The Recruit (Season 2/2025) series takes the story forward, as its protagonist, CIA Lawyer Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), jumps from one crisis to another. And even at the end of the second season, Owen continues to stand tall, completely unscathed by the mess around him.
Series Review [Spoiler-Free]: The Recruit (Season 2/USA/2025) English
In FOCUS: Owen Hendricks Is One Lucky CIA Lawyer (O.L.C.L.)
Introduction
While watching the hero CIA Lawyer Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) actively participate in so many frantic spy missions that we have lost count, notably, most of these spy missions are for seasone d and professional spies. And certainly, these spy operations are not meant for the new ‘Recruit,’ who is a lawyer and not a spy. But lawyer Owen certainly does that; across two seasons, he has gone above and beyond in his line of duty.
However, one of the good things about the story of season two of ‘The Recruit’ is that it does not feed into the usual geopolitical issues.
Screenplay
These days, South Korea seems to be the favourite flavour. Especially in the entertainment industry, viz., K-pop, K-drama, etc. Perhaps one of the reasons, is that in season two, the story moves to Seoul, where Owen tries his best to help out a freshly minted friend, Jang Kyun Kim (Teo Yoo), from South Korea. Love and desperation drive Jang to reel in the CIA into his personal affairs.
However, several rogue elements become involved in this personal rescue mission. The story is fresh indeed. And that is one of the redeemable parts of the story.
On the other hand, the unbelievable and ridiculous aspect is how Owen pulls off the mission in the season finale episode. That is comical indeed.
Still, the writers have created a captivating group of characters. Most of them are worth watching.
Poster
Ensemble Cast
We loved the dark-comedy (besides action & drama) aspects of the plotline of ‘The Recruit’. Specifically, the writers have smartly used actors like Noah Centineo (Owen Hendricks), Aarti Mann (Violet Ebner), Colton Dunn (Lester Kitchens), Kristian Bruun (Janus Ferberand), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Walter Nyland) to add lively and entertaining satire to its plot. Noah Centineo exudes boyish charm and does manage to carry its intricate plot along. Of course, Aarti, Colton, Kaylah, Kristian, Vondie, and others actively help him.
Furthermore, we also liked how Maddie Hasson (Nichka Lachin/Marta) played a member of the Russian Mafia. It seems that, like Owen, she too had a tough childhood, grew up early, and then became a survivor. Among the Korean characters, we liked the fascinating performances of Teo Yoo (Jang Kyun Kim), and Kim Young-ah (Grace Cho). Both of them were as good as Laura Haddock (Max Meladze), who was compelling to watch in the first season. We like this kind of global ensemble cast, especially the diversity.
Ratings
| Two Seasons | Focus Magazine (FM) Ratings |
|---|---|
| First (S1/2022) Season | 3.80/5 |
| Second (S2/2025) Season | 3.75/5 |
Conclusion
Usually, the protagonist, Owen Hendricks, gets stuck right in the middle of the insane spy missions in this espionage series. Yet, it is simply astonishing that Owen lives to tell the tale. Maybe, thanks to the scriptwriters. And despite the ludicrous rescue mission in the season 2 finale episode, ‘The Recruit’ is an interesting spy show to watch.
Also, the season 2 ending suggests that Owen is turning into a smart CIA lawyer. Finally, Owen has learnt the true value of dirt and leverage over other spies.
The second season finale suggests that for Owen, there are many more missions to come.
So, keep watching and keep reading.
Key Details
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Crime, Drama, Spy, Thriller |
| Original Languages | English (USA) {and a bit of Korean, Russian, etc.} |
| Seasons | Two Seasons (Season 1/2022 & Season 2/2025) |
| Episodes | Eight (8) Episodes in Season 1 (2022) Six (6) Episodes in Season 2 (2025) |
| Creator | Alexi Hawley |
| Writers (S2) | Alexi Hawley, George V. Ghanem, Hadi Nicholas Deeb, Maya Goldsmith, Sue Chung, Neda Davarpanah, & Bryan Oh. |
| Directors (S2) | Alexi Hawley, Julian Holmes, Jessica Yu, Viet Nguyen, & John Hyams. |
| Cast (S2) | Noah Centineo (Owen Hendricks), Aarti Mann (Violet Ebner), Colton Dunn (Lester Kitchens), Fivel Stewart (Hannah Copeland), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Walter Nyland), Kaylah Zander (Amelia Salazar), Kristian Bruun (Janus Ferber), Angel Parker (Dawn Gilbane), Jesse Collin (Dodge), Daniel Quincy Annoh (Terence), Maddie Hasson (Nichka Lachin/Marta), Teo Yoo (Jang Kyun Kim), Kim Young-ah (Grace Cho), Shin Do-Hyun (Yoo Jin Lee), Lee Sang-hee (Nan Hee), etc. |
| Tagline (2) | Spy meets Seoul. |
| Network | Netflix |
Trailer & Synopsis
A new graymail case sends Owen to Seoul, where a spy threatens to leak U.S. secrets unless the CIA assists him on a dangerous personal mission. So, it’s “spy meets Seoul” as CIA Lawyer Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) is pulled into a life-threatening espionage situation in South Korea, only to realise that the bigger threat just might be coming from inside the Agency.
Extra Information
About The Recruit (Season 1/2022) Series
Trailer
Synopsis
A rookie lawyer at the CIA stumbles headlong into the dangerous world of international espionage when a former asset threatens to expose agency secrets. Owen Hendricks is a young CIA lawyer whose first week on the job turns upside down when he discovers a threatening letter from former asset Max Meladze, who plans to expose the agency unless they exonerate her of a serious crime. Owen quickly becomes entangled in a dangerous and often absurd world of power politics and mischievous players, as he travels the world in hopes of completing his assignment and making a mark at the CIA.
Poster
Inexperience is an Asset (Tagline)
Bonus YouTube Video Link:
5 things to remember about The Recruit (Season 1/2022) Series before watching its Season 2
Also read about the Spy Tales from the UK in our FM article:
Slow Horses (Season 1 & Season 2) Series Review
Slow Horses (Season 3) Series Review
The Posters and the Featured Images of The Recruit series are credited to Netflix.