Avenue 5 is a delightfully funny sci-fi comedy on HBO featuring a star-studded cast and a futuristic premise about an interplanetary cruise ship that takes passengers into space for lengthy stays. But things go awry, and since the crew aboard nor the eccentric billionaire owner are particularly intelligent, the future hangs in the balance.
Now in its second season, it’s clear that the smarts among the crew, owners, and passengers aboard Avenue 5 is lacking. Some, however, are smarter than others, and they’re often the ones who aren’t listened to.
10/10 Herman Judd
The eccentric billionaire owner of Avenue 5, Herman Judd – played by Josh Gad in what could rank among Josh Gad’s best performances – must possess some level of smarts to have acquired the fortune he has. Or maybe it was just dumb luck and his love of partying that allowed him to develop holiday resorts people loved. Nonetheless, he comes across as completely ignorant to anything going on with his own ship.
When it’s revealed that the majority of the staff he hired are just figureheads with little to no experience traveling in space nor running a cruise ship, Herman begins to look even more incompetent. He demands respect and, more so, attention, but never earns it. Instead, he relies on the more competent people around him to pick up the slack.
9/10 Doug
A passenger on the ship, Doug is mostly seen arguing with his wife Mia. The pair appear to have a toxic marriage and are on the brink of divorce. They can’t get along, yet they are stuck on this ship together with nowhere to go.
His lack of intelligence really shines through, however, when Doug doesn’t clue into the fact that his wife’s baby is too far along to biologically be his. The baby was most likely conceived during the time they were broken up and she had an affair with one of the crew members. He means well but his temper and attitude prove that Doug lacks both academic and emotional intelligence.
8/10 Frank Kelly
Frank is sweet, kind, and has a positive attitude through even the most trying situations. Another passenger on the plane, he’s the submissive husband of the outspoken, loud, and demanding Karen. She bosses him around and he lets her.
With that said, he took a stand when he locked her in their room for months to keep her away from the other passengers who assuredly would be upset with her for her actions in causing the ship to veer off course. He also smartly found a way to keep busy with his own cooking show, using items around the ship to make creative meals, like hair dryer popcorn. He’s resourceful but doesn’t come across as being very smart.
7/10 Karen Kelly
Karen is domineering, demanding, and thinks she’s smarter than is. She is always willing to help but made a major blunder that caused the ship to veer off course. She wants to be involved and show that she can help. Nonetheless, one of the things fans wanted to see happen in season 2 of Avenue 5 is that Karen got knocked down a few pegs, and that indeed did happen.
As a passenger on the plane, she is determined and involved, fashioning herself as a spokesperson for the others. While her journey in season 2 gets weirder and weirder as she becomes obsessed with Ryan and livid with her husband, Karen is among the smarter individuals on the ship.
6/10 Rav Mulcair
One of the things Avenue 5 does better than The Orville is in its portrayal of realistic bureaucracy. At the heart of those storylines is typically Rav. As head of mission control for Avenue 5 working back on Earth, Rav found herself reluctantly on the ship by the end of the first season. She comes across as an intelligent person given the job she holds. But considering Herman’s hiring practices, it’s unclear if she actually has the smarts, education, and experience to hold the position in the first place.
Nonetheless, she tries to do what needs to be done and does exhibit some intelligence, if also a lack of morality at times, like when she’s constantly willing to sacrifice the lives of others. Nonetheless, compared to some of the other characters, Rav is among the smarter ones.
5/10 Matt Spencer
Matt is odd and hilarious. A parody of a stereotypical public relations person, he works as the head of customer relations for Avenue 5. But beneath his constant smile and soothing voice, he has a clear dark side. One of the things fans love about Avenue 5 is the exaggerated characters, and Matt is at the top of that list.
He is likely highly intelligent, but his eccentricities get in the way of showing that. He is happy to appease passengers but does so in a condescending, sometimes ridiculous way. Nonetheless, chances are that without him, the staff would not be able to keep the peace.
4/10 Ryan Clark
Fans initially thought Ryan, the ship’s captain, was a highly intelligent and educated man. But, as it turns out, he has no experience running a ship, knows nothing about the science of space travel, and was simply hired to portray a captain, not necessarily be one. He is an intelligent person but not necessarily for the job he was hired to do.
He does show some sense, however, when finding ways to appease angry passengers. He also knows, at times, when to turn to Billie, the real scientific mind on the ship, for help. But the fact he took the job in the first place knowing he’d have no knowledge of what to do should something go wrong proves he is in over his head.
3/10 Spike Martin
He doesn’t get enough credit, but Spike might actually be one of the most intelligent people on the ship. A passenger just enjoying his retirement, he was an astronaut and reportedly the first Canadians on Mars. However, he has become a womanizer with alcohol issues, which makes people trust him less.
Nonetheless, if Spike really put his mind to it, and if people actually listened, he might have valuable advice for them. He’s the only one who has prior experience being in space, which counts for a lot.
2/10 Iris Kimura
Iris puts up with Herman and she’s the only person he will listen to and who can talk down to him. As an associate owner of the ship, she comes across as someone who knows better but is often pushed aside by Herman since he gets to make the decisions.
Nonetheless, she’s sharp, witty, sarcastic, and fiercely intelligent. With her back on the ship, and with some knowledge of what’s going on down on Earth, she might be the key to helping them all finally land back home safely.
1/10 Billie McEvoy
Clearly the smartest person on the ship, Billie is the second engineer (though it’s unclear who is supposed to be the first) and the only highly educated and knowledgeable person there. Yet she is often pushed aside when she explains what is happening and how they can fix it.
Billie is the one who has identified issues before anyone else and come up with solutions to solve them. If she was able to take over, things might have gone very differently.
