Summary
- The Recruit season 2 will address unanswered questions from the season 1 finale, including the surprising twist of Max's daughter being alive.
- Karolina's motive for shooting Max remains unknown, but it suggests a strained relationship between the two and possible betrayal.
- The Recruit season 2 will explore the consequences of Owen's actions, as he deals with being kidnapped and seeks revenge if Max is confirmed dead.
The Recruit ending for season 1 closed on a massive cliffhanger that teased an unpredictable The Recruit season 2. Netflix’s latest action series, The Recruit combines elements from Jack Ryan and The Bourne Identity, the last of which was directed by Doug Liman, who serves as executive producer for The Recruit. Like the best action-packed spy thrillers, The Recruit sets up lots of mysteries throughout season 1, most of which had been solved by the end of it. There are, however, several unanswered questions after The Recruit ending that a potential The Recruit season 2 must answer.
The Recruit ending continued the show's non-stop action, with the stories of Owen, Max, and the Russian mob culminating into a gunfire that ended with Owen killing a man, thus changing the lawyer forever and setting up a very different direction for The Recruit season 2. The latter half of The Recruit ending explained the story in an epilogue, and it seemed like the Netflix show would end on a positive note. However, with Owen kidnapped and Max shot by Karolina, The Recruit ending delivered its biggest twist. Here’s a breakdown of The Recruit’s ending.
Max’s Daughter Is Alive?! The Recruit’s Karolina Twist Explained
By far the most surprising The Recruit ending plot twist in the Netflix show was the reveal that Max’s daughter Karolina is alive. At the beginning of The Recruit season 1, when Max was still in jail waiting for Owen to try to get her out, the former CIA asset was attacked by one of her inmates. Max brought up her inmate’s family in order to threaten her but made sure to point out that she would never hurt her inmate’s daughter because she, Max, also used to have a daughter. Max never actually said that her daughter Karolina was dead, but she suggested so.
However, The Recruit ending explained that Karolina was alive all along. It’s important to remember that, during The Recruit season 1, episode 7, Owen meets with a woman at a bar who went by the name of Marta. Though the Netflix show was quick to reveal that Marta was a spy whose real name appeared to be Nichka, this mysterious new character had another layer of secrecy to her. Nichka was yet another alias for Karolina, Max’s daughter, who was alive and spying on Owen and Max since the moment the duo returned to Europe.
Why Did Karolina Shoot Max?
Karolina shot her mother Max in The Recruit ending - a shocking twist for the series considering that Max remembered her so fondly. It’s clear that Max believed her daughter was dead, meaning that she likely had no idea why her daughter shot her. Although The Recruit’s Karolina revelation only happens right at the end of season 1, there are enough clues throughout the season of the Netflix series to at least speculate why Karolina shot Max. Karolina was a Russian spy working with a team trying to prevent Max from exposing Kirill, head of the Russian mob, and his wife. Karolina and her mother were on opposite sides.
That said, Karolina being a Russian spy doesn’t explain exactly why she shot Max. The situation had been resolved by the end of the Netflix series, and if Karolina still had any affection toward her mother, she could have made sure that Max Meladze wouldn’t be a problem for the government or the mob without killing her. For Karolina to have never revealed she was alive and then shoot her mother, the character must feel like Max betrayed her in some way. Given how Max Meladze was a spy for years, her relationship with her daughter must have been difficult.
Did Max Die In The Recruit’s Finale?
Max dies in the finale of the Netflix show - or at least, that is what The Recruit ending wanted audiences to believe. Karolina shot Max close to the chest, yet The Recruit season 1 ends directly after. Max was The Recruit’s main character along with Owen, and if she really died, then The Recruit season 2 would be very different. Max was bleeding and in complete silence after getting shot, meaning that The Recruit season 2 could begin either confirming Max’s death or revealing that she survived. Max was wearing the same jumpsuit the whole episode, but she could have something like a bulletproof vest under it.
Why Owen Wants To Leave The Agency
Before being kidnapped by Karolina and finding out that Max had also been kidnapped, Owen called Hannah and revealed that he wanted to leave the CIA. Owen joined the CIA as a lawyer, and while he admitted that he was looking for the thrill of the action due to the memories of his late father, Owen never imagined he would get involved with so much death right away. Owen killed a Russian agent from Karolina’s team in The Recruit ending, which had a huge impact on him as Owen had never killed someone before. That is why Owen decides to leave the CIA.
Do Owen And Hannah Get Back Together In The Recruit?
Who Owen ends up with in The Recruit is a question that the show played with throughout season 1. Owen and Hannah had broken up prior to the events of The Recruit season 1 but remained roommates, yet they both still had feelings for each other. Despite both moving on, with Owen dating Amelia and then becoming closer to Max, the Netflix series didn’t rule out the possibility of Owen and Hannah getting back together. In fact, Hannah flew to Europe only because she was worried about Owen. The Recruit ending explained that Owen and Hannah would try to rebuild their relationship, but Owen was kidnapped first.
Why Was Owen Kidnapped In The Recruit’s Finale?
Owen had worked along with Max Meladze for most of The Recruit season 1. Therefore, any enemies Max might have would also target Owen. Karolina doesn’t explain why she kidnapped Owen or why she shot Max, but she suggested that it all has to do with her mother. Karolina asked Owen why he was running around with her mother, which can be interpreted as Karolina admitting that she is working against Max and whoever is helping her. Owen and Max made a lot of noise in Europe, with Owen even killing one of Karolina’s men in the Netflix series. Whatever Karolina has planned for Owen will be revealed in The Recruit season 2.
How The Recruit’s Finale Sets Up Season 2
Owen has changed a lot following the events of The Recruit ending. Before being kidnapped, Owen was ready to leave the Agency and rebuild his relationship with Hannah. Owen also wanted to distance himself from Max, as he realized he had become too close to someone who could easily betray him. The Recruit ending explained the promise of a different Owen in season 2, but things will get worse for the lawyer turned into an agent before they get better as Owen is currently kidnapped. If Max died in The Recruit’s season 1 ending, then The Recruit season 2 could be about Owen’s revenge.
The Recruit Season 2 Has Been Confirmed
The best news for people who want more after The Recruit ending twist is that there will be a second season of the Netflix series. Netflix confirmed the second season of the show and showrunner Alexi Hawley shared the announcement with fans of the show. However, there is also bad news. The production of The Recruit season 2 was pushed back thanks to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, so there isn't any word on when the show will pick back up and The Recruit season 2 release date won't be revealed until the entire shoot is finished and Netflix decides where to place it on the schedule.
Thanks to this news, the question of whether Max survived the gunshot from her own daughter will get a definitive answer after The Recruit ending twist. Expect Laura Haddock to return as Max, one way or another. Also, expect to see what happened after Noah Centineo's Owen was captured, and what will happen with Maddie Hasson's Karolina after shooting her mother in the second season of the hit Netflix spy series, The Recruit.