Avenue 5 Review: Are You A Spider, Matt? (Season 1 Episode 7)
Judd VR and the face of Pope John Paul II aren’t enough to keep the mania at bay on Avenue 5 Season 1 Episode 7, “Are You A Spider, Matt?” But it’s more than enough to make this one of the strongest episodes of the show yet.
It’s an episode about distraction, where the lifestyle of the ship has deteriorated to the point of needing to find meaning in the worst possible things. The passengers aren’t completely lost with the shuttle of supplies on the way, but the monotony of simply existing is starting to show its wear.
Frank building a belief system over the face of John Paul II in the fecal orbit is some of the most ridiculous storytelling a show has done in a while, but it fits perfectly with Avenue 5. The funnier part is that he’s not wrong: it really does look like John Paul. Props to the effects team and the ever-increasingly brilliant writing to pair up such a strange, magical image in the worst possible place.
But it’s through Clark and his slow loss of positivity that the episode finds a lot of its best moments. There’s something gloriously cathartic at Hugh Laurie losing his temper and going on a word salad rant, and this episode provides him with multiple attempts. Clark is diminished time and again, and now that he’s received divorce papers and needs to learn how to dock in six months, his sanity is nearly frayed.
The show almost feels like it’s built toward pushing Clark toward a full breakdown. Now that Rav is coming on the shuttle, perhaps it becomes a story of who will potentially take the seat back home. The likely candidate is Judd (since it’s who Rav is going up there for), but maybe it will be Clark, as he really needs a win at this point.
But let’s be real, it’ll be Harrison.
Harrison makes a fun posh foil for Judd. He has this sense of needing constant stimulation, given how quick he is brought to boredom at the schmooze dinner. His immense wealth and standing on the show finally provides us with someone Judd is afraid of, showing that his fear is, ironically, the thing he loves most.
The endless barrage of insults is at an all-time high, and while most are purposely bad, some run the risk of becoming mainstays for those watching. But the comedy moment of the episode comes from Clark going from glee to terror as he realizes how fast he must learn to dock, this wave of emotion crashing to nothingness in no time at all.
But at least there are some sparks in the air to pass the time with. Mia is pairing up with Mads, Billie is showing some interest in Jordan, and Spike and Doug continue to make a weird, fitting duo. But it’s Judd and Matt back together where the sparks really fly. Their chemistry together is too hard to ignore, which is nice after Judd seemed a little over it during the previous episode.
The Judd VR hopefully returns, as there could be some fun potential to the weird avatars people can make. Judd’s interest in being Judy Garland is random but at least continues down the path of his fascination with classic stars (along with the skulls of The Beatles). Matt’s spider avatar is the thing of nightmares, but at least we now know Tobey Maguire’s fate in the future.
Avenue 5 Season 1 Episode 7, “Are You A Spider, Matt?” takes a more laidback approach, and finds its best success in this mode. Passengers slowly accepting their fate and just turning to whatever they can to entertain themselves is such a primal way to take the show, and could be a fun, madcap way to continue on.
With only two episodes to go, there’s a wonder how this all could close out. The jettisoning of non-essential equipment speeds up their rescue, but what happens until then?
Since there’s a second season, could the show end with docking and going off on another voyage? Or will the show throw more chaos at them, and leave them stranded for longer than six months? A lot can happen in six months, so time will tell.
What did you think of this episode of Avenue 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Avenue 5 airs Sundays at 10/9c on HBO.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.