The question is up in the air as to whether or not there will be a third season of HBO Max’s darkly comedic suspense thriller The Flight Attendant, which stars Kaley Cuoco of The Big Bang Theory fame. In May 2022, Cuoco recently told People that she has reservations about doing another season.
Nevertheless, this Emmy-nominated series has earned critical acclaim, with praises for the nuanced lead performance by Cuoco, and season 2 tries to continue this momentum with Cassie working for the CIA. However, according to this Reddit thread, the following unpopular opinions about The Flight Attendant season 2 make the prospects of a third season seem unlikely.
Season 2 Had Too Many Storylines
While The Flight Attendant season 1 focused primarily on Cassie Bowden’s involvement in a murder overseas, many Reddit users believe season 2 was far less focused. FutureNostalgica expressed that the plot this season was “a hot mess of forced ideas and lazy writing.”
While the central plot revolves around Cassie being framed by someone claiming her identity, there were also tangential storylines involving her sobriety, her friends, and her family. In the first season, Cassie’s alcoholism tied in well with the central murder plot, given that she could not remember details from the night of the murder. This season, however, the subplots do not cohere as well.
The Quality Of The Writing Declined
Many critics and audiences responded to the clever tone and memorable quotes from The Flight Attendant season 1. In fact, creator Steve Yockey received an Emmy nomination for the pilot episode. This season, however, that quality changed. Askyourmomsaboutme wants to know “what happened between last season and this to cause a drop in quality this severe.”
There are many potential explanations for what happened. Firstly, season 1 was based on a novel by Chris Bohjalian. This season, the writers were devising an entirely new premise with no source material at their disposal. Furthermore, they added a few new characters while trying to provide material for the supporting players of the first season, thereby taking on too much for one season.
The Actors Deserved Better
One consistent piece of praise given to The Flight Attendant is the talent of its cast, from Kaley Cuoco’s star turn to engaging supporting performances from Rosie Perez and Zosia Mamet. However, ImmortalLandowner believes season 2’s poor quality is “too bad because the actors are ordinarily pretty good. Kaley definitely nails the addict struggles.”
Even with the criticism towards the new season, Redditors are quick to be fair to the cast’s performances. Although the ensemble got even more starry this year with the addition of film actress Sharon Stone to the guest cast, it wasn’t enough to disguise the flaws of the story itself.
It’s Just Confusing
One Reddit user put it plainly when they wrote that The Flight Attendant season 2 is “hard to follow and just not what it was.” The first season had moments that were clearly intended to be confusing as Cassie blurred her memories with reality as a result of her drinking.
However, this season, the confusion simply comes from the plot itself. From random breaks in the narrative to an attempt to weave in Megan’s subplot and the addition of way too many new characters in The Flight Attendant, initial fans of the show may be at a loss with regards to the logic and pacing of the narrative at hand.
Megan’s Subplot Was Unnecessary
An intriguing plot twist in The Flight Attendant season 1 involved Rosie Perez’s character Megan, another flight attendant and friend of Cassie’s, who endangers her family by stealing information and selling it to the North Korean government. By season 2, Megan is on the run as she (and the writers) struggle to find the right conclusion to this story.
IndicationBoring7166 asked, “Does anyone else get fed up with Megan’s storyline?” Although this part of the narrative was never really related to the series’ central premise, Megan’s draw toward danger once complemented Cassie’s thrill-seeking tendencies. Now, the story serves no real purpose to the series’ main themes and merely veers the story off track.
Episode 5 Was A Filler Episode
“Drowning Women” feels constructed to be a major plot reveal within the season. This is the moment in which audiences learn that Cassie is not, in fact, one year sober and has fallen off the wagon before her move to Los Angeles.
Despite this revelation, some Redditors felt that the plot point was predictable and did not warrant an entire episode of storytelling. Free-Ad-394 expressed that “nothing new happened really” and that the writers devoted “half the episode [to Cassie’s] drinking and going to the beach.” As a result, no real plot developments relating to the season’s central mystery were incorporated into “Drowning Women.”
The Mind Palace Disrupts The Pacing
One of the unique elements of storytelling within the first season was the framing device referred to as the Mind Palace. This is where Cassie breaks from reality to piece together information in a surrealist space. In season 1, that space is occupied by Alex Sokolov, the murder victim; in season 2, the Mind Palace consists of multiple personalities of Cassie (all played by Cuoco).
While the conceit of the Mind Palace in season 2 certainly allows Cuoco to flex her acting muscles, some audiences like itsmanu wished that “they would get rid of those scenes,” adding that “it’s getting old and just interrupts the overall storyline.” What once was a framing device that helped the show stand out seems to have become overused.
Cassie’s Ring Tone Is Annoying
Another consistent device used throughout both seasons of The Flight Attendant is Cassie’s ever-ringing phone. At any given moment, someone is trying to reach Cassie, and her ring tone is not making Reddit users happy. One Redditor wrote, “I think the most annoying thing about this season is Cassie NEVER putting her cell phone on SILENT!”
Gimmicks can get tired very quickly, and it’s clear that this one has run its course. At first, however, the concept is spot on in reflecting the idea that Cassie is always either forgetting something she needs to do or an obligation she needs to fulfill. However, it seems like most fans feel that it’s time for Cassie to at least change her ring tone.
There’s No Sense Of Realism
Although the show has always been stylized, The Flight Attendant season 2 seemed to take too many liberties that may have brought the show a bit too far from the realm of possibility. RhythmNation97 believes “this season is so insane…they completely jumped the shark, but it [sort of] feels like like they’re aware of that and [are] running with it.”
RhythmNation97 does go on to express that even with the ridiculous plot developments, the story remains engaging and entertaining. Not every Reddit user seems to agree with that sentiment, but many do support the idea that the outcomes of the storylines, particularly those involving the characters of Grace and Jenny, were frustrating.
The Show Is No Longer Sharp And Sophisticated
FLcitizen said it best in their review of the latest season: “[Season 2] felt like a different show…the first season was sharp and sophisticated and cool. They should have [gone] in a different direction but with the same style as season one.”
This comment perfectly illustrates the greatest change between the two seasons of The Flight Attendant; the tongue-in-cheek self-awareness is gone. Instead, the writers have opted for meandering detours, an overflow of additional characters, and a thin mystery that does not ultimately cohere. What does still work, however, is the depiction of addiction and the struggle to maintain sobriety. According to these Reddit users, much of what surrounds that central premise is distracting.
