Loki Episode 4 brought a seismic shift to the story which is sure to have huge implications on the Sacred Timeline and the rest of this TV series.
Both Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) shine in this episode which features love, death, deception and an MCU cameo straight from Asgard.
The much-lauded Time-Keepers finally feature in Episode 4, and their true identities are revealed, much to the chagrin of the Gods of Mischief.
'Loki' Episode 4 Recap - Spoilers Ahead
We pick up with Loki and Sylvie where we left them in Episode 3, staring an apocalypse in the face.
As the end seems nigh, Sylvie reveals (via flashback) how she was taken from Asgard as a little girl by the Time Variance Authority and she's been on the run ever since. The pair's bonding and possible romantic connection creates a nexus event which enables the TVA to save them from the end of the world, capturing them at the same time.
Mobius M. Mobius throws Loki into a Time Cell which appears to replay one tortuous moment from his life on repeat. This takes him to Asgard and sees the return of Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif. After she repeatedly beats him over and over and over again, Mobius pulls Loki out for a chat.
Through the latest round of interrogation, Hunter B-15's suspicions after being enchanted by Sylvie, and Mobius' own detective work, it's established that every worker at the TVA is in fact a former variant. Upon learning the knowledge that they were plucked from their own lives elsewhere, Mobius and B-15 rebel against the TVA and the Time-Keepers.
While Mobius attempts to help Loki escape, he's stopped by Judge Renslayer who orders some Minute Men to prune him. Mobius is seemingly exterminated, dissolving into thin air much to Loki's shock.
Loki and Sylvie are then marched down and presented to the Time-Keepers by Renslayer.
The Twist With the Time-Keepers
The would-be puppet masters are unveiled down in a TVA chamber, as Loki and Sylvie come face to face with the Time-Keepers. We've been led to believe that these three celestial beings are all-knowing and powerful creatures responsible for the proper flow of time but their true identities are much more underwhelming.
After a fight in the chamber concludes, Sylvie, Loki and the Time-Keepers are the only ones left standing (and sitting). Sylvie beheads the central Time-Keeper in an attempt to bring an end to their tyranny but, as we've come to expect in this series, not all is as it seems.
The Time-Keepers are fake, and revealed to be "mindless androids," which begs the question—who's really pulling the strings behind the TVA?
Before we get a chance to discover, Renslayer emerges to prune Loki, and we watch his pain as he evaporate into nothingness. However, the best post-credit scene seen on a Disney+ series yet suggests Loki's story isn't over yet.
The Time-Keepers in the Marvel Comics
This cyber twist involving the Time-Keepers means the MCU has once again subverted the fans' expectations set by Marvel Comics.
The Time-Keepers first appeared in the comics in April 1979 in Thor issue number 282. It's revealed they're created by a being called He Who Remains as a replacement for the Time-Twisters.
Their storylines in the comics have included the Avengers, evil versions of the Avengers and the classic Marvel villain Kang.
They're never revealed to be androids in the comics so the Loki series is straying from the comic book storylines fans are familiar with.
Lady Sif in the MCU
Lady Sif returned to the MCU for the first time in six years in Episode 4 of Loki.
The Asgardian warrior first appeared in the Marvel franchise 10 years ago in Thor starring alongside Chris Hemsworth and Hiddleston. She then returned for the sequel Thor: The Dark World before making guest appearances on the Marvel TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2014 and 2015.
Alexander was seemingly dropped from the third Thor film, Thor: Ragnarok but she's been recruited for the next one, Thor: Love and Thunder, due out in cinemas May 6, 2022.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
