Fewer episodes but better story makes for an even more entertaining second season of the Netflix drama.
Plot: Season Two finds CIA Lawyer, Owen Hendricks, pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realize that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.
Review: Netflix is going all in on the marketing push for their one-two punch of spy series returning for second seasons. A week ago, The Night Agent returned for a much-improved continuation of global espionage featuring Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan. Noah Centineo tries to do the same with the next chapter of The Recruit. Two years ago, Centineo debuted as Owen Hendricks, a lawyer for the CIA, who was forced to become a field operative when he was linked to a Russian asset named Max (Laura Haddock). The first season had potential but wasted it on an uneven blend of humor and action. For season two, the formula remains close to the first run. Still, The Recruit has found better pacing thanks to a better story, improved supporting players, and a South Korean setting that delves into more of Owen’s backstory.
The first season of The Recruit hinged entirely on Noah Centineo’s charm as Owen Hendricks. A smart attorney who could not keep his mouth shut for his own good, Owen was embroiled in a situation involving a “graymailer,” better known as blackmail but involving state secrets and international relations. Owen becomes directly involved with former CIA asset Max and Dawn (Angel Parker), a field operative doing a black op that connects directly to the main storyline. By the end of the first season, Owen was on the verge of death at the hands of Nichka (Maddie Hasson), Max’s daughter. The second season opens with Angel and Lester (Colton Dunn) rescuing Owen and taking Nichka into custody. Benched from active duty and on the outs at work with his boss Walter Nyland (Vondie Curtis-Hall) and Amelia Salazar (Kaylah Zander) and at home with his ex-girlfriend Hannah (Fivel Stewart), Owen is forced to do nothing. But that is exactly when a new mission falls in his lap; without spoiling who or why, Owen makes his way to Seoul, South Korea, where he finds a new graymail while avoiding another international incident.
Clocking in at two fewer episodes than the first season, the six episodes of The Recruit are far tighter and more propulsive than the first season. Noah Centineo does not miss a beat, making Owen a likable everyman embroiled in intricate espionage blends. The shift to Seoul gives a fresh perspective on this season, heading to other international destinations. The Korean setting connects to Owen’s youth and allows for a new love interest in Yoo Jin Lee (Do Hyun Shin), Owen’s childhood crush and friend. Owen also partners with Korean agent Jang Kyu, played by Past Lives star Teo Yoo. While Owen seems to be a burden to everyone he interacts with in the first season, there is a tenuous respect between him and Jang, which makes for a solid partnership between the characters that drives the entire season. Both agents have reasons for staying involved in the mystery of this season’s graymail while offering a more entertaining dynamic than we got the first time. It also helps that both actors are charismatic and do not need to rely on fish-out-of-water tropes, instead just focusing on the story itself.
This season does see many returning characters from the first season, with plot threads continuing into this year. Angel Parker, Kristian Bruun, and Colton Dunn continue to have a significant presence in the story, while Vondie Curtis-Hall and Kaylah Zander have smaller roles. Fivel Stewart’s role is reduced dramatically to make room for the new additions to the cast. Maddie Hasson has a major role this season, taking Laura Haddock’s screentime in Max’s absence. New additions James Purefoy, Young-Ah Kim, Felix Solis, and more help the global feel of The Recruit by expanding the cast without anyone feeling tacked on to the narrative. Everyone is solid this season, including Nathan Fillion, who is in a great minor role as the director of the CIA. Somehow, this season feels like an improvement despite the reduced episode count and shift in focus from what we saw in the first season.
Showrunner Alexi Hawley returns to lead the writing team for the second season of The Recruit with returning scribes Maya Goldsmith, George Ghanem, and Hadi Deeb and new writers Brian Oh and Sue Chung. The first season got a boost of big-screen energy from director and executive producer Doug Liman, who helmed the first two chapters. The only carryover director this season is Julian Holmes, who directs the first and fifth episodes, with Jessica Yu, Viet Nguyen, John Hyams, and Hawley on the remaining four. There is nothing visually daring about this season, which does not hurt the series very much since the focus on the story is paramount. A good deal of action is handled in a clear and crisp manner, avoiding some of the pitfalls a lot of espionage series and films fall prey to these days. Overall, The Recruit looks crisp and clean and uses the global landscape to make this season feel as epic as possible.
Sometimes, fewer episodes indicate a lack of confidence in a series, but Netflix still has faith that The Recruit can be a solid franchise for them. Noah Centineo’s charm is more than worth investing in this series, which seems to have found its rhythm after an uneven first outing. Teo Yoo is a great addition to the cast, and partnering him with Centineo makes for an enjoyable binge-watch. The Recruit seems destined to shift settings and supporting cast if it continues past this season, but I hope they keep what works this year. The Recruit has the potential to keep telling tight, funny, and fun action stories for seasons to come as long as Noah Centineo is given free rein to play Owen Hendricks as a hero and not as a goofball. Netflix should pair this series and The Night Agent for as long as they can with The Recruit, the lighter series of the two, investing in as much levity as possible.
The Recruit season two premieres on January 30th on Netflix.
