Reviewing "The Flight Attendant": A well-acted thriller-comedy mashup

The Flight Attendant is a thriller comedy-drama series starring Kaley Cuoco, Michiel Huisman, Zosia Mamet, Rosie Perez, and Michelle Gomez, among others. It is based on the novel of the same name by Chris Bohjalian. Its story concerns the misadventures of hedonistic and alcoholic flight attendant Cassie Bowden as she desperately tries to solve an increasingly complex mystery while the authorities and her past catch up with her.

The plot was twist-filled and had an abundance of thrilling moments. It was also a fascinating study of someone like Cassie, dealing with a lot of baggage and trauma by losing herself in alcohol and other hollow indulgences. The story featured assassins, corporate espionage, murder, betrayal, and a bevy of personal secrets. There are a few concurrent plot lines running, and most of them (except one) basically tie back to the central mystery Cassie must solve or are extensions of Cassie's interpersonal conflicts with the people around her, making the story tightly focused on Cassie for the most part. Cassie is also where most of the narrative's heart lies, as she struggles to overcome her personal flaws and get past her trauma over the course of her story.

A rather unique aspect of the series are the scenes within Cassie's mind as she pieces together clues from her memories. The visuals, while not groundbreaking, nicely show mental constructs of Michiel Huisman's Alex and Cassie herself within her mind, searching for information by replaying flashbacks and arguing with each other regarding Cassie's decisions, beliefs, and life choices. The presentation was fresh and interesting.

The acting is very good, particularly Kaley Cuoco's performance as Cassie Bowden. Cuoco easily captures Cassie's moments of panic, awkward charm, and forcefulness in situations where she has to justify bad decisions. Zosia Mamet is also great as Cassie's lawyer friend and reluctant ally Annie, as is Rosie Perez as Cassie's colleague Megan, who has some secrets of her own. Michiel Huisman's Alex holds his own against Cuoco, especially in the scenes in Cassie's mind, where the hilarious bickering between "Alex" and "Cassie" provides a lot of light-hearted humor, much-needed in the face of the rather dark plot.

The characters are very well-characterized. Right off the bat, through a quick montage, we see and understand Cassie's party girl lifestyle. Shortly after that, she gets on the phone with her brother and her alcoholism and promiscuity are quickly pointed out. Other pivotal characters are quickly introduced throughout the first episode, and while they seem archetypal at first, they are all shown to have another side to themselves before the series is over, creating a lot of surprising character depth, especially for Cassie as we slowly uncover the reasons behind her lifestyle.

Humor is part of the series's DNA. With such high-stakes situations in the plot, any levity is welcome, and let me tell you, the series is absolutely a laugh a minute, balancing the dramatic thriller situations with a variety of funny moments. This delicate balancing act between thriller, drama, and humor is a large part of why the series works so well.

The series also has a sense of style. From the lighting, the occasional split-screen presentation, some sudden surreal imagery regarding rabbits and deer (trust me, it makes sense in context), and some color-grading differences in flashbacks, there is a lot of visual flair throughout. The opening credits in particular have a very unique feel to them, highly stylized with graphic novel/comic book-like visuals, evocative of the 60s work of graphic designer Saul Bass.

The Flight Attendant is a darkly comedic thriller story, elevated by enthralling performances, a surprising amount of heart, and great characters. Absolute top-notch pulpy fun.

Score: 9/10