As human beings we’re supposed to make mistakes. Hell, that’s a given. It doesn’t really matter how young our old you are, you can count on making mistakes just being a big part of life. Sometimes you’ll succeed, but it’s very true when people tell you that you have to make mistakes to learn. In The Recruit, Noah Centineo is about to make a lot of mistakes.
The Recruit is about a brand new (and when I say brand new I mean it) lawyer at the CIA, Owen. Owen is played by Noah Centineo of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Fosters fame.
Before I even get into this show, I will say that if you’re sitting here going Noah, as a CIA anything and doubting that it could be good, I shared your trepidation. When I heard about the show and the premise, my first instinct was that they were trying to make us believe something that was comical. BUT, dare I say it.
It works.
TWO WEEKS
When the show open up, it’s two weeks in the future. There is an OP happening and we’re not sure what it is. What we do know is that Owen is the only person that can see a convoy coming in and no one is seeing the same threat he does. However, Owen isn’t willing to accept that. So he takes it upon himself to go and stop the convoy.
Personally, I run from danger, but Owen, without backup or any weapons, runs towards it. He is balls to the wall, gives no fucks.
And then we’re suddenly back to Owen’s first days on the job.
NEW MAN GETS HAZED
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a princess, but definitely did not want to be in the CIA. Owen is a lawyer that was recruited to work in the CIA and as he starts his job, his coworkers decide that he needs to be hazed.
Some people never grow up, we guess.
Owen works in the General Counsel’s office, and his first job? Well that would be to go and talk to a Senator on the hill and talk him into not revealing classified information at a Senate hearing. The hearing is public. The issue, well, if Owen fails, he will loose his job.
We do get a look at how far Owen is willing to go for his job. We also get an insight into who Owen is – he’s smart, sarcastic, blunt, and just how matter-of-fact he is. He’s aware that he could be pissing people off with that, but also really not sure that he cares.
Owen takes his job seriously. Even when his co-workers have an issue with him and feel the need to haze him. Violet and Lester seem to be like nerdy kids who want to be popular but are truly pains in the ass. They give him all of the letters from people who say that they have confidential information and basically a bunch of threats aimed at the CIA.
Owen is given the task of reading through all of the letters to find the real ones. There are a lot of things to take in, because some are just crazy and some are hilarious, but some seem real. The ones that seem real, Owen needs to investigate.
And one seems really real – Max Meladze. She mentions some names that are actually part of the CIA. She wants to be released or she will release the classified info.
We’re introduced to a new character, whom is complete spastic joy. Janus Ferber (Kristian Bruun), works with the Special Operations Group. He doesn’t want to sleep because he’s trying to stop the ops peeps from carrying out an op he doesn’t want to sanction.
Ferber tells Owen to trust no one and TBH that’s the best advice that Owen should listen to. Ferber also makes me LOL because he’s negotiating trade of info with Owen for adderall. Ahhh, the CIA is just like so many of us.
YEMEN
Where this road leads is to Yemen. Now, Violet and Lester decide that they’re going to push this hazing further and tell him that it’s totes cool to go to Yemen. He just needs to fly coach and save receipts.
Something tells me that eventually we all may get to like Violet and Lester, but right now I am going with we hate them and that they are trash. Like grow up.
Owen heads to Yemen the way that they told him to, and legit just walks up to a black site like it’s nothing. Oh no Owen, it’s not nothing. Your ass is about to get tortured. Legitimately. Like for real. There was no part of me that didn’t cringe when they started pulling out his fingernails. That was legit gross.
But Owen was able to convince them who he was and that saved his life. He was able to leave Yemen knowing that Max Meladze definitely was an asset. Max Meladze knows all of these things that she shouldn’t know but she knows them. Gilbane, the head operative at the black site, gives him some info and sets him back on his way.
WHERE ARE YOU
When Owen makes it back to DC, his boss is pissed, but also appreciates what he has to say. He tells him that he should further investigate and keep him informed. For someone who is new on the job, Owen is definitely like, ya, well, I am gonna show up and show out.
But the thing is, he’s learning quick, there truly is no one to trust. Everyone is out for themselves and the CIA is truly a kill or be killed job. Max Meladaze is straight up that type of scary that you’re not sure if you should be afraid of, but you are afraid. The sign of why I think you should be terrified of her? Because anyone with bangs that bad gives no fucks. Like her bangs are a sign that she has nothing left to loose and gives no fucks.
She tells Owen that she has some documents in a storage locker and he goes for them. What he didn’t know was that people would be waiting there for anyone to go in the storage and they come right at him to get the bag.
What makes us laugh about Owen is that for a CIA agent, he really talks a lot about shit he probably shouldn’t say. Bur admire his tenacity and his want to make sure that they don’t get it. Then again we also admire Max’s ingenuity to lace the bag with acid so that anyone opens it is gonna get fucked up.
Owen manages to break free and out. When he heads back to see Max, she fucks with his head, but what we learn is that her handler was “Not Bob” and FYI that is the President.
What I admire about Owen is that most people would have run at this point. But Owen doesn’t. He takes this on.
He asks Max if he can trust her and the only way that he’s going to work with her is if she tells him the truth. She basically says not really.
And his response.. “I’m in.”
The Recruit is streaming now on Netflix.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Owens roommates are amazing
- The fact that that OPS team drugged their lawyers, not cool, but I laughed.
