Netflix’s golden boy and internet’s boyfriend Noah Centineo’s starry roles in The Recruit and the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before universe exist on the opposite ends of the pop culture spectrum. The second season of the former thriller series has yet to premiere on the streaming giant, with its release date scheduled in the same month as XO, Kitty Season 2.
Given how crowded the Netflix calendar was, things ultimately worked out in the best serendipitous way after all. The forthcoming installment of The Recruit is considerably set in Korea, which also happens to be the location setting for the To All the Boys spinoff series.
Having binge-watched the easy-to-digest short season of the new XO Kitty chapter, fans already know that Centineo reprises his role as the unmatched rom-com icon, the ever-so-loveable Peter Kavinsky for an extra special guest appearance in K-drama spinoff headlined by Anna Cathcart.
Even though the To All the Boys movie series largely centres around Centineo’s Peter and Lana Condor’s Lara Jean, Noah shares an undeniably inseparable connection with Cathcart’s Kitty even in the cinematic trilogy, given her role as the ultimate matchmaker.
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The latest season of XO, Kitty fortunately expands on that by bringing the much-missed familiar face to Kitty’s very own small world when she needs it the most. Considering Centineo’s The Recruit overlapped with the XO, Kitty filming hours, the iconic fan favourite “I Like Me Better” interlude could’ve simply just not happened in the new season.
Noah Centineo on how the XO, Kitty Season 2 cameo happened despite a tight schedule
But destiny spoke for itself, proving it was all meant to be. “[All The Boys producer and XO, Kitty exec producer] Matt Kaplan and one of my friends over at Netflix called me and said, Hey, you’re going to be shooting in South Korea the same time that we are. Would you be interested in coming back for XO, Kitty?,” Centineo told Deadline in an interview for The Recruit Season 2.
Guess what was Noah’s reply. He really pulled a full-on Kavinsky with this one, leaving no doubt that he was indeed the Peter to Anna Cathcart’s Kitty. “And I said, yeah, anything for Anna. I think Anna is just wonderful and hard working and super talented, just a professional, and she deserves the world.”
Hardcore fans will also recall how, upon Season 1’s arrival, Centineo surprised Cathcart at the XO Kitty premiere in LA. Another Peter-Kitty moment that still lives rent-free in a lot of minds that are also “recovering from Peter Kavinsky showing up in XO Kitty with ‘I Like Me Better’ in the background.” Well said, X/Twitter user.
Baggage behind returning to a standout character empowered by nostalgia
Despite how openly unwavering he was about his special bond with the Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han’s fictional universe, he was also well aware of the pressure and responsibilities attached to returning to Peter. The character has a life of its own, serving one of the best greenest flag auras of all rom-com time – but of course, all thanks to Noah Centineo. “It’s a daunting thing to go back to Peter to open that box; you don’t want to disappoint or let anyone down,” he went on. “The character is kind of what it is. But actually, it worked out. How could I say no?”
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XO Kitty showrunner on making the impossible happen amid The Recruit Season production
He literally ended up pulling the novice CIA attorney by night to Stanford student Peter by day transformation by coming through with the unforgettable XO Kitty Season 2 cameo we all needed. In another Deadline interview, XO, Kitty showrunner Jessica O’Toole divulged the chaotic race against time-like logistics involved in making that cameo come to life. Noah’s only available day throughout the hectic The Recruit shoot happened to be XO, Kitty Season 2’s first day of production. However, Peter doesn’t fly to Korea in the storyline until a few episodes down the line.
Nonetheless, new improvisations had to be worked out. The director of that particular episode was brought in early to film all Peter Kavinsky sequences in the new season before all else. The blast to the past ultimately became the best way to kick things off. “But then it was probably the best way we could have started the season,” O’Toole said. “He brings such an easy going and friendly and warm vibe everywhere. Getting to see them be so happy to work together and watch their magic and everything, it was a great way to start off the season.” Centineo shared the sentiment: “It was lovely. It was a really positive day, it was a great day.”
Given how close of a call this was, one can’t help but appreciate the sweet Peter Kavinsky-Kitty Song Covey this season even more. Anna, too, only had precious memories of the day. “It was so exciting. I look up to him so much and I’ve gotten to learn from him for so many years so to back on screen with him and reestablish our characters dynamic was so special and Noah’s the sweetest,” she shared on the TODAY show.
The second season of XO, Kitty started streaming on Netflix on January 16, 2025. On the other hand, the Noah Centineo-headlined season 2 of The Recruit arrives January 30.