Episode 4 ofLokifeatures some of the most dire stakes andbrutal consequencesthat the series has seen yet. Miss Minutes (Tara Strong) and Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) are set on reclaiming control of the TVA, but all that will be for nothing if Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Mobius (Owen Wilson), and O.B. (Key Huy Quan) can’t stop the Temporal Loom from obliterating them all. Now, however, they have Kang-Variant Victory Timely (Jonathan Majors) at their aid, thanks to Sylvia (Sophia Di Martino) opting to spare his life. Time really does work differently at the TVA, especially compared to what we saw inAvengers: Endgame. InEndgame, it was made clear that every action in the past did not edit the timeline in a paradoxical loop, it merely split a brand-new branching timeline, but at the TVA, we’re seeing the actions of ourheroes and villainsunfold in a mind-bending loop with no before nor after. There’s a fewnotable Easter eggsworth catching along the way, too; here’s everything you might’ve missed!
Loki, the God of Mischief, steps out of his brother’s shadow to embark on an adventure that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.”
‘Loki’ Episode 4 References the Original ‘Jurassic Park’
“Ah, ah, ah! You didn’t say the magic word!” Those words fromJurassic Park’s bumbling annoyance Nedry (Wayne Knight) remain as memorable today as they were decades ago, and our minds immediately went back to them when Miss Minutes taunted similarly in this episode ofLoki. When everyone’s access to the TVA’s systems began failing,thanks to Miss Minutes' infiltration, a recording of the clock apparition began to play. “Ah, ah, ah! Access denied!” Miss Minutes teased, the visual recording even resembling that ofJurassic Park’s.
Ravonna Renslayer and Miss Minutes Allude to the True Kang the Conqueror
WhenMiss Minutesoffers Ravonna a recording of her time with He Who Remains (before her memory was wiped), we see Ravonna and this Kang-Variant in a moment of togetherness that evokes their true Marvel Comics origins, in which they shared a romantic alliance. It’s even made clear thatLoki’s Ravonna led the armies of the multiversal war that led to the TVA’s dominance. Moreover, when the TVA’s system is being rebooted and Miss Minutes' functions are shutting down, she slips in one last menacing sentence: “You’ll never be him.” There is clearly a specific variant of Kang on his way —the Conqueror.
Ouroboros Recognizes the Signifcance of His Name and His Link to Victor Timely
As we mentioned when we first met O.B., his full name, Ouroboros, relates to the circle of life, an infinite loop of never-ending time. The name has Greek origins, and both Greek and Ancient Egypt cultures depicted images of the ouroboros, a snake devouring its own tale. When O.B. and Victor Timely meet face to face, reconciling that their work has been informing the other all along without a clear origin, O.B. mentions the image of the snake devouring its own tale. It’s a paradoxical concept that seems to stump even O.B. himself.
‘Loki’ Episode 4 References the First ‘Thor’ Solo Film and the First Season of ‘Loki’
Loki and Sylvie havea heated exchange, with the latter still flabbergasted over the fact that they’re aiding the TVA and potentially fueling the return of a much more fearsome Kang, Loki responds by recalling the events of the MCU’s Phase One. Remembering when his brother Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was banished to Earth inThor, Loki first believed that it was Thor’s weakness that allowed the human-run planet to change him, making him softer and more merciful. This Loki, after all he’s been through, now recognizes the value in mercy, a change Sylvie has not yet fully undergone. She did spare Victor Timely’s life, but then she says they should perhaps still burn the entire TVA to the ground, calling back to the first season, in which Loki said the same — threatening toburn the TVA to the ground. That is, before he realized his powers wouldn’t work there.
LokiSeason 2 is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
