Why did Netflix cancel 'The Recruit' after just two seasons?
06 Mar 2025

According to Deadline, Netflix has reportedly canceled its popular spy series, The Recruit, after just two seasons.

The news follows just six weeks after the premiere of the second season at the end of January.

Colton Dunn, who played Lester Kitchens in the series, first revealed this news on social media, which was later confirmed by Netflix itself.

'The Recruit' faced production delays due to writers' strike
Production challenges

Created by Alexi Hawkey, The Recruit was produced by Lionsgate (after acquiring eOne) in association with Hypnotic.

The series was heavily affected by a writers' strike, which pushed the second season by almost two years.

Despite this, it clinched the number two position on both Nielsen's streaming charts and Netflix's own charts within just a week of its release.

'The Recruit' garnered impressive viewership despite production hurdles
Viewership success

Despite the production delays, The Recruit managed to achieve impressive viewership numbers.

In its first week, the series amassed 5.9 million views and 31.8 million hours viewed.

These numbers increased in its second week to 6.1 million views and 33 million hours viewed, showing just how popular it is among Netflix users.

With the cancellation news, it seems like Netflix was expecting the show to do even better.

'The Recruit' featured a reduced number of episodes in S02
Season synopsis

The second season of The Recruit had six episodes, two fewer than its first season.

The series revolved around the story of Owen Hendricks, a young CIA lawyer played by Noah Centineo.

Hendricks's life takes a dramatic turn when he receives a threatening letter from former asset Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), who threatens to expose the agency unless they clear her name from a serious crime.