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The Recruit Season 2 Ending: Shocking Betrayals and Navy Submarines

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In the final episode of Netflix’s series The Recruit, played by Noah Centineo as Owen Hendricks, faced intense turmoil and barely survived a brutally violent mission. However, Season 2 of The Recruit ramps up the tension even more. With fewer episodes (only six compared to eight in Season 1), the challenges for Owen become much greater. And boy, does Owen face numerous trials to demonstrate his worth as a CIA agent.

In Season 2, Owen’s main objective is to rescue Nan Hee (Sanghee Lee), who was abducted by the Yakuza due to her work with a non-governmental organization that used a distinct cryptocurrency for bribes to aid in the return of Koreans. She is married to Korean National Intelligence Service agent Jang Kyun (Teo Yoo). This mission, fraught with difficulties, appears to be without a solution as the series reaches its finale. However, at the end of the second-to-last episode, Owen formulates an intricate plan involving a team in Korea to recover Nan Hee from the clutches of the Yakuza, who have her in eastern Russia. With approval from CIA Director Alton West (Nathan Fillion), the mission is set in motion. The writing in Season 2 effectively showcases Owen’s growth as an agent, and his negotiations with West (Fillion) demonstrate how much he has evolved. It’s evident that Owen possesses the necessary skills.

They’re gonna need a boat

To complete the task at hand, they must obtain a boat from Korea. The only individual Owen is acquainted with who owns a boat is his old flame Yoo Jin Hee (Shin Do-hyun), who can access her father’s fishing vessel. They manage to secure the boat, narrowly avoiding detection by Korean intelligence agencies, and set off on a mission to rescue Nan Hee. Owen and his team, comprising Jang Kyun, Yoo Jin, CIA agents Lester (Colton Dunn) and Dawn (Angel Parker), disguise themselves as a kidnap-and-ransom company to negotiate the purchase of Nan Hee.

In the story, Nichka (Maddie Hasson), who’s been associated with the CIA since she took her mother Max’s life at the end of Season 1, has located the wife in a large, heavily secured facility. She informs the team that it will be extremely challenging to rescue her. However, they have devised a strategy: Due to international laws, K&R companies are barred from conducting business on Russian land. Therefore, they intend to meet at sea, where they can board a boat with fewer Yakuza forces present, and successfully extract Kyun’s wife.

Owen and Jang Kyun paddle a compact watercraft towards the yacht where Nan Hee is held captive. They’re determined not to disclose the hidden money until they ensure her safety. For Jang, this mission is fraught with peril: If he or his spouse betray their acquaintance, both will meet a tragic end. Miraculously, Jang maintains his cool demeanor, stealthily approaching his wife. Since no one else in either party understands Korean, the language they converse in, Jang whispers to her, “We’re here to secure your release.” In his grasp, he holds a note in Korean, its message reading “You don’t recognize me.” Remarkably, they succeed in concealing their connection.

In my role as a devoted moviegoer, I’d rephrase the passage like this: I signal our successful contact with the hostage via my watch, but alas, a Russian Coast Guard vessel appears, preventing any rescue attempt. Engaging in a firefight with them would carry dire personal and international consequences, so we’re forced to abort the mission. However, hope persists. Upon discovering an empty briefcase, I find myself battling for survival. In a desperate bid to stay alive, I leap off the yacht into the churning waters. Bullets whiz past me as I swim, barely escaping with my life. Jang and Nan remain on the boat, which is now heading back to its original location. Yoo Jin’s words resonate in my mind: “Better to fight for love than abandon it.” Determined to save Jang Kyun and Nan Hee, I risk everything by swimming towards the boat.

An ally becomes a foe

Following a struggle involving swimming, confronting, and overpowering two Russian soldiers in a house, Owen contacts Lester and Dawn, who urge him to abandon the operation. However, Owen rejects this suggestion, expressing his belief that they’ve lost their humanity and he won’t let that part of himself perish. Remarkably, they acknowledge his choice (though labeling it “misguided”), and propose enlisting Nichka to assist him instead.

If only things were that straightforward! Instead, when Nichka encounters Owen at the Russian residence, she betrays him to the FSB (Russian Security Agency) and plans to hand him over at an airfield for capture. This is the same airfield where Jang Kyun and his wife are being taken. In a fierce struggle, Owen outwits Nichka, rendering her unconscious and securing her in the trunk of her car. Despite Nichka’s formidable skills, she can’t deter Owen from rescuing Jang Kyun at any cost.

In the aftermath of the mission’s exposure, the CIA is putting in extra effort to conceal their involvement. They are negotiating with Grace (Young-Ah Kim), a high-ranking intelligence officer at the NIS, and one of their own – Dawn, who has been targeting Owen since the beginning. Their strategy is clear: they aim to implicate Owen as a rogue agent, label him as such, and take him out to prevent global disaster.

In a less-than-subtle move, Owen infiltrates the compound, evading numerous soldiers and a landing aircraft (the film “The Recruit” isn’t known for its subtlety, and it works to its advantage). He locates Jang Kyun and his wife, planning to get them out of the compound. This won’t be an easy task. Keeping watch over them with a sniper rifle is Dawn, who was given an offer to eliminate them, pinning the blame on Owen and boosting her standing within the CIA. However, she’s thwarted by Nichka, who intends to kill Owen herself. Following a fierce knife battle, Nichka slays Dawn and discards her body into the river. It appears that the mutual destruction Dawn threatened Owen with will not occur after all.

In this scenario, Owen puts Jang Kyun and Nan Hee into an SUV and sets off towards safety, but Nichka, armed with a gun, blocks their way. Prudently, Owen decides not to advance, causing Nichka to retreat before she can discharge her weapon. Nichka reloads and starts firing, shattering the back window of the vehicle and signaling the soldiers stationed at the complex, who respond by shooting and pursuing the car. In a desperate attempt to escape, Owen steers the car towards international waters, forcing them all to abandon ship and swim for safety. Miraculously, Yoo Jin locates them using her father’s fishing boat, and they manage to board it amidst heavy gunfire from a Russian coast guard vessel.

What Owen doesn’t know

If things weren’t already chaotic, a massive U.S. Navy submarine suddenly appeared (yep, even in the world of The Recruit, subtlety takes a back seat!). This prompted the Coast Guard unit to prudently withdraw, ensuring Owen and his team’s safety under the most unlikely circumstances. In Season 2, Owen was eager to redeem himself as a CIA agent following numerous mistakes. His extraordinary heroics in the finale have made his abilities undeniably noteworthy. Later, with Russian gunfire avoided, Jang expresses his deep gratitude towards Owen; he still finds it hard to believe that he and his wife survived. An unbreakable bond has formed between Jang Kyun and Owen.

In a final attempt to win over Jang Kyun as an American spy, Owen emphasized his credentials as a CIA agent even more. His persuasive approach was clear: Face a lifetime in Korean prison or seize the opportunity for a fresh start in America, along with financial security for himself and his loved ones. With a firm handshake and a smile, Jang made his choice, agreeing to team up with Owen.

The episode concludes with a somewhat tranquil finale, as Owen gazes at the ocean, smiling momentarily. However, his smile progressively disappears during their return journey to America. Although Owen orchestrated an extraordinary rescue operation almost single-handedly, the CIA was trying to manipulate situations to implicate him and eliminate him – a fact unknown to Owen. So, what lies ahead for Owen upon his arrival in America? Will Jang manage to join the CIA, or has Owen made a commitment he can’t keep? These questions will be answered when The Recruit returns for Season 3.

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2025-01-31 00:07

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