In Case of Emergency

"**In Case of Emergency**" is the premiere episode of HBO Max's *The Flight Attendant*. It was released on HBO Max on November 26, 2020, along with the following two episodes "Rabbits" and "Funeralia."

This episode was also made available early, but with the catch that it is only accessible to those signed up to HBO Max via a free trial and not to existing customers. However, the full episode has also been posted to YouTube.

## Synopsis

Following a one-night stand with a man named Alex Sokolov, flight attendant Cassandra Bowden awakes to find him dead in the bed next to her, with no memory of the night before. She cleans up the room and tries to get back to the United States, but is haunted by hallucinations of the dead man, even as she tries to pretend that everything is alright.

## Plot

### Breaking the rules

A woman, Cassandra Bowden, wakes up on a subway and seeing a child's watch realizes how late it is. Cassie calls a man, Davey, saying she can't talk too much or else she willl miss her flight. They discuss an impending New York trip and Cassie is surprised by a presence of a man in her bed, who says that he met her the night before. He explains how Cassie texted him and gave him all the details he needed to get in. She admits to having been very drunk, but says it is coming back to her. Cassie apologizes to Davey, telling him she will call him later. Cassie tells the man she has to shower and he has to go, thanking him for the effort.

Cassie arrives at the airport for her flight and meets up with her coworker, Megan, who quips that they were taking bets on how late she was going to be. As the flight begins, Cassie catches the eye of a handsome man, Alex Sokolov. She comforts a child who is sitting alone and encounters the man from before, who is quick to put them on a first-name basis with each other. He asks her for a scotch on the rocks and she indicates his buttons, saying he doesn't have to chase the flight attendants down. He tells her that flights can get a little tedious and she says it might have to do with his "depressing reading material," *Crime and Punishment*. Alex calls the book "amazing" and Cassie quips to tell her how it turns out for any of the women in the book, saying she is more of a *Doctor Zhivago* fan. Alex replies that the book is messy and Cassie asks what is wrong with that. They then make out in the plane's lavatory until there's a knock at the door.

Megan needles her about the attention Cassie is paying to "3C" and Cassie replies that it is harmless and she is seeing someone now. "Oh, really?" asks another co-worker, Shane Evans. She shows them a picture of a rabbit, trying to get Megan to adopt one since her own apartment doesn't allow pets. Megan asks her what her obsession is with saving every animal on the planet. Jada, another coworker, teases her about 3C as well. She returns to Alex with his scotch and he asks if she will have dinner with him. Cassie calls it a "super-cute moment" but says they are not really supposed to. As the passengers disembark from the flight, Alex gives Cassie his card, "in case you decide to break the rules." Cassie decides to take him up on his invitation and they drive away, then speed off on a boat. They share a night of drinks and shopping, enjoying the high life, before finally retiring to a hotel room, where things get steamy.

Cassie awakes the next morning and silences the song on her phone playing as her alarm. Cassie takes a sip of vodka, wishes that she hadn't, then rises and sees that she has blood on one of her hands. "Alex, what did we do last night?" she wonders. She turns and sees the heavily bloodied body of Alex, lying there in the bed, dead. Shocked, Cassie covers her mouth to stifle a scream. The song starts playing on the phone again.

### "Do not get arrested there"

She silences the smartphone and dials downstairs to reception on the room's phone. The man on the other end asks how he can help her, but she hangs up. She silences the smartphone yet again and dials someone else using it, Annie Mouradian. Annie asks if Cassie can call back later, but Cassie starts rambling, talking about a girl who was innocent, and Annie asks if she is talking about Amanda Knox. Cassie asks if Knox called the police. Annie replies that she did and they arrested her. Annie asks why Cassie is asking about Amanda Knox and Cassie makes up an excuse. Annie sees Cassie is in Bangkok and tells her "Do not get arrested there," that the laws are byzantine. Annie asks if Cassie is actually in trouble and Cassie promises that she isn't. "You know me." Annie tells her she has to go and hangs up the call, wishing her safe travels. Cassie then cleans up the room, cutting her foot on a broken bottle in the process. She takes a shower and there is a knock at the door, housekeeping. Cassie tells the woman "He's still asleep" and to come back later. Cassie takes a call from Davey and talks about some family stuff, scrubbing the floor and then sobbing as she disconnects the call. Dressed glamorously, Cassie leaves the hotel, getting a scarf on the way.

Cassie travels to the airport and has a flashback to her night before with Alex. Cassie has a brief panic attack as a police motorcycle passes by the van she is on, sounding its siren. Cassie arrives at the airport and boards her flight. There is an announcement of a delay and Cassie wonders about the reason for it, but Megan comments that there is always a delay. The plane taxis away from the runway and takes off. Cassie is relieved and goes to the bathroom to calm herself down, telling herself that she will get back to New York and then she is free. She goes into a hallucination in which Alex's voice asks her "You honestly can't think of one thing you did wrong?" Cassie asks where she is, where the plane is and he asks her how she thinks she is getting away with it. Alex tells her that even if she didn't kill her, she broke at least a few laws. Cassie replies that she didn't kill him, that she is not that kind of drunk. Cassie tells Alex she is not violent and Alex replies that she is also a blackout drunk. Cassie says he doesn't know her and he sits up, saying that she didn't call the police. Cassie replies there was a lot of blood and he agrees that there was. Cassie asks why someone would want to kill him. Alex asks her if she read the article online about somebody who got sentenced to five years in Thailand just for littering. He points out that she cleaned up the crime scene and it is another strike against her. There is a knock at the door. Alex asks if she wants to get that and Cassie is back on the plane.

Cassie answers the door, and Megan reminds her that she works there, pleading with Cassie to tell her that she wasn't drinking in there. Cassie promises that she wasn't and Megan tells her to get it together. Cassie points out a guy in one of the seats whom she claims is staring at her and creeping her out. Megan tells her he is the new air marshal and it is his job to stare. Megan pleads with Cassie, asking her what went on with the guy. Cassie replies that it was nothing, saying that if she doesn't believe her to call the hotel. Meanwhile, another woman calls the hotel's reception and does exactly that, asking to speak with Alex. The man at the desk calls the room, but gets no answer. The woman says she was supposed to meet with him and asks for housekeeping to check on him. Housekeeping knocks at the door, but gets no answer. The housekeeping woman enters the room while Cassie serves drinks on the flight. She discovers Alex's body and screams. On the flight, the air marshal taps Cassie's shoulder, freaking her out. He tells Cassie he asked for a soda, but instead got vodka. She giggles, saying she misunderstood and thought he wanted both. Cassie takes the drink and Megan asks if she is trying to get the air marshal drunk, which would be highly illegal. Cassie replies that she heard him wrong and he needs to chill out. Megan notes that is the opposite of his job, asking again what is wrong with her.

Cassie admits to being a little bit hungover, but says it is not a big deal. Megan tries to get Cassie to admit she went out with "3C." Cassie tells Megan that for the last time, she didn't go out with 3C. Megan tells her to calm down, that it isn't the end of the world. In Thailand, the wheels go into motion with the discovery of Alex's body, and in the United States too. A Kim Hammond of the FBI calls the Sokolov residence and asks to speak with Edward or Janet Sokolov. Janet Sokolov answers and Kim tells her she has a few questions about her son. "What about Alex?" asks Janet and Kim realizes that nobody has informed her of his death. "What happened to Alex?" Janet pleads. Back on the flight, Cassie makes the announcement welcoming the passengers to the airport in Seoul, South Korea, one of their stops. As Cassie is doing so, Shane shares a story with Megan on his phone - "American Murdered in Bangkok Hotel Room," detailing the death of an Alexander Sokolov. They try to press Cassie for details, but Cassie claims she only ever spoke to him to give him a drink. Shane invites her over for food, but Cassie says she is tired and just wants to sleep.

### "Who was that woman?"

Cassie retires to a room and drinks some vodka. Cassie pulls out a business card, which has Alex's number on it. Cassie has a flashback, in which she chats with Alex. Cassie tells Alex that she doesn't get too close to people, that she has a lot of first dates. Alex tells her that he is jealous, that he never dates, and the few times he does, he makes bad choices. Cassie tells him his streak continues, but Alex replies that it is going great. Back in the present, Cassie drinks some more vodka and has a flashback of going hunting with her father. Cassie tells herself she needs ice and stumbles out into the hallway, where she meets a man who tries to hit her up. Cassie manages to talk him away, but then goes back to his room. He has her wait outside while he cleans up a bit and Cassie has another hallucination, this time of a picture of a praying mantis on the wall coming to life and turning to stare at her. Cassie screams and drops her bucket of ice. The man comes out, asking if she is okay. Cassie replies that everyone keeps asking her that and when he asks if she doesn't want to come in, she shouts at him, saying "That thing just looked at me and you still want to hook up?!" Cassie runs down the hall and returns to her room, hyperventilating, and she drinks some more vodka.

Cassie has another flashback of killing the deer with her father. Cassie sobs and tells her reflection in the mirror that she is going to be a new person. Cassie gets a message on her phone from Megan, saying that she is bringing food and needs $25. Cassie opens up her wallet, but can't find her ID. She finds a book and has another hallucination, in which Alex asks if she is going to read it again. Cassie asks Alex why she is back in the room and he tells her that maybe she is not. Cassie tells him she is done with it, asking if he is the one doing this to her. Alex says he is just laying there and she asks if he is even really Alex. Alex replies that if she thinks that he is, then he is. Cassie shouts that he is being way too casual about it, asking where her ID is and why she is holding his book. "You don't remember?" Alex asks and Cassie shouts that he drank just as much as she did and to stop judging her. Cassie says she is screwed, that she left her ID in the room. Cassie pleads with him to tell her something, and Alex says that they both get that he is not the Alex she was with that night. Cassie shouts at him, asking where all the blood is and then comes to, hearing Megan knocking at the door. Cassie crawls on the couch, ignoring Megan, and instead places a call to Annie, but Annie is busy with someone else and doesn't pick up.

At the FBI, Kim Hammond and her colleague, Van White, walk and talk about Alex's case. Van says that they will need to quiz the flight crew when they land. Kim tells him that she has a contact at the CIA who says that flight crew are the most likely to be foreign assets because of their unfettered travel. Van looks over photos, including Cassie's, quipping that one of them is a spy with all the answers. "Come on, Kimmy," he comments. Cassie's flight arrives in New York and she breathes a big sigh of relief, saying that she is so happy to be home. Megan tells her that they want the first-class cabin crew to wait at Gate B-31, that the authorities wish to speak with them. "Why would they want to speak with us? We're just flight attendants," asks Cassie. Cassie tries to dash for it, but is caught by two agents and made to head to B-31. As she and the other attendants sit together, Shane asks if she really tried to flee. "Fuck off," Cassie tells him. Megan is called in and she tells the agents that she never even spoke with Alex. Shane asks if he was some kind of weird sleeper agent for the Russians. Jada tells them that she is tired, asking if she can go. Cassie is the last left sitting in the waiting room as agents question the others about her and Alex. Jada comments that Cassie spoke a lot to him. Megan comments that Cassie "took care of him" and then realizing how it sounds, says that she spoke with him more than the others. Jada says that there was "heavy flirting." Megan tells them that she doesn't know where Cassie went afterwards and it was none of her business.

Finally, Cassie is called into the room, where she meets with Kim and Van. They introduce themselves as special agents and Kim says that fleeing an interview is not a best way for them to meet. Cassie says that she wasn't, that international flights turn her brain to mush and she was on auto-pilot. "I'm here now," she says. Cassie asks if she needs her union rep and Van asks if she thinks that she does. Kim says it is just a cursory interview to get some info and they could just use her cooperation. Cassie agrees she wants to help. Cassie says that she and Alex spoke a few times. Van asks if she saw him after the flight landed and Cassie asks why she would. Cassie has another hallucination in which Alex whispers in her ear that they know she is lying. "What would Annie say?" he asks and she asks how he knows about Annie. Cassie says she blacked out and if she doesn't remember, then it didn't happen. Alex gets up and she stammers. "What?!" he demands and Cassie says that she didn't know he could do that. Cassie asks if she is going insane, demanding to know where they are. Cassie pulls back the curtains, and they stare out at herself with the two FBI agents. "I think you remember more than you think you do," he comments, placing a hand on her shoulder. Cassie has a brief flashback of having dinner with him. "There was someone else there," Cassie realizes, as another woman in a red dress appears, out of focus. "Who was that woman?" she asks.

## 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
* Nolan Gerard Funk as Van White

and

* Rosie Perez as Megan Briscoe

### Guest starring

* Yasha Jackson as Jada Harris
* Isha Blaaker as Nate
* Ann Magnuson as Janet Sokolov
* Audrey Grace Marshall as Young Cassie Bowden
* Jason Jones as Hank Bowden

### Co-starring

* Hannah Tinker as Gillian
* Luke Gulbranson as Ethan
* Gracie Lee as Karaoke Woman #1
* Elly Han as Karaoke Woman #2
* Shiloh Verrico as Erika
* Jo Yang as Housekeeper
* Jo D. Jonz as Air Marshal
* Alyssa Cheatham as Eve Bowden-Green
* Samsara Yett as Maya Bowden-Green
* Kunanon Sirisuttivoranun as Lobby Shop Clerk
* Jourdan Epstein as Burlesque Dancer
* Florence Regina as TSA Woman
* Nunthunyamon Tontanaceschkul as FA #1
* Napath Ariyaratchatopas as FA #2
* Chanicha Shindejanichakul as FA #3
* Nantawat Palakawongsna Ayudha as FA #4
* Kumron Jivachat as Hotel Staff Member
* Lorenzo Antonio de Stefano as British Hotel Staff Member
* Peter Mele as Older Man

## Trivia

* The complete script for this episode was made available publicly, courtesy of Deadline, on June 24, 2021. The script is the final shooting draft for the episode, from April 1, 2020.

## References

1. ↑ Anderton, Joe (November 18, 2020). Big Bang Theory star's TV comeback The Flight Attendant releases first episode early, But there's a catch.. Digital Spy. Retrieved on November 21, 2020.
2. ↑ The Flight Attendant Full Episode HBO Max. HBOMax via YouTube (November 18, 2020). Retrieved on November 18, 2020.
3. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 24, 2021). It Starts On The Page: Read The Series Premiere Script For ‘The Flight Attendant’ By Steve Yockey. Deadline. Retrieved on June 26, 2021.