As a seasoned space traveler who’s seen my fair share of cosmic shenanigans, I must say that Avenue 5 has truly outdone itself in capturing the sheer idiocy of humanity. It’s like the writers have been peeking into my personal logbooks and regurgitating the very essence of human folly!
In simpler terms, Ryan Clark, who plays the role of a captain on the space cruise ship Avenue 5, humorously expresses that he laughs because he’s scared. This is reflective of the show’s tone – we’re all stuck in this chaotic situation, and many of us are either foolish or powerless, making things worse. To cope, we resort to jokes. Clark feigns being a captain, but in reality, he and his fellow ‘crew’ are just actors hired to maintain a professional image on this space-themed Carnival-style cruise line. However, when the ship encounters real trouble, there aren’t many qualified individuals to save it.
In a not-too-distant but entirely feasible future, the canceled Sky Original series (available on HBO Max) is a humorous science fiction tale that follows the prolonged voyage of an ill-fated spaceship. Initially intended as a temporary interplanetary resort, it morphs into a harrowing three-year ordeal when the spacecraft veers off course, mirroring the erratic path of American politics. The upcoming U.S. Presidential election appears poised to be won by Donald Trump and J.D. Vance; there’s a surprising belief that the Democrats might have rigged the 2020 election when they were out of power, yet could still lose in 2024 while in office… This is the kind of absurdity that the show “Avenue 5” masterfully mocks. Let’s revisit this brilliant series and its uncanny relevance to our times — and how it might help us move past them.
The previously mentioned team members are dim-witted charlatans enacting scenes from “Star Trek”, employed by the powerful tycoon Herman Judd – a 22nd century equivalent of Donald Trump, who controls the ship. Accompanied by the cynical Head of Customer Relations Matt Spencer, the competent but growingly agitated engineer Billie, and several others, the self-proclaimed heads of Avenue 5 will strive to rescue the vessel from a danger greater than the emptiness of space – human idiocy. With one of their most amusing and intense episodes revolving around elections, it’s an ideal moment to revisit Avenue 5 and enjoy a laugh at how terrible everything seems.
Avenue 5 Holds an Election
As it entered its final season (a nearly three-year hiatus following Avenue 5), the series (developed by the minds behind the equally political and profanely humorous The Thick of It and Veep) became even more mirroring of our contemporary sociopolitical landscape. The characters, portrayed by a talented ensemble including Hugh Laurie, Josh Gad, Zach Woods, Rebecca Front, among others, struggle with their own leadership shortcomings. Meanwhile, the passengers grow progressively anarchic, often indulging in their own ignorance and folly.
In an unexpected twist, the fifth episode of the second season of the series Avenue 5 was broadcasted the eve before the 2022 midterm elections in the U.S., a time when “democracy was on the line,” as we are often reminded during elections. Titled “Let’s Play with Matches,” this episode finds the passengers, frustrated by their ineffective leaders who have made mistakes once again, deciding to hold an impromptu election. The top contenders for leadership are a fictional TV character, reminiscent of the ship’s false captain (a recurring figure from the show’s internal TV program that mirrors the misfortunes of the Avenue 5 spacecraft itself), and a literal cannibal. One candidate, vying for the ‘presidential nomination,’ claims, “I embody the ‘i’ in benign dictator.
It seems that Avenue 5, in its portrayal, holds a rather pessimistic outlook on humanity, as it features the American president as an Alexa-like AI and the heirs of tech giants Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk, who appear to be reckless. But is our collective intelligence truly so questionable? The electoral landscape in America has been marked by some candidates who are not only unintelligent but also mentally ill or neurologically challenged, as well as a large number of election deniers who paradoxically seek office. It appears that many Americans have fallen into a vicious cycle of logic, exhibiting a profound ignorance — if my party loses, then the election is rigged; but if it wins, then it isn’t. Those who question the legitimacy of voting are asking for our support.
In simpler terms, the absurd election process depicted in Avenue 5 (in which a character is selected due to his likeness to a popular fictional character) might be just as frustrating as some actual elections we’ve experienced.
Bad Leaders & The Dumb Mass of Democracy
In many instances, Armando Iannucci’s comedic series frequently satirizes human flaws such as stupidity, pettiness, and conformity. Passengers on Avenue 5 often vacillate between longing for their leaders and yearning for a powerful dictator to assure them that everything will be okay again. They are content when they’re catered to, but as soon as provisions run low or negative news arises, they become primed for violent revolts.
Perhaps the most harrowing example is when a particularly dumb faction of passengers develop the conspiracy that everything was fake on the ship Avenue 5. After all, the whole crew were just staged actors hired by the incompetent corporate overlord to make everything look professional. However, when they rally to the air lock and force their way past common sense and dismayed crew members, passenger after passenger gets frozen and thrown out into the endless cold abyss of space. “It’s VFX, guys!” one incredibly ignorant, corn dog-eating passenger says, as more of them line up to ‘escape’ what they think is a prank reality show, heading like proverbial lemmings to their icy deaths. “It stands for visual effects!” she reiterates before dying.
“We just watched seven people stupid themselves to death,” the fake captain says.
Zach Woods as Matt and the Quotes of Avenue 5
“Just like a group of snakes started to believe they were superior, some individuals today seem to display an unwarranted sense of privilege, and it’s hard not to draw the comparison now.” However, Avenue 5 suggests that these people weren’t driven mad by their confinement in space; rather, their confinement merely exposed the madness that was already within them.
This group exhibits a mix of anger, impulsiveness, lack of wisdom, and childish stubbornness, while their leaders, though occasionally perceptive enough to acknowledge their own blunders, are not much more enlightened. The captain and his crew, the CEO and his stern assistant, the overworked engineer, and others find themselves in a predicament where they strive to act honorably, albeit in a world dominated by the unwise.
As the day concludes, there’s at least one positive: plenty of humorous exchanges can be found, particularly in the show “Avenue 5.” Among these witty remarks, Matt, the enigmatic Head of Customer Relations portrayed brilliantly by Zach Woods (famous for his role in “Silicon Valley”), stands out as one of the most remarkable TV characters ever. Matt is an unapologetic truth-teller with a nihilistic bent and a leaning towards libertarianism, who uses extremely dark humor and maintains a bizarre disconnect from reality. Almost everything he says is priceless gold. Here are some examples:
This is a safe space — emotionally. Physically, we’re obviously in terrible danger.
My role is designed to ensure a consistent supply of your body wash, rather than to solve the calamity that is the human condition.
Poor octopus. Eight arms but no hands. F*ck You, God!
Avenue 5 Predicted Covid & The Downfall of Democracy
As I sat down to pen my review for Avenue 5, I found myself struck by the uncanny foresight this series possesses. Written, filmed, and edited long before the 2022 midterms, it eerily mirrored the events that unfolded. But what truly left me amazed was its chilling portrayal of the Covid-19 pandemic, a prediction that would send shivers down anyone’s spine.
Currently, Avenue 5 seems to mirror the unfortunate reality of human folly in politics and everyday life. Yet, it reminds us of the power of laughter in dealing with such absurdity – whether we’re sharing a chuckle during shared misery or poking fun at close-minded bigots. Comedy serves as both protest and shield, and laughter will be essential for navigating the next decade. This is evident when the engineer, observing a mob of jeering, hateful, uninformed individuals, remarks: “It’s hard to argue with that.
All of you morons deserve everything that’s coming to you.
In the United Kingdom, you can find the original Sky series titled “Avenue 5” on both Sky Comedy and NOW TV platforms. In the United States, it’s available on both HBO and HBO Max streaming services.
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2024-11-06 14:02