Time is running out. The situation at hand seems bleak.
How long before we see our beloved lawyer-turned-secret spy for another round of Recruit?
Ever since The Recruit hit our screens on Netflix, we have been immersed into the world of a complicated political worldwide espionage system led by our all-time Rom Com heart-throb Noah Centino. Centino created quite the buzz with his entry in ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ and instantly donned the title of an ‘eye-candy’ among teenagers. The Recruit has us debunking his charming, bubbly, soft-boy character into some hardcore spy espionage thriller sequences. This proves his versatility as an actor.
Season 1 of Recuit left us with massive cliffhangers, and we are impatiently waiting for a hint of an update on the progress of Season 2. Yes! The Recruit got renewed for a second season on January 26th, 2023. But that was it. Updates regarding the release dates have been under wraps from the production side.
However, we have some updated information on the status of The Recruit Season 2 and a possible release window based on the recent information we could gather. Continue reading to find out!
The Recruit Season 2: Renewal Announcement
After its release in December 2022, to the fans’ delight, Netflix renewed the series for another Season.
Speaking to TUDUM, the show’s creator, Alexi Hawley, made a statement on the renewal, saying:
“I’m thrilled to dive back into the fun, funny, action-packed world of The Recruit. Seeing how invested our audience became in the show’s adventurous take on the spy world and Noah’s turn as Owen has been incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to turn it all up to “11” in Season Two.”
Recruit fans resonated with this excitement with the same frequency by expressing their relief and anticipation about what the next chapter of Recruit will unfold.
Adding to this, Centino 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.”
Speaking of which, the lead actor not only reprises his role as Owen Hendricks but also joins the executive producer team along with Adam Ciralsky and Charlie Ebersol. What a commendable leap!
Barring the obvious excitement for the renewal of The Recruit Season 2, the crucial question remains: When will Netflix announce the release dates for The Recruit Season 2?
We have some intel.
The Recruit Season 2 Release Date: The Best Case Scenario
With its renewal announcement in January 2023, we expected the team to not waste any time and get into the next phase.
However, our expectations were pushed back to three months (April), when it was announced that filming for Season 2 would commence in June 2023 in Vancouver, BC. Grave news followed suit in May when the WGA strike began. June was still looking good for a filming initiation. However, this was further hampered when the SAG AFTRA union joined hands with WGA culminating in a double strike doom. Fans were devastated and were at the edge of their seats waiting for an update from the production of Recruit.
Sure enough, another update followed suit by The Director’s Guide of Canada. They stated that production would now begin on August 1, 2023, and is scheduled to wrap up by October 20th, 2023. We have officially entered the month of August, and it is safe to say that this announcement will not carry through, given that there are no talks of a resolution between the WGA SAG AFTRA and the production houses.
At this rate, it is tough to predict a release. However, it is clear from current developments that Season 2 will not find its way to our screens in 2023. Netflix had confirmed that the series would not make its return in 2023; it would arrive in 2024.
Let us dig this statement up a little. Following the timings Recruit Season 1 followed, a 2024 release is also questionable. Filming for The Recruit season 1 reportedly began on October 25, 2021, and wrapped on March 28, 2022. The Recruit season 1 premiered on Netflix on December 15, 2022, meaning that it took nine months to be completed. Adding the current strike situation to the mix, our prediction finally lands on an early 2025 release! Eeks!
In a conversation with CNN’s anchor Jake Tapper, showrunner Alexi Hawley shared his insights regarding the strikes, saying:
“For the last 50 plus years, TV has been a training ground for writers, through writer’s room and being able to go to set and learn how to produce episodes. That’s being stripped away. The streaming shows have these mini-rooms that are completely divorced from production, so there’s a generation of writers not learning how to make television, and that’s really what this fight is about….”
The Recruit hits the picket line at Universal pic.twitter.com/h2funXZ0LL
— Alexi Hawley (@AlexiHawley) June 3, 2023
Folks, it seems like we have to extend the waiting period a little more than we expected.
If you are missing Noah Centino on screen, it might be the perfect sign for you to binge Season 1 of The Recruit streaming on Netflix right now.
The Recruit Season 2: Expected Cast Returns
Albeit there is no formal speculation on the cast members who are set to return, this is our best possible guess:
- Noah Centino as Owen Hendricks
- Aarti Mann as Violet
- Colton Dunn as Lester
- Fivel Stewart as Hannah
- Daniel Quincy Annoh as Terence
- Kristian Bruun as Janus Ferber
- Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland
We have our doubts on Laura Haddocks’ character Max Meladze’s return in the next season given that Karolina (supposedly her own daughter) shot her dead.
Apart from this, anycast shake-ups will be notified to this space. Stay tuned!
The Recruit Season 2: Plot
There is no perfect speculation on what Season 2 will bring to the table but in the best-case scenario, it will continue its storyline, which reads: Fledgling lawyer Owen Hendricks, who has just started working for the CIA, has his life turned upside down when he encounters an Eastern European asset who threatens extortion if she is not freed from prison.
In conversation with Variety, Hawley speculated the future of the series,
“You have to always try and make the most dramatic choice even if it’s hard, and even if it does leave you with a cliffhanger — even if it does turn the story 180 degrees. Yes, you can worry about what happens after, but at the same time, I think you have to be bold, especially in this day and age where there are 9,000 shows.”
In relation to Season 2, Radio Times speculates, “Owen Hendricks would be thrown into another high-stakes mission, although this time he could be somewhat more prepared for the experience.”
“If we were trying to do Bourne [Identity], it would have been sick to have all those gadgets and gizmos. But we’re just doing a show about a kid that wants to be a lawyer that gets thrown into the world of espionage, and I loved it for what it was.”
It will be interesting to know why Karolina would be driven to kill her own mother and why Max(Karolina’s father) was kidnapped. Additionally, the greatest cliffhanger of the season, which is Owen also being kidnapped, will be the main theme of focus next season.
We expect the unexpected in Season 2 because Season 1 was already a tizzy ride. They showed us a lawyer (a theoretical job) who was shoved into the throes of being an undercover spy, probably the most insane job fluctuation we have ever known, so problems come with the package that Owen has to bear. However, Season 2 will show us a more experienced Owen finally getting used to the spy life, and we cannot wait for that!
Until then, check out the episode Run-Down of The Recruit Season 1:
1. I.N.A.S.I.A.L.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
Thrown into the deep end during his first week at the CIA, rookie lawyer Owen Hendricks quickly gets in over his head when he uncovers a possible threat.
2. N.L.T.S.Y.P.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
While scrambling to learn how to navigate the high-stakes world of international espionage, Owen attempts to track down classified information on Max.
3. Y.D.E.K.W.Y.D.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
Owen’s crash course in CIA protocols continues as he negotiates with Max, goes on a date with a coworker and contends with a hostile agency employee.
4. I.Y.D.I.A.A.C.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
When a major snag jeopardizes Max’s case, Owen races to find a legal loophole and urges her not to take matters into her own ruthless hands.
5. T.S.L.A.Y.P.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
Owen’s plan to move on from Max suffers a setback when he’s ordered back to Phoenix, where credit cards and prying eyes cause problems at work and home.
6. I.C.I.N.C.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
On the heels of his risky negotiations on Max’s behalf, Owen faces uncomfortable questions from his colleagues and friends about their connection.
7. I.M.F.T.B.S.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
A mission to Geneva to retrieve assets from a Swiss bank account spirals into chaos for Owen and Max, while Hannah’s mother pressures her for information.
8. W.T.F.I.O.H.
Air date: Dec 16, 2022
The mission with Max takes a dangerous turn as complications arise and bullets fly; Owen’s personal and professional lives collide.
We will keep updating this space as we come across new updates regarding The Recruit Season 2.
The Recruit Season 3: Will It Happen?
As of writing this, there is no formal announcement regarding the same, but given the stellar ratings Season 1 received, we can expect a Season 3 once Season 2 releases. The ratings for Season 1 were collected as of January 2023.
IMDb User Score: 7.5
RottenTomatoes Critics Score: 67% (was 75% at launch)
RottenTomatoes Audience Score: 86%
Metacritic: 59/100
Per FlixPatrol data, the show peaked in its first three days in the top 10s worldwide.
TelevisionStats.com reports the show to be the fourth biggest show in the world so far.
The effects of these ratings one month post Season 1 release is what drove Netflix to announce a season renewal in January itself!
Maybe if Season 2 gets a similar reaction, Season 3 will be renewed one month later to its release date (of which we are unsure at the moment).
Additionally, in a conversation with Collider, Hawley expressed his opinion on the future of the series:
“I know things about where I would want to take it, and where I’d want to go with it. I mean obviously, you hope for success, but as you could see with that ending, I didn’t plan for failure because I feel like in this day and age you just have to be bold, you have to be dramatic, to the expense of everything else. And you can’t worry about Season 2’s, or Season 3’s, or beyond. You have to go, “What’s the best version of this story right now?” And trust that people will come to it. And then you’ll get another shot at it.”
The Recruit Season 2: Official Trailer
Since there is no official announcement on the release date of Season 2, we do not have an official trailer for the same in possession.
Meanwhile, you can check out The Recruit Official Trailer Season 1 instead:
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