First, let's make one thing clear: "The Recruit" is not "The Night Agent."
Yes, they're both spy thrillers. They're both on Netflix and have been big hits for the streaming service and both just dropped their second seasons this month.
But that's where the similarities largely end. While the Gabriel Basso-driven "The Night Agent" is a dark, gritty tale that tries to copy the best of the golden age of spy thrillers, "The Recruit" is a high-octane, far less self-serious spy caper that was more like an action movie in the first season.
The Recruit: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
Having watched the second season, I can tell you that it gets a bit darker. Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of season 1, it explores the consequences of Owen's (Noah Centineo) actions in a way that season 1 somewhat brushed aside. But it otherwise largely sticks to the formula that makes it incredibly fun to watch.
Spoilers for '"The Recruit" beyond this point
The soundtrack shines again for 'The Recruit'
One of the biggest keys to what makes "The Recruit" less serious and more fun to watch than its spy thriller counterparts is its use of a soundtrack. Most spy thrillers, including "The Night Agent," rely heavily on score rather than soundtrack to set the tone and elicit certain feelings from the audience.
To be fair, this works. But "The Recruit," being as much an action show as a spy thriller uses a soundtrack to do the same thing. This isn't a new concept for the action genre, but like pairing a spy thriller with a great score, pairing an action show with a great soundtrack rarely misses.
In season 2, it certainly doesn't miss. Every single action-packed point gets some song accompanying it, whether punk rock or Korean hip-hop and it gets you hyped. It doesn't hurt either when some of your favorite artists are used. This season used songs from two of my favorite bands — Queens of the Stone Age and Idles — so I'll fully concede I may have been a bit biased in my enjoyment.
Season 2 explores Owen more deeply than season 1 — and it mostly works
As I mentioned before, season 2 gets a lot deeper into Owen Hendricks's backstory. In season 1, we get a surface-level look at what makes Owen tick, namely his upbringing as a military brat whose father was killed in action. It's why he wanted to work for the CIA, it's why he wanted to work as a lawyer rather than an operative and it's why he's able to speak fluent German in the first season of the show.
In season 2, the show's writers pull at this thread further. The entire season, in fact, is based around this characteristic of Owen's backstory. This season takes place largely in Seoul, Korea and it turns out that not only was Owen there as a child, he was there when his dad died and when he met his first love, a local girl named Yoo Jin Lee (Do Hyun Shin).
When Owen learns he's going to Seoul, he tracks her down and reconnects, even if it's not the best thing for either of them or his mission. We also see Owen increase his kill count this season and see how he struggles to process this despite being surrounded by those with no qualms killing someone in cold blood.
Unfortunately, revisiting Owen's old love life means we get plenty more of Owen's current love life, which is arguably the weakest part of the show. Thankfully, we were spared from having as much of Owen's ex Hannah (Fivel Stewart) and their friend Terence (Daniel Quincy Annoh) who both tend to bring the show to a grinding halt. And this season, they were used better, often only when integral to the plot rather than supporting entire storylines on their own.
One person from Owen's love life who doesn't slow the show down is Amelia (Kaylah Zander), and that's largely because her character is given her own agency, unlike Hannah. Amelia can hold her own with anyone in the world of espionage and is as fully developed a character as anyone in the show, including Owen. She even gets further character development in this season which seems likely to play a part in season 3.
Season 2 is far more fun than flawed — stream 'The Recruit' now on Netflix
Owen's love life isn't the show's only flaw. Far too often something seemingly comes to save the heroes, Owen manages to survive seemingly any situation despite being often out of his element and because of these things, while watching season 2 I never felt like a core, heroic character was in danger of dying.
That said, the show wasn't afraid to kill a villain or antihero in season 1, and this season is no different. And it still remains a surprise when it happens.
Overall, this show is just fun to watch. If I had to binge-watch season 2 of "The Recruit" or "The Night Agent" again, I'd pick "The Recruit" 10 times out of 10. It lacks a prestige element, but it also lacks any pretension of being prestige TV. If you're someone who loves watching an action movie or shows that never pretends to be more than it is — recent examples like "Plane" or "Hijack" spring to mind — then this is the show for you. It's not "Slow Horses" and it doesn't pretend to be. It's just fun as Hell to watch.
Stream "The Recruit" season 2 now on Netflix
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