The Flight Attendant season 2 will available from May 26 on Sky Max and streaming service NOW. In the US, the series streams new episodes via HBO Max.
In season 2 Cassie Bowden (Kaley Cuoco) is living her best sober life in Los Angeles while moonlighting as a CIA asset in her spare time. But when an overseas assignment leads her to inadvertently witness a murder, she becomes entangled in another international intrigue.
The Flight Attendant is back! Finally I’m able to talk about the compelling, loud and messy return of Cassie Bowden to our screens. Arriving the UK a little after it’s debut in the US, I’ve been able to watch the first two episodes of season 2 ahead of today’s embargo and I’m happy to report The Flight Attendant returns strong.
Cassie is in a whole new place, mentally and physically, following season one. As the synopsis says, she is now living a sober life in L.A. The shift in location may, in part, be down to the pandemic and the ease of shooting closer to home but L.A. life looks good on our heroine. Episode one, titled “Seeing Double”, is quick to reset the status quo of the series. Writer Steve Yockey uses all of the series’ trademark visual cues to catch us up on the changes in Cassie’s life in quick succession. Given that we’ve moved beyond the story of Christopher A. Bohjalian’s original novel, keeping the structure of the show familiar also does a perfect job of telling the audience that the heart of the show remains the same.
Cassie’s chaotic energy remains fully intact. Her snarky attitude quickly causes her trouble when she talks back during an A.A. meeting and suddenly The Flight Attendant is like catching up with an old friend. It’s familiar but unpredictable.
When we left Cassie in season 1 she had returned to work but was also doubling as an asset for the CIA. That second job quickly comes in to play when we’re introduced to Ben (Mo McRae), Cassie’s handler. Their unconventional relationship is the perfect fit for The Flight Attendant 2.0. Her excitement at living a double-life sits aptly at odds with his strait-laced attitude. McRae makes only a brief appearance in these two episodes but this new relationship feels like it could play a vital role in the burgeoning mystery of season 2.
Another addition to the cast, Star Trek: Picard‘s Santiago Cabrera, also plays an important part in Cassie’s life. We learn that Cassie and Marco have been in a relationship for six months prior to the start of the season. Importantly he is also sober. We don’t spend a huge amount of time exploring their life together but his role signifies another new facet of the show. His presence is able to bring out new sides to Cassie’s character, pushing her personal development on further.
The return of Zosia Mamet and Deniz Akdeniz as Annie and Max is the perfect connection to season 1. It would feel disingenuous to Cassie to have her cut her best friends out of her life. She also needs confidants to unload her crazy on and the dynamic between Mamet and Cuoco is perfect for just that. Even when the three are only communicating over the phone the chemistry is electric.
Early in “Seeing Double” its easy to get lost in simply catching up with Cassie. Cuoco is even more compelling in her second turn in the role. The synergy between actor and character is evident throughout these two episodes. Cuoco’s double-duty as producer and star has crafted her the perfect role.
The classic, bonkers scenario soon kicks in when Cassie reaches Berlin. Events escalate incredibly quickly and everything begins to unravel in episode two, “Mushrooms. Tasers, And Bears, Oh My!” As with season 1, season 2 will comprise of 8 episodes. As such the core mysteries have to work at a relatively brisk pace to avoid losing the viewer. From what I’ve seen there’s certainly no rush to reveal all of its cards. But neither does season 2 hold back from taking us on a wild ride.
I don’t want to say too much and spoil the wild ride ahead. Part of the magic of The Flight Attendant is discovering the journey alongside Cassie. The evidence from these first two episodes would suggest that journey will be equally as rewarding as in season 1.
