Cassie Bowden may be sober, but she’s no better at making decisions. The Flight Attendant, HBO Max’s dramedy starring executive producer Kaley Cuoco, followed the alcoholic stewardess, who woke up next to a dead body in a foreign country, with no recollection of what happened.
Season 2 sees Cassie in California, dating again, and celebrating a year of sobriety with her brother Davey (T.R. Knight): "She thinks she's completely changed... We find out rather quickly that's not the case and sobriety is harder than she likes to admit,” Cuoco tells EW.
Season 1 ended with Cassie catching a murderer, getting recruited by the CIA, and being assigned to a handler named Benjamin Berry (Mo McRae): "She loves her new side gig, but sometimes goes too far," says Cuoco.
Cassie’s new side hustle fills "some of the excitement that she felt she had when she was drinking," says showrunner Natalie Chaidez. She gets caught up in more intrigue after witnessing a murder, which is probably why her BFF Annie (Zosia Mamet) describes her life as a spy novel.
"Getting rid of alcohol and going on that journey with her, it doesn't get rid of the underlying issues… Doing extracurricular work for the CIA is more dangerous than just deciding you're going to stay out for another couple hours."
Season 2 also introduces Cassie’s mom Lisa (Sharon Stone): "In season 1, we intentionally had the mom in a couple of flashbacks," says Yockey. "We definitely expand on why that was, and give voice to the frustration and heartbreak that comes from being a family member of an addict."