After The Recruit was cancelled by Netflix, Noah Centineo is finally opening up about the show’s early ending. Centineo, who played Owen Hendricks, was the star of a show that featured Colton Dunn (Lester Kitchens), Aarti Mann (Violet Ebner), Vondie Curtis-Hall (Walter Nyland), and other exciting actors. The series focused on Owen, a CIA lawyer who is forced to work as a covert operative after facing extortion. Though its premise is decidedly serious, The Recruit often delves into comedy, mixing a shocking season 2 ending with constant jokes about Owen’s character.
Unfortunately, the cancellation means that Centineo will not have the opportunity to return to his acclaimed role. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Centineo shared his disappointment with the unplanned conclusion. He praised the cast, shared his gratitude for the show’s “pretty strong cult following“, and explained the reason that Netflix ended his series. He believes that it was a poor fit for Netflix, and so he has resigned himself to moving on to his next role. Check out his quote below:
It is what it is. Netflix, they have a certain mandate that they need to fill, and I’m very proud of the show, very grateful to our audience. We have a pretty strong cult following. And with Netflix, it just didn’t really fit what it was that they needed, I suppose. And so onto the next, I guess. I mean, I learned so much from season one to season two. I really got to see behind the curtain of how a show gets made, and that to me was probably the most educational part of it, without a doubt. And also having such a great cast.
What This Means For The Recruit’s Cancellation
Centineo Appears Resigned To The Recruit’s Fate
Netflix reportedly cancelled the show after discovering that season 2 saw declining interest, which was worrying, given that season 1 already had only middling ratings. That judgment came quickly, as The Recruit‘s early cancelation was ordered in March 2025, just two months after the season premiered. The Netflix Original is unlikely to move to another network, as Netflix reportedly barred producers from shopping its shows for three years (per Deadline). The restrictions explain Centineo’s sense of resignation, as it is unlikely that it will survive a three-year moratorium.
Netflix is known for cancelling shows after just two seasons, so The Recruit is just the latest in a long trend.
Netflix is also unlikely to change its opinion, despite having renewed other shows after cancelation. Unlike Warrior Nun, which sparked a strong response from the audience after its conclusion, The Recruit‘s cancellation has not led to an equivalent widespread outcry. While there was an initial response, a long-standing fan campaign, like the movement that secured Warrior Nun‘s renewal, has not emerged. If even the star is uninterested in fighting the streaming giant, the show has likely reached its finale. Netflix is known for cancelling shows after just two seasons, so The Recruit is just the latest in a long trend.
Our Take On The Recruit’s Cancellation
Netflix’s Two-Season Trend Is Exhausting
The streaming giant has an overwhelming number of shows and movies available for audiences to stream, but Netflix’s insistence on cancelling them makes it difficult to invest in each new series. Aside from a few dominant productions, including Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, and Squid Game, the shows rarely have space to grow a following. The Recruit was an exciting series that deserved time and space to develop. If its premiere had not come one week after The Night Agent season 2’s January 23 release, it might have grown. Instead, it was overshadowed and cancelled too soon.
Source: THR
The Recruit
9/10
- Release Date
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2022 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Doug Liman
- Writers
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Alexi Hawley, George Ghanem, Amelia Roper, Hadi Deeb, Niceole R. Levy, Maya Goldsmith
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Noah Centineo
Owen Hendricks
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Colton Dunn
Lester Kitchens