In an attempt to distract the Alioth beast that patrols The Void in episode 5, Loki and his variants wait for a big enough event to distract the beast. This comes in the form of the USS Eldridge, a ship famous for allegedly becoming “invisible” to enemy devices. It’s known as the Philadelphia Experiment.
USS Eldridge in Loki episode 5
As seen with the D.B. Cooper reference in episode 1, which “explained” what happened to the man of mystery, the USS Eldridge appearance in episode 5 is also a fun “explainer” on what actually happened to the ship.
According to the Loki TV show, the USS Eldridge didn’t turn invisible. Instead, it was sent to The Void where it was almost instantly wiped out by the Alioth monster. The crew can be seen trying to fire at the beast, but it’s futile, with their destruction coming swiftly and easily.
The number “173” is the ship’s designation. It’s unfortunately not a nod to a Marvel comic or anything like that.
This is yet another fun nod to real-life mysteries that have remained unsolved. At the very least, they are a fun look back at unexplained moments in history for the modern audience.
Perhaps more references to past mysteries will feature in episode 6, though that’s likely going to be focused entirely on the final battle and explaining who exactly is behind the TVA.
Elsewhere in Loki land news, these episode 6 spoilers tease the building hidden in The Void and the final battle.
The new episode revealed how Loki can survive his death in Avengers: Infinity War.
Episode 5 was also fun in the way that it included wild Easter eggs like the Thanos Helicopter and Frog Thor. Here’s a recap for those who missed them.
Wondering if there was a post-credits scene for Loki episode 5? Here’s the definitive answer on whether it’s worth sitting through (or skipping through) all of those names.
