When Netflix announced it was releasing new seasons of The Night Agent and The Recuit within a week of one another, fans were understandably puzzled and concerned by the decision. After all, why burn through two major spy dramas with similar audiences within such a short window of time? With The Night Agent having already been renewed for a third season ahead of season 2’s release, we knew it was in no danger but the same could not be said for The Recruit.
Fans were immediately wary that The Recruit could be in danger and it seems their fears were justified as the Noah Centineo drama has been canceled after two seasons.
While Netflix has yet to release a formal statement, it seems word has reached the cast that The Recruit will not be coming back for a third season.
“The Recruit has been cancelled y'all. Such a bummer. I’ll share some pics and fun memories on IG but just wanted you to hear it from me. Thanks if you watched,” actor Colton Dunn, who played CIA agent Lester Kitchens across the show’s two seasons, wrote on Threads announcing the show’s cancellation.
Starring Netflix rom-com heartthrob Noah Centineo, The Recruit told the story of Centineo’s CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks who found himself at the heart of a massive international crisis that took him from Russia to Seoul. The show premiered in December 2022 and quickly became a hit among viewers with its first seasons serving as a major success for Netflix. Season 2 was ordered shortly after, but it took over two years for the season to arrive.
Season 2 was met with rave reviews among fans, but the second season had a much softer opening than season 1. In its debut week, The Recruit peaked at No. 2 on the Netflix Top 10 with 5.9 million viewers in its first four days of streaming which is solid but was well under the 13.9 million viewers The Night Agent drew in its first four days. The Night Agent also ran circles around The Recruit in its second week with season 2 of The Night Agent taking the top spot in the Top 10 for the week of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 with 15.2 million views in its second week.
While it’s hard to know just how big a role the show’s ratings played in the decision to cancel The Recruit, we imagine the show underperforming opposite The Night Agent did not do the show any favors and was a factor. Netflix has been known to pull the plug on shows that don’t meet its high expectations and it seems that The Recruit’s quieter premiere opposite The Night Agent was excuse enough for Netflix to cancel the show after two seasons.
Dunn’s statement about the show’s cancellation makes it clear the cancellation was a surprise to the cast and it’s a sentiment shared by many fans.
“That is so NOT okay!!! Why does Netflix cancel all the amazing shows? So, we just never have any closure,” wrote one frustrated fan. “Very disappointed in this decision,” commented another annoyed fan.
The Recruit joins a string of Netflix shows that have been canceled in 2025 which includes The Sandman and Surviving Summer, which both end their runs after just two seasons on Netflix as well. It's unlikely the show will be shopped around meaning its season 2 finale will now serve as a series ender, and that fans will not be getting resolution to the unresolved storylines from the season.