Hitchcock Double

"**Hitchcock Double**" is the seventh episode of the first season of HBO Max's *The Flight Attendant*. It was released on HBO Max on December 10, 2020, along with the previous episode "After Dark."

## Synopsis

Finally face-to-face with Miranda, Cassie's ideas about Alex and everything that's happened since Bangkok are turned upside down - will she have to go on the lam? Only if she doesn't lose her mind first. And in a cheap motel, Megan's whole life implodes.

## Recap

### Teaser

At gunpoint, Miranda Croft leads Cassie underneath a garage door in a lonely alley. Cassie, babbling, asks if she can have one last request. Miranda tells her that she's had a really rough day and to get on the ground, palms down, and tell her where "it" is. "The money?" asks Cassie, saying that she doesn't know, that she's just a flight attendant. She gets down on the ground and Miranda demands to know who she works for. Imperial Atlantic Airlines, Cassie starts to reply, but Miranda shoves the gun in her back, warning her not to tell her that she's a flight attendant again. She says that people want her dead, and all she wants is the money. Cassie replies that she doesn't know, that she's a homicidal crazy person who's going to kill her just like she killed Alex and Sabrina. Miranda replies that she didn't kill Sabrina, nor the FBI agent that was following Cassie (Agent Chavez.) Cassie is stunned at Alex's death and turns around, but Miranda tells her to stop acting. She says that she didn't kill either of them, and she didn't kill Alex either. "You did!" she shouts. Cassie tells her that she didn't kill him, "Miranda, or Elena, or whatever your name is." She asks how Cassie knows that name. She explains about that the pictures that she and Max found on the Lionfish servers, including the "Elena King" ID. "Oh my," realizes Miranda. "You really are just a flight attendant, aren't you?" Cassie agrees that she is. "Wow, we are so fucked," replies Miranda, giggling.

### Day-drinking with a woman who kills people

Cassie and Miranda are now at a bar. Miranda tells Cassie that she needs to tell her everything that happened with Alex at the hotel, that no detail is too small. Cassie counters that first Miranda needs to tell her about Alex. She says she knows about her helping Alex launder money and Miranda replies that it's quite a lot for a flight attendant to know. "Don't underestimate flight attendants," Cassie tells her. Miranda tell her that a few weeks ago, she had too many drinks with Alex and complained about her boss. She said too much about a smuggling operation and Alex is shocked and very angry. Cassie asks what this means and Miranda tells her that Alex was a Boy Scout, his parents having kept in the dark about the true nature of Unisphere. She said too much and he started digging and was broken up when he found out the truth about his parents. As Miranda tells her all this, the hallucinatory Alex appears by Cassie and she tells him to shut up, throwing Miranda off. She says that this is where Cassie comes in, that Alex tries be a hero by hiding a bunch of his clients' money and then flies to Bangkok.

A flashback happens and we see now what happened with Miranda in Bangkok. She tells Alex that she's hidden from Victor, but he didn't just take from Lionfish. His other clients will hunt him down. She tells him Cassie could be anyone, sent to seduce him. "Come on," he tells her, saying that he's not sure if he's going to the authorities, but it feels great that he did something.. She tells him to just give her the money. Cassie returns with drinks. Back in the present, she tells Cassie that she was trying to get the money from his house. Cassie says she doesn't remember anything and Miranda asks how she isn't dead yet. The hallucinatory Alex comments that it's a very good point. Cassie asks who killed everyone and Miranda says that she thinks her boss, Victor, was behind all of it. She thinks he figured out that she's still in New York and hired a goon to murder her and probably used his psychopath Feliks to kill Alex. She tells Cassie that Victor said he had a contingency plan for her and Feliks is now her problem. Cassie replies that she doesn't want to get killed and has an idea. The hallucinatory Alex asks what she's doing. She tells him she's been listening to him and trying to make better choices. "You're day-drinking with a woman who kills people," he counters. He says she hasn't hit bottom, but she replies that Miranda has information she needs. She tells him the promises to be careful but to keep his negative attitude to himself. Back in reality, Miranda tells her she's waiting for the plan that keeps them alive.

At the FBI, Kim Hammond tells Van White that she's hit another dead-end with Lionfish. "Still digging?" he asks and she points out that he's the one who said it would be a good project for her. He asks her how many dead ends she has to hit before she realizes there's nothing there. He says that this is especially now the case, showing her the file on Cassie's arrest. Kim asks if he got this from NYPD, wondering why they haven't heard about it from Chavez. Van calls Chavez a flake and Kim tells him to track him down and remind him what his job is. Back at the hospital, Annie is sitting with Max. She gets a text that disturbs her and decides to step outside. Outside, Cassie tells Miranda that she thinks Annie is coming down. Miranda says she agreed to this, but it's feeling less like a good idea now that they're in the open. Cassie tells her that Annie will do the right thing. She gets a call from Buckley, and lies to him, telling him she's home sleeping it off. He says she doesn't have to lie to him. He says they have something amazing and he wants to see her. He suggests they run away together. She tells him she likes him a lot, but she's realizing she only calls him when she's drunk or sad or lonely. He says it means he makes her feel better. She tells him her life is a lot and she needs to make different choices. She tells him two weeks ago, she would have thought it was perfect, but they have to stop before it really gets started. He tells her he doesn't really understand and ends the call.

### Alcoholics Anonymous

Annie arrives and Cassie asks how Max is doing. "He got hit by a car, didn't you know?" Annie replies. Cassie tells her she said some really horrible things but she still loves her and is sorry for everything. She says she regrets every second of putting Max in danger. Annie agrees that she does know that. She says that she was very scared about Max and that even at the end of her rope, she should have tried to help, to listen. Miranda comes up, saying that she's sorry to interrupt "the Lifetime movie of the week," but they don't have much time. "Who is this?" asks Annie. Cassie tells her. "So she's like a real person?" wonders Annie. She asks Miranda if she broke into Cassie's apartment and Miranda agrees that she did, "for work." Cassie says that Miranda knows the truth and in exchange for Miranda's help, they need Annie to negotiate protection for her. Annie begins asking Miranda a series of questions. "Have you ever committed a crime?" The answer is yes. "Have you ever knowingly lied to a law enforcement officer?" That's a yes. She asks several other questions including if Miranda has killed anyone. It's all a yes. Annie says she can't magically make all this go away, that she killed someone and she doesn't have the muscle of the firm behind her at the moment. She explains that she quit in a crisis of morality or a psychotic break. "Anything," pleads Cassie. Annie says they can figure something out, it just might take a while. She tells them they're going to go to a hotel, the Mondrian, and wait, and let her make some calls.

Miranda is not convinced, saying that if they just wait in a hotel, Feliks will find and kill them. Miranda says shes going to run and Cassie can come to. She says she can get them out of the country, somewhere like Toronto or Montreal. She says she doesn't want Annie to end up like Max and they need to go now if they're going to go. She says to tell Annie anything. Cassie goes to Annie, saying they're going to the hotel, and she'll check in as Alessandra Ricci. They hug. Elsewhere, Megan Briscoe calls her husband Bill at work. He asks what she needs and she claims to be just checking on him, that he left that morning in a rush. He tells her that a coworker just needed some help with some specs. He says that they think there's malware on his computer and they have a team of people there trying to decode it. He says it looks like spyware from the North Korean government. She says he works at a tech company, wondering why they would be interested. He tells her they do government contracts and it could be computer espionage and that they think he did it. "How dare they even suggest that?!" she shouts. He says it's his computer and she's the only one who ever uses it beisdes him. He pauses and the implications of that seem to sink in. She laughs, trying to play it off, but he asks about the time she asked him to bring his computer home. She tells him he need to relax and come home early and they can talk it out. "Megan, sweetie, did you do this?" he asks. She says she just wants the best for them and that he would never do anything to hurt her. "Would you?" she asks. He tells her that he wouldn't and hangs up.

Cassie and Miranda arrive at a church. Cassie isn't happy about it, but Miranda says it's where her contact agreed to meet. She gets a call, which turns out to be from her brother, Davey. Miranda tries to take the phone, but Cassie fends her off and takes the call. He asks if she got out and is home and she agrees that she is. She tells him she posted bail and it was a huge misunderstanding. The church bells start ringing and he points it out. She says that they're newly installed next door. He says he was talking to Rick and asks if she wants him to come out there. She thanks him for offering and promises to call him soon. Miranda grabs the phone, saying that she turned off location services and it was total amateur hour. Cassie points out that she is an amateur. Miranda tells her she's leaving everything behind and she doesn't get to say goodbye. Cassie tells her she's not ready for that, but Miranda says she's already living her life on the run and she'll adjust. There is a siren and Miranda grabs her. They enter a bible study classroom and Cassie is annoyed. Then, it turns out to be an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Cassie is ready to bolt, but Miranda grabs her, telling her to sit down and don't draw attention. She says that Sarah is her contact and they have to wait for the session to end. She tells her to sit and act normal. She sees Alex and goes into a hallucination, who suggests that she use the opportunity to speak up, that newcomers are encouraged to participate. She tells him that they've gone over it, that she's not an alcoholic. He says she's trying to do every reckless thing on the planet in one day and somebody has to tell her. He asks if all the stuff she said to Davey the night before was just talk. He tells her she lied to him and she says he twists every word she says. He says he's just waiting for someone else to stop drinking for her. Back at the meeting, Cassie listens to the story of another person whose behavior is similar to her own. She sits, fidgets and moans, and Miranda asks what's wrong with her.

### Always running

Cassie sobs and shakes, having flashbacks of her past, and then has a hallucination in which the AA members turn to face her, their faces bloodied. She gasps as everyone seems to turn towards her and then it appears as though everyone at the meeting is Alex. She stands up, saying she's not supposed to be in the room. "It can be hard," Sarah tells her, "but this is a safe space to share." Cassie replies that she's not going to share. She says it's beautiful and super-important but she doesn't need to take that step. Sarah tells her she's okay, asking for her name. She gives it as Alessandra, saying she's not an alcoholic, though her dad might have been. She says they're staring and she doesn't know what they want from her and bolts. She finds her path blocked by a giant rabbit and runs the other way. She takes refuge an empty classroom, the sound of a car horn getting louder and louder. She goes into a flashback in which her father is driving her, the two of them sharing beers. The car crashes and there is blackness. When she comes to, she and her father's faces are both badly bloodied. She shakes him, shouting "Daddy!" Her adult self and Alex stand outside, watching. Her child self gets out of the car and curls up by one of the wheels. She pleads that she doesn't want to be there as a rabbit comes up beside her young self. She runs away. The scene flashes and now it's just her and Alex. She tells him that she never told anyone what really happened. Not her mother and not Davey, nobody. Everyone said what a terrible tragedy the crash was, and how messed up her dad was, but nobody knew it was her fault. He asks how it was her fault and she says it was because she was his drinking buddy. "He only drank like that when he was with me." She says she's the reason why he's dead and she didn't want anyone to know, so she ran away, like it never happened to her. "Just like I did with you."

She tells him she just runs from everything and she doesn't want to anymore. She says she doesn't want to feel like this anymore. She returns to the present. At the hospital, Annie returns to Max's room. "Hey," he greets her. She tells him that he was hit by a car and doesn't just get to say that, but then tells him he loves him and kisses him. He agrees that he loves her, asking if he's her boyfriend now. She says he needs to calm down, that she's not an entirely different person now. He asks how Cassie is and she tells him she doesn't know, that it's a big question. She tells him she just showed up with Miranda, but hasn't checked in to the hotel and has somehow figured out how to turn off her "Find a Friend." She says there has to be something she can do, but she doesn't know what. She tells him she needs him to tell her exactly where he was when he got hit. Back at the church, Miranda finds Cassie, who tells her that she's not just going to leave the country and hide. She says it sounds crazy, but what if they didn't run? "Then we'll die," replies Miranda. Cassie says that they can figure something out, that there has to be some other way besides them disappearing forever. She says she's been running her entire life and she's done. Miranda sits down next to her, saying she's going to be honest, that she thinks she's losing her mind. She says she respects everything she's managed to pull off so far, but that eventually Feliks is going to catch up to her. She says she doesn't want to see Cassie dead, that living should be enough for her.

Cassie says it's a beautiful speech, but she's not buying it, because Miranda still thinks deep down she's going to lead her to the money, that it's what Miranda has been after the whole time. Miranda admits that acting has never been her strong point, saying maybe they could just live there in the Sunday school classroom, forever. Cassie paces, saying that maybe they could approach one of Lionfish's rivals. Miranda says they would just kill them, unless she had the money. Cassie says even blackout drunk, she would have noticed piles of cash around the hotel room. Miranda points out that it wouldn't have been actual money, but a double encrypted account, or Bitcoin. She says he might have had a ledger or a notebook and Cassie recalls Alex's copy of *Crime and Punishment*. In a flashback, she leafs through the book, telling him that he went on and on about how great the book is, but he's written all these little notes in the margins. He claims it helps him to thing and it's how he reads books. She says she has to protect the book from his scribblings. Back in reality, she tells Miranda she knows where it is, and they'll get it together. "You still don't trust me?" Miranda asks and Cassie admits that she doesn't, not at all.

### "Let's catch a killer."

At Megan's place, Megan sits fidgeting at a table. She is disturbed by her son, Eli, who tells her that he'll see her later. She grabs a pen and pad and starts writing a note. Meanwhile, Annie is searching an alley when she spots something in a grate. "Hello, Kitty" she comments, reaching through to try to grab the Hello Kitty flash drive Cassie lost, but unable to reach it. She swears and approaches a group of kids, saying that they small hands and asking which of them wants to make twenty bucks. Back at the FBI, Van tells Kim that the Bangkok police reconstructed the bottle they think is the murder weapon and found a print. He says they don't have a match in the Thai system, so they're sending it to them. He says that they both know deep down it's going to be Cassie Bowden's and he's going to sit in the lab until they have a match. She asks where they are with Chavez and he says they haven't found him yet and he'll get an earful, but they put a new tail on Bowden's apartment. She asks if it doesn't strike him as odd that Chavez went quiet and he asks if she wants to put a BOLO on their own agent. They go to Annie's place, Cassie telling Miranda that she thinks the money is in a book, which she took. She hands Miranda *Crime and Punishment*, which Miranda recognizes as having been missing from Alex's place. Miranda opens the book and finds account numbers; it turns out it is indeed exactly what they're looking for. She says they have options, but just then the door opens and somebody moves to cut the deadbolt. They push it closed and Cassie puts a chair in front of the door, but Miranda tells her it only works in the movies.

Cassie and Miranda flee via the fire escape. Cassie leaps from the rooftop to another, then shouts at Miranda that she didn't jump. Miranda shouts back that nobody said they were doing that yet. Cassie asks if Miranda really wants to fight and so Miranda jumps, only just barely making it. She then realizes that she dropped the book. The man grabs the book. She tells Cassie that this means that Victor has the book and they're both dead for nothing. Cassie says she's not just giving up. Miranda tells her that Feliks has killed women and children and once gutted a bunch of cats, hanging them from a tree. This rings a bell in Cassie's head. She turns and stares out at the man on the other roof. It's Buckley Ware. "Holy shit," realizes Cassie. They get away, but Cassie admits to Miranda that she no longer has any idea what she's doing. She tells Miranda she has to have a beer and Miranda tells her that Feliks had many chances to kill her and didn't. There must be a reason. Cassie shouts that it's sick, asking if anything Feliks said to her was actually real.

Cassie asks Miranda if they can use the fact that she knows how Feliks operates against him. Miranda agrees that she know Feliks's nature and Cassie points out that he doesn't know that she knows he's Feliks. She says they could use it to trap him. Miranda agrees that he will follow her anywhere, but says she needs to think. She asks if Cassie has any close combat training, but Cassie doesn't. They come up with a plan in which Cassie will be on her flight to Rome and Miranda will be too. When they get to Rome, they'll stay in groups so Feliks can't get to her alone. Cassie will take a shuttle to the hotel and Miranda will be in cab behind her. She'll check in at her hotel and get an extra key for Miranda. She says that Feliks stalks his victims once they check into hotels, so Cassie will need to get out of there quickly with other people. Miranda will then slip into the room and then when Cassie gets back, she'll get the jump on him and kill him. Cassie says she didn't know she was going to kill him, but Miranda says if they aren't going to run, it's him or them. "Please tell me you don't have a problem with that." Cassie goes into a hallucination and Alex says they need to talk. She tells him she know it's never okay to kill someone, but she hates what he did to him. She says she's so angry and wants Miranda to kill him. He says he has no problem offing the dead cat guy, but Miranda's plan is crazy, that she's bait. Back in reality, Cassie agrees to the plan. "Let's catch a killer," she tells Miranda.

## Cast

### Starring

* Kaley Cuoco as Cassandra "Cassie" Bowden

* Michiel Huisman as Alex Sokolov
* Zosia Mamet as Annie Mouradian
* T.R. Knight as Davey Bowden
* Michelle Gomez as Miranda Croft
* Colin Woodell as Buckley Ware
* Merle Dandridge as Kim Hammond
* Griffin Matthews as Shane Evans (credit only)
* Nolan Gerard Funk as Van White

and

* Rosie Perez as Megan Briscoe

### Guest starring

* Deniz Akdeniz as Max
* Terry Serpico as William "Bill" Briscoe
* Audrey Grace Marshall as Young Cassandra "Cassie" Bowden
* Jason Jones as Hank Bowden
* David Iacono as Eli Briscoe
* Yasha Jackson as Jada Harris
* Alberto Frezza as Enrico

### Co-starring

* Christina Shea-Wright as Sarah
* Brandon Samuels as Business Woman
* Carla Oudin as Sam