Loki Episode 4 : The Nexus Event - Review

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Is 'The Nexus event' the best Loki episode ? Yes!

Is it the best MCU Disney+ episode till date ? Yes for now atleast. That must give you an idea of how much I liked this episode so let's break it down.

The past

The episode opens with young Sylvie playing in Asgard when Renslayer then as a hunter arrests Sylvie for 'crimes against the sacred timeline', this brings up the question how does the TVA or whatever force know what is a Nexus event? We see what effect the TVA procedures have on young Sylvie and there's also an hint to her being good when she asks them to help a man. Ultimately she escapes before being presented before the judge leaving Renslayer responsible for the escape, flash forward to present time Renslayer enters the Time Keepers' room and we see the shilouette of the Time Keepers which gave me chills. So they are real? Renslayer being a hunter before becoming the judge makes sense which could also be an hint to Kang taking a liking for her and promoting her if they go the comic route and it is Kang who is behind all this.

The lie

Mobius intercepts Renslayer outside the Time Keepers room where he asks to interrogate hunter C-20 but Renslayer says she is dead because Sylvie enchanted her and messed her up. Mobius is not able to believe this as she was talking just fine some time ago. This is where it all starts to unravel.

'The universe wants break free, so it manifests chaos' -Sylvie

Sylvie tells Loki what she remembers of Asgard as Lamentis-1 is getting destroyed. The dialogue in this scene was very powerful. She says the choas the universe created was her being born 'Goddess' of mischief but the TVA captured her and she survived and grew up 'in the end of a thousand worlds' which clearly says how she sees her life but also that she thinks being born a girl was her mistake, which is really sad. Sylvie later asks Loki if what makes a Loki is that they are destined to lose, to which Loki says that they lose, but they survive, which is perfect and we have seen it play out countless times by now. I guess a Loki can never die. Loki also points out that Sylvie almost took down the organisation that claimed to govern the order of time, could this mean that a Loki is the one that will cause the downfall of whoever is behind this and hence the TVA has been tasked with catching them.

The Nexus Event?

Hunter B-15 seems very disturbed and determined to capture Loki and Sylvie. She asks about Hunter C-20 but Mobius lies to her as promised to Renslayer. Sylvie reaches out to touch Loki which sets off the nexus alarm back at the TVA leading to their capture. Mobius comments that such a spike was never seen. Is this even supposed to be possible as they were in a catastrophy but two Loki's getting intimate maybe was the nexus event.

The cameo

Mobius notices the way Loki looks at Sylvie before they reach the interrogation room and later uses it agaisnt Loki. Before being put into the time cell Loki tries to tell Mobius that the TVA is a lie, but would Mobius believe the God of Mischief? Lady Sif is back! In a Doctor Strange way but the scene is also a reference to norse mythology where Loki cuts Lady Sif's golden hair which turns it black. The scene was funny but also gave us another look into why Loki does what he does. He admits that he thought it'd be fun and he was scared of being alone to which Sif says that he will always be. Mobius may have chosen this particular event from Loki's life to remind him that he will always be alone but also to show how he was to others but this scene has a different meaning when we look at the current story where Loki has found a companion or maybe even love in Sylvie.

Work your Loki

Mobius tries to get permission from Renslayer to talk to Sylvie but the friendly conversation soon turns heated when Mobius keeps insisting to interrogate both of them and we know why.

'Now I gotta have a prince tell me how the real world works' -Mobius

B-15 asks if Loki said anything which makes Mobius suspicious of sudden change in behaviour. He interrogates Loki asking him to explain his warning about the TVA but Loki refuses. Mobius threatens to put Loki back in the Time Cell so Loki makes up a story and says that Sylvie was a pawn and he will get rid of her. Mobius uses this moment to make a story of his own and says that Sylvie was pruned which makes Loki tear up but he tries to act alright. Tom Hiddleston once again was great here. Mobius looks through the facade and remarks that he is in love with Sylvie. He adds 'two variants of the same being falling for each other would break reality' which is what caused the spike. Loki in frustration of the lie told to him tells Mobius the truth but Mobius calls it a lie, in light of all the lies Loki just said and asks for him to be put back in the Time Cell.

'You know, of all the liars in this place, and there are a great many, you are the biggest one. Because of the lies you tell to yourself' - Loki

Renslayer tells Mobius that the Time Keepers want him to be present when they prune Loki and asks him where and when would he want to go hinting that he might be pruned too. Mobius keeps asking about Sylvie and C-20 and ultimately leaves intentionally taking Renslayer's Temp-Pad. B-15 takes Sylvie to Roxxcart and asks about the deception but Sylvie explains and shows B-15 her memories. Wunmi Mosaku was great right from the beginning of this episode and when she says 'I looked happy' I bet we all felt that. Mobius finds C-20's investigation file where she has got back her memories and Renslayer abruptly ends the interrogation. Mobius goes to Loki and asks whether he trusts Sylvie enough and that he needs to trust two Loki's but Loki asks him to believe in a friend instead. In a touching moment, Mobius tells Loki he can be anyone he wants, even someone good. As they exit the time cell, Renslayer is waiting for them and Mobius gets pruned while talking about one thing he liked 'Jet-Ski'. I was shocked. A Twitter user said it right 'Someone give a medal to the person who cast Ownen Wilson as Mobius', he is great as a pair to Loki but his acting right before he was pruned was something else, very emotional. Tom Hiddleston once again emotes so well. Renslayer takes Sylvie and Loki to the Time Keepers, Sylvie asks Renslayer what was her nexus event and Renslayer with a smirk replies that she doesn't remember, but we know that she does. Loki challenges the Time Keepers to do thier worst by killing him as he has lost count of the number of times he has been killed, a fun call back to all the times he died and we thought it was real. Sylvie tries to approach the Time Keepers but is rewound by Renslayer, B-15 comes to the rescue helping Loki and Sylvie out of their control collars and lending Sylvie her sword. Loki takes out the guards, Sylvie takes out Renslayer and goes for the Time Keepers but as we all felt deep down they were fake, turned out to be 'mindless androids' which left us with the question 'Who created the TVA', Kang I say. Loki and Sylvie fighting in a throne room was very reminiscent of The Last Jedi where Rey and Kylo fight after taking out Snoke. Loki tries to tell Sylvie about his feelings, I feel that he just likes Sylvie's company because she is him and gets him in a way no one else could but it could also be what Mobius called it; a twisted self romance between two variants of the same being, we need to wait and see. Loki is pruned by Renslayer, the scene mirroring how Loki took out Agent Coulson in the Avengers and VFX reminding us of Vision's goodbye to Wanda in WandaVision. Another shocking moment. Renslayer goes to attack Sylvie but is overpowered by her, Renslayer asks Sylvie to finish it but Sylvie insists on hearing all about the TVA, so I guess we finally get to know everything next episode.

The hardest I've gasped, ever!

In the mid-credits scene Loki, he is alive, yes! Again! He asks whether he is in hell to which an off-screen voice replies that he will be if he doesn't go with them. We get a look at Richard E. Grant in Classic (comic) Loki costume, Kid Loki, a POC Loki with what seems like a variation of Mjolnir and allgiator Loki. I wasn't expecting this though I knew Richard Grant would be a good old Loki and Kid Loki was coming but surely not this way.

Conclusion

This was the best episode for me. I hope it just gets better as Tom Hiddleston has said episodes 4 & 5 are the best. We may very well end this series on a cliffhanger for a season 2 considering all the characters and world building that would go to waste if they didn't.