The Flight Attendant season 2 spoilers follow.
Episode 6 of The Flight Attendant's second season crackled with tension, as Cassie Bowden and her estranged mum Lisa finally came face-to-face.
Lisa, played by the mighty Sharon Stone (Catwoman), and her daughter (The Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco) have a complicated history, and as tensions boiled over between them, she revealed that while she loves Cassie, she doesn't actually like her.
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Out of nowhere – and unscripted – Lisa then slapped Cassie for all the things she'd put her through over the years.
Related: The Flight Attendant season 2 star Kaley Cuoco reacts to painful episode 5 twist
"It's really important that Cassie learns to understand that she does not have control of what other people think of her," series developer Steve Yockey told Digital Spy and other press.
"And the most intense example of that in the entire series is the very unresolved scene with her mum in [episode] 6. We got a lot of pushback, like: 'Wow. Don't we want a mum that's like, 'It's OK, honey' and gives her a hug?' And I was like: 'Not if she's been through that.'"
He elaborated: "So that character deserves her truth. Lisa deserves her truth, just the same as Cassie does. And I think it helps Cassie, ultimately, in her journey, to understand the difference between saying 'I'm sorry' and meaning it."
Breaking down Stone's improvised slap itself, executive producer Natalie Chaidez said: "Sharon was not soft. She was not holding any punches. She was right there with Kaley.
Related: Flight Attendant star Kaley Cuoco reacts to surprise season 2 cameo
"And to see, also, Kaley rise up to Sharon's performance, and the moment of the slap – which was like, shock ripples. It's uncompromising. That moment between these two women is so deep, and it's so painful, and there's so much that's unresolved.
"It's just one of the most amazing scenes on television. It's just a great, great scene."
Cuoco, who spoke in passionate defence of her character last month, couldn't have been more complimentary about her scene partner.
"She really understood the role. When you see these scenes between Cassie and her mum, you really understand a lot of the trauma that they both have been through, in season 1 and in season 2, and in their whole lives, really. It told quite a story," the actress shared.
The Flight Attendant, season 2 airs on HBO Max in the US. In the UK, it will premiere on Sky Max and NOW on May 26. The series is based on the book of the same name by Chris Bohjalian.
To celebrate the launch of The Flight Attendant S2, streaming service NOW is giving the show’s UK fans a chance to preview the first two episodes on May 25th / 26th, alongside a first-class lounge experience that includes an Oxygen bar, an LA-inspired manicure, and a CBD massage. You can sign up for the experience here.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
