The Recruit Stars Noah Centineo And Laura Haddock Discuss The Show's Intense Cliffhanger

Warning: This article contains spoilers for "The Recruit"

Netflix's new spy-drama/thriller series "The Recruit" dropped on December 16, 2022, and by most accounts has been nothing but an exciting, thrilling adventure for audiences. The plot follows Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), a newly inducted lawyer for the CIA. He's ready to get to work, but ends up wanting to take back his words when Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), a previous CIA operative, threatens to expose everything unless they help her avoid a prison sentence. Meladzde makes Hendricks' work pretty hard for him, as he's plunged into endless problems and conflicts just because he knows her. He also isn't even supposed to be a spy but is sucked into that world anyway.

Eight episodes arguably went by too fast, especially with how producers opted to tie everything up with an harsh cliffhanger bow. Naturally, as viewers might expect, Owen developed feelings for Max, even while getting over a breakup with ex-Hannah (Fivel Stewart). At the end of Episode 8, Owen laments about how he feels foolish for trying to help Max and that he regrets caring about her. With a clear head, he sets off to reunite with Hannah. 

Just before Owen can get to Hannah, a black car pulls up and abducts him. A scene later, he and Max are tied to chairs with a mystery woman walking in. She shoots Max and then turns to Owen. "Who are you, and what the f*** are you doing with my mother?" she asks. The show then ends, leaving Max's fate, as well as Owen's, unknown. 

In an interview with Collider, Noah Centineo ("Black Adam") and Laura Haddock ("Guardians of the Galaxy") discussed their feelings about the crazy ending of "The Recruit" Season 1.

For Haddock, she didn't want to read it. "I was angry." The actor went on to joke that she thought she'd gotten the wrong script by mistake, and that she demanded a rewrite. Haddock remarked that "things could twist or change," which can be comforting. What happened on the screen doesn't set what happens next in stone, so to say, but that doesn't lessen the questions. Audiences now know that Max has a daughter; what does that mean for the potential relationship between Owen and Max? What is Max's daughter like, and why does she want her mom dead? Also, more importantly, does Max even survive? 

Contrary to his co-star, Centineo had feelings of disbelief and confusion, rather than anger. "It was a crazy cliffhanger. My God. And immediately, I was like, 'Oh, I wonder what's going to happen?'" He went on to compare it to the finale of HBO's "Game of Thrones": "I was like, 'Is this a "Game of Thrones" situation, or is this deceiving? You really don't know.'" It will be up to the audience's imagination what happens next until "The Recruit" is renewed for Season 2, assuming Netflix ends up making that call.