Loki as played by Tom Hiddleston has been a fan favorite since he first showed up in Thor, part of the MCU’s first phase. He popped up in various places, died, and came back, as comic book characters are wont to do. His Disney+ series was really good, and became the first one of those shows to actually get and air a second season. Now, the further misadventures of Loki and the TVA continue in “Breaking Brad.”

Still trying to find out what’s going on, Loki and Mobius are trying to track down X-5, one of the TVA employees we met last time who has vanished while on assignment. The pair eventually track down the wayward agent, who has taken on quite a life for himself. He’s not only a famous person where he’s chosen to hide out, but there are multiple Easter Eggs for virtually unknown Marvel characters scattered throughout the scene. Someone did a great job of research. We also get to see Loki using the full range of his powers, which hasn’t happened much in the series for various reasons. It’s a nice reminder that, despite what he’s been fighting, Loki is a powerful force in his own right.

Returning to the TVA, Loki and Mobius turn over their prisoner and try to find out how, and why, he modified a piece of equipment. X isn’t talking, and the others are at a loss, so it’s time for another visit to OB, the resident tech genius. After another great scene with him in which it’s impressed on our heroes that OB is very busy, thank you very much, they leave him to his work. B-15 is hard at work trying to track down the missing Ravonna Renslayer. She and Casey get a lead, and go to find the God of Lies and the Man Obsessed with Jet Skis. Those two have been attempting their own repairs on the mysterious malfunctioning gadget, and getting nowhere. Technology isn’t either of their strengths. I wonder what policy would be on consuting someone like Tony Stark or Shuri? For that matter, with all the weird timelines out there now, it would be a really interesting way to bring in Reed Richards or Dr. Doom. But they insist on trying it themselves, and are probably almost grateful for the interruption as B and Casey bring news of the latest betrayal of the TVA. Man, that place has a serious loyalty issue.

Not having anything else to try, our heroes try to interrogate X-5. This is, of course, complicated by the man knowing all the TVA tactics and procedures. X is also a smart man, and things go off the rails quickly. Of course, it might not be the smartest approach to really piss off a god who has no problem killing people and has a lot of unresolved issues. This scene also highlights some big differences between Mobius and X-5. I also wonder why some, like Mobius, get a name, and the others get the designations that sound like bingo numbers. After tempers flare and they take a break, Mobius and Loki get back to it with a weird version of good time cop/bad god of mischief, but they eventually get what they needed. They also demonstrate an interesting device that looks really ugly.

Desperate for help, B-15 brings Casey down to OB to try and get a technical consult. It turns into more of a fan club, as Casey proves to be a passionate fan of OB’s work. They discuss possible fixes for the dire straights they are in, and the fixes don’t sound much better or more likely than solving the actual problems facing them. A somewhat subdued X-5 brings Mobius and Loki to the unlikely hiding place of Sylvie. Loki gets a chance to talk to his possible love interest (which is really weird in and of itself), X keeps wanting to go, and Mobius finds something new to home in on. The man is fairly consistent in his interests.

Outside the Land of Product Placement, Sylvie and Loki have a talk, and even the man famed for his lies is having trouble keeping up with everything going on, and he’s telling the truth for once. Maybe that’s part of the problem; he’s not playing to his strengths. While that discussion goes badly, Mobius seems to trying to make friends with X-5 in that unique, earnest way he has. Mobius’ charm finally works its magic, and he brings X to Sylvie and Loki with some important information.

On the heels of this revelation, Sylvie, Loki, and Mobius spring into action, finding out there’s yet another betrayal from some of the TVA. They’re a formidable team, but they’re playing catch up, and it’s not going well. There’s tragedy of unimaginable scope that shocks B-15 and angers Sylvie enough that she leaves, in spite of Loki’s pleas. The episode ends with Sylvie in a rare peaceful moment. While the life she has chosen may seem odd to a lot of people, it clearly gives her something she’s been lacking, and it’s an interesting place to end the episode.

What I Liked: Loki and Mobius objectively make no sense as a pair, but Hiddleson and Wilson’s acting and presence, aided by some great writing, make them work really well. Ke Huy Quan continues to steal every scene he’s in with his fantastic delivery as OB. The reveals in this episode were well done and I really didn’t see a lot of the shake ups coming. The end was horrifying but believable and made sense with what we know of the characters. The incredibly obscure Marvel characters they touch on in the movie theater scene were nice nods and impressive research. And while they have smaller parts, B-15 and Casey are impressive as well, and Rafael Casel did fantastically as X-5. I liked seeing Loki cut loose, even if it was just for a scene.

What I Didn’t: Really, very little. I know how many issues would be involved in actually doing it, but an in-world explanation of why they can’t recruit some of the many tech geniuses out there would be nice. I get they are leading up to them, but I’d like to see Ravonna and Miss Minutes. And, for that matter, Kang, by whatever name he’s using this life. And really, it would be nice if Loki caught a break with Sylvie.

I’ll give this a high 4 out of 5. The story is compelling and I really like most of the characters. They have a huge mess facing them and no obvious way to get out of it. It will be really interesting to see how, or if, they get out of this.