The Flight Attendant Season 2 Premiere Review: A New Mystery Begins...
Paul Dailly
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Cassie Bowden's life was complicated, to say the least, on The Flight Attendant Season 1.
At the top of The Flight Attendant Season 2 Episode 1, things are moving in the right direction for her as she has her life in order, but by the time we get to The Flight Attendant Season 2 Episode 2, she's embroiled in another mystery.
The series had to show some semblance of growth for our heroine, and while the new iteration of the Mind Palace is a bit too unbelievable to take seriously, it is nice to see all of these internalized feelings come out to play.
Cassie is very much in denial about where she's at in life, and it's only a matter of time before it unravels before her very eyes.
The trip to Berlin presented a wide array of questions, but it also made me think that Cassie may not be entirely cut out for life as a CIA operative.
Yes, she has the tenacity to get answers, but she's also making some grave decisions that could land her in hot water.
She's far too trusting of people to excel at this gig fully, and that was on full display when the Diaz duo tried to steal data from her phone.
Part of the fun of The Flight Attendant Season 1 was watching how Cassie reacted to all of these bonkers developments in her life as she got herself caught up in a killer conspiracy.
If the first two episodes indicate how The Flight Attendant Season 2 is going to play out, then Cassie's either having lapses in memory or someone is dressing up as her and committing crimes.
While that could be a great storyline, these opening episodes don't do a very good job showing how it will have the legs to span the full season.
The car blowing up with Will and the blonde looking back at her was a well-executed scene, and it really helped to up the stakes.
Cassie had already been spotted by Jim while looking in the hotel room previously, so if she can be linked to the scene of the car blowing up, well, it's not looking too good for her side hustle.
Cassie: Hi, I'm Cassie, and I'm an alcoholic.
Group: Hi, Cassie.
Cassie: Most of you know my story by now. Um, since I quit drinking, I've been making changes. I moved to LA. Started dating this great guy, Marco. Picked up a part-time job. But I'm still flying. I'm still a flight attendant. But I feel like I'm turning into this whole other person, like, in a really good way, you know? And I know what they say about moving too fast, you know, no big life changes in the first year, but, I'm two days away from being a year sober. I'm really excited, and I know, one day at a time and all, but I gotta tell you, just, my life and everything, it just all feels... pretty great.
There's also the issue of someone checking out of the hotel and posing as Cassie. It raises many questions about whether all of this could be in Cassie's head, and some of the other iterations are taking autonomy of her body for a time.
I know. It sounds out there, but you never really know where this show is going. The best thing you can do is buckle up and prepare for the ride ahead.
The wig in the suitcase with the blood and the strong perfume seemed more like a statement than a warning. It was almost like whoever was doing this wanted Cassie to know that she's no longer in control of the narrative.
Cassie suspecting Grace as the person in the wig was a decent enough assessment, but her actions to find out the truth could have put her in danger.
The trip to the airfield and making the scene in the restaurant could easily make her a target if anyone asks questions about a blonde lady acting out of the ordinary.
Maybe we should just come to terms with the fact that Cassie will never be the perfect CIA operative, but it would certainly make it more believable if she switched up her approach.
Grace is a hard character to read because this show has made it evident that every single character is hiding a secret.
That being said, Grace seemed desperate to build a connection with Cassie, and when you're working with the same person in such a close-proximity environment, making friends with your co-workers is probably a good idea.
Cassie: I'm not saying I'm gonna eat all these donuts but I'm definitely gonna eat all these donuts.
Brenda: The curse of giving up booze.
Cassie: You're my sponsor. Say something wise.
Brenda: I thought I was acing recovery once, until I burned my house down.
Cassie: Jesus, Brenda, why does every one of your stories have to end in some horrific trauma?
Brenda: I'm your sponsor because it helps me with my own recovery. If you want to eat the donuts, eat the donuts.
You could tell Grace was disappointed at Cassie suspecting her of something, but at least we can rule Grace out... for now.
Gabrielle and Esteban are clearly far more immersed in whatever this mystery turns out to be than I thought when they tried to clone Cassie's phone.
Is it possible they sent something to Cassie's house in the suitcase they need to retrieve?
They are a deadly duo, and if they plan on spending any length of time living across from Cassie, things will get interesting.
Cassie: Oh, my God, LA traffic is insane, but I am not late. Mark that down in your little notepad.
Benjamin: If you're not early, you're late.
Cassie: Okay, Benjamin, that is an impossible bar I will never be able to reach. Also, why are we in a parking deck?
Benjamin: The office picked it for your convenience. I would've picked Hollywood Park Off Track Betting.
Cassie: Oh, you're a gambling man. I'm learning little bits and pieces about you.
Annie and Max continue to be well-written, more so than Cassie, which is a surprise.
The trajectory of their relationship is consistent with what we witnessed on The Flight Attendant Season 1, and I'm far more invested in watching what happens to them than the other characters.
That could change, but it depends on how the narrative continues.
The Megan of it all is another aspect that feels too daytime soap for my liking. Rosie Perez plays Megan to perfection, but it's difficult to care about a character who was clearly up to no good before.
Benjamin: You do good work, Bowden. But we both know you have a habit off getting too involved with your marks.
Cassie: Okay, that is quite the exaggeration, don't you think?
Benjamin: Tokyo? Madrid?
Cassie: Okay. No, no, that--
Benjamin: What about that absolutely insane stand-off you got in a Moscow restaurant you had to flee?
Cassie: That was not my fault, okay? That was an impulse thing. No, scratch that. That sounded bad. No, it wasn't. I just, I don't get a lot on these people. I get a photo and a name, and I'm very curious. Isn't that part of my job?
Benjamin: Bowden, if you have an operational issue with the way the CIA assigns--
Cassie: I don't. No, no, I don't. I just-- I like to go above and beyond, and sometimes in the moment, I get a little...
Benjamin: I'll stop you there.
Cassie: Yeah, you should.
Benjamin: You're not a CIA officer. You are a civilian asset, emphasis on the word "civilian." Please remember that for your safety.
Cassie: Benjamin, I hear you, and I get it, I promise.
Benjamin: Commit that photo to memory. I know that you carry them on you and that's a really bad idea.
Cassie: Consider it memorized.
Cassie will likely want to find her friend because they did share some good times at the end of the day, but finding her might put Cassie in even more danger than before.
Danger is par for the course on this series, but these first two episodes certainly highlight that the series might not have the legs to sustain another mystery.
What did you think of Cassie's work ethic? Do you think she's believable as a CIA operative?
What do you think will go wrong next?
Grace: Hey, it's Cassie, right?
Cassie: Hey, yeah.
Grace: That seemed weirdly intense with Jada. Is everything okay?
Cassie: Oh. ( chuckles ) Yeah. Thanks. I'm doing this whole "trying to be a good person" thing. It's hard.
Grace: Wow. Good for you. Yeah, good luck with that. I'm Grace, I'm not a good person, but I really respect your journey.
Cassie:Thanks.
Grace: Yeah. Actually, I'm doing a bar night in Berlin. You should definitely come.
Cassie: Um, thank you for the invite, but I actually have to work when I get there.
Grace: Cool. Wait, you have work in Germany?
Cassie: Uh, yeah. It's like, uh, this computer thing. A little side gig, you know. Every penny counts.
Do you like the Diaz duo?
Hit the comments.
The Flight Attendant Season 2 airs Thursdays on HBO Max.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
