The following contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Recruit, now streaming on Netflix.
With movies like The Gray Man and even the comedy-hybrid in Cameron Diaz’s Back in Action, it’s obvious Netflix has been leaning heavily into the spy genre over the last few years. No matter what, fans will always flock to this corner of the entertainment industry for political thrills and covert-ops kills.
The Recruit is proof that the streaming service can’t stop and won’t stop. The only problem is, as Season 2 unfolds, this series lacks that chilling feel and sense of gravity that espionage franchises like Lioness or Citadel embody. With six more episodes added to Season 1’s eight, it’s safe to say that, while the show has potential, course correction is needed moving forward.
The Recruit Season 2 Drops The Ball On the Action Sequences
The Recruit’s Action Choreography Doesn’t Feel Quite Polished
From a stylistic standpoint, The Recruit Season 2 is a big step down from Season 1 in terms of action. Once more, Noah Centineo’s Owen Hendricks is at the heart of a CIA scandal. The lawyer-turned-field agent isn’t helping a Russian mole this time; he’s tasked with helping a North Korean spy, Jang Kyun, extract his wife from a Yazuka arm out in Russia. From that description alone, one would expect epic combat sequences.
Alas, there’s nothing here to mimic the intense hand-to-hand combat and riveting action choreography inspired by the James Bond franchise. These scraps and shootouts are sloppy, slow and feel as if viewers are getting behind-the-scenes footage of sparring rather than exhilarating brawls. As for the car chases, nothing spectacular is on tap.
In 2025, one would expect car sequences and bike chases along the lines of the Fast & Furious movies. Audiences would be better off looking at ’90s properties like Heat and Ronin or 2000s movies like The Italian Job and Gone in 60 Seconds. Instead of moments of grandeur, these scenes feel underwhelming.
In addition, when Owen’s journey comes down to a war against the Yakuza and the Russian Navy, both enemies don’t have the wherewithal to hit the target from close range. Even with numbers on their side, they miss the mark, no matter the distance. It’s ridiculous and frustrating to think these are trained killers, leaving fans wondering if they are pastiches of Star Wars’ Stormtroopers.
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The Recruit Season 2 Lacks a Sense of Originality
The Recruit Aims High But Fumbles Its Attempts At Inventiveness
The Recruit Season 2 has Owen discovering that America, along with South Korea, is to blame for a dangerous cryptocurrency going out into the world. The Secret Service agencies from both nations track criminals with it, but it also allows tracking of civilians. If Owen doesn’t help Jang Kyun recover his wife, the South Korean will spill the truth and plunge America into political turmoil.
Owen ends up pulling in a South Korean citizen, Yoo Jin, to be an ally and super-spy, remixing the key arc found with The Night Agent’s Peter and Rose. In that series, a White House spy pulled in a civilian to stop a weapon that America made after it fell into the hands of villains. It’s ironic that two shows with almost the exact same plot come out in the same month. Almost all plot beats, twists and backstabbing, both in and out of the agency, are predictable.
It’s a nice idea that plays to the current state of reality and digital currencies, but the execution is off. The series doesn’t explain how this crypto could have been weaponized or what the plan was to control it in the first place. It just throws characters who mention the tool together, but none of the arcs coalesce into one big narrative. It’s just constant double-crossing that ends up feeling tedious. As the crypto drama unravels off-camera, many character motivations are also inconsistent.
It’s quite apparent in the CIA office politics with the folks who have been sabotaging Owen all series long: Lester and Violet. Their shifting and ever-fluid allegiances could have done with more nuance to explain why they end up at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to supporting Owen. Unfortunately, none of these big moments regarding bickering in the CIA and the corruption that occurs feel organic. Rather than complement the bigger mission at hand, they serve as unnecessary distractions that don’t really advance the narrative in what feels like a copy of Project Treadstone from the Jason Bourne movies. Only once The Recruit insulates itself and hones more into its own identity will it truly be able to chart a fresh story that differentiates itself from its modern contemporaries.
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The Recruit Season 2 Does Have Redeeming Characters
Owen’s Spy-World Still Has Heroes and Villains With Potential
There are positives to take from The Recruit Season 2. It centers on the core cast. Centineo has an effusive, boyish charm and innocence that makes him easy to root for. The rest of the cast isn’t bad, either. Fivel Stewart delivers an emotive performance as Hannah, Owen’s ex, who wants away from the danger he brings, only to end up being wooed by a South Korean spy. Apart from her grief, she holds up a mirror to Owen’s own trauma, reminding him he is losing himself and growing more depressed working for the agency.
James Purefoy also delivers sassy gold as the fixer and British playboy, Olive Bonner-Jones. He steals all the scenes he’s in, showing how to layer comedy into high-stakes spycraft. Felix Solis (Ozark) also does an intimidating job as a CIA partner, Tom Wallace. He runs afoul of ISIS during a Taliban meeting, all while teaching Owen how to be cool under pressure. They add a mentorship thread that the show sorely needed.
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However, it’s Nathan Fillion as CIA Director, West, who commands the small screen in the biggest way possible. He’s angry over how Owen’s drama has exposed the CIA, so he wants everyone dead. He quickly pivots into being a tyrant that DC fans would ascribe more to Amanda Waller than his role as James Gunn’s Guy Gardner. For those wanting to see Fillion lose his temper and go off on profane (yet understandable) rants in the name of homeland security, this is it. His brazen attitude calls back to the authoritative figures that betray heroes in popular spy movies and shows.
Last but not least, Maddie Hasson’s Nichka is another intriguing cog in the mix. She comes off as a Black Widow-type figure; a Russian asset that Owen must turn this season. They have a short but turbulent history, as she killed his last asset and lover, Max (her own mother), so there is conflict at every turn when they talk about her future, her pay, and whether she’ll be loyal to America. Seeing Nichka playing both sides, manipulating the Kremlin as well, holds potential for the future. Ultimately, these characters represent the building blocks for improving and polishing a series that has the pillars to succeed.
Both seasons of The Recruit are now available on Netflix.
- The cast delivers some charming performances
- The action scenes are awful
- The story is unoriginal
- The Recruit Season 2 misuses its best characters
