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Noah Centineo has proved to be a great leading man in his previous work with Netflix and an action star in Black Adam. Netflix’s The Recruit marks two firsts for the young actor. He’s the lead in a streaming series. He’s also stepped into the role of executive producer, along with showrunner Alexi Hawley (The Rookie) and journalist/lawyer Adam Ciralsky, who used to work for the CIA.
Owen Hendricks (Centineo) is a 24-year-old recent law school grad who goes to work for the CIA. He’s intelligent, charismatic, hard-working, and incredibly ambitious, perhaps to a fault. Only days into the job, he gets an assignment that sends him all over the world to deal with scary people and life-threatening situations.
That assignment involves Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), a former CIA asset who sent them a “graymail” letter threatening to name names and spill some juicy secrets unless they get her out of prison. Russian spies aren’t anything new in storytelling, but there’s more to Max than just being a highly skilled killer, something Owen finds out the hard way.
When he’s not jet-setting or talking his way out of being tortured, Owen is at the CIA office where things aren’t as dangerous but are no less taxing. Two of his colleagues, Violet (Aarti Mann) and Lester (Colton Dunn), really commit to making his life hell. But it’s not just silly office pranks or humiliation. There are so many acronyms and code words in this profession. Owen doesn’t know any of them until his lack of knowledge gets him into varying degrees of trouble, sometimes putting his life on the line. It’s not super clear whether this is just traditional office hazing or jealousy, or both.
Owen’s boss Walter Nyland (Vondie Curtis-Hall), general counsel of the CIA, is the classic intimidating authority you want to impress at all times. He reminds me a bit of Stan Edgar from The Boys, though he smiles a lot more. Curtis-Hall really nails the “why are you still here” and “did you really just say that” looks, the two nonverbal responses he regularly gives to Owen.
Other than Owen, I have to say that Janus Ferber (Kristian Bruun) is my favorite character in the series. Anyone familiar with Orphan Black will know Bruun as Donnie Hendrix. Janus has a similar cluelessness but as a seriously burnt-out CIA lawyer, his frantic mindset is dialed up to 11.
In a place where everyone has to be on their lying A-game at all times, no one trusts each other. For a guy like Owen, an oversharer who can get along with just about anyone, navigating this world of professional deception isn’t the easiest, at least when it comes to coworkers. He’s still a charmer who can get himself out of tricky situations, whether it’s getting tortured, kidnapped, or both. Owen is good-looking and likable but gets himself into trouble on a daily basis. It seems to come from a good place, though.
Owen’s home life is pretty messy. One of the two people he lives with is his ex-girlfriend Hannah (Fivel Stewart), who acts as his voice of reason and de facto therapist. She’s also a new lawyer, working a boring government job and clearly more put together. They’re still best friends even though there’s obvious tension. Their roomie Terence (Daniel Quincy Annoh) often finds himself in between them, literally, but he handles the drama well.
The Recruit is genuinely funny in a non-slapstick way, which is a credit to the writing but also the talented cast. Centineo has brilliant comedic timing, especially in scenes with Bruun or Colton Dunn. But the series still has its dramatic, emotional moments. Laura Haddock imbues Max with a sense of vulnerability buried beneath the ruthless killer’s exterior, making her scenes alone and with others equally captivating. And Owen’s danger-seeking overachiever behavior stems from events in his past, suggesting/implying that his taste for intense conditions is a form of avoidance.
Interestingly, the series isn’t nonstop action. So, when an action scene comes, it’s delightfully chaotic and intense with some disorienting camerawork that puts you in the scene. Owen is a snazzy dresser but ends up bruised and bloodied in pretty much every episode. He mostly rocks a suit or whatever clean clothes he can get his hands on after a scuffle.
In The Recruit, Centineo plays Owen as a “ready-for-anything go-getter” while somehow coming off as very chill, making his character someone you want to root for, laugh at, and be friends with. The relatability factor was intentional. At Netflix’s Tudum 2022 event, Alexi Hawley said, “None of us can realistically dream of being James Bond, but all of us have had the first job — with co-workers we can’t trust and agendas we don’t understand.”
The Recruit is somewhere between glossy and gritty without being too much of either. It’s the perfect blend of action and comedy and does its best to avoid spy thriller cliches by creating characters who aren’t only smooth-talking agents and devious femme fatales. The series isn’t over-the-top guns blazing, but with a comically reckless main character just kinda winging it in a world of espionage, it certainly never gets boring.
The Recruit debuts Friday, December 16 on Netflix.
Noah Centineo has proved to be a great leading man in his previous work with Netflix and an action star in Black Adam. Netflix’s The Recruit marks two firsts for the young actor. He’s the lead in a streaming series. He’s also stepped into the role of executive producer, along with showrunner Alexi Hawley (The Rookie) and journalist/lawyer Adam Ciralsky, who used to work for the CIA.
Owen Hendricks (Centineo) is a 24-year-old recent law school grad who goes to work for the CIA. He’s intelligent, charismatic, hard-working, and incredibly ambitious, perhaps to a fault. Only days into the job, he gets an assignment that sends him all over the world to deal with scary people and life-threatening situations.
That assignment involves Max Meladze (Laura Haddock), a former CIA asset who sent them a “graymail” letter threatening to name names and spill some juicy secrets unless they get her out of prison. Russian spies aren’t anything new in storytelling, but there’s more to Max than just being a highly skilled killer, something Owen finds out the hard way.
When he’s not jet-setting or talking his way out of being tortured, Owen is at the CIA office where things aren’t as dangerous but are no less taxing. Two of his colleagues, Violet (Aarti Mann) and Lester (Colton Dunn), really commit to making his life hell. But it’s not just silly office pranks or humiliation. There are so many acronyms and code words in this profession. Owen doesn’t know any of them until his lack of knowledge gets him into varying degrees of trouble, sometimes putting his life on the line. It’s not super clear whether this is just traditional office hazing or jealousy, or both.
Owen’s boss Walter Nyland (Vondie Curtis-Hall), general counsel of the CIA, is the classic intimidating authority you want to impress at all times. He reminds me a bit of Stan Edgar from The Boys, though he smiles a lot more. Curtis-Hall really nails the “why are you still here” and “did you really just say that” looks, the two nonverbal responses he regularly gives to Owen.
Other than Owen, I have to say that Janus Ferber (Kristian Bruun) is my favorite character in the series. Anyone familiar with Orphan Black will know Bruun as Donnie Hendrix. Janus has a similar cluelessness but as a seriously burnt-out CIA lawyer, his frantic mindset is dialed up to 11.
In a place where everyone has to be on their lying A-game at all times, no one trusts each other. For a guy like Owen, an oversharer who can get along with just about anyone, navigating this world of professional deception isn’t the easiest, at least when it comes to coworkers. He’s still a charmer who can get himself out of tricky situations, whether it’s getting tortured, kidnapped, or both. Owen is good-looking and likable but gets himself into trouble on a daily basis. It seems to come from a good place, though.
Owen’s home life is pretty messy. One of the two people he lives with is his ex-girlfriend Hannah (Fivel Stewart), who acts as his voice of reason and de facto therapist. She’s also a new lawyer, working a boring government job and clearly more put together. They’re still best friends even though there’s obvious tension. Their roomie Terence (Daniel Quincy Annoh) often finds himself in between them, literally, but he handles the drama well.
The Recruit is genuinely funny in a non-slapstick way, which is a credit to the writing but also the talented cast. Centineo has brilliant comedic timing, especially in scenes with Bruun or Colton Dunn. But the series still has its dramatic, emotional moments. Laura Haddock imbues Max with a sense of vulnerability buried beneath the ruthless killer’s exterior, making her scenes alone and with others equally captivating. And Owen’s danger-seeking overachiever behavior stems from events in his past, suggesting/implying that his taste for intense conditions is a form of avoidance.
Interestingly, the series isn’t nonstop action. So, when an action scene comes, it’s delightfully chaotic and intense with some disorienting camerawork that puts you in the scene. Owen is a snazzy dresser but ends up bruised and bloodied in pretty much every episode. He mostly rocks a suit or whatever clean clothes he can get his hands on after a scuffle.
In The Recruit, Centineo plays Owen as a “ready-for-anything go-getter” while somehow coming off as very chill, making his character someone you want to root for, laugh at, and be friends with. The relatability factor was intentional. At Netflix’s Tudum 2022 event, Alexi Hawley said, “None of us can realistically dream of being James Bond, but all of us have had the first job — with co-workers we can’t trust and agendas we don’t understand.”
The Recruit is somewhere between glossy and gritty without being too much of either. It’s the perfect blend of action and comedy and does its best to avoid spy thriller cliches by creating characters who aren’t only smooth-talking agents and devious femme fatales. The series isn’t over-the-top guns blazing, but with a comically reckless main character just kinda winging it in a world of espionage, it certainly never gets boring.
The Recruit debuts Friday, December 16 on Netflix.
Though season one of Yellowjackets has ended, this ending is only the beginning. Yellowjackets’ finale raised as many questions as it answered and fans are buzzing. This is a true testament to the show’s “slow burn” nature. And a mark of its confident serialized storytelling. Questions (and theories) keep us ready to consume Yellowjackets season two. And we are hungry.
Here’s our breakdown of the biggest questions from the Yellowjackets‘ finale and season one overall. So let’s shed some light, my beautiful friends, on the answers, theories, and speculation this season brought to life. And let the darkness set us free.
Yellowjackets Season One Questions and Theories
Yellowjackets Season Two and Beyond // Are There Supernatural Powers at Work on Yellowjackets? // Who Is Yellowjackets’ Antler Queen and Who Is the Girl in the Pit? // Who Killed Travis and Kidnapped Nat? What Is the Meaning of Yellowjackets’ Symbol? // Will Lottie Become Evil? Is She Possessed? // Who Was Adam on Yellowjackets? // Does Shauna’s Baby Survive the Wilderness // Is Taissa Sleepwalking, Possessed, or in Possession of a Whole Other Personality? // Is Jackie Really Dead on Yellowjackets? // Where Is Javi? Where Are Van, Mari, and Akilah in the Future? // Where Did the Girls Crash on Yellowjackets and How Will They Be Rescued? // Who will Play Adult Versions of the Surviving Cast?
How many seasons of Yellowjackets will there be?
Right now, the showrunners are discussing five seasons of Yellowjackets. We don’t know if the multiple timeline format will continue throughout but we’re excited to find out. All the forest sigils are pointing in the direction, too. Because, happily, Yellowjackets received an early renewal for season two and season three.
When does season two of Yellowjackets return?
As mentioned, Yellowjackets was renewed for a second season before the finale. Though initially, Yellowjackets season two was set to premiere at the end of 2022, that timeline changed. According to showrunners and co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, who spoke with The Wrap, “We’re looking into the first quarter of 2023 [for Yellowjackets season two]… We are on a very similar production track in terms of time as we were last season, although, of course, we have to shoot an additional episode because we had already shot the pilot the last time. I believe that we are going to finish shooting in about February, and we’ll be airing sometime shortly after that.”
They add, “Nobody wanted to get back on the air quickly more than we did. But we really rolled directly from finishing up Season 1 into Season 2… It’s a deeply serialized story, and we wanted to make sure we didn’t rush it, and that we got it right. And so this was the earliest we could accomplish that.”
And they have delivered on that timeline. Yellowjackets announced via social media today that the show will return on March 24, 2023. So the answers we seek are near. It may be a little later than we’d hoped, but we want Yellowjackets season two to deliver its absolute best.
Are There Supernatural Powers at Work on Yellowjackets?
One could argue this is the core question Yellowjackets asks of its characters and audience. The belief in a greater force seems to directly correlate to another question. How do the Yellowjackets end up breaking into multiple tribes? This division likely forms between those who believe there are supernatural forces at play, with Lottie as their leader, and those who refuse this explanation. But which Yellowjackets join Lottie and which do not are questions we still can’t answer with certainty.
Based on the Yellowjackets finale, it seems like our main characters, Shauna, Taissa, Van, Nat, and Misty, were all somehow involved in Lottie’s tribe. Travis, conversely, was not. In an earlier episode, 2021 Nat says, “He never believed in any of that.” Seems like pretty unbalanced numbers, though. We don’t know what other characters like Mari, Akilah, and Javi believe. But only time will tell who ends up on Team Fae Cannibalism.
Like with the girls lost in the wilderness, this question divides fans, mirroring the show. Some feel strongly that there is no magic in Yellowjackets’ world and only the power of the mind. Others feel there must be something more powerful at play, when looking at Van’s survival, Lottie’s bear slaughter, and how the woods tie together blood and feast.
Given this core debate, the answer is “whatever you make of it is true.” The supernatural equally exists and does not exist on Yellowjackets.
Who Is Yellowjackets’ Antler Queen and Who Is the Girl in the Pit?
Who is the Antler Queen, glimpsed in the first episode of Yellowjackets? And who is the unfortunate victim we see dead in a pit? Although Yellowjackets fans had many theories, one of these questions has an answer. Her Majesty Lottie donned a first draft of the antler crown in episode nine, “Doomcoming.” And judging by the finale, she is ready to ascend to her throne. That said, the crown and power could always pass hands again.
The girl in the pit, meanwhile, is harder to identify. Many Yellowjackets fan theories pointed to Jackie as the unfortunate victim, but we can now rule her out. Based on a process of elimination, the girl seems to be Mari, at this point. It makes sense since Pit Girl wore Jackie’s necklace. Short of Shauna, Mari had the most notable interactions with Jackie. But who gets Jackie’s necklace and how they end up in the pit remains in the realms of speculation for now.
Who Killed Travis and Kidnapped Nat? What Is the Meaning of Yellowjackets’ Symbol?
“Who the f*** is Lottie Matthews?” Well, it seems like our Antler Queer is Travis’ killer and Nat’s kidnapper. Although Natalie is ready to believe the official story by the Yellowjackets finale, a well-timed sequence reveals that Lottie actually had something to do with his death. Simultaneously, a group of people draped in cozy neutrals appears and drags Nat away. Around their necks hangs Yellowjackets’ mysterious forest symbol.
But what does this symbol mean and where did it come from? Yellowjackets fans have been hard at work sharpening their theories on this one. They’ve invoked everything from Hobo Code to trigonometry in a quest for meaning. And though we may learn where Yellowjackets’ symbol came from… Ultimately, the symbol’s meaning is in the eye of the beholder. We suspect Lottie will begin to use it in the wilderness, a mark of her tribe.
Will Lottie Become Evil? Is She Possessed?
So will Lottie become the big bad of Yellowjackets season two? Signs point to yes. She is inviting the darkness, after all… And killing people and kidnapping them. Still, “evil” is a subjective moniker.
Showrunner Jonathan Lisco shares some insights with Variety about the women’s time in the woods:
With all the gender conventions coming down, and the savagery of high-school hierarchies coming down in the woods, when they actually have to be themselves — a true version of themselves and try and find out how to survive, oddly, they self-actualize in ways that surprise them, surprise their peers. Like, who are they?
That doesn’t sound so evil. Perhaps Lottie wants for her found family to come back together on Yellowjackets. To be themselves again, free of society. By her side, cannibalizing people. You know, Hannibal Lecter style.
We also can’t count possession out. Lottie was speaking French at the end of the finale. Which we also saw her speak after her séance episode. But whether this is put-on or demonic remains unknown.
Who Was Adam on Yellowjackets?
Another generator of many Yellowjackets questions and theories, it seems like Adam was only himself. Showrunner Bart Nickerson confirmed to Vulture that Adam is not involved in Lottie’s cult and Lisco shared with Decider that he is not Javi either. Still, Lisco offered that Adam’s backstory is in flux, and “they’ll follow whatever storyline they think is the most compelling” going into season two.
Does Shauna’s Baby Survive the Wilderness?
At the end of Yellowjackets season one, Shauna’s baby remains alive. But its ultimate fate is a question for Yellowjackets season two.
Is Taissa Sleepwalking, Possessed, or in Possession of a Whole Other Personality?
Like Lottie, Taissa contains multitudes. In the 2021 timeline, we meet her as a polished, ambitious politician trying to put away her time in the wilderness. But by the finale, we know she’s been climbing trees, eating dirt, and creating blood alters complete with Yellowjackets’ wilderness symbol in her spare time. And honestly, we love it.
As Taissa wins her hard-fought election, a delicious smile lingers on her face. Lisco describes the moment to Variety:
[Taissa thinks] wow, for many, many years, I’ve been suppressing this knowledge of my alter ego. If not repressing it. And yet now, holy cow, I have a feeling that there could be advantages to what I’ve kind of subconsciously known all along — that I’m a bifurcated personality. And should I or should I not capitalize on the advantages of that dark power moving forward?
Taissa’s son refers to her alter-ego as “The Lady in the Tree.” And we see Tai become that lady a few times in the wilderness as well. We may even see her become the Lady in the Tree more full-time while in the wild. Taissa seemed strangely squeamish when it came to handling Adam’s body… If she were on Team Cannibal, perhaps her other side took over in the wild.
This final scene signals a turning point in how the two Taissas co-exist, though. Could Taissa join Lottie’s wilderness cult? Could she be unknowingly in touch with Lottie already? And who is the man with no eyes Tai keeps seeing in visions? (He even appears in the opening credits.) These questions remain for Yellowjackets season two to know and for us to create more theories about.
Is Jackie Really Dead on Yellowjackets?
Alas, our resident pretty/mean girl Jackie is dead on Yellowjackets. We see her pass in the dream/vision that she and Shauna seem to share. Interestingly this highlights Shauna’s connection to the supernatural. Many fans also wonder who the man in the dream was. Could he be the dead hunter the team found in the cabin?
In any case, dead doesn’t mean gone on Yellowjackets. We feel confident we’ll see Jackie again soon.
Where Is Javi? Where Are Van, Mari, and Akilah in the Future?
We don’t see Javi in the finale of Yellowjackets, so where is he? For now, no one knows. But Travis’ bank account was easily emptied in 2021. Could Javi be a part of Lottie’s cult?
As for the other Yellowjackets MIA in 2021, we don’t know what they’re up to. Van could be with Lottie if she’s still alive. Mari, the pit girl who never made it. As for Akilah, we hope she is somewhere out there thriving.
Where Did the Girls Crash on Yellowjackets and How Will They Be Rescued?
We know the team crashed in the “northern wilderness.” Where they are exactly is almost immaterial, although the Canadian Rockies are the prime suspects. How they get rescued remains a total mystery. Are they closer to civilization than they think? Will the wilderness let them go? In a slow-burn series like Yellowjackets, we were never going to have all our questions answered in season one. But one thing we’re interested in knowing, will the girls ever discover Misty broke the plane’s black box? And what will happen when they do?
Who will play adult versions of the surviving cast?
The most exciting question for many fans is who will play the adult versions of any surviving Yellowjackets. Fans hope more nostalgic ’90s stars appear. For now, we have one piece of casting news, Lauren Ambrose will play Adult Van. In addition, adult Lottie will be played by Simone Kessell. We’ll have to wait and see if any other adult survivors join the cast in Yellowjackets season two. We can’t wait to hear all your Yellowjackets theories in the meanwhile.
Our final thoughts? Buzz, buzz, buzz.
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The post 10 YELLOWJACKETS Season 1 Questions That Still Need Answers appeared first on Nerdist.
Books make great gifts because you can create worlds, learn about extraordinary people, and discover new things about yourself. Books are thoughtful and thought-provoking; they help us understand where we’ve been and where we might be going. There’s nothing better than turning the pages of a book in hand. Here is my list of Black-written novels that make great gifts.
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
This biographical fiction is the story of well-known American financier, J. P. Morgan’s renowned personal librarian, Belle de Costa Greene. She was an extraordinary woman of her time, famous for her intelligence and knowledge of the book world. The novel focuses on Belle, who passes her life as a white woman because of her light skin color. There were moments that even Belle contemplated and hesitated on her choices. She judged herself for her own life.
It all began when she was selected as the librarian of the magnificent Pierpont Library at a time when racial discrimination was rampant all over the city. She was successful in building a legacy despite her humble background. In between chapters, her choices, sacrifices, and secrets are discussed. Some old manuscripts, historical art pieces, historical dates, and places are also mentioned here. What I found fascinating was that the book read like a journal.
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
The Sweetness of Water is about the Reconstruction period of the Southern states after the Civil War. George is a transplanted northerner in Georgia. Originally content to sell off his land to make ends meet, after the war he looks to make his mark on his remaining acres. To do so, he hires two recently freed men. As would be expected, this doesn’t go over well with the plantation owners, who have lost their slaves, or with the recently returned Confederate soldiers. George’s own son, Caleb, was a Confederate soldier, but unlike the others, he disgraced himself on the battlefield. He is also engaged in a forbidden love affair, which is a subplot of the story. It’s obvious none of these stories are going to end well, and they don’t.
I can see why Oprah picked this for her book club. I was drawn into George’s fight to do the right thing. It’s not just George — each character is so developed. There are multiple themes in the book: equality, prejudice, love in all its various forms. But above all, the book focuses on finding courage regardless of the repercussions. Every single one of the main characters is put in that position.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
It’s not often that a mystery can make me feel a whole range of emotions. But The Violin Conspiracy is so much more than a mystery. It’s a coming-of-age story about an aspiring violinist, a young man who has to deal with the casual racism that assumes Black people and classical music just don’t mix. Ray’s own mother calls his music “noise” and pesters him to quit school, get his GED, and find a full-time job like his cousin. But his grandmother believes in him and gifts him her father’s violin, one that turns out to be a Stradivarius.
The mystery in the book is the theft of this violin, a month before Ray is to compete in the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow. Suspects include his own family and the white family that once owned his great grandfather and believe the violin belongs to them. Because the author is a music teacher, he has the ability to make us feel how the music transports the main character. This book kept me engaged throughout.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
In Black Cake, Benny and Byron were inseparable as children. But Benny suffered a rift with her family eight years prior to this story. Now, her mother is dead and she returns home. As their mother’s lawyer thinks, “They’ve lost their mother and they can’t seem to find their way back to one another.” The lawyer also has a recording their mother has left, one that speaks to her secret past. The siblings are about as different as can be. Byron is a media darling, an oceanographer. He reminds me a little of Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Benny, on the other hand, is still trying to find herself at age 37. She’s bisexual, an artist, looking to open a coffeehouse. The story of the siblings is intermixed with their mother’s story.
This is a book that demands you pay attention. The story is about loss, the decisions we make that we can never take back, and the sacrifices we are forced to make. It’s a reminder that sometimes our stubbornness gets in the way of a happy life. But it’s also about being a survivor. It’s an important story on a universal level as Wilkerson writes about racial identity and what it means to be Black in America.
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The immoral and shameful actions of the U.S. government on the reproductive rights of mostly Black and poor women and young girls through forced sterilization is the central focus of this novel told in dual time lines: 1973 and 2016. While these events are mainly told through the experiences of two young Black girls aged 11 and 14, as well as the nurse who tries to save them, there were many other women in the country subjected to these immoral practices at that time. Even in more recent years, “reproductive injustice“ took place in California prisons between 2006 and 2010.
This story not only enlightened me, stunned me, educated me, but also moved me, bringing me to tears thinking about these young girls and women. Taking real events as the inspiration, giving a portrait of the time and place, and showing the emotional and psychological impact on people’s lives is for me a hallmark of good historical fiction. The author, in her note, indicates this novel is based on real events and real people, and that made it all the more meaningful.