When you’ve been a part of a hugely successful TV show, it’s not easy slipping into the skin of a new character as the iconic role overshadows it.
So many actors have struggled with this dilemma, from James van der Beek (“Dawson’s Creek”), Charlie Sheen (“Two and a Half Men”), Jennifer Aniston (“Friends”), Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”), Alyssa Milano (“Charmed”) as well as Tori Spelling and Jason Priestley (“Beverly Hills, 90210”).
I think you get where I am going with this train of thought.
This brings me to Kaley Cuoco, who is best known for her role as the blonde bombshell Penny, an aspiring actress who works as a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory in “The Big Bang Theory”.
I’m sure she’s still called this by fans in public spaces.
But, and I was thrown for a loop as well, Cuoco is a versatile actress. She blew me away in season one of the mystery comedy-drama “The Flight Attendant”.
In fact, I remember saying that because she cultivated such a solid reputation playing these simple-minded characters, it started to feel like she had no range as an actress.
But pleasantly surprised, I was, with her performance as flight attendant Cassie Bowden, who had a serious drinking problem and unresolved daddy issues.
A party girl in season one, she ended up in bed with a really hot guy only to wake up with no memory of the night before and a dead body next to her.
And so, in a rather manic state, which derailed into bouts of fantasy, she took matters into her own hands to clear her name.
I was hooked from episode one. No lie. And each episode manipulated my curiosity levels as the story snaked along a minefield of twists.
Admittedly, I gravitate more towards streaming platforms than traditional TV, of late. But while scrolling through DStv Catch Up, I spotted that the second season was on.
Of course, I had to binge on the available episodes.
This time around, Cassie has her act together. She’s attending AA meetings. She has a new boyfriend, Marco. And, on the back of her skills in season one, she is now working as a secret asset for the CIA.
True to the template of the show, the first episode sees her nosedive into another dangerous situation after she is asked to report on a target in Berlin.
Of course, sitting on the sidelines is simply not for Cassie. And in trying to complete her assignment she finds herself unwittingly roped into another calamitous scenario.
And her sneaky suspicion of someone pretending to be her is proving to be more likely.
This time around, though, her hallucinations are with her younger self as well as a bad girl version of her adult self.
Fortunately, her commitment-phobic lawyer BFF Annie Mouradian (Zosia Mamet), who is back on the job market and engaged (something she is in denial about, though), is ensnared in the new case.
And so is Max Park (Deniz Akdeniz), Annie’s hacker boyfriend/fiancé.
This season introduces a few new faces with Mo McRae as Benjamin Berry, Cassie’s CIA handler.
Oh, Sharon Stone also features in the show.
The new season of “The Flight Attendant” is every bit as engaging as the first one. There’s plenty of country-hopping, covert operations and comic meltdowns on offer.
Also, aside from looking stunning, Cuoco proves that she has the gravitas to helm a show. I can’t wait to see what role she takes on next!
“The Flight Attendant” season 2 airs on M-Net (DStv Channel 101) on Mondays at 9pm. It is also on DStv Catch Up.