The Flight Attendant: Season 2

Based on: The Flight Attendant novel by Chris Bohjalian 

Developed by: Steve Yockey

Executive producers: Susanna Fogel, Sarah Schechter, Meredith Lavender, Marcie Ulin, Steve Yockey, Kaley Cuoco, Greg Berlanti, Silver Tree, David Madden, Suzanne McCormack, Natalie Chaidez

Starring: Kaley Cuoco (Cassie), Michiel Huisman (Alex, season 1), Zosia Mamet (Annie), T. R. Knight (Davey), Michelle Gomez (Miranda), Griffin Matthews (Shane), Rosie Perez (Megan), Deniz Akdeniz (Max), Mo McRae (Benjamin)

This show has really awakened me to Kaley Cuoco's pretty incredible acting range. I only knew her in comedy before--obviously Big Bang Theory, but also DC's Harley Quinn adult animated series where she plays the main role--but in this one, her character Cassie goes through some really intense stuff and Cuoco pulls it off so well. I cried multiple times this season alongside her character. 

I really loved season 1 of this show and I'm very impressed and proud to say that this second season has fully upheld the quality. That's pretty rare!! 

Also, I have a really hard time with comedy. I don't like much of it at all. It takes a very specific brand of comedy to make me laugh and I haven't even really nailed down what it is. But this show--this one did. 

Season 1 began with Cassie, a functioning alcoholic, having a one-night stand with one of her airline passengers in some foreign country and then waking up the next morning, in his bed, to find him dead next to her. The show spirals very rapidly into chaos as she paranoidly avoids law enforcement thinking they'll incriminate her and sets off trying to solve the case herself. Cassie narrowly avoiding deadly situations and stumbling into evidence and trying to keep her personal life together made the first season a thrilling ride. In the finale, she solves the case, and discovers her airline coworker is a CIA covert operative who proceeds to recruit her as a CIA asset based on her performance. 

Just about sums up Cassie's level of discreetness as she collects evidence

Season 2 continues this ride full-swing. She's following her directive after a flight when she witnesses a high-profile hookup and subsequent explosion outside a hotel. These events unravel her into the same chaos that season 1 held, with her questioning who can be trusted and who can't. On top of that, she's actively trying to sober up and a major theme of the episode is addiction, self-hatred, and how to get better, AA style. 

That latter bit was a huge part of what got me in this show. It's what kept me going on a deeper level and what made this show greater, higher quality. It really went there. It explored Cassie's deepest levels, the depths of her self hatred and addiction, and it helped me really root for her as a person who's really trying to get better. It showed some of the worst depths of sobering up: mid-season, Cassie messes up and drinks, and she goes on a full bender that's toxic and destructive. It takes real love from her sponsor and her best friend who come to pick up the pieces and help her get back on track. The episode was dirty and profane and felt so real. 

Cassie in her "mental palace" where she talks to several different parts of herself, a lot like Inside Out

The supporting actors also helped make the show great. I came to love Megan, Annie, and Shane quite a bit. They're Cassie's consistent supporters in both seasons and add great fun and spice. Annie's a necessary personal friend who helps Cassie piece together the different pieces of evidence and helps piece herself together when her personal life is completely unraveling. Shane's the more "adult" adult who actually has a rational head on his shoulders and does what normal people would consider the "right thing." He's also the higher-functioning CIA operative who Cassie knows she can report real things to and he has the ability to pull strings and get things done. 

Annie, her boyfriend Max, Cassie, and Shane all (probably unsuccessfully) trying to plot some move

Shane trying to figure out what the heck Cassie's getting herself into this time and definitely not buying any of her BS

Season 2 wrapped things up in a very nice place. All the murder plots were solved, the baddies in jail, and even Megan, who had a much crazier information-trafficking arc across both seasons, was able to piece her own life back together thanks to Shane and start out new with her family. The show hasn't been renewed for a third season yet, but I really hope they make more. It's such an exciting, crazy, chaotic show, and I love losing myself in it.