It looks like Kaley Cuoco got her wish: Cassie Bowden's story isn't over.
The Flight Attendant has been renewed for a second season, HBO Max announced Friday morning, a day after the show's season 1 finale. More importantly, it will indeed follow Cuoco's titular stewardess Cassie on another adventure.
"To say that I am elated would be an understatement! The positive response to our show has surpassed all of our expectations and I'm so proud of the entire team behind its success," said Cuoco, the show's executive producer and star, said in a statement. "I'm thrilled to continue my partnership with Team Berlanti, Steve Yockey, HBO Max and of course my beloved studio, Warner Bros. I have amazing partners in Suzanne McCormack and Mackenzie Shade at Yes, Norman Prods., where we are committed to delivering diverse and quality entertainment, including an exciting (and probably a little crazy) TFA season 2!!"
The season 2 renewal isn't terribly surprising. Cuoco and creator/co-showrunner Steve Yockey were open about their desire to continue beyond the initial eight episode order before the show's even premiered in November.
"I hope it doesn't sound too co*cky, but we have always had a vision for a season 2," Cuoco told EW in October. "We have had a very clear path for what a season 2 would look like and we know exactly what it'll look like, and we hope we'll get the opportunity to do that."
Yockey added: "At the very end of episode 8, instead of 'End of episode,' I wrote, 'End of Chapter 1. So, I think that's kind of how we're thinking of it."
Based on Chris Bohjalian's bestselling novel of the same name, The Flight Attendant's first season followed Cassie, a good time girl who wakes up in bed with a dead body (Michiel Huisman as Alex Sokolov) and no recollection of what happened the night before. With the FBI investigating her for the murder, Cassie proceeds to make a series of bad decisions as she tries to clear her name and figure out what transpired. The season 1 finale, "Arrivals and Departures" brought that mystery to a close, while also leaving the door open for some more adventures with the newly-sober Cassie — [SPOILER ALERT] specifically the possibility that she may join the CIA's civilian asset program. (Read our spoiler-filled post-mortem with Yockey for more on those dangling threads.)
"It was always the creative team's intent to create a story that had a beginning, middle, and an end across eight episodes so that Cassie would have a complete and satisfying emotional arc, and so that her story could end with episode, at least in regards to Alex Sokolov and the mystery of the season," said Yockey. "Then there's this idea of, if we were going to do a second season of it, if that opportunity presented itself, it would probably another adventure with Cassie Bowden, flight attendant. So that makes it really important that if we do only have this one season that people can leave it feeling satisfied; they went on the ride and it was fun, engaging, and grounded. There were pieces obviously in the air that are not like, 'Oh but I have to know.' There are a pieces that exist in a way that if we were to do another one of these adventures, we could certainly pick some things up."
Executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter released the following statement when the renewal announced: "We could not be more pleased to embark on another adventure with our incredible partners at Yes, Norman, Kaley and Suzanne, our wonderful creator Steve Yockey, as well as our collaborators at WBTV and HBO Max We are thrilled that people have responded so positively to our beloved show, and in particular Kaley Cuoco's incredible, tour de force performance."
"We are delighted that the show has resonated so strongly with audiences and critics," said HBO and HBO Max Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys. "We congratulate Kaley, Steve, Greg and Sarah, along with the rest of the incredibly talented cast, executive producers and our partners at Warner Bros. Television on all the success of the first season. I look forward to seeing where Cassie will go next."
The Flight Attendant also starred Zosia Mamet, Rosie Perez, Michelle Gomez, T.R. Knight, Colin Woodell, Merle Dandridge, Griffin Matthews and Nolan Gerard Funk.
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- Kaley Cuoco's The Flight Attendant is cleared for takeoff
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- The Flight Attendant boss breaks down the finale, talks potential season 2
