What I’m Watching: Avenue 5

Avenue 5: Season 1, Episode 7 “Are You a Spider, Matt?” (B+)

I don’t think I’ve taken the time to fully appreciate the totally absurd and completely inappropriate video messages that often pop up on screen from Matt, most of which appear to have been prerecorded and therefore all the more ridiculous. The ones that clearly reference new events and still made it onto the screen are even funnier, and I continue to be impressed with the fact that there was no one else who could have been as perfect for this role as Zach Woods. I was also very excited to see Paterson Joseph, who was on “Timeless” and “Babylon,” as Harrison, the very litigious passenger who made Judd incredibly nervous and who constantly made fun of him. Iris’ job sucking up to her boss isn’t easy, and complimenting his regrettable comebacks is among the hardest parts of it. Rav being blamed for trying to kill the passengers and responding by saying that she was just following orders didn’t go well, and I love that she decided to rectify the situation by hopping aboard the rendezvous ship so that she could bring Judd home herself, screaming as she lifted off into space. The obsession with the pope’s face in the illuminated circle of feces was odd, and Frank just wanted to have something that no one seemed to want to give him. I’m intrigued by the notion that Billie and the lackluster comedian might be a thing, though she seems too focused and serious to let romance distract her at all. The mention of Tobey Maguire having his throat slit in a prison shower was definitely irreverent, but that is the best way to describe this show.