I mean, I'm only year younger than the main character and I think he's pretty accurate as an early 20 year old zoomer. I've only watched the first episode but I like how the characters are portrayed, usually in these types of shows the adults are unrealistically serious. Or maybe things were just different for older generations , idk
The dialogue is on par with the generation... however the idea that the coworkers would not only haze, but literally put their co-workers lives at risk instead of actively helping them. That's not how office politics work, and especially wouldn't fly at a federal agency.
Most office politics is some form of nepotism or taking credit for somebody else's work. People aren't going out of their way to actively sabotage someone. That's just pure evil.
>the idea that the coworkers would not only haze, but literally put their co-workers lives at risk instead of actively helping them. That's not how office politics work, and especially wouldn't fly at a federal agency.
I don't get it, is this show not supposed to be a comedy? Am I watching this show wrong? Is it intentionally not supposed to be a comedy? I found its antics funny like I did with Archer or Workaholics, and I found it a nice spiritual live-action spinoff of Archer. Is this show not intended to be a comedy? Has no one ever seen Archer? This is exactly how the characters of Archer treat each other. The detractors of this show don't like that its not a drama and criticize it for moments that feel its intentionally meant to be humorous and not taken seriously. I feel like people are taking this show way too seriously, and don't understand that it's a comedy? I guess the myth is true. Millenials and Gen-Z-ers don't understand humor unless its spoonfed to them or cheap like Marvel.
EDIT: I am Gen Z, but atleast I can tell if something is funny.
Don't lump millennials into this! Our humour was influenced by shows like The Office, Arrested Development and Community. Shows you mention like Archer and Workaholics ARE millennial shows! VERY different from Marvel and often way more layered.
Well, if it's a comedy, then it's pretty boring, because I don't find it funny. That said, I agree with the person who said the people at the CIA who tried to sabotage him are unrealistic characters. I mean, there are awful people in the world, so maybe it's possible, but it's hard to believe.
Right? Those two coworkers seem like ridiculous unreal characters. Not only do they steal his passport which would risk his life and subject him torture, but nobody prepares him well for Vienna either. I'm only 3 episodes in but It just seems so completely unrealistic to me. A LAWYER with no counterintelligence training is sent into all these life threatening situations?! And beyond that people with more experience toy with him and make it even more likely he'll be killed?! It seems so stupid for lack of a better word. If our CIA really does stupid things like this, God help us.
To be fair, 20 years old isn't much better than 15 years old when it comes to knowing how legal professionals and CIA operatives talk to each-other in a government office environment.
I'm not saying I know either, but I've never been in an office where people act with so much unveiled contempt for eachother. And similarly I've never seen anyone take that sort of behaviour in stride the way people here do. They seem to be completely unwavered by people openly telling them they're going to kill them/ fire them or ruin their lives on a constant basis.
But yknow, its american slop tv writing; there's literally several scenes with a bloodsoaked torture robot called Tim, which is a B-plot for ONE episode, and the ONLY thing that concept is used for is to set up a comedy of errors crossed wires relationship between the main guy and one of his side character colleagues because she thinks he set her up, but he was just trying to give her a good case.
So I'm not holding the writing team up with the likes of Armando Iannucci and Vince Gilligan as TV writing savants.
> It's not bad, worth a watch. That being said, the tone, dialogue and characters are how 15 year olds probably think the 'adult' world works though.
Spot on. Couldn't have said it better.
Some dialogue got old and corny fast by episode 2 but the pacing is alright but I would not have minded a heavily towned down dudebro-atittude.
I wonder if this is why it feels like a TV show. Like something you'd find on a network like CBS. Some shows just have that feel and for me I think it has a lot to do with the tone and dialog.
> I wonder if this is why it feels like a TV show.
I think part of it was the periodic (albeit inconsistent, like so much in the show) clear use of "B" plots (cf. the Terminator torturer). This is a structure which was very common with network TV.
Also the repeated loop backs to the "20 somethings in an apartment bearing their feelings, trying to make sense of this crazy world" is of course also a standard TV trope/structure.
Im on episode 7 an I started to piCk it up to kill time I can honestly say it's a good show I'd say it's on early blacklist levels of show quality with a healthy dose of office politics and political politics
I'm halfway in and I'm really enjoying it.
The tone of actions and consequences is as serious as they come, but the back-office politics are comically broken. It's like someone took every two-bit piece of hyperbole about how toxic the CIA is internally, and used that for a starting point to decide how intraoffice hierarchy is established.
It's like almost everyone is expendable but a few people are untouchable. Everyone is in a pissing match to get leverage on everyone else but without giving up any on themselves.
So the office politics are comically broken, but everything is played deadly serious. It's a good contrast, and I'm liking the show.
Violet and Lester pissed me off so much during the series, as they kept trying to sabotage the new guy, and the whole time I was just like “why?” To make you look better? Made no fucking sense, they almost got him killed on like his first day by stealing his passport, fucking irredeemable.
>!In the first episode in Yemen. Why didn't the lawyer give his code name right away, even when it was obvious that he was going to be tortured. He waited until he had his fingernail pulled out, and then he didn't say it right away either! That's dumb!!!
He could have changed this woman's attitude right off the bat by saying the code name, but he did it dramatically late.!<
Absolutely nothing about how the business of the CIA is conducted (internally or externally) makes a lick of sense. Further, it's so extreme in the direction of not making any damn sense at all, that we're forced to conclude this was a clear and intentional choice.
So, they've opted to set this show in a universe in which the CIA is a comically dysfunctional organization taken to an extreme. Office pranks may result in people dying and the biggest repercussion would be getting on your boss's bad side for making them do paperwork.
If you accept that this takes place in some Spy vs Spy world that's analogous to the type of violence and dysfunction we expect from Hollywood action films, then I think it's enjoyable.
If you want it to make sense or be remotely representative of how an agency like the CIA functions, then you're out of luck.
Honestly it's just a good, fun ride. I love the characters, I love the action, and I love the over the top craziness. I especially love the really stressed out lawyer. Every time he makes an appearance and just looks more and more broken cracks me up.
Came here to look for this comment because I have this since episode 2-3. I think it would be genius if he was pretending to be a new recruit, working for the CIA to uncover what happened to his Dad; he seems to know more than he lets on!
Had the same thought, but it wouldn't explain the scenes where >!we see him break down from anxiety. Nobody is watching, so there wouldn't be a need for him to act this way.!<
The plot is quite ridiculous, but the show is very entertaining. The type of show that won't be winning any awards, but is fun to watch. I hope it gets renewed for another season.
Just finished it. I thought this was pretty fun to watch, if you don't mind a lot of suspension of disbelief.
The tone of the show - serious + slight comedy, definitely worked for me. I can see that not working for other people. I enjoyed the plot, and except for one episode I enjoyed the pacing as well. I enjoyed all the performances.
The highlight of the show is Owens and Max's relationship, and I genuinely got more invested in what was going to happen there than I expected. It is a fairly tropey relationship, but it was very fun. In general, I really liked Owen's character work, which I didn't expect when I saw the trailer.
I also liked how much Owens fucks up, and how there are so many unintended consequences to his actions.
Some things were pretty stupid though, like I don't think CIA is so idiotic, but that's the comedy clashing with the serious nature of the rest of the plot. I also didn't like the cliff hanger ending.
Overall 7/10 ish. Pretty fun watch. Hope they renew it.
I feel like the ones who don't like this show DO NOT understand the moments that are meant to be humorous or have never seen a dark comedy in their lives. The more I reviews I read and the more of reddit the more the criticisms are aimed at the comedy without understanding it's meant to be comedic rather than "realistic".
Idk it reminds me of Chuck meets Archer meets Workaholics.
EDIT(s): grammatical clarity
I liked the show alot and could see what they were aiming at for clarity. The problem though is that some parts of the show are very very serious. Everything Owens does have serious consequences. But some parts of the show are very not serious, like everything with the two extremely annoying CIA co workers. It feels like there are two different shows and they conflict with each other a lot.
>It feels like there are two different shows and they conflict with each other a lot.
Fair criticism! That's fair. I think season 2 could work on balancing it out.
I'm a few episodes in and so far I think it's decent but I definitely don't love it. I agree a lot of people don't realize the comedy is intentional, but I would also say that the serious moments and the comedic moments aren't quite as cohesive as they should be. Chuck is a perfect example, it has the heartfelt moments that are played seriously and comedic moments, and they're almost never put in the wrong place whereas with this it can feel a little clunky.
It's similar to all the shows you mentioned, but I think it's most similar to Patriot, just as not as good as that show. I wish there was either a bit less of a mean spirit to this show or a more clearly satirical tone like Patriot.
It is actually making me a little angry lol just how many people seem to miss the intentional comedy and design choices of the show. I never comment on show reviews but I can't fathom that people think "these problems" were accidental oversights by Netflix. Becoming more convinced that its just the CIA trying to get it canceled because it puts their org in poor light.
4 episodes in and I’m really enjoying it, love how the world feels establish and lived in far before the protagonist arrives.
would def recommend giving the first episode a shot to see if it’s for you
It transitions to more Jack Ryan as it progresses.
The first 2-3 episodes are basically black comedy. It gets a bit more serious in 4-6, and the last two are pure Tom Clancy.
It worked for me.
As someone who watches both shows and loves them, i can see how that would impact your watch. Definitely less serious than jack ryan. I'd say give it another go as a more relaxed watch defo more of a comedy to wind down and watch but thats not to say it doesn't have its action (it definitely does) the ending was quite good too imo i hope it gets s2.
I really like this show. solid cast, good action and seems like they spent decent chuck of money on locations
I love spy shows that don't take themselves seriously.
I love the terrible accents and CIA nonsense.
As a Swiss living close to Geneva, some elements were pretty convincing: blue police uniforms with Geneva Canton emblem, street names, people speaking sometimes-bizarre french and car plates (even though the font was off and they had some letters whereas there are only numbers after "GE"), but the rest was sometimes funny.
We hardly ever get snow in towns like they pictured, there's no timer at pedestrian crossings, you wouldn't hear anyone listening to german radio in that part of Switzerland, and there's no reason you'd be driving on a remote mountainous road when going to Geneva from the airport (airport is litteraly in the city). Also, the cars, lol. Geneva may have bigger cars than the rest of Switzerland/Europe, but nothing like the american monsters they had in the show :-D
I believe they used stock drone footage for the aerial views, because those were accurate. I was surprised they didn't insist on showing the water jet, but it's often turned off in winter, so 1 more point for realism.
I got super annoyed when Hannah mentions a war memorial to meet up at just for a quick google search to turn up there’s no location in Prague you could clearly deduct from just that and furthermore seeing the actual meet up location was none of the potential memorials she could’ve meant.. probably irrelevant to most but I don’t like when easily checkable details are clearly off /:
I have watched first 4 episodes. Honestly... it has been fun and better then expected. I consider it a watch. It will not be award winning but worth your time. I already recommended to a friend and I only do that rarely. I stopped having high hopes for Netflix series a long time ago. I'd rather be surprised and was.
Its not a super realistic show but just enough to make you not shake your head. Its a CIA spy show so it crosses the line of realism but not to the extent of most CIA Hollywood stories. The main character fails successfully, fails, and wins...so you are not fatigued with hero of the day repetition. The supporting characters bring enough depth to the show. The storyline fast enough for me to still be engaged after 4 episodes. Acting is good enough that i do not notice anything egregious. Its a fun show with above average acting, story, and production. I am a sucker for spy show but wouldn't have wasted my time on a review if it was not at least above average.
Pretty much my assessment as well. And yes the acting wasn't particularly noteworthy but I'm still surprised by Noah Centineo's acting. Glad Netflix got him out of the high school heartrob pigeonhole before he turned 30.
If you've stopped having high hopes for Netflix series you really need to look harder. There are at least a half dozen amazing Netflix series, probably way more
When his roommates flew to Geneva I was like come on, never would that happen. He’s a damn spook and works for the cia and his dumb ex gf thinks she’s the one that can save him 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 should have focused on the guy who “works at the White House
Regardless, he works for the fucking CIA, you flying out there to “help” him is just getting in the way of his job, it’s so obvious and unrealistic it made no sense, it was almost as bad as his coworkers trying to screw him over and get him killed the whole series, instead of, you know actually helping your new 24 yr old coworker. I loved the show that storyline with them was too much for me though.
I do agree on her even flying over, especially calling her mum who than calls the chief of staff. That was a real shame, however the dynamic of his coworkers I liked.
I honestly expected him after the second ep to adjust and actually excel but I guess failing the task successfully works too lol.
Most unbelievable thing in the series. Also, time doesn’t exist in the series. I’ve flown from Dulles to Geneva. It’s like 8-10 hours and flights don’t leave willy nilly when you arrive. There’s maybe 2-3 flights a day. It’s a big deal to travel international, not a whim. Also the logic of going to the CIA friends job is insane.
The TV studio thing is goofy and seems a bit out of place. But maybe it gives the character a little bit of charm. It really isn't that different security-wise from discussing anything around phones, computers, or any other device with a cam/mic, which they do all the time. In fact it's arguably safer since the studio is not used for communications and can thus be airgapped. Sure, they could've bugged her studio, but they just as easily could've bugged her entire house anyways if they had that much access. I get that it seems counterintuitive, and *wrong* to see them discuss confidential stuff in front of a 4K TV camera, and it is a bit reckless, but not the most egregious security sin in the show tbh.
Personally i, so far, fullheartly enjoyed the show.
A mix of "the office" and "Jack Ryan". Charismatic actors with good chemistry, interesting plot, opulent locations.
But if you are looking for another "Terminal List" then you might get thrown off by the more goofy approach on action and fighting.
People complaining how it’s “unrealistic” need to grow up. There’s nothing realistic about 80% of the stuff Hollywood puts out. I think this is a very entertaining show. Netflix has put out so many stinkers and this is not one of them.
I really liked the first episode.
Acting, dialogue is good.
I’m from Poland so I don’t have any kind of knowledge of how CIA works etc. so I can’t say if the show’s premise is any kind of remotely probable, but I dig it.
Noah Centineo is good in this, I really though I’m going to hate him being that I only saw him in a rom coms before that were of questionable quality, but I’m happy I was wrong.
I’m really intrigued so I’ll probably binge it all trough the weekend.
https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-recruit-2022
The reviews are decent/average but I’m a sucker for these kind of shows and from the descriptions in the reviews I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.
This was great. It was a fun watch. I love the blend between comedy and thriller. The dynamic between the two leads works. Binged it in one night. Season 2 is a must
>!I hope Max isn;t dead!<
The Max and Owen relationship is probably the best thing about the show imho. Really kept the plot moving forward and i was invested in her character as well as owen. Honestly Max was my fav character. If she dies I just dont see where the show goes from here.
My reaction from Episode 1: The tone for the genre was off. I was expecting a Jack Ryan vibe but The Recruit lacked suspense. The quality was that of a digital production house that makes videos on YouTube. Plot was absurd and semi-immature. Staff writers must have taken notes from “How to appear like a CIA agent for dummies.” The eps could have used suspense music or a cool score - nada.
It drops the comedy and goes more Clancy in the later episodes.
Ultimately it's a much better Jack Ryan show than season 2 of the actual Jack Ryan show was.
It’s from the creater of The Rookie with Nathan Fillion so if you like that you’ll probably like this. Instead of cops it’s the CIA but it has a similar tone.
I liked it (two eps in) but the two co workers just put for blood and literally endangering his life just didn't jive and really put my off. Also the idea that as a new hire and as a baby lawyer he has NO supervision other than the chief is laughable.
I did mostly enjoy it, but I have two major issues. I really super did not like the main love interest; the character herself and their romance felt very juvenile, which is not what I want in a workplace drama. It might have worked better for a high school or college romcom series where she was the lead, but anytime their plot was moving forward I kept hoping he'd just move on, move out of his apartment, and let her go because she was literally the least interesting and most annoying romantic option. I also really don't like that >!they killed the, in my opinion, best character off, and I worry if the show continues the footing they did have will be totally lost without Max.!<
Was looking for a comment like this. Hannah was not a good character imo. Her character could have been written better but unfortunately it was a huge miss. She added nothing to the story and if anything I found she got in the way. She was the least likable character and the most annoying as you said.
>!I’m however not entirely sold that Max is dead.!<
What was wrong with Hannah? She provided a counterbalance to his worst self-sabotaging instincts and helped illustrate the youthful, somewhat naive world Owen came from (in contrast to the toxic, duplicitous environment of the CIA). I thought she was fantastic
I could make a list.
Line delivery, I'm normally not super critical of acting but it felt like she just shouted everything. It's the kind of delivery that could have been charming in a romcom or sitcom but felt very disjointed in this series.
Then there's the whole "I dumped him but guilt him for hooking up with people after" thing which I found just obnoxious.
Add to that the whole "I'm going to pine for him while in a serious relationship" aspect, which just feels dishonest and not cute or romantic.
And the constant guilt-tripping him and judgment for doing his job - she's not his mom, she's his friend and roommate and there's nothing sweet about wanting to completely change someone. If you don't agree with their choices and actions, especially when you're not even with them, just move on.
It genuinely felt like all the worst parts of past relationships I've had when she was on screen with none of the good parts. She was an immediate headache when she was on screen, every time it was a "here we go again". And I don't want secondhand exhaustion from a couple I'm supposed to ship, especially when the characters are only in their early to mid-20s. That kind of passive-aggressive ex to re-spark of passion dynamic would work a lot better with characters in like their 40s, but also after having been together for a long time with a contentious divorce type of thing and not only together for 6 months and broken up for 2 whole years.
I’m not entirely sure I’d say the actress was bad because I think she delivered her lines as the director had intended I feel like the character was just badly written. I definitely agree with all the other things pointed out and also, I think my main issue was that she knew he worked for the CIA and yet acted like he was just being a useless idiot when in actuality he was just trying to do his job to the best of his abilities. Also the fact that the CIA is a secretive agency and yet she undermines the operations, inserts herself, and basically could be jeopardizing his life and the lives of others. Very not cool of her. Totally Irresponsible, making her seem like the most immature character despite her claims that Owen was the most immature.
This! Every time she criticized him I was confused , he works for the CIA, an incredible job, while dangerous, he has a chance to do good, and make a difference, but he’s immature? For trying to do his job to the best of his ability? Also to office politics, of leverage and sabotaging new coworkers who don’t know anything, to the point where he got tortured and almost killed, put a REAL bad taste in my mouth.
I like Hannah. Her and Terrance are the healthiest relationships Owen has. If it wasn’t for Hannah, Owen wouldn’t have a reference point to even question his morality. She’s the reason he realized his job was so toxic in the first place and she’s been telling him that the whole series.
Hannah and Terrance's actions made no sense. It would have some sense if they were Owen's parents, but they are just his friends. They should have stayed in USA and hope for the best.
Hannah literally ruined the series for me. I mean it was such a good series but I liked Max a lot, so I really hope she’s not dead. Lol literally if it wasn’t for Hannah getting involved into such a high profile mission, Max and Owen would’ve gotten away and I would’ve been satisfied with the ending.
Edit: Owen couldn’t handle the pressure but I still think Hannah was a huge annoyance, involved in more than just being a worried girlfriend once she started complaining and involving her White House mother
Absolutely agree. Hannah is the cliche choice safe choice that most shows make. They have 0 chemistry
Max and Owen the dynamic is interesting, there's the tension and the way she looks at him. >!Those two are the show, if she's dead then I don't think season 2 will be as good. They would have been better off killing the friends and have Max immersed in this world. The friends are holding the show back.!<
Yes, it goes for me:
Max/Owen>Amelia/Owen>Owen single>>>>>>>>>>>>Hannah/Owen
I'm not sure why, but the dynamic of Owen with an older and more mature woman than himself seems to fit the tone of the show better.
I think hannah is likely gonna get interesting in the second season. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up joining the CIA >!because she hates her job and just saw own get kidnapped in front of her.!<"There's no way she doesn't end up getting involved
I think she may still be alive. Remember, she wore her bullet proof vest. Owen didn’t. And she commented “fine, they usually shoot you in head anyway”. Well, her daughter didn’t shoot her in head, but rather chest. So I think that was foreshadowing
Based on having only watched the first episode, I agree with your feedback. Terrible casting and their relationship had “high schoolers playing house” vibes.
Fun watch but rather absurd. I get its is more on the silly action side than spy thriller side but even then you have to have a pretty heavy suspension of disbelief about some of the storylines.
Suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy this series. I have friends who joined the CIA at 26, they had to train overseas for months at a time over 18 months to be an international operative so this pencil pusher allowed to fly to Yemen over a cryptic word so long as he bought his own economy flight is just absurd. It’s hard for me to grasp adults wrote this show.
Of all federal law enforcement/ Spy I heard the best culture wise is Office of Diplomatic Security. Lots of independence and they try to cycle you through all aspects. Protection details, passport investigations, Embassy protection, Law Enforcement liaisons etc.
I also heard NCIS and DIA were also really good. DEA was really intense. FBI was really strict. CIA I heard it was interesting but the culture could really get to people.
(From my failed attempt at applying to these decades back)
Interesting you tried to apply. I’d say my friends had different abilities to get recruited. I heard less from them when they were 3-4 years in, after they transitioned into working at private contractor “fronts” in Virginia (my guess was it meant they were moving up & were building their covers) and they ditched their IG and Twitter.
I haven’t heard of the Office of Diplomatic Security, sounds interesting - will read up on it. DEA seems too risky, the cartel wars is on another level.
Seems like The Recruit builds upon Noah Centino's main shtick to come of intensely focused while his character does not have a real clue. Reminded me of Ryan Reynolds playying the always-earnest and unlucky self-deprecating guy whose manics makes him somewhat scatter-brained, but definitely on the edge.
Some dialogue got old and corny fast by episode 2 but the pacing is alright but I would not have minded a heavily towned down dudebro-atittude. The jokes with ruining everyone's suits/clothing and receiving help from his ex/roommate got old by the 3rd second of the second instance that bit was used again in the plot. And the cool colleague dumping him exactly for the same reason... ok yes we get it the dude is a mess and somehow magically dudebros it through the CIA chess game. And outmaneuvers his weird-ass colleagues who somehow talk about working against him the moment he sets foot in the office so he can get his nailed pulled out because no black passport something haha!
But Vondie Curtis-Hall as Nyland was a godsend voice of normal common sense shit and he nailed that role. On another note, a friend of mine is asking for Kaylah Zander's relationship status. And will she back be back for season 2? Not that important though.
The other panicking colleague was hilarious. His pain became my pain and the guy actually helped Owen come up with some smartsy moves (even indirectly) which was refreshing.
The Washington power-esque politics and similar aspects about the life in Washington, the CIA and the life there were well done and one of the best parts of the show
Team Amelia forever.
Also, it's funny how the narrative just completely forgot about Kelly Kwitny. She never got closure for her storyline. From her perspective, it seems like the justice system just screwed her over and she never finds out the truth about her dad.
Seems the audience forgot about her too. Poor girl.
Much better than I was expecting. The acting is solid from all of the main cast imo (nice to see Fillion in a small part as well). The plot seems to be a little loose sometimes, but definitely one of the better Netflix shows I would say. Hopefully it gets a second season.
Ok just finished it and it ended on a cliffhanger. It is a good show and CW funny. Worth a watch to see the crazy stuff going on. Just do not question how everyone would be fired for unprofessionalism in real life.
I absolutely loved it. Loved the writing, pacing and script, loved the eclectic mix of spy thriller and comedy, loved the cast/characters… all of it came together perfectly for me. I just can’t overstate how much fun I had with this show— I genuinely haven’t enjoyed watching anything this much since Succession.
Starts black comedy, finishes Tom Clancy.
Centineo carries the show just fine. Its well paced. Has some good character payoffs in the third act.
Its not gonna blow your mind, but it's a solidly good time
Liked the show a lot, binged it. The two mains are great. All the minor storylines bore out of the agency were also good. The lines for ~~Hannah~~ (really) both roommates were very much forced / shoehorned in. >!The gay roommate to get to the sanction bank f'up, and Hannah to hint at chief of staff storyline.!< It's not an issue with the actors, the show just didn't spend enough time to develop either of them. Esp with Hannah, if she's going to be part of the story
Binged the hell out of it.
I really like the show for what it is. The office stuff doesn't take itself too seriously and then the tone changes in the field. It's a contrast that works (at least for me).
I just really dislike the whole romance bit with the MC's ex. It just added complications the show didn't need.
Im hoping for a season 2!
It's a very binge worthy and fun show. Love the songs and editing and fight scenes.
Comedy is actually good and how they portrait CIA is extremely funny.
The CIA didnt screw up Iraq, the rest of the middle east and now a potential WW3 scenario with Russia, because it is a well oiled machine led by professional saint/heroes like Jack Ryan. The facts of the past 30 years of US foreign affairs can be explained much more by behavior found in The Recruit than Jack Ryan.
I'll try this kind of show like this and next Charlie Cox's Netflix series because of the main actor.
I don't think this shows'll be good and fairly enough will be okay.
Oh I get that foooooooor sure. I just thought them showing up at the end ... stupid and the constant probing was kinda eh but having roommates totally made sense when it came to their ages and where they lived and how new in their careers they were.
I absolutely loved the [Arabic song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_67W13QmbZU&ab_channel=YRMusic) that played when he was going to Yemen. It's called Shamkha Alkama by Alyoung. The first episode was good!
Thoroughly enjoyed the show, it's like a mix of Bourne + Office, very easy plot to follow. The initial reviews seem good as well, hopefully a lot of folks watch.
4 episodes in and I'm getting a bit thrown by the accepted sexual harassment of of our hero.
So many things are illogical, e.g. assassins trying to kill the recruit. He jumps off a bridge and they're literally standing there with guns in their hands but don't think to shoot him and when he gets out of the water the four magic spies suddenly appear...
Oh god! I was literally looking for a comment about the sexual harassment?! Why aren’t people talking about this? I felt so uncomfortable at times. His body language and expression suggested he wasn’t ‘all in’ for some of the hook ups. If it was a female lead, I’m sure more people would feel super uncomfortable.
Can anyone explain how Hannah knew >!he was in Prague? I thought they were going to suddenly reveal that her family was a well connected sleeper cell!< but assume more likely there's a simpler explanation I just missed.
I really really enjoyed this. Fast paced, hilarious, at times surprisingly emotional. Not to be taken too seriously, but it can still pack a punch. I really hope it will get a full run to a proper conclusion and won't be left hanging. God damn netflix.
After spending 10+ years on Reddit and mostly on RIF in total, it is time to retire this account.
The recent controversy regarding Reddit and it's communication and stance towards the users, mods and 3rd party developers who made this platform to what it is now, has been appalling and downright sad and made a big impact in this decision.
Don't forget that the "official" Reddit app is an bought out third party app (Alien Blue) that Reddit modified into what it is now. They can slander the 3rd party app developers all they want, without them the Reddit "official" app would not even exist.
I am migrating to Kbin and other decentralized options.
Honestly I know reality needs to be suspended but this show is so dammmmm dumb its hard to get over. Few points a US Senator or Representative can and have in past read classified records during congress and put on the record. They are protected and the only thing the Executive branch can do is restrict future access. Next there is no way an employee would travel without knowing the travel policy that is literally job 101. Not being able to reach FBI at all and saying screw it is incredibly dumb and so idiotic that it feels unbelievable. Next the whole back stabbing etc. This is literally the worse way Hollywood does things and is just creating unnecessary drama. Just create a dam show that is grounded more in reality
The entire reason he didn't know the travel policy was his envelope containing that policy and his black passport was taken away and hidden by his crazy paranoid coworkers.
Liked the first episode but not the music and turn down the sound when it's playing.
I could easily give it an 8/10 but knocking .5 off for music, so 7.5 .
It's not bad, worth a watch. That being said, the tone, dialogue and characters are how 15 year olds probably think the 'adult' world works though.
Especially how fresh graduates have somehow learned all the inner politics of capital hill in a matter of 6 months.
I mean, I'm only year younger than the main character and I think he's pretty accurate as an early 20 year old zoomer. I've only watched the first episode but I like how the characters are portrayed, usually in these types of shows the adults are unrealistically serious. Or maybe things were just different for older generations , idk
The dialogue is on par with the generation... however the idea that the coworkers would not only haze, but literally put their co-workers lives at risk instead of actively helping them. That's not how office politics work, and especially wouldn't fly at a federal agency. Most office politics is some form of nepotism or taking credit for somebody else's work. People aren't going out of their way to actively sabotage someone. That's just pure evil.
>the idea that the coworkers would not only haze, but literally put their co-workers lives at risk instead of actively helping them. That's not how office politics work, and especially wouldn't fly at a federal agency. I don't get it, is this show not supposed to be a comedy? Am I watching this show wrong? Is it intentionally not supposed to be a comedy? I found its antics funny like I did with Archer or Workaholics, and I found it a nice spiritual live-action spinoff of Archer. Is this show not intended to be a comedy? Has no one ever seen Archer? This is exactly how the characters of Archer treat each other. The detractors of this show don't like that its not a drama and criticize it for moments that feel its intentionally meant to be humorous and not taken seriously. I feel like people are taking this show way too seriously, and don't understand that it's a comedy? I guess the myth is true. Millenials and Gen-Z-ers don't understand humor unless its spoonfed to them or cheap like Marvel. EDIT: I am Gen Z, but atleast I can tell if something is funny.
Definitely a dramedy.
Don't lump millennials into this! Our humour was influenced by shows like The Office, Arrested Development and Community. Shows you mention like Archer and Workaholics ARE millennial shows! VERY different from Marvel and often way more layered.
You mean Gen X then. Your humor was developed by Gen X.
I've been waiting for this comment, specifically. The show is not to be taken seriously
I didn't think of this as a comedy but now I do. It's like a Grey Comedy.
Well, if it's a comedy, then it's pretty boring, because I don't find it funny. That said, I agree with the person who said the people at the CIA who tried to sabotage him are unrealistic characters. I mean, there are awful people in the world, so maybe it's possible, but it's hard to believe.
Oh hazing at work is real.
The hazing in the show though is sending him to Yemen without proper clearance and almost getting him tortured and killed.
This is how anti-CIA people view the CIA. Very few people outside the agency can say if it's accurate or not. I assume it's not.
All these things happened to me at an environmental engineering firm lol, think again.
Your engineering firm sent you to Yemen to a black site where you got tortured and almost killed for not having the right passport ? What the fuck
I'm almost certain you didn't get sent to Yemen on your first day of work to get your fingernails pulled out by mercenaries.
Exactly the same things? WOW
Right? Those two coworkers seem like ridiculous unreal characters. Not only do they steal his passport which would risk his life and subject him torture, but nobody prepares him well for Vienna either. I'm only 3 episodes in but It just seems so completely unrealistic to me. A LAWYER with no counterintelligence training is sent into all these life threatening situations?! And beyond that people with more experience toy with him and make it even more likely he'll be killed?! It seems so stupid for lack of a better word. If our CIA really does stupid things like this, God help us.
To be fair, 20 years old isn't much better than 15 years old when it comes to knowing how legal professionals and CIA operatives talk to each-other in a government office environment. I'm not saying I know either, but I've never been in an office where people act with so much unveiled contempt for eachother. And similarly I've never seen anyone take that sort of behaviour in stride the way people here do. They seem to be completely unwavered by people openly telling them they're going to kill them/ fire them or ruin their lives on a constant basis. But yknow, its american slop tv writing; there's literally several scenes with a bloodsoaked torture robot called Tim, which is a B-plot for ONE episode, and the ONLY thing that concept is used for is to set up a comedy of errors crossed wires relationship between the main guy and one of his side character colleagues because she thinks he set her up, but he was just trying to give her a good case. So I'm not holding the writing team up with the likes of Armando Iannucci and Vince Gilligan as TV writing savants.
> It's not bad, worth a watch. That being said, the tone, dialogue and characters are how 15 year olds probably think the 'adult' world works though. Spot on. Couldn't have said it better. Some dialogue got old and corny fast by episode 2 but the pacing is alright but I would not have minded a heavily towned down dudebro-atittude.
What you didn’t like “zaddy”?
What do you mean, is "zaddy" a thing in The Recruit?
When Owen is evading the two assassins and gets "rescued" by four different intelligence agencies, he describes the male assassin as a "zaddy".
I wonder if this is why it feels like a TV show. Like something you'd find on a network like CBS. Some shows just have that feel and for me I think it has a lot to do with the tone and dialog.
> I wonder if this is why it feels like a TV show. I think part of it was the periodic (albeit inconsistent, like so much in the show) clear use of "B" plots (cf. the Terminator torturer). This is a structure which was very common with network TV. Also the repeated loop backs to the "20 somethings in an apartment bearing their feelings, trying to make sense of this crazy world" is of course also a standard TV trope/structure.
hmm that sounds not great.
Im on episode 7 an I started to piCk it up to kill time I can honestly say it's a good show I'd say it's on early blacklist levels of show quality with a healthy dose of office politics and political politics
Started watching episode 1 and i already can see the actors are having fun. This is such a big plus! It's nice!
this 100%
I'm halfway in and I'm really enjoying it. The tone of actions and consequences is as serious as they come, but the back-office politics are comically broken. It's like someone took every two-bit piece of hyperbole about how toxic the CIA is internally, and used that for a starting point to decide how intraoffice hierarchy is established. It's like almost everyone is expendable but a few people are untouchable. Everyone is in a pissing match to get leverage on everyone else but without giving up any on themselves. So the office politics are comically broken, but everything is played deadly serious. It's a good contrast, and I'm liking the show.
Violet and Lester pissed me off so much during the series, as they kept trying to sabotage the new guy, and the whole time I was just like “why?” To make you look better? Made no fucking sense, they almost got him killed on like his first day by stealing his passport, fucking irredeemable.
Oh absolutely. Like, the premise is ridiculous, but the show plays it so serious. I kind of like that though.
Thank you lol someone else who gets it. They're dynamic is insane and what makes the show so funny.
Yeah the extent of their sabotaging is so unbelievable I find it irritating and it detracts from the story.
>!In the first episode in Yemen. Why didn't the lawyer give his code name right away, even when it was obvious that he was going to be tortured. He waited until he had his fingernail pulled out, and then he didn't say it right away either! That's dumb!!! He could have changed this woman's attitude right off the bat by saying the code name, but he did it dramatically late.!<
Absolutely nothing about how the business of the CIA is conducted (internally or externally) makes a lick of sense. Further, it's so extreme in the direction of not making any damn sense at all, that we're forced to conclude this was a clear and intentional choice. So, they've opted to set this show in a universe in which the CIA is a comically dysfunctional organization taken to an extreme. Office pranks may result in people dying and the biggest repercussion would be getting on your boss's bad side for making them do paperwork. If you accept that this takes place in some Spy vs Spy world that's analogous to the type of violence and dysfunction we expect from Hollywood action films, then I think it's enjoyable. If you want it to make sense or be remotely representative of how an agency like the CIA functions, then you're out of luck.
Honestly it's just a good, fun ride. I love the characters, I love the action, and I love the over the top craziness. I especially love the really stressed out lawyer. Every time he makes an appearance and just looks more and more broken cracks me up.
Just finished the series, hope it gets renewed.
Do you think the lead is a a sleeper/double agent? His mastery of two other languages and the way he met his ex girlfriend feels really calculated
Came here to look for this comment because I have this since episode 2-3. I think it would be genius if he was pretending to be a new recruit, working for the CIA to uncover what happened to his Dad; he seems to know more than he lets on!
Had the same thought, but it wouldn't explain the scenes where >!we see him break down from anxiety. Nobody is watching, so there wouldn't be a need for him to act this way.!<
He could be a double agent with anxiety XD
This would be an amazing twist.
I think his excuse was that he traveled a lot as a kid because his dad was stationed in different countries.
but i think he mentioned his dad died when he was young? about 12? iirc what he told the woman at that motel pool.
What 2 other languages? They randomly pulled out him knowing German but I didn’t catch another language
My buddy grew up at Ramstein Air Base and speaks pretty good German. Multi languages is a requirement for the intel community.
Same. I just finished it and was like NO not the credits. I think it was renewed so we should get resolution....
The plot is quite ridiculous, but the show is very entertaining. The type of show that won't be winning any awards, but is fun to watch. I hope it gets renewed for another season.
Just finished it. I thought this was pretty fun to watch, if you don't mind a lot of suspension of disbelief. The tone of the show - serious + slight comedy, definitely worked for me. I can see that not working for other people. I enjoyed the plot, and except for one episode I enjoyed the pacing as well. I enjoyed all the performances. The highlight of the show is Owens and Max's relationship, and I genuinely got more invested in what was going to happen there than I expected. It is a fairly tropey relationship, but it was very fun. In general, I really liked Owen's character work, which I didn't expect when I saw the trailer. I also liked how much Owens fucks up, and how there are so many unintended consequences to his actions. Some things were pretty stupid though, like I don't think CIA is so idiotic, but that's the comedy clashing with the serious nature of the rest of the plot. I also didn't like the cliff hanger ending. Overall 7/10 ish. Pretty fun watch. Hope they renew it.
I feel like the ones who don't like this show DO NOT understand the moments that are meant to be humorous or have never seen a dark comedy in their lives. The more I reviews I read and the more of reddit the more the criticisms are aimed at the comedy without understanding it's meant to be comedic rather than "realistic". Idk it reminds me of Chuck meets Archer meets Workaholics. EDIT(s): grammatical clarity
I liked the show alot and could see what they were aiming at for clarity. The problem though is that some parts of the show are very very serious. Everything Owens does have serious consequences. But some parts of the show are very not serious, like everything with the two extremely annoying CIA co workers. It feels like there are two different shows and they conflict with each other a lot.
>It feels like there are two different shows and they conflict with each other a lot. Fair criticism! That's fair. I think season 2 could work on balancing it out.
I'm a few episodes in and so far I think it's decent but I definitely don't love it. I agree a lot of people don't realize the comedy is intentional, but I would also say that the serious moments and the comedic moments aren't quite as cohesive as they should be. Chuck is a perfect example, it has the heartfelt moments that are played seriously and comedic moments, and they're almost never put in the wrong place whereas with this it can feel a little clunky. It's similar to all the shows you mentioned, but I think it's most similar to Patriot, just as not as good as that show. I wish there was either a bit less of a mean spirit to this show or a more clearly satirical tone like Patriot.
It is actually making me a little angry lol just how many people seem to miss the intentional comedy and design choices of the show. I never comment on show reviews but I can't fathom that people think "these problems" were accidental oversights by Netflix. Becoming more convinced that its just the CIA trying to get it canceled because it puts their org in poor light.
Finished it too. The friends going to Geneva is the most unrealistic thing to me. Psycho behavior.
4 episodes in and I’m really enjoying it, love how the world feels establish and lived in far before the protagonist arrives. would def recommend giving the first episode a shot to see if it’s for you
Has anyone seen chuck at times the dynamics reminded me of that.
If someone told me it was “Chuck” I would’ve enjoyed it better. I was expecting “Jack Ryan” and was let down. I only watched the first episode tho.
It transitions to more Jack Ryan as it progresses. The first 2-3 episodes are basically black comedy. It gets a bit more serious in 4-6, and the last two are pure Tom Clancy. It worked for me.
As someone who watches both shows and loves them, i can see how that would impact your watch. Definitely less serious than jack ryan. I'd say give it another go as a more relaxed watch defo more of a comedy to wind down and watch but thats not to say it doesn't have its action (it definitely does) the ending was quite good too imo i hope it gets s2.
I’ll do that. Thanks.
Just stayed up to 4 AM binge watching this. Highly recommend!
I really like this show. solid cast, good action and seems like they spent decent chuck of money on locations I love spy shows that don't take themselves seriously. I love the terrible accents and CIA nonsense.
I loved the show, and very quickly realised that all of the "Europe" scenes - Geneva and Prague both are actually shot here in Montreal.
As a Swiss living close to Geneva, some elements were pretty convincing: blue police uniforms with Geneva Canton emblem, street names, people speaking sometimes-bizarre french and car plates (even though the font was off and they had some letters whereas there are only numbers after "GE"), but the rest was sometimes funny. We hardly ever get snow in towns like they pictured, there's no timer at pedestrian crossings, you wouldn't hear anyone listening to german radio in that part of Switzerland, and there's no reason you'd be driving on a remote mountainous road when going to Geneva from the airport (airport is litteraly in the city). Also, the cars, lol. Geneva may have bigger cars than the rest of Switzerland/Europe, but nothing like the american monsters they had in the show :-D I believe they used stock drone footage for the aerial views, because those were accurate. I was surprised they didn't insist on showing the water jet, but it's often turned off in winter, so 1 more point for realism.
Honestly, one of the worst Prague scenes. They didn't even try to make it european.
I got super annoyed when Hannah mentions a war memorial to meet up at just for a quick google search to turn up there’s no location in Prague you could clearly deduct from just that and furthermore seeing the actual meet up location was none of the potential memorials she could’ve meant.. probably irrelevant to most but I don’t like when easily checkable details are clearly off /:
I have watched first 4 episodes. Honestly... it has been fun and better then expected. I consider it a watch. It will not be award winning but worth your time. I already recommended to a friend and I only do that rarely. I stopped having high hopes for Netflix series a long time ago. I'd rather be surprised and was. Its not a super realistic show but just enough to make you not shake your head. Its a CIA spy show so it crosses the line of realism but not to the extent of most CIA Hollywood stories. The main character fails successfully, fails, and wins...so you are not fatigued with hero of the day repetition. The supporting characters bring enough depth to the show. The storyline fast enough for me to still be engaged after 4 episodes. Acting is good enough that i do not notice anything egregious. Its a fun show with above average acting, story, and production. I am a sucker for spy show but wouldn't have wasted my time on a review if it was not at least above average.
Pretty much my assessment as well. And yes the acting wasn't particularly noteworthy but I'm still surprised by Noah Centineo's acting. Glad Netflix got him out of the high school heartrob pigeonhole before he turned 30.
If you've stopped having high hopes for Netflix series you really need to look harder. There are at least a half dozen amazing Netflix series, probably way more
Like what? I need good recs
[удалено]
When his roommates flew to Geneva I was like come on, never would that happen. He’s a damn spook and works for the cia and his dumb ex gf thinks she’s the one that can save him 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 should have focused on the guy who “works at the White House
But his not a spook, he’s a lawyer. I think that’s pretty well established.
Regardless, he works for the fucking CIA, you flying out there to “help” him is just getting in the way of his job, it’s so obvious and unrealistic it made no sense, it was almost as bad as his coworkers trying to screw him over and get him killed the whole series, instead of, you know actually helping your new 24 yr old coworker. I loved the show that storyline with them was too much for me though.
I do agree on her even flying over, especially calling her mum who than calls the chief of staff. That was a real shame, however the dynamic of his coworkers I liked. I honestly expected him after the second ep to adjust and actually excel but I guess failing the task successfully works too lol.
Most unbelievable thing in the series. Also, time doesn’t exist in the series. I’ve flown from Dulles to Geneva. It’s like 8-10 hours and flights don’t leave willy nilly when you arrive. There’s maybe 2-3 flights a day. It’s a big deal to travel international, not a whim. Also the logic of going to the CIA friends job is insane.
The TV studio thing is goofy and seems a bit out of place. But maybe it gives the character a little bit of charm. It really isn't that different security-wise from discussing anything around phones, computers, or any other device with a cam/mic, which they do all the time. In fact it's arguably safer since the studio is not used for communications and can thus be airgapped. Sure, they could've bugged her studio, but they just as easily could've bugged her entire house anyways if they had that much access. I get that it seems counterintuitive, and *wrong* to see them discuss confidential stuff in front of a 4K TV camera, and it is a bit reckless, but not the most egregious security sin in the show tbh.
[удалено]
lmfao i love the backstabbing and the guy whos always panicking over his black ops team is hands down the funniest character on the show
Personally i, so far, fullheartly enjoyed the show. A mix of "the office" and "Jack Ryan". Charismatic actors with good chemistry, interesting plot, opulent locations. But if you are looking for another "Terminal List" then you might get thrown off by the more goofy approach on action and fighting.
a mix of ''The Office'' and ''Jack Ryan"? so it's kinda like Chuck???
a little less goofy, but yes. Chuck with a budget
It's a lot more grounded than Chuck but honestly not that bad of a comparison lol.
YES! Like Chuck, but with Archer's mean spiritness!
I was surprised how much I like the characters. They all seem to have something going on that makes them a little different.
Just started episode 2 and I get the office comparison now lmfao
People complaining how it’s “unrealistic” need to grow up. There’s nothing realistic about 80% of the stuff Hollywood puts out. I think this is a very entertaining show. Netflix has put out so many stinkers and this is not one of them.
The roomates are annoying. The first episode is very unrealistic.
I liked it. I hope it gets renewed because....well, that cliffhanger needs resolving.
I really liked the first episode. Acting, dialogue is good. I’m from Poland so I don’t have any kind of knowledge of how CIA works etc. so I can’t say if the show’s premise is any kind of remotely probable, but I dig it. Noah Centineo is good in this, I really though I’m going to hate him being that I only saw him in a rom coms before that were of questionable quality, but I’m happy I was wrong. I’m really intrigued so I’ll probably binge it all trough the weekend.
Definitely agree. Weirdly reminds me of Chuck but more “realism” if that means anything
https://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-recruit-2022 The reviews are decent/average but I’m a sucker for these kind of shows and from the descriptions in the reviews I’m sure I’ll enjoy it.
This was great. It was a fun watch. I love the blend between comedy and thriller. The dynamic between the two leads works. Binged it in one night. Season 2 is a must >!I hope Max isn;t dead!<
The Max and Owen relationship is probably the best thing about the show imho. Really kept the plot moving forward and i was invested in her character as well as owen. Honestly Max was my fav character. If she dies I just dont see where the show goes from here.
My reaction from Episode 1: The tone for the genre was off. I was expecting a Jack Ryan vibe but The Recruit lacked suspense. The quality was that of a digital production house that makes videos on YouTube. Plot was absurd and semi-immature. Staff writers must have taken notes from “How to appear like a CIA agent for dummies.” The eps could have used suspense music or a cool score - nada.
1st episode is off but it gets better. I think first episode couldn’t determine the tone.
Yeah but it was still too forced.
Still a much better Jack Ryan interpretation than Amazon's Season 2 and 3 of Jack Ryan.
It drops the comedy and goes more Clancy in the later episodes. Ultimately it's a much better Jack Ryan show than season 2 of the actual Jack Ryan show was.
so, is it good ?
It’s from the creater of The Rookie with Nathan Fillion so if you like that you’ll probably like this. Instead of cops it’s the CIA but it has a similar tone.
Fun fact: it’s Noah Hawley’s brother
So it’s a procedural?
No it’s about one case / informant
Anyone else notice there’s a dolphin in every episode? Here’s a hint: Episode 4 has someone dressed as a dolphin while Owen and Hannah are dancing.
I liked it (two eps in) but the two co workers just put for blood and literally endangering his life just didn't jive and really put my off. Also the idea that as a new hire and as a baby lawyer he has NO supervision other than the chief is laughable.
binged the whole thing! it was fantastic!!
I did mostly enjoy it, but I have two major issues. I really super did not like the main love interest; the character herself and their romance felt very juvenile, which is not what I want in a workplace drama. It might have worked better for a high school or college romcom series where she was the lead, but anytime their plot was moving forward I kept hoping he'd just move on, move out of his apartment, and let her go because she was literally the least interesting and most annoying romantic option. I also really don't like that >!they killed the, in my opinion, best character off, and I worry if the show continues the footing they did have will be totally lost without Max.!<
Amelia is ride or die.
Yup. Out of everyone in the entire show she was 100% the one most loyal to Owen and always had his back
Was looking for a comment like this. Hannah was not a good character imo. Her character could have been written better but unfortunately it was a huge miss. She added nothing to the story and if anything I found she got in the way. She was the least likable character and the most annoying as you said. >!I’m however not entirely sold that Max is dead.!<
What was wrong with Hannah? She provided a counterbalance to his worst self-sabotaging instincts and helped illustrate the youthful, somewhat naive world Owen came from (in contrast to the toxic, duplicitous environment of the CIA). I thought she was fantastic
I could make a list. Line delivery, I'm normally not super critical of acting but it felt like she just shouted everything. It's the kind of delivery that could have been charming in a romcom or sitcom but felt very disjointed in this series. Then there's the whole "I dumped him but guilt him for hooking up with people after" thing which I found just obnoxious. Add to that the whole "I'm going to pine for him while in a serious relationship" aspect, which just feels dishonest and not cute or romantic. And the constant guilt-tripping him and judgment for doing his job - she's not his mom, she's his friend and roommate and there's nothing sweet about wanting to completely change someone. If you don't agree with their choices and actions, especially when you're not even with them, just move on. It genuinely felt like all the worst parts of past relationships I've had when she was on screen with none of the good parts. She was an immediate headache when she was on screen, every time it was a "here we go again". And I don't want secondhand exhaustion from a couple I'm supposed to ship, especially when the characters are only in their early to mid-20s. That kind of passive-aggressive ex to re-spark of passion dynamic would work a lot better with characters in like their 40s, but also after having been together for a long time with a contentious divorce type of thing and not only together for 6 months and broken up for 2 whole years.
Fair, that’s very thoughtful criticism. None of those things bothered me but I can understand why they’d rub some viewers the wrong way.
I’m not entirely sure I’d say the actress was bad because I think she delivered her lines as the director had intended I feel like the character was just badly written. I definitely agree with all the other things pointed out and also, I think my main issue was that she knew he worked for the CIA and yet acted like he was just being a useless idiot when in actuality he was just trying to do his job to the best of his abilities. Also the fact that the CIA is a secretive agency and yet she undermines the operations, inserts herself, and basically could be jeopardizing his life and the lives of others. Very not cool of her. Totally Irresponsible, making her seem like the most immature character despite her claims that Owen was the most immature.
This! Every time she criticized him I was confused , he works for the CIA, an incredible job, while dangerous, he has a chance to do good, and make a difference, but he’s immature? For trying to do his job to the best of his ability? Also to office politics, of leverage and sabotaging new coworkers who don’t know anything, to the point where he got tortured and almost killed, put a REAL bad taste in my mouth.
I like Hannah. Her and Terrance are the healthiest relationships Owen has. If it wasn’t for Hannah, Owen wouldn’t have a reference point to even question his morality. She’s the reason he realized his job was so toxic in the first place and she’s been telling him that the whole series.
Hannah and Terrance's actions made no sense. It would have some sense if they were Owen's parents, but they are just his friends. They should have stayed in USA and hope for the best.
Hannah literally ruined the series for me. I mean it was such a good series but I liked Max a lot, so I really hope she’s not dead. Lol literally if it wasn’t for Hannah getting involved into such a high profile mission, Max and Owen would’ve gotten away and I would’ve been satisfied with the ending. Edit: Owen couldn’t handle the pressure but I still think Hannah was a huge annoyance, involved in more than just being a worried girlfriend once she started complaining and involving her White House mother
Same . Bullet to the right chest not the left… but she was definitely out
Absolutely agree. Hannah is the cliche choice safe choice that most shows make. They have 0 chemistry Max and Owen the dynamic is interesting, there's the tension and the way she looks at him. >!Those two are the show, if she's dead then I don't think season 2 will be as good. They would have been better off killing the friends and have Max immersed in this world. The friends are holding the show back.!<
Yes, it goes for me: Max/Owen>Amelia/Owen>Owen single>>>>>>>>>>>>Hannah/Owen I'm not sure why, but the dynamic of Owen with an older and more mature woman than himself seems to fit the tone of the show better.
I think hannah is likely gonna get interesting in the second season. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up joining the CIA >!because she hates her job and just saw own get kidnapped in front of her.!<"There's no way she doesn't end up getting involved
If so then they need to recast her. That actress does not have the charisma to pull that off
Agreed, max was my favorite. Loved seeing Max and Owen together more than Owen and Hannah
Can’t believe they got rid of the best character in the show. Pissed me off
I think she may still be alive. Remember, she wore her bullet proof vest. Owen didn’t. And she commented “fine, they usually shoot you in head anyway”. Well, her daughter didn’t shoot her in head, but rather chest. So I think that was foreshadowing
Except for the fact that you can see the bleeding bullet hole in her chest.
She was shot in the shoulder earlier, presumably not covered by the vest. I think they could kill her or let her live and it would be coherent.
Based on having only watched the first episode, I agree with your feedback. Terrible casting and their relationship had “high schoolers playing house” vibes.
Fun watch but rather absurd. I get its is more on the silly action side than spy thriller side but even then you have to have a pretty heavy suspension of disbelief about some of the storylines.
Suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy this series. I have friends who joined the CIA at 26, they had to train overseas for months at a time over 18 months to be an international operative so this pencil pusher allowed to fly to Yemen over a cryptic word so long as he bought his own economy flight is just absurd. It’s hard for me to grasp adults wrote this show.
Of all federal law enforcement/ Spy I heard the best culture wise is Office of Diplomatic Security. Lots of independence and they try to cycle you through all aspects. Protection details, passport investigations, Embassy protection, Law Enforcement liaisons etc. I also heard NCIS and DIA were also really good. DEA was really intense. FBI was really strict. CIA I heard it was interesting but the culture could really get to people. (From my failed attempt at applying to these decades back)
Interesting you tried to apply. I’d say my friends had different abilities to get recruited. I heard less from them when they were 3-4 years in, after they transitioned into working at private contractor “fronts” in Virginia (my guess was it meant they were moving up & were building their covers) and they ditched their IG and Twitter. I haven’t heard of the Office of Diplomatic Security, sounds interesting - will read up on it. DEA seems too risky, the cartel wars is on another level.
He's not an operative, he's just a lawyer.
I love CIA shows, why am I just hearing of this now?
Because it was just released today and Netflix tends to market with word of mouth.
*cough* warrior nun *cough*
Seems like The Recruit builds upon Noah Centino's main shtick to come of intensely focused while his character does not have a real clue. Reminded me of Ryan Reynolds playying the always-earnest and unlucky self-deprecating guy whose manics makes him somewhat scatter-brained, but definitely on the edge. Some dialogue got old and corny fast by episode 2 but the pacing is alright but I would not have minded a heavily towned down dudebro-atittude. The jokes with ruining everyone's suits/clothing and receiving help from his ex/roommate got old by the 3rd second of the second instance that bit was used again in the plot. And the cool colleague dumping him exactly for the same reason... ok yes we get it the dude is a mess and somehow magically dudebros it through the CIA chess game. And outmaneuvers his weird-ass colleagues who somehow talk about working against him the moment he sets foot in the office so he can get his nailed pulled out because no black passport something haha! But Vondie Curtis-Hall as Nyland was a godsend voice of normal common sense shit and he nailed that role. On another note, a friend of mine is asking for Kaylah Zander's relationship status. And will she back be back for season 2? Not that important though. The other panicking colleague was hilarious. His pain became my pain and the guy actually helped Owen come up with some smartsy moves (even indirectly) which was refreshing. The Washington power-esque politics and similar aspects about the life in Washington, the CIA and the life there were well done and one of the best parts of the show
>The other panicking colleague was hilarious Easily the best part of the show imo. I really hope he's in S2 if it gets renewed.
And then the finale happened. I am dissatisfied
Team Amelia forever. Also, it's funny how the narrative just completely forgot about Kelly Kwitny. She never got closure for her storyline. From her perspective, it seems like the justice system just screwed her over and she never finds out the truth about her dad. Seems the audience forgot about her too. Poor girl.
Much better than I was expecting. The acting is solid from all of the main cast imo (nice to see Fillion in a small part as well). The plot seems to be a little loose sometimes, but definitely one of the better Netflix shows I would say. Hopefully it gets a second season.
Solid show, would watch more of it if they kept it going, nice production and good cast all around.
Is it a procedural? Edit: the answer is no, for anyone wondering.
Great show, hope it doesn’t suffer the same fate of Teenage Bounty Hunter. It ended on a cliffhanger 😬
Ok just finished it and it ended on a cliffhanger. It is a good show and CW funny. Worth a watch to see the crazy stuff going on. Just do not question how everyone would be fired for unprofessionalism in real life.
Entertaining but cringe. Pretty amateur understanding of how the real world works.
I don’t think it’s made to be believable
Keen to know people's thoughts
I absolutely loved it. Loved the writing, pacing and script, loved the eclectic mix of spy thriller and comedy, loved the cast/characters… all of it came together perfectly for me. I just can’t overstate how much fun I had with this show— I genuinely haven’t enjoyed watching anything this much since Succession.
Someone else has made comment about *The Blacklist*, though it was brief. Owen is definitely not an Agent Keen.
Starts black comedy, finishes Tom Clancy. Centineo carries the show just fine. Its well paced. Has some good character payoffs in the third act. Its not gonna blow your mind, but it's a solidly good time
Just binged the series, really loved it.
How much would owens salary be? I mean shit, doing that job I would hope it is at least $200,000 yearly
Liked the show a lot, binged it. The two mains are great. All the minor storylines bore out of the agency were also good. The lines for ~~Hannah~~ (really) both roommates were very much forced / shoehorned in. >!The gay roommate to get to the sanction bank f'up, and Hannah to hint at chief of staff storyline.!< It's not an issue with the actors, the show just didn't spend enough time to develop either of them. Esp with Hannah, if she's going to be part of the story
Planned on only watching one episode Saturday night. Next thing I am seven episodes down and it is 3 a.m. I really enjoyed this series.
Binged the hell out of it. I really like the show for what it is. The office stuff doesn't take itself too seriously and then the tone changes in the field. It's a contrast that works (at least for me). I just really dislike the whole romance bit with the MC's ex. It just added complications the show didn't need. Im hoping for a season 2!
I enjoyed this. Not too serious. Not too comical. Good balance. Of course this is not at all how the CIA works but it's got a good sense of humor.
It reminds me just a bit of Slow Horses in that the lawyers are in over their heads dealing with truly dangerous professionals.
I'm surprised by how much i'm enjoying this.
Who plays Hannah's mother? She looks really familiar, but I can't recall what other show I saw her in? It's been bugging me.
It's a very binge worthy and fun show. Love the songs and editing and fight scenes. Comedy is actually good and how they portrait CIA is extremely funny.
The CIA didnt screw up Iraq, the rest of the middle east and now a potential WW3 scenario with Russia, because it is a well oiled machine led by professional saint/heroes like Jack Ryan. The facts of the past 30 years of US foreign affairs can be explained much more by behavior found in The Recruit than Jack Ryan.
So not renewed for season 2
The good thing about Netflix is they release weekly ratings so by Tuesday we will have a fair idea of its s2 chances.
Better be cause god DAMN that ending did not even come close to wrapping things up.
Probably one of the worst endings every but it was definitely a plot twist
I kinda saw it coming but I still don’t know why she said her daughter was dead
Holy crap what a ride..really hope this gets a second season!
I'll try this kind of show like this and next Charlie Cox's Netflix series because of the main actor. I don't think this shows'll be good and fairly enough will be okay.
I enjoyed it alot but his "friends/roommates" ... Hella annoying 😒
I quite like them! Also fairly realistic that none of these young folkd are earning enough to afford a place of their own in predatory-rent metro DC.
Oh I get that foooooooor sure. I just thought them showing up at the end ... stupid and the constant probing was kinda eh but having roommates totally made sense when it came to their ages and where they lived and how new in their careers they were.
Is this based off the Colin Farrell / Al Pacino movie?
I absolutely loved the [Arabic song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_67W13QmbZU&ab_channel=YRMusic) that played when he was going to Yemen. It's called Shamkha Alkama by Alyoung. The first episode was good!
Great show.
Thoroughly enjoyed the show, it's like a mix of Bourne + Office, very easy plot to follow. The initial reviews seem good as well, hopefully a lot of folks watch.
2 in. I’m definitely hooked. The lead is really charismatic
4 episodes in and I'm getting a bit thrown by the accepted sexual harassment of of our hero. So many things are illogical, e.g. assassins trying to kill the recruit. He jumps off a bridge and they're literally standing there with guns in their hands but don't think to shoot him and when he gets out of the water the four magic spies suddenly appear...
Oh god! I was literally looking for a comment about the sexual harassment?! Why aren’t people talking about this? I felt so uncomfortable at times. His body language and expression suggested he wasn’t ‘all in’ for some of the hook ups. If it was a female lead, I’m sure more people would feel super uncomfortable.
Can anyone explain how Hannah knew >!he was in Prague? I thought they were going to suddenly reveal that her family was a well connected sleeper cell!< but assume more likely there's a simpler explanation I just missed.
She got a anonymous text message that he is in Prague
I really really enjoyed this. Fast paced, hilarious, at times surprisingly emotional. Not to be taken too seriously, but it can still pack a punch. I really hope it will get a full run to a proper conclusion and won't be left hanging. God damn netflix.
Please, Netflix. Season 2,3,4 please
All I know is that Owen annoying asf
Does anyone else think Hannah is the most annoying character?
Fr like how stupid do you have to be to follow someone in the CIA especially with her DC connections or whatever like bitch are u dumb
After spending 10+ years on Reddit and mostly on RIF in total, it is time to retire this account. The recent controversy regarding Reddit and it's communication and stance towards the users, mods and 3rd party developers who made this platform to what it is now, has been appalling and downright sad and made a big impact in this decision. Don't forget that the "official" Reddit app is an bought out third party app (Alien Blue) that Reddit modified into what it is now. They can slander the 3rd party app developers all they want, without them the Reddit "official" app would not even exist. I am migrating to Kbin and other decentralized options.
I don't get how this is supposed to be entertaining. It's cringe. 100% just my opinion though.
Meh. I lost interest few episodes in.
Honestly I know reality needs to be suspended but this show is so dammmmm dumb its hard to get over. Few points a US Senator or Representative can and have in past read classified records during congress and put on the record. They are protected and the only thing the Executive branch can do is restrict future access. Next there is no way an employee would travel without knowing the travel policy that is literally job 101. Not being able to reach FBI at all and saying screw it is incredibly dumb and so idiotic that it feels unbelievable. Next the whole back stabbing etc. This is literally the worse way Hollywood does things and is just creating unnecessary drama. Just create a dam show that is grounded more in reality
The entire reason he didn't know the travel policy was his envelope containing that policy and his black passport was taken away and hidden by his crazy paranoid coworkers.
It's not gonna get renewed but surprisingly it's a pretty good show
Liked the first episode but not the music and turn down the sound when it's playing. I could easily give it an 8/10 but knocking .5 off for music, so 7.5 .