Yesterday’s episode was something else. Episode 3 “Lamentis” was a bit of a slowdown of pace for the series that helped establish Sylvie as a character but the fourth episode took it there…for real. The episode got my brain thinking rapidly but I made sure to take a day and gather my thoughts because there was a lot to digest. But now, it’s time for me to share with you my thoughts on that shocking fourth episode. Enjoy!

The episode begins by showing us Sylvie when she was a child. She’s playing with toys in Asgard when the TVA, led by Ravonna Renslayer, come and take her away from her home. The question is, why?

I understand that there isn’t supposed to be a Goddess of Mischief but there’s more to her story than meets the eye.

We then skip to the present and Loki and Sylvie are about to die on Lamentis-1 as the TVA desperately try to find them. For the first time in their two lives, as Loki and Sylvie hold hands and stare into one another’s eyes as the end of their existence fast approaches, they are in the company of someone who truly understands them and loves them for who they are.

It’s a moment so rare for a Loki that they cause a massive spike in the timeline and are found by the TVA…or more like captured.

I know that a lot of people who watched the episode were uncomfortable or downright disgusted with the idea of Loki having potentially romantic feelings for Sylvie but…well I have some thoughts on the matter that I’ll share in another post but yes, I’m one of the people who understands that their relationship is, in fact, romantic and I’m actually here for it…in a weird way.

Loki, before getting thrust into a Time Cell where he gets his *** kicked by Sif over and over again, manages to say this to Mobius, “The TVA is lying to you.”

Mobius doesn’t listen but he does hear him and it starts to plant a seed of distrust in his mind for the organization that he believed in so much. Hunter B-15 has been shown her past and is now an emotional wreck. Ravonna Renslayer is, for the first time in the series, highlighted in a big way and we get to see how much of a boss she really is…even if it means she has to essentially kill those closest to her to keep order.

Pertaining back to the Time Cell, Loki’s punishment is very specific. Sif (who makes her first return to the MCU after eight long years) insults Loki with a barrage of derogatory names before punching, kneeing in an uncomfortable place, and then punching him again. But it is what she says last that sums up this entire episode and why Loki’s relationship with Sylvie is so profound.

Sif says, “You are alone and you always will be.”

And that is what the Time Keepers (or whoever is holding the strings of the Sacred Timeline, I have a theory on that) have decreed for the God of Mischief all his life. They have determined that Loki would be a sniveling, lying loner whose only goal in life was to become the catalyst for other people’s success. And then, just when Loki stepped out of line and tried to not only do something good, but truly bond and grow close with his brother, he was killed by Thanos. That was supposed to be Loki’s sad, tragic story but Loki, completely by accident, has seemingly altered his destiny.

He met Sylvie and suddenly he wasn’t alone anymore. Suddenly he didn’t have to be the backstabbing liar that he thought he had to be to survive. He could be open, vulnerable, and even genuine friendly with someone who loved him for who he is.

Fast forward and Mobius manages to discover that for once, Loki wasn’t lying, and that the TVA are trying to keep a massive secret under wraps (each agent is a brainwashed variant.) When he discovers this he goes to free Loki and in turn together they would Sylvie but Ravonna Renslayer is already one step ahead and prunes him before he can get anywhere with his plan.

Loki is shocked, I was shocked, I think everyone was shocked to see Mobius go out in such a fashion. It looks a little bleak for Loki but Sylvie has already managed to get Hunter B-15 to become an ally (by the way, that scene with B-15 and Sylvie in the hurricane was perfect).

The two Loki variants get taken to the Time Keepers which turn out to be creepy glowy-eyed robots. B-15 saves the day, Renslayer is defeated, Loki gets to use a sword in a fight rather than his usual daggers (that’s a new look) but not everything is quite resolved.

Alone and down in a misty blue room that’s throwing off major romantic moments vibes, Loki tries to confess his feelings for Sylvie. For the first time in the MCU, the God of Mischief can’t seem to find the words to describe how he feels for her because, according to him, “This is new for him.” Just when it looks like he’s about to pop the three words that would cement their relationship in a nexus spiking way he gets pruned (AAAHHH).

I couldn’t believe my eyes. In fact, I almost cried. It didn’t seem fair. Every time Loki was being good he was killed. But it was actually a plot twist into another plot twist where we find Loki confronted by not one, not two, but what appears to be four other variants of himself.

1: A Black Loki who wields a hammer. Is this Loki worthy?

2: The literal manifestation of Kid Loki from the comic pages onto the screen.

3: Crocodile Loki…?

4: Classic Loki, which is Richard E. Grant put in a ridiculous yellow-and-green outfit that is literally from the comics (so cool!)

What is happening, I don’t quite know, but it’s one of the coolest things I have ever seen happen in the MCU. To see all these different versions of the same character in such an awesome way is just…wow! It’s amazing!

Does this mean that Mobius isn’t really dead? That in fact he’s off somewhere in limbo waiting to be rescued?

Oh, I know for a fact next week’s episode is going to be so good and I am just so ready for next Wednesday.

I figure that’s when we’ll get to maybe see who the actual antagonist is who I believe will be Miss Minutes. That clock lady is shady and I have a major feeling she’s the one pulling all of the strings.

I think what excites me the most about this series is its major implications for the future. It’s directly leading to the multiverse shenanigans in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The fact that Kang the Conqueror, a time-traveling antagonist, is making his debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania actually makes sense now. And who knows what other threads this series will leave on the MCU.

All in all, Loki is hands down the best Marvel Disney+ series so far and it isn’t even close.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a splendid day.