American shows have a habit of leaving the viewer in awe. The professionalism with which they are made is high on every count. Therefore, my expectations have no bounds whenever I stream a new series from the U.S. soil.
The Recruit is the latest in line from the country. It tells the story of a rookie lawyer hired by the CIA. Moreover, the show is suspenseful and exciting, according to its Netflix description.

With eight episodes up its sleeve, The Recruit runs for a bit over five hours.
Created by Alexi Hawley, The Recruit stars Noah Centineo (Owen Hendricks), Laura Haddock (Max), Aarti Mann (Violet), Colton Dunn (Lester), Fivel Stewart (Hannah), Daniel Quincy Annoh, Kristian Brunn, and Vondis Curtis-Hall, among others.
Should you stream it or skip it? Read my The Recruit review to find out.
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What is the story of The Recruit?
Owen Hendricks is a rookie lawyer hired by the CIA who finds it challenging to sail through espionage waters. He has to keep an old asset under control, a job that beats the hell out of him.
Now, let’s discuss the plus points of the series.
The idea of the show is arousing. Initially, I thought of it to be like The Lincoln Lawyer; however, that was not the case.
Both shows do have a similar theme but are pretty much different in approach, setting, and, of course, the outcome.
The Recruit uses a lawyer to take the narrative forward but only figuratively. He never walks inside a court of law or deals with cases against or for the CIA.

Instead, he has to make sure nothing goes off. That’s what makes the concept of The Recruit exciting.
Moreover, the storyline is fast-paced, filled with elements of surprise, shrewdness, humor, action, and whatnot. The series throws twists and turns in a subtle manner to ensure you stay on the screen for a prolonged time.
Interestingly, The Recruit has several casual scenes that accentuate the experience by making the story relatable. A huge credit for that should go to the writers.
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You can sense depth in writing with the emotional baggage settling at a bearable height and fervor balancing with action. Cliches are only used as entertaining references.
Furthermore, the background score of The Recruit adds to the growing build-up. It covers any blandness that might have occurred in the series.
Also, the show is high on humor and never becomes dull. The jokes are perfect, the situational comedy is superb, and, as I mentioned earlier, the quirkily crafted dialogues push a sense of laughter into the series.

The Recruit is backed by a stirring screenplay, an essential factor for shows falling in this genre. It doesn’t matter if you have a pacy plot unless there’s a gripping screenplay to take it forward.
Mystery and suspense are stitched to good effect in The Recruit. You might not be baffled by what happens, but you’d stay in pursuit of the same.
The most significant plus point of the show is that it puts a rookie character at the helm. It creates a sense of fulfillment when he is able to navigate through hardships.
How are the performances?
Noah Centineo is the rightful head of the cast of The Recruit. He plays Owen Hendricks, a rookie lawyer, and mesmerizes you with his acting craft.
The extemporized onscreen maneuvering by Noah allows him to get closer to the audience. Furthermore, his witty dialogue delivery evokes laughter on many occasions.
He’s undoubtedly the best performer of The Recruit, but that doesn’t mean others are way behind.
Laura Haddock as Max is bound to win you over. Her Russian accent works like a charm, and a thunderous mien goes perfectly well with the characterization.

It is tough to segment her outing in the series, for Laura feels like a complete package every time she is on the screen. From her expressions to her dialogues and presence, nothing goes awry.
Kristian Brunn quirkily announces himself in The Recruit. He is simply superb in the many monologues the actor comes up with. Also, his spontaneous reactions are outstandingly brilliant.
Sometimes, I wonder why great actors are given so little screen time but then, as they say, the lesser, the better. Kristian Brunn, hats off, man! Great job.

Colton Dunn portrays Lester in The Recruit. Whether as a cunning colleague or a supportive teammate, Dunn obliges to the plot’s situation and brings out his best.
He is affable and soothing with a touch of comical gray.
Fivel Stewart’s attractive aura as Hannah is one of my major takeaways from The Recruit. She grows with time in the series and serves you kindly.
I hope her character in the second season of The Recruit is elevated to a more prominent level.
What goes off for The Recruit?
There’s nothing specific that doesn’t work for the series. I think the makers could have handled the love story angle better. It seemed stuffed with that weird flashback into the past.
Should you stream The Recruit?
Definitely! Whether you love the genre or not, I can assure you won’t dislike the show.
THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS.
FAQs
The Recruit ending explained.
Yes, you saw that right. Max’s daughter is alive, and she has even killed her mother. The question is, why did she do that?
My weird guess is that once upon a time, Max sold her daughter to save herself in a catch-22 situation. Why else would Karolina kill her mother? Do you have another theory?
We are yet to be shown Max’s marital life and why she killed her husband. Maybe, that has links to Karolina too. Only the second season of The Recruit can tell.
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