As news of The Recruit‘s cancellation by Netflix after two seasons is starting to sink in, creator Alexi Hawley has shared his reaction in a lengthy “love letter” to the spy action thriller starring and executive produced by Noah Centineo.
In the social media post, Howley retraced the show’s path from a busted script at USA Network to an eight-episode series order at Netflix when one of the streamer’s top young stars, Centineo, came on board, through shooting Season 1 during the pandemic and dealing with the strike and cut-down order of six episodes in Season 2.
Hawley spoke of the “ballsy move” to end Season 1 on a cliffhanger, with rookie CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks’ (Centineo) life hanging in the balance. It paid off, with the series snagging a Season 2 renewal after overcoming early concern over its completion rate on the server.
Season 2 did not end as abruptly, with Owen seen looking into the distance and pondering the future in the finale’s final moments. Still, as Hawley told Deadline in a postmortem interview, there is a lot from Season 2 to unpack. It is something he still hopes to do after a third season, which he felt “super positive about” back in January, did not pan out.
“Is two seasons and a movie a thing? Cause we’d all be there in a heartbeat,” he wrote in his post. “If not, man, we left it all on the field. For those who haven’t yet watched, dive in. I swear to God you’ll enjoy the ride.”
Here is Hawley’s letter to fans. For more details on some of the elements he mentions in it, including filming at the CIA and on a real nuclear submarine, read our Season 2 interviews with Hawley and Centineo. Hawley also has ABC’s The Rookie, which he created and executive produces, and The Envoy, a drama in the works at Hulu.
