The Recruit

I have to say I really enjoyed The Recruit. The trailers to this looked pretty good so I've been looking forward to it ever since I first saw them and it not only met my expectations but exceeded them. I've never seen Noah Centineo in anything else before this but I was impressed that he was able to lead this series the way he did. He nailed the role and now look forward to seeing him in future projects. This has everything you want in an action thriller...action, comedy, drama, mystery, twists, etc. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire season. I'm hoping this gets renewed quickly but I definitely want to see more of this!

Season one was amazing. But season two just makes absolutely no sense. The story is very complicated and the exaggeration is sooooo boring.

I do appreciate a little exaggeration à la James Bond but this was something else. There is no way Owen Hendricks could have survived 20 minutes into the first episode let alone the whole season two. Just takes out the fun of it all!!

Dude makes all the stupid decisions but somehow some way gets away with every single one of them. Keep in mind that he is a lawyer with no field training and no resources but still manages to fight and defeat experienced field agents and military personnel. Ok!

I just finished this binge. My only critical thought is: is it the most plausible show? Probably not - but that is never really the point of these kinds of shows. Just like The Ozarks, Sneaky Pete, or any number of other thriller type shows, the whole point is to follow a brazen, unabashed, resourceful main character into situations that only become progressively more impossible to contend with and see them through. Of course you have to suspend an amount of disbelief, and I am more than willing to do this when the characters are likeable, the dialog/acting is good, the pace is not boring, and its fun and not loaded with finger-wagging pretentious hollywood ideas --- so far this show checks all of the boxes! Not the most amazing thing I've seen, but has me smiling and eagerly clicking 'Next Episode' at the end of each.

There were definitely a few points in this show where I've found myself saying, "Oh man, this is so good," but a few places -namely in the last two episodes- I thought it felt strained by some script choices that were not greatest or most sensible.

Overall, I really found myself enjoying this show. It does fall short of being absolutely amazing because of a couple of points if you are looking for them -- so in honesty, this show is probably ranges between a 7 and a 9, but I definitely have no regrets with this one and recommend it for sure if you're looking for some laid back fun.

Some things like the tiny lady with skinny arms throwing high impact punches is extremely, extremely silly, but the comedic tone of this otherwise serious show works very well. In many ways this is a comedy as much as it is a spy genre show.

The plot is interesting enough, and other than a heavy fixation with rap music for the soundtrack, and some silly action sequences as described it's very good and pretty entertaining.

Basic premise is 'fish out of water novice in high tension spy scenarios' but delivered with a bit of wit, and some pretty decent acting.

I recommend this show, with the couple of flaws mentioned in mind of course.

The Recruit is a very promising story, unfolding across two seasons with intrigue and momentum - only for Netflix to ruin it by cancelling the third season. Because of this, I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone.

Watching this show now feels like reading the Harry Potter series, only to be told that book seven won't be published because book six didn't meet sales expectations. It's incredibly frustrating.

Netflix has become notorious for cancelling shows mid-story. Why should viewers commit to a series if the platform refuses to commit to completing the narrative? It's like building a fire only to douse it before it truly burns.

This isn't just disappointing - it undermines the entire viewing experience. Great characters, exciting arcs, and careful world-building are left hanging in the air. For that reason, I give it 1/10 - not for the show's quality, but for the betrayal of its promise.