The new streaming platform HBO Max includes everything on HBO and more. Ever since The Undoing ended, I’ve been exploring the new service for things to watch. You can find some old favorite shows on HBO Max, but the power of streaming platforms is in their original content. If The Flight Attendant, starring Kaley Cuoco, is an indicator of content to come, then HBO Max is a contender in the surplus of streaming platforms. Here are five reasons why you should watch.
1. Suspense, Thrills, and Laughs?
Cassie, the flight attendant, is a party monster. And her lifestyle is catching up with her. The globetrotting is enough to throw someone off about time. But mix that with drinks and late nights, and you’ve got a hot mess – waking up on the subway, coming home to find a man waiting for you in bed, while trying to make it to work on time kind of a hot mess. Already prone to drunken blackouts, waking up hungover in Bangkok next to a dead body covered in blood with no recollection of the night before, kind of tracks for Cassie. She needs to think quickly and get on a flight back to New York. And this is where the show skews from your typical suspense thriller. The Flight Attendant creates a lighter mood by showcasing Cassie’s ineptitude and provides laughs. Yes, laughs. Cassie quite hilariously digs herself deeper into a mess while trying to find a killer before the FBI pins the murder on herself.
2. A Styled Production
I know how that sounds. It sounds like any mid to late-90s Bruckheimer/Michael Bay movie. Don’t worry, no nonsensical explosions here. No, I would liken this more to a modern 60’s version of a spy thriller. Think, Bond. With the sets, clothes, editing, and shot lists, the show is colorful, international, and fun. And while there is style here, there is substance too.
3. Characters and Relationships
Michiel Huisman’s character, Alex, is the dead man in Cassie’s waking nightmare. And though he is dead, he is still present. He plays subconscious foil to Cassie. Helping her question motives and actions. And maybe he helps her work through some residual childhood trauma amidst the chaos.
Part of the chaos comes courtesy of Miranda (Michelle Gomez). She’s grandiose and deranged, making her equal parts sociopath and comic relief.
And of course, there are Cassie’s mainstays. While she surrounds herself with people, older brother Davey (T.R. Knight) and best friend Ani (Zosia Mamet) ground the story with the dynamics they share with Cassie. Fellow flight attendant Megan, played by the iconic Rosie Perez, thinks of herself as Cassie’s best friend. And while it’s exciting to see Perez on screen again, unfortunately, her storyline is a bit absurd.
4. Travel Nostalgia
Remember airports? Dealing with slow people in security lines, buying snacks at the WH Smith, hoping for enough overhead compartment space for your carry-on luggage – those were the days. And that’s all before the thrill of your destination and hotel suite. The show will take you on plane rides, to hotel rooms, and even to Rome. You’ll feel like a jet setter from the comfort of home and not in a resentful way.
5. The Flight Attendant is for...
If you’re a fan of suspense but kind of over the bleakness that often accompanies the genre, The Flight Attendant may be the answer. Sometimes you want to watch a show without being bogged down by episode counts and runtimes. At eight episodes, The Flight Attendant has the right number of chapters to the story. Not too short or too long, averaging about 45-minutes, it sits in a sweet spot of runtimes. Be sure to press play.
