Ep 1. I Was Flying

It's the future, and commercial space travel is now a thing, taken for granted like any other form of transportation. On the maiden voyage of the luxury space cruiser Avenue 5, passengers and crew alike are looking forward to their sixteen-week journey around the solar system, complete with breathtaking views and first-class luxury accommodations. But things take a turn for the worse right away when the ship's captain, Ryan Clark, announces that the Avenue 5's course has been altered, drastically increasing the length of the trip and causing panic among the passengers.

As the episode progresses, we meet some of the main players aboard the 5, including arrogant and wealthy passenger Herman Judd, played by Josh Gad, and a sympathetic passenger named Karen, played by Rebecca Front. Meanwhile, the ship's crew struggles to keep things running smoothly in the wake of this unexpected crisis, from the take-charge mission director named Rav Mulcair, played by Nikki Amuka Bird, to the bumbling customer service associate Matt Spencer, played by Zach Woods.

As the passengers and crew try to come to terms with their situation, tensions inevitably rise. Herman Judd, convinced that he can use his money and influence to make things right, sets his sights on seducing the captain's assistant, Iris Kimura, played by Suzy Nakamura, in order to gain access to sensitive information. Karen, on the other hand, is more concerned with finding a way to contact her family on Earth and reassure them of her safety, even as the ship's communication systems seem to be malfunctioning.

Throughout it all, one character stands out as a voice of reason and calm in the midst of chaos: the ship's engineer, Billie McEvoy, played by Lenora Crichlow. Billie's job is to keep the Avenue 5 running smoothly, but she proves to be more than just a mechanic, providing guidance and support to the passengers and crew when they need it most.

In the end, the overriding theme of Avenue 5 season 1 episode 1 is one of uncertainty. No one knows exactly what's going on, or what will happen next. But as the episode draws to a close, we're left with the sense that whatever comes next, these characters will face it together, even when they're at each other's throats. It's a promising start to what looks to be a thought-provoking and entertaining series.