[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “Loki” Episode 4, “The Nexus Event.”]

Through four hours of “Loki,” the most remarkable aspect of Marvel’s third so-called television series is how quickly it can pivot. The Time Keepers are dead! No, they’re just androids. Loki is finally going to say something from the heart! Oh wait, he’s dead — except he’s not, so long as you watch the credits. These little twists and turns are standard storytelling in the MCU and beyond; what’s frustrating is that so many of them mean so little, especially when it comes to characters.

Take Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius. After sitting out last week’s episode, everyone’s favorite Tva analyst returned in a big way, only to say goodbye in similar fashion. He kicked things off by saving Loki (Tom Hiddelston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) from a falling planet, using their tender kindling of what’s later called a “sick,...