that provides yet another paradigm shift to the six-episode run.
Episode Four, titled “The Nexus Event,” picked up after episode three with the recapture of Tom Hiddleston’s (The Night Manager) titular character and Sophia Di Martino’s (Casualty) Sylvie by the TVA in addition to featuring the return to the screen for Wilson’s Mobius and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s (Doctor Who, Black Mirror) Ravonna Renslayer. Prepped with the information that all TVA agents are in fact former variants transformed into these government entities, Loki attempts and ultimately breaks through with this revelation to his work associate Mobius which leads to skepticism against the TVA’s establishment.
Furthermore, the TVA Hunter B-15, portrayed by Wunmi Mosaku (Vera), begins to question her own existence following her possession at the hands of Sylvie and the wave of prior memories beginning to rush over her consciousness. The episode involves Mobius uncovering the truth behind his close work friend Renslayer and that he may have a previous life that he has been deprived of due to the demands of the Time Keepers. However, during the episode’s big turn of events, Mobius is ceremoniously erased by Renslayer along with Loki too. Their fates are undetermined, but not before discovering that the three Time Keepers are in fact androids after one gets decapitated by Sylvie.
“The Nexus Event” serves as another swift reminder that the viewer is watching a standalone project revolving around the beloved character that is aptly nicknamed after mischief. Each episode has presented itself with varying turns of events of this new and intriguing story world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with audiences becoming adept at attempting to piece together who is the true villain in this scenario. This fourth episode provides some necessary details in that Renslayer has her hands dirty within the TVA and the use of these former variants turned TVA agents and hunters. However, the android status of the feared Time Keepers continues to keep viewers on the edge of their seats for what is to come of their beloved God of Mischief and newly introduced Sylvie.
The episode tackles Loki’s desperate and internal struggle with attempting to find comfort in his identity in addition to his frustration and fear of becoming alone in life. The introduction of Sylvie provides a new dynamic for the God of Mischief as he has potentially met an intellectual similar to his embodied narcissism and superiority complex. While the project has been continuously advertised as Loki standalone series, the events of “The Nexus Event” suggests that viewers could be solely focusing on the female version of Loki in Sylvie as its main character for much of the remainder of the series. Yet, it is still unknown the status of the erased Mobius and Loki, given Loki even hints at his remarkable ability to escape death.
After some fans expressed their deprivation of the on-screen pairing of Wilson and Hiddleston in episode three, the duo becomes reunited once more in this installment, yet the friendship and lightheartedness have seemingly dissipated from the interactions. In a rare instance of Loki expressing sincerity for his actions and behavior, the mentor and mentee duo’s chemistry is on full display, encompassing the full scope of the human emotion following the prior emphasis on humor to influence their interactions.
“The Nexus Event” proved to be the strongest release for Loki so far as Marvel and television fans experience the six-episode run. With its strongest release and emotional pulls throughout its runtime, the hope still remains for Mobius to ride off into the sunset on a jetski from a previous life.
Rating: 9.5/10