SPOILERS INCLUDED – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
Katherine Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) has always exuded main character energy, and now she truly is the main character in the new Netflix series XO, Kitty. A spinoff of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movie trilogy, XO, Kitty may seem like an average rom-com series, but as the episodes progress, we see it’s a K-drama in disguise. In the end, it’s actually pretty realistic despite the tropes.
“It’s not all about a boy.”
Kitty says several times that her trip to Korea and desire to study at KISS is not about a boy — or at least not all about it. The 10-episode series does a relatively good job at sticking to that, exploring different facets of the lives of Kitty and her friends — and even their parents and teachers. Of course Kitty’s love life and relationship with Dae (Minyeong Choi) is the main storyline, but Jenny Han (who has another great cameo) and her team were able to seamlessly weave other themes and plots into the show. This allows the show to be a deeper narrative than its movie predecessors. XO, Kitty goes into sexuality, class and financial divides, adoption, expats and diasporic Asians and more. And that just makes sense for a show centered around Kitty. She’s always been the most outspoken, curious, activist member of the Covey clan.
Goodbye, Sixteen Candles. Hello, K-drama!
We are no longer in the world of John Hughes and ‘80s movie references. If you thought Lara Jean lip syncing down a high school hallway post-breakup was dramatic, XO, Kitty sees that and raises you several over-dramatic scenes and storylines. We’re way beyond love triangles and fake dating now — though XO, Kitty definitely has those.
XO, Kitty’s got a search for birth parents, forbidden relationships, enemies to lovers (crushes is more accurate term but not as catchy), lots of secrets, Lara Jean-esque fantasy dreams (the show calls them sex dreams, but that’s overdoing it) and so much more. It’s a lot of drama, but nothing actually feels out of place or too over the top — unlike Lara Jean’s lip syncing scene — because it’s in line with Kitty’s personality and the overall tone of the TATB universe.
She’s curious. She isn’t afraid to go after things. She’s known to meddle. So she isn’t afraid of a little chaos. That prevented it from feeling like 10 episodes of Degrassi. Because the first episode was essentially the trailer, turning up the drama also helped keep the story going throughout the other nine episodes.
Seoul Searching with Realistic Lessons
Despite the K-drama feel of the show and the general rom-com nature of the TATB universe, XO, Kitty actually has the most realistic outcomes and lessons. We love a good escape from reality and a happily-ever-after, but unfortunately that isn’t always the case — especially when it comes to love. Kitty’s journey to Korea is a wake-up call to that.
Plot twist: Kitty doesn’t end up with anyone at the end of the show. She doesn’t get a fairytale ending. No one does — not that everyone is absolutely miserable by the end of the season. But that’s life sometimes.
At one point in the finale, Kitty calls her dad during a breakdown and Dan Covey (John Corbett) says, “Sadness and confusion is part of growing up.” That couldn’t be more true. We saw Lara Jean work through her sadness and confusion in her movie trilogy, and now it’s Kitty’s turn. One aspect of confusion this universe is exploring for the first time, though, is sexuality. Kitty isn’t entirely sure of who she’s attracted to or how she’d label it, and that’s absolutely normal for teenagers (or anyone in a stage of exploration) to experience. It’s great to see that in XO, Kitty, especially with someone who thought they knew who and what they liked.
Kitty also admits that maybe she doesn’t know anything about love. A self-proclaimed matchmaker, the junior-year high school student doesn’t have it all figured out. And she shouldn’t. She’s only 16! So when she and Dae aren’t endgame, when she ends up with no one in the end, that’s believable. (Especially since they live over 5,000 miles apart and are only teenagers!)
XO, Kitty‘s realistic takeaways are refreshing to see in a rom-com and young adult show. This allows the target audience to see authentic portrayals of what being a teenager is like. Even for those of us who aren’t teenagers, it’s still nice, because it reminds us all that we aren’t alone in our struggles.
Season 1 of XO, Kitty is now streaming on Netflix.
