User Reviews

I have to say I really enjoyed The Recruit. The trailers to this looked pretty good so I've been looking forward to it ever since I first saw them and it not only met my expectations but exceeded them. I've never seen Noah Centineo in anything else before this but I was impressed that he was able to lead this series the way he did. He nailed the role and now look forward to seeing him in future projects. This has everything you want in an action thriller...action, comedy, drama, mystery, twists, etc. It will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire season. I'm hoping this gets renewed quickly but I definitely want to see more of this!

This was, simply put, an extremely entertaining series. Episode after episode, you can't imagine where it's going except that the lead character Owen Hendricks, played by Noah Centineo, will get into trouble, more and more trouble and best of all, he'll get everyone else into trouble as well. It doesn't matter that he works for the CIA, he's not CIA material, but he's the only honest to god good person the agency appears to have. He's no Jack Ryan, but he's got more luck than the Michael Connelly character, most of it bad.

The character and how well Centineo plays the part is basically what drives you to watch. He's so endearing, you'll keep calling him names but you can't help to root for him despite the character's poor choices. Why? Because he's a good person who cares for others while he's surrounded in the agency by no one who gives a crap about others. Thankfully he has two friends who care about him and whose best advice is to get the hell out of the CIA. I can think of so many reasons why this is not a typical spy thriller; not typical is key here. How is this entertaining? For the same reason we like ice cream; we just do.

As season ending episodes go, it is not, absolutely not a typical cliffhanger either. By the time the last episode ends, you find yourself so interested in Owen's future you need there to be a season two. You got to have it. A lot of people will be upset at Netflix if there isn't a season two; and I'm one.

Wow. The Recruit was even better than I was hoping for. It follows a new CIA recruit who's a lawyer and before he knows it he's in deeper than he ever thought. He gets caught up in an international political thriller when a former CIA asset threatens to expose her relationship with the agency that will cause major problems for everyone. This is directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, American Made, Swingers, etc) who's an absolute terrific director. He usually does major blockbuster movies so this has to be good for him to do. I'm so glad that this is on Netflix so we don't have to wait a week between episodes. I hate that now. This show is definitely a show to binge. I've liked it so much that I already binged the entire first season in the first weekend it came out! I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who's a fan of political action thrillers.

I just finished this binge. My only critical thought is: is it the most plausible show? Probably not - but that is never really the point of these kinds of shows. Just like The Ozarks, Sneaky Pete, or any number of other thriller type shows, the whole point is to follow a brazen, unabashed, resourceful main character into situations that only become progressively more impossible to contend with and see them through. Of course you have to suspend an amount of disbelief, and I am more than willing to do this when the characters are likeable, the dialog/acting is good, the pace is not boring, and its fun and not loaded with finger-wagging pretentious hollywood ideas --- so far this show checks all of the boxes! Not the most amazing thing I've seen, but has me smiling and eagerly clicking 'Next Episode' at the end of each.

There were definitely a few points in this show where I've found myself saying, "Oh man, this is so good," but a few places -namely in the last two episodes- I thought it felt strained by some script choices that were not greatest or most sensible.

Overall, I really found myself enjoying this show. It does fall short of being absolutely amazing because of a couple of points if you are looking for them -- so in honesty, this show is probably ranges between a 7 and a 9, but I definitely have no regrets with this one and recommend it for sure if you're looking for some laid back fun.

I saw this highlighted on Netflix and assumed it was another US teen show, but I was so wrong.

The characters really work and it's well written and fast paced so takes you on the journey with effortless ease.

Nothing negative to say as really enjoying this and would recommend giving this a try. Nothing too demanding and easy to follow so sure you will love it.

Laura Haddock is great and sooooo want her to actually be from Belarus as she nails this role.

It does not take itself too seriously and I am finding myself really starting to root for these characters

Not finished the series yet so curious to see where this ends.

Enjoy.

Some things like the tiny lady with skinny arms throwing high impact punches is extremely, extremely silly, but the comedic tone of this otherwise serious show works very well. In many ways this is a comedy as much as it is a spy genre show.

The plot is interesting enough, and other than a heavy fixation with rap music for the soundtrack, and some silly action sequences as described it's very good and pretty entertaining.

Basic premise is 'fish out of water novice in high tension spy scenarios' but delivered with a bit of wit, and some pretty decent acting.

I recommend this show, with the couple of flaws mentioned in mind of course.

This is basically Jack Ryan as a comedy. The CIA is depicted as utterly incompetent, which I guess is funny for some. Then we have Foggy Nelson as Jack Ryan which might be funny for others.

So, here's the deal. The story is actually not bad, but the comedy is absolutely killing this show. It is not funny how the employees of the Agency are sabotaging each others work. It's just stupid. I mean, really really stupid.

The dorm room romance thing is a strange add-on, and while it's the most fun it's also the most odd scenes.

Here's how to make this a better show: Put a kick ass lead - someone with chops - in it, and ditch the drama and comedy.

While we wait for the next season of Jack Ryan I will still watch this and grace it with 6 stars just because there's really nothing in spy space at the moment.

If you're old enough to remember Chuck... but more intricate spy plot.

The Recruit is about a new law recruit for the CIA who gets caught up in CIA messes and even field work, and somehow stumbles his way through it. It's witty and funny, with some action and romance.

It's not gritty CIA spy work. It's an enjoyable series with humor about a cut throat workplace, about an environment of overwork, about being smart with secrets.

It's a solid technical production with fresh new faces. The spy plot and action sequences move this thriller series at a decent pace, all the while peppered with some witty humor. It's a spy series that's not too overly intense, and quite charming, though I will say that the charm is focused on Owen, the main character, the spy stud who gets the girls, so it may depend on whether you want to watch what happens to Owen or not, and if Owen's charms rub off on you or not.

At the moment, I am eager to see if there is a next season.

It's a little odd because it comes off as extremely fast paced but has time to fully develop the characters involved in a slow moving way. Does that make sense? Hmm.. All the key players get developed in their own quirky ways.. Exceptional acting, great cast, and interesting story.

I am not really into these spy/espionage type shows but I was bored the other night and it had come up so I thought yeah ok... lets see what this is about. I made it thru the first 6 eps staying up way to long.. and caught the last two today.

I especially like the quirky comedy bits that are a one off from a otherwise very serious show. Love the cast. Nice to see some of them again in a brand new good show.

I don't normally give a 10.. I did for this because it surprised me how much I enjoyed it. Well done!

I saw the Neflix teaser and was convinced to give this one a shot. Although I liked the first episode I was upended by the quirky backdrop on which it seems to exist. I couldn't quite figure out if I'm supposed to take it seriously, or if the lackadaisical application of proper context was an homage to the intricate workings of classified government operations. I'm still not sure. I'm a few episodes in and it hasn't maintained the momentum of the first instalment, but I'm not ready to bail just yet.

Its a strange series, I'd expect similar situations to occur if Mr. Bean were to become a CIA employee. To be honest I'm not even sure what this guy is supposed to be doing at all. I mean he's an attorney working in the CIA but seems to doing the job of a coordinator or some sort of logistics admin... who knows, I'm not a CIA aficionado, but he seems to be doing stuff way out of his scope.

The people in the CIA are a Keystone Cops of caricatures that defy logic, and his frivolous response to it all suggests he either has a screw loose, or is perhaps outside the bounds of general normality. He shares an apartment with two roommates who are all supposedly professionals but act more like college freshmen. They have a 'chore list' for Christ sake. This aspect of the story is just ridiculous really.

The story is entertaining if you don't take it too seriously since there are no characters you can relate to without some considerable head scratching. Most of the settings and situations are beyond ridiculous. My bet is they had a good notion for this series and put it in production without taking much notice from advisors or research individuals on how things really work... which is fair enough since if you look at it from that perspective, it works quite well.

My advice is disengage brain before watching and just go with it and you'll be fine. In all fairness I don't think it will last long since the manner in which it is produced is too haphazard to be sustainable. The writing is far too erratic and the show will probably decline in popularity and be shelved by the end of season two... if it makes it that far. The one thing it has going for it for the moment, is it is quite entertaining, so if all your looking for is light, exciting, frivolous entertainment this is perfect.

I've given it 5/10 I'm tempted to give it 6/10 but I'm not sure what the hell I'm watching yet, so reserve an air of scepticism. 7 would be seriously pushing it, but that's not to say I don't get that some people have a different take on it, even with it's failings.

The show it's entertaining if you stop thinking that this has to be a documentary with all the accuracy of real espionage. I love how this isn't another he kicks everyone's ass without a scratch type of thing as Netflix has gotten very choreographed on everything they do, this guy gets his ass handed to him and he really does not know how to throw a punch plus he's not this bodybuilding dude with more muscle than brain. All this makes the show different therefore entertaining and changes the pace a little from all this heros on Netflix that can do everything but get hit. Enjoy it for what it is A TV SHOW and not real life because if you want realistic and accurate you need to stick to documentaries and everyone with the jack ryan comparison please understand that isn't realistic either actual government and high stakes spionage doesn't make for an entertaining watch. Give the kid a chance give the show a chance and expect to be entertained not taught a lesson on how the government cia or anything related to it works.

I had skimmed over the 'trailer' for this on Netflix and wasn't 100% sold on it to be honest. I'm not a massive action fan. But thought I'd give it a go and was surprised - I really enjoyed it!

I mean is the premise is a bit far-fetched? Absolutely Would literally any of this happen in real life? No, no it would not.

But you kinda just have to suspend your disbelief and go with it (in the same vein as Designated Survivor) because it really is fun.

The casting and the acting is good - no one is sticking out to me like a sore thumb. And although there are a lot of violent scenes, it's injected with some comedy in the form of the protagonist's slightly cocky smart-assery, which honestly lifts this program above some other similar shows.

Is it without fault? No. I mean it feels a bit rushed at the beginning. You kinda hit the ground running with the story line without any set up at all really. But its better than dragging it out into a snooze-fest I suppose. The ex-girlfriend character I find irritating (Mother Theresa type) and remarkably idiotic when it comes to rational decision making later on in the series (no spoilers), that part of the storyline felt like an idea they tagged in for the sake of it.

However, if you're on the fence about watching it, definitely give it a go. Personally, I'm really hoping it gets picked up for another season, knowing how notorious Netflix are for cancelling!

First the pro's - it's fast, it's catchy, there are some funny bits and international intrigue and agents is a pretty cool frame story....

Now the problem- the story makes almost no sense, the concept of CIA all filled by incompetent lawyers trying to avoid things is dumb, ppl in the CIA all trying to sabotage one another and trap each other and that they are all just crooks is such an annoying cliche'.

The whole story line and things that happen- are extremely made up to the point its just not believable The actor playing the Russian Asset is good- but that's it.

I gave it a 6 as it's watchable when you don't care much for logic.

This was truly a fantastic surprise. I went into this show as a fan of most of the cast and still didn't think this would push out any quality storytelling.

Obviously, I was wrong. The writers of this show deserve to pat themselves on the back with this one. The tension and suspense really fed my dopamine-addled brain and kept me entertained.

A large part of the sense of mystery comes from the average American(such as myself) having no insight into how the CIA actually works and what goes on behind the scenes. Obviously, that information shouldn't be leaked, but the show made it seem so realistic that it made an impressionable young person(me) think about the effects a government-sanctioned terrorist group could have(the CIA).

This was truly a wonderful production and I hope to see more like it in 2023. Fivel Stewart and Vondie Curtis-Hall really stole the show.

This show is a solid 8/10 for me. I almost stopped watching it halfway into the first episode; the characters didn't seem believable, and it felt like a campy, low-budget CIA show, as if there haven't been enough of those. I'm so glad I decided to stick with it. What saves this show is the writing. It has an incredibly authentic feel to it, as if the technical advisor is the kind of person who's about to get fired from being a spook for spilling all the beans about how espionage works. After the first episode I was hooked, and it only got better and better. If you like spy shows, give this one a shot...you won't be disappointed.

It's a weird thing that characters talk like they're on a episode of Friends and then start shooting each other. TV writers have learned that directors and stunt teams can choreograph great, realistic action sequences with a minimum of plot points to work with. Unfortunately, they can't handle character development and dialogue. The writers have to do that part. But they all live in the sheltered world of sunny Southern California, or similar places and have no clue what those personalities are really like. So all the characters seem to be from the same formula. The talent it takes to write characters like those from House of Cards or Billions is rare. It's like trying to find enough really good quarterbacks for all the NFL teams. There just aren't enough to go around. So we end up with this stuff and Jack Ryan and Reacher etc. Entertaining but you have to be forgiving when you watch it and manage your expectations.

The series is really catchy. I have never got bored while watching. Main character and his friends add youth energy to the series. Every lawyers and agents at CIA have uniq character and it is excited to watch the intrigues between them and the mafia. Of course, this intrigues is not big as Succession's has yet it is nice. Also, there are good friendship, flirt, love, excitiment, curicious but the most importantly many good cities' views. Snowy Geneva and Prague were great to be watched.

There are too many not finished story in itself therefore it definetely deserves next seasons. I hope it will be released soon.

I forced myself to watch all the season and it took me a week. I wanted to give up after each episode,but I thought it will get better,but it just never did. Last few episodes were watched at 1.5x speed as it was impossible to sit through the dialog

The production value is good. The music is suspenseful, the camerawork is ok, though at times budget seemed to luck steadycam and they used the shakiness to give some "action" value - done by bad directors who can't achieve it via script.

The script is so bad, it 1/10. It is just nonsense. Without spoilers they are portraying CIA as a bunch of kids who kill each other, back stab each other, disobey orders, put their team in danger, lack any even common sense protocols and this goes on and on. It is just so poorly written, I was shaking my head most of the time. The dialogs are boring, long, little action, yet lack of any "thriller/suspense"; The main character didn't fit the. Seems like a good actor,but the script failed him. Anyone comparing it to Jack Ryan are blind. Jack Ryan is a 10/10 show. This is about 4/10 if I am being generous. Other characters were even worse at their roles. Many were not believable at all.

If you like fantasy nonsense bad script, no action and little to no story then this is for you. And worst of all, it ended in nowhere. Good shows are being canceled and this one is not one of them so I hope there will not be more. I certainly won't torture myself again for the 2nd round.

4/10.

The Recruit: a rookie lawyer, Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo) gets a job in the CIA's General Counsel's Office. As the newbie gray mail files are dumped on him. These are communications in which people threaten to expose CIA activities. One letter from a prisoner seems genuine enough and he is soon caught up in covert ops and criminal activities in a bid to secure the release of the prisoner, Max Meladza (Laura Haddock) a former CIA asset, who had been abandoned. Some in the CIA see the ex-asset as having future potential. Others want to have her eliminated. Several people have secrets which they don't want exposed. The action moves from the US to the Middle East and back, them onwards to Prague and Minsk, involving various intelligence agencies and criminal organisation (difficult to tell them apart at times). Plenty of savage killings, torture gore and duplicity. Just as well the series is infused with a thread of dark humour to leaven the narrative. Great performances from Haddock and Centineo. Created and Co-Written by Alexi Hawley. Eight episodes on Netflix. 8.5/10.

Noah Centineo is well cast as reckless but lucky CIA recruit Owen Hendricks, Laura Haddock (as Max Meladze) is sufficiently bad-ass (with the necessary cracks in the surface) and all the supporting actors turn out decent performances aided and abetted by some witty and smart writing. As per typical 2020s productions - we have gender flipping turned up to max (no pun intended) with not just one toxic male template - violent, pathological, ruthlessly efficient - turned female, but three (at least).

Be prepared for lots of scenes where women generally outclass the men in all areas - including being the office sexual predator (go justice!). Thankfully, this is all handled with a degree of humour and charm and if the idea of a murderous female east european assassin sounds a bit 'Killing Eve' - imo, 'The Recruit' is genuine fun as opposed to annoying and repetitive (which KE descended into).

I've no idea how accurate the little details of CIA ops are - but the code names, references to procedure and allusions to the endless bureaucracy involved, all added to, if not realism, then at least a sense the writers had done some homework. There's a running joke involving the avoidance of responsibility and hence lack of intelligence sharing, which silly as it sounds, probably has some basis in reality.

The central premise - view a standard CIA op from the perspective of a newbie - actually works, in terms of refreshing aspects of the genre. A car chase, a physical fight with the bad guys, an interrogation or an undercover infiltration - these are all things we've seen on screen a hundred times before. But seeing them from the rookie's perspective does two basic things - it introduces an element of unpredictability and it, potentially, makes the whole thing a bit more relatable (not that we have to constantly see ourselves on-screen, more that superhuman competence can be boring to watch. We want our heroes to succeed, but we need them to occasionally fail).

There were certainly moments when Hendricks' lack of knowledge was taken to ridiculous extremes.

As one example, he has apparently not only never shot a gun before (or witnessed someone shooting a gun), but lacks the basic common sense to realise that the shoulder rest on a sub-machine gun is there for a reason.

At other times Hendricks acts like a conscientious objector with a death wish - refusing to carry a gun or wear a protective vest, for example. He also displays a ridiculous naivety as to what CIA work might entail - but, really, none of this matters too much. It's not a straight out comedy, but we're not intended to be taking any of this too seriously.

The unpredictability of a central character, who at one moment displays exceptional intuition and reasoning but the next says or does something stupid, may not stretch to multiple series - at some point 'The Recruit' will meet the end of its character arc. Hopefully the writers will resist trying to push things too far or simply repeating the same 'jokes'.

So far, though, it gets the basics right.