Episode 4 of Loki's sophomore season kicks off with a somber scene: Renslayer and Miss Minutes stand guard over the lifeless form of Kang from the future. Minutes conjures up a nostalgic video clip, showcasing the duo's past alliance, where Kang declared Renslayer his right-hand general in the impending conflict. Yet, after erasing Ren's memories with Protocol 42, Minutes reveals a shocking truth—it was Renslayer who secretly steered the armies, with Kang merely occupying the throne, an idle observer as Ren valiantly carried the weight of war.
In the present, Timely wanders aimlessly through the labyrinthine halls of the TVA, his thoughts adrift. Mobius and Loki intercept him, their enthusiasm infectious as they urge him to join their ranks, revealing the urgency of their mission. They escort him to OB, a veritable engineering prodigy, who regales them with technical jargon and displays a colossal model of the Loom, its intricate workings illuminated with a passionate explanation.
The task ahead is daunting: one among them must venture down a treacherous gangway, armed with the Throughput Multiple, guiding it into a launchpad. A single press of the verdant button unleashes the missile, hurtling towards the Loom. There, it will dock seamlessly, expanding its capacity to address the deluge of timelines spawned by Kang's demise. However, the temporal radiation has intensified exponentially, necessitating Timely's prototype to safeguard the Throughput from its corrosive effects.
Elsewhere, Sylvie's frustration boils over as she confronts Mobius over his lighthearted desire for pie amidst the looming crisis. She scoffs at his nonchalance, recalling how indifferent she herself was to the dying branches mere episodes ago. Her rage consumes her, until Loki intervenes, gently guiding her thoughts towards hope. He wisely counsels that the path of repair is fraught with challenges, but Timely's efforts offer a glimmer of redemption. Together, they resolve to support him, lest he succumb to the fate of He Who Remains.
Meanwhile, within the confines of their confinement, Brad struggles to rally Dox and the remnants of their force. Just as despair threatens to consume them, Renslayer arrives, accompanied by Miss Minutes, declaring her intention to reclaim the TVA's stability. Her call for allegiance falls flat, save for Brad's loyal ear. Without hesitation, she activates a device, turning the dissenters, including Dox and her loyal followers, into dust, solidifying her iron grip on leadership.
Renslayer's swift maneuver has Timely captured in the labyrinthine hallway, escorting him to her and Brad's confines within the hallowed Council Room. As the clock ticks ominously, Sylvie finds herself trapped in the confines of an elevator, while OB and their comrades descend the stairs, intent on orchestrating their Loom-centric strategy.
Meanwhile, Loki, accompanied by his past iteration, races through the corridors, their paths intertwined with the incessant ringing of a phone. Our Loki takes a momentary respite, observing as he meticulously prunes the former version, weaving the fabric of events back into harmony.
The phone's insistent chirp reveals OB on the other end. To thwart Miss Minutes' machinations, they devise a daring plan—to dismantle the entire security apparatus, thereby granting them the liberty to wield magic within the TVA's very walls. With a flick of a switch, the power is extinguished, and Miss Minutes vanishes, leaving Timely with a haunting prophecy echoing in his ears: "You'll never be him."
In the hallway's tense embrace, Loki and X-5 confront each other, the former unleashing an enchantment that compels X-5 to infiltrate the Judge's council and eradicate Renslayer from this temporal tapestry. They seize Timely and dart towards the Loom chamber, where he employs his bio-scanner to breach the formidable blast doors. With resolve, he steps forward, intending to pilot the Loom at the chamber's depths.
But fate deals a cruel hand. As Timely emerges from the suit, the Temporal Radiation proves too overwhelming, consuming him in an instant, leaving nothing but ash and disappointment. Another defeat for Kang and his variants, marking their third strike in a row.
A colossal wave of fiery devastation erupts from the frayed timeline, hurtling towards the defenseless TVA, its shields now but a memory. The blast barrels towards its target, poised to unleash its fury—until the episode's dramatic cliffhanger halts the inevitable, leaving viewers breathless with anticipation.
