‘Loki’ The Nexus Event Review: The Most Eventful and Best Episode yet

The Nexus Event isn’t just the best episode of Loki. The acting, writing, Natalie Holt‘s out-of-this-world theremin score and reveals all combines to form the best episode of any MCU tv series, yet.

Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino continue to find new depths as Loki, Modius and Sylvie. Gugu Mbatha-Raw finally unleashes the cold villainy Loki needs. Ravonna Renslayer is probably not the big bad, but her elevator scene with Sylvie is an example of a sinister streak the show had been lacking up to this point.. Despite the big reveals, the performance that will stay with me for a long time is Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15. In one scene, she delivers an acting masterclass layered with emotion. This and one other scene rivals Vision’s “What is grief, if not love persevering” line from Previously On in WandaVision.

Showrunner Michael Waldron continues to do a great job of pacing this series out. Eric Martin‘s script features some truly outstanding dialogue. The barbs between Mobius and Loki continue to shine. A beautiful scene between Hunter B-15 and Sylvie allows Mosaku’s performance to tell her story by facial expressions and dialogue only.

The way Kate Herron moves the camera in the one-on-one scenes between Mobius and Loki is a great evolution from the more stilted approach in the first couple of episodes. I’m not criticizing her direction of the earlier episodes. The movement of the camera helps sell the unsettling nature of these scenes. The camera also represents Mobius’s shakier grasp of the situation. For instance, in Glorious Purpose, Mobius knows everything about Loki and Loki knows nothing. In The Nexus Event, Mobius has questions he can’t answer. While he can still mostly pick apart Loki’s lies, his shifting trust in all things TVA, becomes more evident as the episode goes along.

Other highlights include

• A recurring beat involving a long-absent MCU character played as comedy at first.
• Sylvie’s horrific backstory.
• The most WTH ending yet.
• A mind-bending mid-credit scene.

With the non-spoiler details out of the way, lets go through another journey into mystery by visiting The Nexus Event. Loki is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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Loki and Sylvie: aka The Nexus Event

The episode begins with some background on Sylvie. Turns out Ravonna Renslayer arrested Sylvie for crimes against the sacred timeline when she was only a child. Ravonna was also the person responsible for Sylvie breaking free of the TVA.

Loki and Sylvie are still on Lamentis-1 with no way to escape before the planet is destroyed. Sylvie asks Loki if all Lokis are destined to lose. Loki has a different perspective. He says we may lose, but we always survive. Loki’s different perspective does a nice job telegraphing the mid-credit scene. The scene is punctuated by Loki providing words of encouragement to Sylvie about all she has done up to this point. He touches Sylvie’s arm in an almost flirtatious manner. Their contact causes the sacred timeline meter-monitor at the TVA to spike. Loki and Sylvie are once again in the custody of the TVA.

Loki is put through the wringer in The Nexus Event. Mobius places Loki in a time loop cell where Lady Sif, played once again by Jaimie Alexander, repeatedly beats up Loki. It’s a funny scene that becomes more poignant as the loop repeats.

Mobius periodically stops the loop to interrogate Loki. He’s able to pick up on Loki’s attraction to Sylvie. Loki tries to deny it until Mobius lies and says Sylvie was pruned. The reveal throws Loki off just enough for Mobius to catch. A great bit of acting by Hiddleston in this scene. Mobius points out how narcissistic it’s to be in love with someone who is another version of yourself. Wilson continues to knock this role out of the park.

Early in the episode, amidst many lies, Loki does reveal one massive truth. Everyone at the TVA is a variant. Mobius doesn’t believe him at first but becomes increasingly suspicious as the episode goes along.

The Variants in The TVA

Mobius and Hunter B-15 eventually join Loki and Sylvie in their fight against the TVA. Sylvie helps B-15 learn her truth, while Loki help Mobius learn his.

Mobius is curious and wants to talk to Hunter C-20 (The agent Sylvie enchanted in the 2nd episode) again. Ravonna says there’s no point since Hunter C-20 is dead. Mobius is shocked.

He’s also repeatedly rebuffed by Ravonna when he asks to speak with Sylvie. She says it’s for Mobius’s protection. Mobius’s conversations with Loki convincing enough. He swaps out Ravonna’s TemPad with his own. After accessing Ravonna’s interrogation of Hunter C-20, he joins forces with Loki and says these words of encouragement to Loki:

You could be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean, just in case anyone ever told you different.

Mobius

Before the BFFs can get too far, Ravonna confronts and purges Mobius. Loki’s reaction to his friend’s obliteration is heartbreaking. Ravonna’s icy demeanor during this scene is the best acting moment for Mbatha-Raw in the series.

Hunter B-15 is struggling due to Sylvie’s enchantment in The Variant. She takes Sylvie back to Roxxcart and 2050 Alabama. Hunter B-15 wants to know why she put memories in her head. Sylvie tells Hunter B-15 she can’t create memories. She simply showed Hunter B-15 her life before The TVA. Hunter B-15 asks Sylvie to show her those memories again. We don’t see Hunter B-15’s memories and don’t need to thanks to Mosaku’s performance. Her facial expressions and the way she delivers the line “I looked happy” are just as heartbreaking as the obliteration of Mobius later in The Nexus Event.

Time to Meet the Timekeepers

After Ravonna prunes Mobius, she takes Mobius and Sylvie to meet the timekeepers. While in the elevator, Ravonna has another chilling line about not remembering what Sylvie did to disrupt the sacred timeline as a child.

Once in the chamber, the three timekeepers speak with ominous tones. B-15 enters the chamber and deactivates Loki and Sylvie’s collars. A fight breaks out. Loki faces off against several guards with prune rods. Sylvie goes one-on-one against Ravonna. The action and choreography in this scene are much better than at the end of the last episode.

Loki and Sylvie appear to emerge victoriously. Before the Timekeepers can get much of a word out, Sylvie beheads one of them by throwing her sword. All of the Timekeepers are androids. Whoever is calling the shots or created the TVA isn’t in the room.

In an episode featuring variant reveals and Mobius’s pruning, The Nexus Event saved the biggest surprises for last. Loki begins to express his feelings to Sylvie but is pruned by Ravonna. To her credit, Sylvie takes advantage of the distraction and holds Ravonna at Rod(?) point. The mid-credits scene features Loki waking up in an apocalypse-ridden New York City. He’s greeted by 4 different Lokis. The oldest played by Richard E. Grant says that Loki isn’t in hell yet.

I hope Mobius comes back. However, I expect whatever happened to Loki can only happen to him.

The Nexus Event Final Thoughts

Such a magnificent episode of television. The Nexus Event is an impeccably balanced episode full of truly terrific performances, humor and surprises. I’m starting to wonder whether Kang The Conqueror is the true leader of the TVA. I can’t wait to watch the final two episodes of this strange and brilliant show.

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