Loki - Episode 4 - Review

The third episode of Loki ended with our hero and antihero stuck on a planet destined for destruction with such high stakes there was no way they could ignore that at all going forward into start of the 4th episode, but it seems there was a lot more to play out in this one then just Loki and Sylvie escaping, but was it enough to push the story forward, let's find out.

Because of how the previous episode ended, this show was always going to pick up with the dastardly duo coming to terms with their almost certain destruction, so it opening up with a flashback into how Sylvie was picked up by the TVA and then escaped was a bit of a hard left I wasn't expecting. What made this interesting, is that not only did we get to see her go through the same process that the normal Loki did, but we also got to see that it was Ravonna, who is now the judge, who arrested her, but as a Loki she's known for being mischievous and a bit of a trickster, she quickly made off with the tempad and escaped. While it didn't really have any greater impact on the story as a whole, it does provide more context as to why Sylvie is adamant in destroying the TVA, she was never given any reason as to why she was classified as a variant and arrested, just that she was and for that she was going to die. Even later on in the episode, when she got a chance to ask why, she didn't get a reason given to her, the thoughts behind why not is something for another time, but it is interesting to know that there are forces at work that made me question what I thought about the TVA.

This is where everything sort of came into focus for this episode, there was no grand plot to escape the planet, no elaborate ruse to force an escape, everything was about being confronting to the truth and it worked really well. Because Loki is a known liar, he is very much the boy who cried wolf and because he now knows the truth of the TVA, nobody is going to believe him, at least you would think so, but then again, we all know Mobius is a massive Loki fan, so perhaps he saw something in that mad rambling before Loki was thrown into a time loop prison. This sets Mobius off on, not an investigation per say, but gives him another perspective on things, information he previously took for granted is now questioned, which leads him to discovering the truth himself and then ending up in a confrontation with only Loki for support.

It isn't just Mobius, Hunter B-15 is also having doubts, since having been enchanted by Sylvia a few episodes back and while she clearly wants to believe they just mind manipulation, there is something that refuses to accept that, and that the truth is much closer to reality. Using her high-level access to break Sylvie out, was perhaps a little predictable but it did provide a nice bonding moment for the pair and help give Sylvie be more of a chance to be more than just the bad guy, or in this case bad girl. I really wanted a little more context around some of the aspects of this episode specifically the time loop punishment room, and while it was amazing to see Sif pop up, some viewers may not remember her given that it's been quite a while since she was last in the MCU, not counting the episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D of course.

This is where things get really confusing for me because all the characters have pivotal moments where they discover a truth is not actually true, but everyone seems to make a massive leap, with only Hunter B-15 showing a clear progression to the actual truth. Mobius discovering the truth makes sense, but it would have helped more if there were more breadcrumbs for him to connect everything with, the problem is there isn't, a question about someone here, one single line from Loki there and all of a sudden he's preparing to completely ignore everything, if we knew more about Mobius maybe we could convince ourselves that he has this massive analytical brain, but we don't so it seems a bit rushed. Like I said in the review for the third episode, discovering that the TVA is not really as magnanimous as they appear to be isn't a shock, finding out this week that the judge knows about this and is complicit also not a shock. I do understand it is a bit hard to lead viewers to a story point without making everything seem connected, but I really would have liked more ambiguity around her, is she doing this because she believes it to be the way it has to be done is she being programmed by the timekeepers to do so, we’ll never know but at least things are moving forward.

As I said earlier seeing Sif appear again was an unexpected bonus and Jaimie Alexander just fell into the role again, and seeing her play off Tom Hiddleston was also fun, even if her dialogue was repetitive – you know, time loop. The one thing I wasn't expecting to see this episode was Wunmi Mosaku giving such depth to a character that until previously had always been a one note persona, you know variant bad, variant die. Her scene with Sophia Di Martino in the rain-soaked outskirts of the RoxxCart store, could have easily been cheesy, but from the moment they connect hands you can see in her face the realisation, the acceptance and then the profound sadness that she had a life that was stolen from her. This scene could have played out anywhere, from modern day New York to ancient Pompeii, but the fact they put it in the same location where the covers were slightly lifted, helps make this acceptance, that everything was a lie more believable.

The 4th episode of Loki was a little slow at times with its overall pacing but still managed to provide a great push forward, even with Loki’s abrupt departure at the end. Sylvie has gone from being a me bad person, type of character, to someone you now want to relate to, maybe not outright support but you get why she's doing what she's doing. Mobius and Ravonna, both take sharp turns with little prodding, and it just seems a little out there, but it helps drive home that maybe the TVA never been as perfect as everyone claims. That post credit teaser obviously means something big, but we'll have to wait and see what happens next and it's a wait I don't think I can be patient for.

The Score

8.5

The Pros

+The truth of the TVA being understood by more folks, is a big thing

+Sylvie and Hunter B-15's moment, put the spotlight on what is stolen by the TVA

The Cons

-It felt like pacing was just a bit slow at times, which made it feel longer than it needed to be

-Very few characters needed much of a push to jump to other roles