A new year has begun, which means it’s finally about time for Noah Centineo to start his next assignment. Season 2 of The Recruit is set to debut on Netflix later this month and the streamer has just shared the first trailer, teasing what’s in store for Owen after that shocking cliffhanger. The spy thriller’s first run in 2022 left the young CIA lawyer potentially seconds away from death with Max (Laura Haddock), the former CIA asset he spent all of Season 1 protecting, hanging in the balance. In the footage, he’s left to navigate an increasingly desperate situation in South Korea, which presents new challenges for a recruit who still has much to learn about international espionage.

Series creator Alexi Hawley told Tudum “Owen rolls into this season basically screwed” after seeing Max get shot by her daughter Nitchka (Maddie Hasson), aka Karolina, and finding himself about to meet a similar fate. Once he escapes the nightmare situation, however, the stakes only continue to rise. The trailer outlines what’s on the line for Owen as he not only has to adjust to a new spy trade but also prove his worth as a CIA lawyer to keep his career and his life from falling apart. Amid all the chaos, he encounters some old friends and new faces, including intelligence agent Jang Kyun (Teo Yoo) who becomes an important partner for him abroad, albeit one who’s not afraid to sacrifice everything for those he loves the most. Worst of all, he realizes that the greatest threat he’s facing may be working within his agency’s walls.

Although Owen’s world is getting a lot bigger, Nitchka will remain one of his biggest overarching threats in the upcoming season. She only appeared on screen for a short time, but it was more than enough to make a huge impact and potentially change the course of The Recruit‘s story for good. In an interview with Collider’s Tania Hussein last year, Hasson shared that she was far from done trying to ruin Owen. “I think you can expect that she makes his life a living hell,” she said, teasing a standoff between the two that will carry throughout the six-episode season.

‘The Recruit’ Season 2 Is Packed With Fresh Faces

While the BAFTA-nominated Past Lives star Yoo is perhaps the biggest name to join The Recruit for Season 2, he’s also far from the only newcomer. The series will be working with a massively expanded cast around Centineo, with Hasson among those elevated to series regular status alongside Aarti Mann, Colton Dunn, Fivel Stewart, Kristian Bruun, Kaylah Zander, Angel Parker, and Vondie Curtis-Hall. Rounding out the recurring group are Young-Ah Kim, Felix Solis, James Purefoy, Do Hyun Shin, Sanghee Lee, Omar Maskati, Brooke Smith, Devika Bhise, Alana Hawley Purvis, Daniel Quincy Annoh, Jesse Collin, and Nathan Fillion. Alongside Hawley, Maya Goldsmith, George Ghanem, Brian Oh, Sue Chung, and Hadi Deeb are part of the writing team this time around.

The Recruit Season 2 premieres on Netflix on January 30, 2025. Check out the trailer in the player above.