Netflix spy thriller The Recruit has been canceled after two seasons, bringing an abrupt end to the Noah Centineo-led series just over a month after its second season premiered. The cancellation was confirmed by cast member Colton Dunn on social media platform Threads on March 5, 2025, marking a swift conclusion for the espionage drama that had returned with new episodes on January 30 after a two-year hiatus. The series followed Centino as Owen Hendricks, a young CIA lawyer navigating dangerous international conflicts, with Season 2 of The Recruit drastically expanded the series scope, shifting much of the action to Seoul, South Korea and introducing several new characters to the narrative. The show’s cancellation comes despite its appearance in Netflix’s Top 10 rankings following the second season’s release and an improved critical reception compared to its freshman outing.
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Dunn, who portrayed CIA employee Lester Kitchens throughout both seasons, broke the news to fans with a straightforward message on social media. “The Recruit has been cancelled yall. Such a bummer,” the actor wrote on Threads. “I’ll share some pics and fun memories on IG but just wanted you to hear it from me. Thanks if you watched. I’m AVAILABLE NOW! Hire me for you tv story!!” His post marked the first official confirmation of the show’s end, with Netflix maintaining its typical silence regarding the specific reasons behind the cancellation decision. The second season had featured Dunn alongside returning cast members Aarti Mann as Violet Ebner, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland, and Fivel Stewart as Hannah Copeland, while introducing Past Lives star Teo Yoo as South Korean intelligence agent Jang Kyun.
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Season two of The Recruit reduced the episode count from eight to six while expanding internationally with filming in Vancouver and Seoul. This shift in location reflected the narrative direction, which picked up from the first season’s cliffhanger ending involving Maddie Hasson’s character Nichka Lashin. In a February 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, before the cancellation announcement, Centineo expressed enthusiasm about the production experience, noting that “Reuniting with the cast on a personal level was just so good. They’re amazing people. We like each other, we love each other, we hang out with each other off set all the time.” The actor also specifically praised the Korean filming locations, stating that “Korea is incredible. It adds such a wonderful layer to the show, new colors and it’s a vibrant city, and it really shows in the second season.” Sadly, we’ll never know what the creative team of The Recruit had in store for Season 3.
The Recruit‘s Journey from Promising Renewal to Unexpected Conclusion
The cancellation represents a significant shift from the optimism that surrounded The Recruit when Netflix renewed it for a second season on January 26, 2023. At that time, both the streaming platform and the show’s creative team expressed confidence in the series’ future. Series creator and showrunner Alexi Hawley had stated: “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 has been incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait to turn it all up to 11 in Season 2.” Similarly, Centineo, who served as both star and executive producer, had shared: “I know I speak for our entire cast and executive team at eOne and Netflix when I say that we’re thrilled to be returning to The Recruit for a second season.”
Critical reception for The Recruit had actually improved with its second season, making the cancellation somewhat unexpected from a quality perspective. According to Rotten Tomatoes, while the first season earned a 68% approval rating, the second season jumped to 92% approval. Metacritic scores showed similar improvement, with the first season receiving a 59 out of 100 based on reviews, while the second season earned a 73 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable reviews.” Critics praised the show’s blend of espionage action with bureaucratic humor, as well as Centineo’s performance as the overwhelmed but resourceful CIA lawyer.
The cancellation means that questions raised in the second season will remain unresolved, as the final episode was not designed to serve as a series conclusion. While the show did not reach the longevity of some of Netflix’s most successful original series, its two-season run delivered a distinct take on the espionage genre that combined legal drama elements with international thriller conventions, creating a unique niche within the streaming service’s content library.
Both seasons of The Recruit remain available on Netflix.
How do you feel about the news? Were you excited about Season 3? Let us know in the comments!
