How It Ends: As a Starter and a Main

*Story by:*
John Finnemore &
Armando Iannucci

'How It Ends: As a Starter and a Main' is the fourth episode of Avenue 5's second season.

## Synopsis

Now stuck with an unsavory stowaway, Ryan and Billie lock down the ship – with potentially dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Iris and Judd attempt to blackmail Lucas, Karen claws her way back to the top, and Frank fends off an attack.

## Plot Summary

Billie makes the executive decision to lock down the entire ship to keep the cannibal, Nathan, contained in one location. Rav points out the downside of this plan is that a group of people are locked *in* *with* the cannibal. Billie points out that a better way to look at it is that a larger group of people are locked *away* from the cannibal.

Rav is chosen to notify the passengers of the reason they've been locked down, despite her protests. Confused by the red and green buttons, she gives her announcement when the broadcast is off and turns it on once she's finished. Because of this, when she sends a voice message to Ryan informing him that she told the ship why they were locked down without mentioning the cannibal, this message is broadcast to the entire ship. Passengers begin to freak out.

Using his master key, Ryan and Billie are able to move around the ship searching for Nathan. Billie brings him to the ship's datacenter, which consists of surveillance cameras, and the two try to find Nathan on the screens. They quickly realize that neither of them actually know what Nathan looks like. After unsuccessfully trying to reach Judd, they remember that Frank had Nathan on his cooking show and knows what he looks like.

Mia, Elena, Elena's daughter Paloma, and Matt are locked in a common area together. Paloma becomes nervous after Rav's mention of a cannibal, and Elena tries to calm her down. Matt, having virtually no filter, tells her that there is in fact a cannibal on board but not to worry. Another person walks up to the group, it's Nathan the cannibal.

Mads and Judd give a disinterested Iris a tour of their shared cabin. Iris is offended that Judd chose Mads to replace her, referring to him as an "it". After they are locked in together, Iris urges Judd to make Mads sign an NDA for being his friend, which he does. Using the lithium shortage on Earth as leverage, Iris and Judd call Lucas Sato, and blackmail him into rescuing Avenue 5.

During the lockdown Karen is in a cafeteria with a large group of passengers. After learning of the cannibal, the group gets riled up and tries to smash through the doors. Karen tries and fails to gain control of the group, but a patent attorney from Pittsburg is able to quiet them down. Karen starts to tell the group she knows what the cannibal looks like, but is overwhelmed by being the center of attention again for the first time in 5 months.

Mia, Elena, Paloma, Matt and Nathan form a circle and share their feelings. Elena is conflicted about her feelings for Ryan and Charles. Mia is frustrated about being pregnant and without knowing who the baby's father is. Matt shares a heartbreaking story about how his wife died. Next is Nathan's turn to share in the circle, and he reveals that he is the cannibal. The group thinks he's joking at first, but he explains he was embarrassed to tell them earlier.

Frank points out Nathan on surveillance cameras and Ryan and Billie rush to the common room to capture him. He's tackled to the ground and Paloma yells to let him go, calling him a good person who made bad decisions. Nathan is taken to the brig by two guards. Matt later confronts Ryan, genuinely upset with how he handled the cannibal.

Judd becomes restless waiting for Lucas to respond to their blackmail attempt. He CGI's his face onto his character in the Avenue 5 show and reveals the Lithium shortage to the world. As this was their only leverage, Judd has once again messed things up for everybody.

Back on the bridge, Billie and Ryan are fighting about who's responsible for the decisions they make. Rav is pressuring them to come up with a plan for the cannibal. Unbeknownst to the three of them, the broadcast is still on from Rav's mixup before. During Ryan's freak-out he reveals all the secrets they've been keeping from the ship: the cannibal came on board after the pedo fixed the eel tank, the new journey time is 8 years, they only have enough food for half the passengers, by the time they get back to Earth the lithium shortage will have wiped out society, and Ryan doesn't know how to fly a ship.

The passengers start looting and form a mob headed straight for Ryan.

## Quotes

"Captain one. Cannibal nil. Or does that sound like I've eaten someone?" - Ryan

"Sometimes I forget that underneath your confused-old-man-shtick you're actually just a confused old man." - Billie