Why was The Flight Attendant season 3 cancelled? Reasons explored

HBO Max has opted out of the comedy-thriller The Flight Attendant season 3, ending the show after two seasons. The show, starring Kaley Cuoco, began airing in November 2020 and ended its second season in May 2022. While it hadn't been confirmed if the show would get a third season, Cuoco spoke to People in January 2024 confirming that there will be no new season.

The official reason behind the cancelation of The Flight Attendant season 3 wasn't released, it is possible that it was due to Kaley's refusal to reprise her role in the show. Kaley, who is the producer of the show, also plays the role of the lead, Cassie Bowden in The Flight Attendant.

She told People in a May 2022 interview that there was a lot of "interest in doing a season 3" but she didn't want to do it right away. In January 2024, she confirmed to the publication that there would be no The Flight Attendant season 3.

“Now, I’m like, ‘Well, we did two [seasons]. We should probably be done',” Kaley said.

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Why Kaley Cuoco’s The Flight Attendant season 3 was canceled

Kaley Cuoco, who plays the lead role in The Flight Attendant told People her plans about season three of the show. She discussed her hesitation in returning to her role as Cassandra "Cassie" Bowden, which is most likely the main reason behind the show's ending at two seasons.

“I think I need a minute. I just kind of feel like we just ended,” the actor said.

She added that if a third season of the show were to happen, she believes that it should be "better than the last two," which she noted was tough to do. Kaley also said that some of her favorite TV shows take some time to come back and that she gets excited about the new season.

She said that although there has been interest in making The Flight Attendant season 3, for her, it felt like "the plane has landed."

Following Cuoco’s previous statements from May 2022, the fate of The Flight Attendant season 3 was in limbo after season 2 in 2022 through 2023. However, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the show was officially canceled early in 2024. No official reason was shared, but the publication has mentioned that Cuoco opted against reprising her role.

Although Kaley Cuoco's hesitation is a reason behind The Flight Attendant season 3 being canceled, the show's narrative arc could be another reason. The show was originally planned as a limited series, according to a report by E! News from January 2024. Citing Cuoco's statements, the publication quoted her saying that while she "always envisioned The Flight Attendant as a limited series," the team still managed to make "two thrilling seasons."

The Flight Attendant season 1 was based on a 2018 novel by Chris Bohjalian of the same name. Season two, however, wasn't based on a book and stretched the story a little further. That being said, there is no new book for the creators to adapt for The Flight Attendant season 3.

It is worth noting that although season two wasn't based on a book, it did try to fix some of the reported loopholes from the previous season.

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The Flight Attendant debuted in November 2020, with its second season airing in April 2022 on HBO Max. It starred Kaley Cuoco, Zosia Mamet, and Michelle Gomez.

The first season of the show follows Cassie, an alcoholic flight attendant, who wakes up next to a dead man in an unknown hotel. Since she has no idea what had happened, she has to unravel the mystery while battling with her alcohol issues. Meanwhile, in the second season, Cassie is trying to deal with the ups and downs of her sobriety journey while working as a CIA asset. However, things take a turn when she is pulled into another mystery, which threatens her life as well as that of her friends.

The show earned Kaley Cuoco two Golden Globe nominations and three Emmy nods. Both seasons of The Flight Attendant are now streaming in full on HBO Max.