The Recruit
The Recruit
Now Showing

The Recruit

"Spy meets Seoul."

7.5
Yr 2022
Status Canceled
Drama Crime Action & Adventure
Your Verdict

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

Recruited out of law school by the CIA, a daredevil young attorney leaps unprepared into the dangerous world of international espionage.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 55 /100

Critical reception for The Recruit is polarized, split between viewers who enjoyed it as an undemanding, charismatic action romp and those who found the series to be a disjointed, forgettable experience. Supporters often point to Noah Centineo’s performance as a likable lead, praising the show’s humor and its ability to function as a breezy binge-watch.

Conversely, detractors criticize the series for its inconsistent tone, pacing issues, and lack of narrative impact. Many reviewers felt the show struggled to balance its spy-thriller elements with comedy, ultimately landing as a mundane or "dry" entry in the genre despite the high-concept premise.

“This is a delightfully fun romp through the world of espionage with a leading man finding himself in all the wrong places at all the right times.”

“Over the eight-episode series, The Recruit struggles to find a consistent tone, pace, and style.”

“Noah Centineo is a likable and charismatic lead, part everyman and part reluctant hero.”

“For an eight-hour-long series full of satire, dry humour, and failed mission after another, The Recruit is pretty forgettable.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Netflix
CA • UK • US
Netflix Standard with Ads
CA • UK • US
Why fans love it

The Recruit plays with the friction between mundane legal bureaucracy and the high-stakes chaos of global intelligence. By centering the story on a fresh law school graduate, the show strips away the typical aura of the seasoned spy, replacing tactical precision with the awkward reality of learning on the fly. It is a procedural perspective shift where office squabbles over contracts happen alongside life-threatening international incidents.

Noah Centineo drives this dynamic by portraying the protagonist as someone significantly out of their depth rather than a natural expert. The show leans into the absurdity of professional life within the CIA, focusing on how a rookie attorney navigates red tape while dodging physical peril. It finds its rhythm in these contrasting layers, balancing rapid pace with the dry, often frustrating technicalities of operating inside a powerful government agency.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 12
Longest run 14 eps
Noah Centineo
Noah Centineo
as Owen Hendricks
14 episodes
Colton Dunn
Colton Dunn
as Lester Kitchens
14 episodes
Laura Haddock
Laura Haddock
as Maxine Meladze
8 episodes
Aarti Mann
Aarti Mann
as Violet Ebner
14 episodes
Daniel Quincy Annoh
Daniel Quincy Annoh
as Terence
10 episodes
Fivel Stewart
Fivel Stewart
as Hannah Copeland
14 episodes
Kristian Bruun
Kristian Bruun
as Janus Ferber
14 episodes
Kaylah Zander
Kaylah Zander
as Amelia Salazar
13 episodes
Show 67 more
Maddie Hasson as Nichka Lashin/Karolina/Marta 8 episodes Angel Parker as Dawn Gilbane 12 episodes Teo Yoo as Jang Kyun 6 episodes Vondie Curtis-Hall as Walter Nyland 14 episodes Nathan Fillion as CIA Director Alton West 5 episodes Linus Roache as Senator Sebastian Smoot 2 episodes Daniel Jun as Grant 2 episodes Victor Andres Trelles Turgeon as Talco 4 episodes Jayce Barreiro as Sheriff Matt Ramirez 1 episode Gabriel Infante as The Other Jorge 3 episodes Pauline Little as Nyland's Secretary 5 episodes Leisa Reid as Senator Smoot's Secretary 1 episode Jesse Collin as Dodge 11 episodes Byron Mann as Xander Goi 5 episodes Alexandra Petrachuk as Kelly Kwitny 3 episodes Jamaal Grant as Liam 1 episode Vitali Makarov as General Kuznetsov 1 episode Ellis Arch as Tim Maeson 2 episodes Daniel Chichagov as Peytr 1 episode Mladen Obradović as Pavel 1 episode Maria Herrera as Nurse 1 episode Samantha Fins as Ratchy 1 episode Antony Pellerin as The Beard 1 episode Mimi Côté as Yadira 1 episode Jeroen Engelsman as Barnim 2 episodes Yung Ngo as Honghui 2 episodes Salka Weber as Shira 2 episodes Liliane Zillner as Myka 1 episode Tom Hanslmaier as Zaddy 1 episode Christian Geisberg as Frederick 1 episode Michael Duregger as Waiter 1 episode Willi Neuner as Delivery Man 1 episode Adrian Stowasser as German Male Driver 1 episode Travis Nelson as Linus 2 episodes Nico DeCastris as Jeff Gilbert 3 episodes Jake Lewis as Phantom 6 episodes Katharine King So as Sarah Okongo 3 episodes Kim Young-ah as Grace 6 episodes Shin Do-hyun as Yoo Jin Lee 5 episodes Lee Sang-hee as Nan Hee 5 episodes Andrew Woo as Duri 1 episode Robbie Segulam as Mail Clerk 1 episode Nicholas Pancine as 12 Year Old Owen 1 episode Vera Chu as 12 Year Old Yoo Jin Lee 1 episode Sean Millington as Armed Security Officer 1 episode James Yi as ROK Soldier 2 episodes Felix Solis as Tom Wallace 2 episodes Brooke Smith as Marcy Potter 3 episodes Devika Bhise as Juno Marsh 3 episodes Omar Maskati as Jai King 4 episodes Nico Wan as Ji Min 2 episodes Arghavan Jenati as Rina Whalen 1 episode Alana Hawley Purvis as Amanda Fern 2 episodes James Purefoy as Oliver Bonner-Jones 2 episodes Hiro Kanagawa as Kenta Nakano 2 episodes Kim Eui-sung as NIS Director Choi 2 episodes Bruce Baek as NIS General Counsel Park 2 episodes Kira Clavell as Mei Copeland 3 episodes Christian Jadah as Dave Standish 3 episodes Amanda Schull as Cora 2 episodes Jean Marchand as Attorney General 2 episodes Andy Assaf as Ahmed 2 episodes Stephanie Costa as Mo 2 episodes Sean Tucker as Larry 2 episodes David Denman as Kevin Mills 3 episodes Amanda Ip as Bricks 2 episodes Zeshaun Saleem as Arjun 2 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Recruit overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

central intelligence agency (cia) lawyer
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
December 16, 2022
Status
Canceled
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
484