The Flight Attendant Review: Arrivals and Departures (Season 1 Episode 8)
We have reached the end of the HBO Max original series The Flight Attendant, and it won’t be the last.
The Flight Attendant Season 1 Episode 8, “Arrivals and Departures,” subverts expectations and takes the audience on one last wild ride as Cassie and Miranda attempt to kill Felix.
As anyone who has watched enough television knows, when characters lay out their entire plan and it seems simple, it rarely is, and that was the case with The Flight Attendant. The thing is, we expected the series to go dark and for everything to end badly for Cassie and Miranda, but the writing on “Arrivals and Departures,” was surprisingly hopeful.
The finale was directed by Marcos Siega and written by Steven Yockey, and does not disappoint.
It delivers the right amount of levity to bring us out of this tangled web and into a sunnier, rosier, future, while still giving the series enough room to grow and continue the story, and given that HBO Max just renewed the show for a second season, they will be getting the opportunity.
For a series that was hyper-dependent on the inner dialogue between Michael Huisman and Kaley Cuoco’s characters, “Arrivals and Departures” manages to phase that thread out and let Cassie out of the darkness gently.
Cassie has spent most of this series walking a tightrope and narrowly become a full-blown chaotic mess. Cuoco expertly navigates that space well, and the moment she interacts with the memory of the accident and tells her younger self that this isn’t her fault brings a lightness to the rest of the episode. There’s a problem, but there is no longer a burden.
“Arrivals and Departures” is the episode where Cassie realizes she has a choice and takes active steps to get herself out of this mess. She’s not reliant on the version of Alex she has in her head, and she’s not reliant on Miranda. She’s asking for what she needs and proceeding the best way she knows how, and with a clear head.
The series of events that gets Cassie to that final scene are well-written and drive us to the conclusion without feeling forced.
Miranda (Michelle Gomez) also has some brilliant moments in this final episode. Seeing Miranda take out her boss and then run him over gives us an odd sense of catharsis, and I think we can all relate to working through the pain as she attempts to make the flight to Rome anyway.
While this is Cassie’s story, Miranda has been an interesting foil, but it is a smart decision to give Miranda and Cassie separate fight scenes with Felix. Giving Cassie the chance to stand on her own was the hallmark of this episode, but it doesn’t feel like Miranda is done yet.
Miranda talks about the affection she has for Cassie and the note that she leaves is definitely an open door for them to cross paths again. Considering Cassie will likely be joining the CIA as a human asset in Season 2, the likelihood of them meeting again feels pretty certain.
The end also does well by not connecting Megan’s dealings with North Korea to Alex’s death. It’s easy to look for a connection, and since The Flight Attendant was originally intended as a limited series, the expectation is that this thread would get tied up in a pretty bow.
Instead, Megan goes on the run, and in doing so sets up for what could be one of the main plots for Season 2, which will be a strong pull for viewers.
The relationship between Cassie and Megan has been an interesting one. They’re from different worlds and yet Megan really wants to be more spontaneous like Cassie. “Arrivals and Departures” flips their roles and sets Megan on an adventure of her own.
Before we close out the first season, we have to talk about Shane and the reveal that he works for the CIA.
This is the one twists that feels very out of the blue. On one hand, if no one suspected him then he must have been good at his job. On the other, it still feels really convenient that he was there.
However, the fact that the series ends with Cassie returning to Imperial Atlantic and possibly going to work for the human asset program sets up the series for another season of intrigue, so it’s hard to be too stunned.
Stray Thoughts:
- Prompts for not making Felix and Miranda related in any way. That was something I was kind of expecting, but the fact that Miranda wasn’t playing both sides (that we know of) was a refreshing change. I am a little concerned about why Felix didn’t kill Miranda though.
- Zosia Mamet and the FBI’s plotlines are minimal on this episode, but since Annie’s life is also upended now, it may give her an avenue to pursue something else.
- The little exchange between Davey and Cassie when she gets off the flight from Rome is super sweet.
What did you think of this episode of The Flight Attendant? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Flight Attendant Season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.
2 comments
Flight Attendant, Episode 8
1, Are we to assume that Miranda and Felix teamed up after their fight in the elevator? Miranda was faking death in the tub, so that Felix could get Cassie. Miranda then disappeared, but nicely later returned the book, sans a couple of pages. Weird…
2. Felix was shot twice, the second one being a gut shot. But later looked happy on the stretcher. Was there a plot ending change of heart after the filming?
Interesting show but falls flat for me. Cassie is a unlikeable character that uses everyone around her in her single minded obsession. I found the season very predictable from an overall viewpoint.
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