Released in December 2022, The Recruit marked a big departure for Netflix's golden boy, Noah Centineo.
Stepping out of the shadows of teen love stories (To All The Boys, The Perfect Date), Centineo flexes his action skills in the CIA thriller.
The Recruit was an instant hit for Netflix, flying up the Top 10 charts around the world.
If you haven't already watched the show, here's a quick summary of what happened…
The Recruit Season 1 Recap
Owen Hendricks is a 24-year-old, fresh out of law school and on day two of his new job in the office of General Counsel in the CIA.
His first task is to go through the greymail, which is basically all the letters sent in by crazy people who are threatening to expose national secrets.
There he finds a letter from Maxine Meladze, a woman in prison for murder. What makes Max different is that she knows a lot of things she shouldn't.
So being the dutiful lawyer, Hendricks brings it to his boss's attention and is told to follow up on it. And so begins the chaos in Hendricks' life as he discovers that Max was a former asset and really can bring down the CIA.
But with his colleagues trying to undermine him, an operations agent trying to get rid of him, and nobody he can turn to, Hendricks quickly realises that the only person he can trust is Max Meladza, a murdering Russian spy.
Can Hendricks get her back to Russia and survive to tell the tale? Find out when you watch The Recruit!
THE RECRUIT SEASON 2 RELEASE DATE
The Recruit was a huge hit for Netflix, so it was almost certain that the streaming platform would renew the show.
The viewership figures looked very good and Noah Centineo is hugely popular. As well as starring in The Recruit, he is also a producer on the show.
Netflix pumped a lot into the marketing for the show, with Centineo appearing on Tudum earlier in 2022 to announce the show. Add that to articles in Netflix Queue and behind-the-scenes videos, and it was clear that Netflix had a lot of confidence in the series.
And so, on January 26th 2023, Netflix officially renewed The Recruit season 2. Hurrahhhhh
Speaking to Tudum.com, Centineo said: “I know I speak for our entire cast and executive team at eOne and Netflix when I say that we are thrilled to be returning to The Recruit for a second season.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what Alexi Hawley has in store for us all.”
As of yet, there is no release date because, in fairness, filming hasn't even started. But as soon as production starts and we get closer to a date, we will update you.
THE RECRUIT SEASON 2 STORYLINE
A lot happened at the end of Season 1. Hendricks finally realised that he had been in over his head and faking it til he made it which had dire consequences.
He not only had to kill somebody but also watched as Max killed her rival. He had put the lives of his friends Hannah and Terrance in danger, had ruffled a LOT of feathers in the CIA, barely survived a shootout and then, just when he thought he was out, was kidnapped.
And then the mother of all twists (if you didn't see it coming). Max's daughter, who he assumed was dead, was in fact, alive and well and just as murderous as her mother.
We left Owen with Max, held prisoners in a basement somewhere in Prague, with Karolina happy to put a bullet in her mother. Is Max dead? Is Owen next? Or can he talk his way out of this very tricky situation?
Guess we'll have to wait and find out in The Recruit Season 2.
THE RECRUIT CAST
There are quite a few players in The Recruit, mostly CIA operatives but who are they all and who plays them in the show?
And more importantly, will they all be back in The Recruit season 2?
Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, a new CIA lawyer who quickly gets in over his head.
Laura Haddock as Max Meladze, a Belarusian double agent who threatens to release national secrets if she isn't freed from prison in Arizona.
Aarti Mann as Violet, co-worker who doesn't like Owen
Colton Dunn (Superstore) as Lester, a co-worker who grows to like Owen
Fivel Stewart as Hannah, Owen's roommate and ex-girlfriend
Daniel Quincy Annoh as Terence, Owen's other roommate and friend
Kristian Bruun as Janus Ferber, colleague who is permanently stressed out
Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland, Owen's boss and the CIA's general counsel
Angel Parker as Dawn, CIA operative doing a black op in Yemen
Victor Turgeon as Talco
Byron Mann as Xander, a senior case officer in Vienna
Kaylah Zander as Amelia, Owen's very direct colleague and potential love interest
SEASON 1 EPISODE TITLES
There are 8 episodes in Season 1 of this action spy thriller. Each has been given an acronym as a title, in a quirky nod to some of the one-liners that are repeated throughout the season.
If you seen the show, then you'll get the joke…
- I.N.A.S.I.A.L. – I'm Not a Spy, I'm a Lawyer
- N.L.T.S.Y.P. – Never Let Them See You Pucker
- Y.D.E.K.W.Y.D. – You Don't Even Know What You Do
- I.Y.D.I.A.A.C. – If You Do It as Anderson Cooper
- T.S.L.A.Y.P. – That Sounds Like a You Problem
- I.C.I.N.C. – I'm Clenching, I'm Not Clenching
- I.M.F.T.B.S. – It's My First Time Being Sexpionaged
- W.T.F.I.O.H. – Who the F*ck Is Owen Hendricks?
WHERE WAS THE RECRUIT FILMED?
In The Recruit, Owen has to travel far and wide to figure out what the actual story is with Max Meladze. He travels to Yemen, Vienna, Prague, Lebanon and back and forth to Phoenix almost every five minutes.
But was The Recruit filmed in all of these locations or was it just very creative filming?
Yes and no is the answer. The show was largely filmed in Montreal, Canada at the Grandé Studios at Pointe St-Charles.
Scenes were also filmed in Los Angeles, California and the only international location was Vienna, Austria.
