What happens in The Recruit Season 2 finale is another case of secret missions gone wrong — but this time, with more chaos, betrayals, and bigger consequences. Even though the main character isn’t officially a spy, the action plays out just like a spy thriller.
Season 2 moves across different countries and languages, squeezing intense operations into only six episodes. Poor Owen Hendricks barely has time to figure out where he is before the next problem comes. This last episode centres on one mission: saving CIA assets and the people involved before everything collapses.
Owen Hendricks dives into trouble one country at a time (Photo: The Recruit Season 2/Lionsgate Television)Unlike Season 1, which ended with Max Meladze getting shot by her daughter right in front of Owen, this second season attempts to wrap up the many loose ends scattered throughout the storyline. The decision to reduce the number of episodes from eight to six didn’t affect the intensity.
The writers filled each moment with tension, giving Owen, Lester Kitchens, and the rest of the team more weight to carry. Still, with so much packed into each scene, questions remain about how the ending truly settles things. Here’s a breakdown of how everything plays out in the final episode.
Season 2, Episode 6 “I.D.N.W.T.B.D.I.” Summary
Finding their way out of South Korea left Owen with no other option than a water escape. With the South Korean government and its National Intelligence Service (NIS) actively searching for him, Kitchens, and Jang Kyun, Owen looked for someone who could provide a boat.
That someone turned out to be Yoo Jin Lee, a familiar face from his past. Though he attempted to pay her off to leave the boat behind, she had one condition: she must go with them. Even though Owen knew the risk involved, especially since bullets could fly at any moment, he hesitated before agreeing.
His hand was forced when NIS leader Grace Cho showed up to arrest him. Fortunately, Owen and Yoo Jin escaped to the boat and joined the rest of the team before setting off toward Vladivostok, where Jang’s wife was being held by the Yakuza.
As the episode begins, the crew onboard discusses their plan, while Nichka makes her way to the dock where Nan Hee is being detained in a crater. Nichka has been promised $1 million for any intelligence she delivers.
She reports to Owen, Kitchens, and Jang that the location is heavily guarded, making it impossible to carry out a rescue directly. Based on that, the team decides it’s wiser to pull the Yakuza onto open water, where they could negotiate Nan’s release under better conditions.
Back in the United States
Meanwhile, back in America, Nyland and CIA Director West are already preparing to wash their hands in case Owen and Kitchens fail. They even bring in Amelia to help craft a public statement that places no blame on the CIA should things spiral further.
On the other side of the world, NIS officers are also taking precautions, destroying evidence and trying to distance themselves from Officer Kim, in case he dies during the mission with the Americans. Every agency involved is simply trying to avoid blame for the mess they all contributed to.
A Risky Deal and a Dangerous Twist
As Nichka returns with updates from the compound, she admits there’s no way the group could pull off a rescue on land. She offers to stay behind and help lure the Yakuza out, especially since she’s still receiving a generous payout.
Her loyalty, however, is driven by the amount in her bank account. Meanwhile, Owen reconnects with Yoo Jin, and after a brief romantic moment, heads out to meet the Yakuza alongside Jang. Their meeting almost results in a successful deal, but things fall apart when the briefcase full of money turns out to be a trap.
Instead of cash, it holds a heavy book. The plan was for Dawn, Dodge, and their team to jump in and save the day. But a Russian surveillance boat prevents them from moving. Chaos erupts. Jang is shot by one of the Yakuza, and Owen has to leap into the sea to avoid getting killed.
One of the Yakuza’s thugs even shoots at him multiple times while he’s underwater. The situation looks deadly for Owen.
But Owen Is Not Done Yet
Of course, killing off the main character with 40 minutes still left in the episode doesn’t make sense. While the Yakuza assumes Owen is gone, Amelia and Nyland waste no time trying to shift the blame entirely on him, connecting all the errors back to Jang’s blackmail file.
But Owen manages to survive. He finds a nearby house, defeats some guards, and makes contact with Kitchens and Dawn. He tells them he wants to rescue Jang and Nan, even though they strongly discourage the idea.
But Owen has always been someone who acts on impulse, and he sets off on his plan, regardless of the risks involved.
Nichka’s Double Game Exposed
When Owen catches up with Nichka, he uncovers a secret: she has been working for both the CIA and the Russian FSB. Her goal was to increase her influence by delivering Owen and Jang to the Russians while collecting money from both sides. Before she can finish the job, Owen knocks her out.
This moment becomes another close call for Owen, who continues to survive every deadly situation, even though he’s just a legal officer, not a trained agent.
The CIA Ties Up Loose Ends
Once Director West learns that Jang’s hidden files have been discovered, Dawn makes up her mind to eliminate Jang to avoid any chance of information leaking to the Russians. Kitchens doesn’t take this well and insists on informing West that Jang and Nan are being held at a local air base.
Not a spy, yet somehow always in the middle of global disasters (Photo: The Recruit Season 2/Lionsgate Television)Dawn then tries to make a deal that would earn her a promotion if she handles the killing herself. It’s a brutal move, but not out of character considering her earlier attempt to get both Owen and Kitchens eliminated.
Final Face-Off and Rescue Operation
As Owen sneaks into the facility to find Jang and Nan, Dawn positions herself with a sniper rifle to kill them if needed. But before she can take the shot, Nichka attacks her in a brutal confrontation over who should take control of Owen.
That fight ends badly for Dawn, who gets stabbed by Nichka and is left in the woods near the base. By now, the Yakuza have exchanged Jang and Nan for a large sum and left the two in Russian hands. The trio attempts to escape, but Nichka catches up with them, guns blazing.
They’re left with no option but to dive into the water and swim.
A Timely Arrival and a Shaky Victory
Just when things couldn’t get any worse, Yoo Jin reappears, having knocked out Dodge and taken control of her father’s boat. She arrives just in time to pull the trio from the sea.
However, their troubles continue as the Russian Coast Guard begins a chase, only for the group to be saved by a United States Navy ship that shows up and scares the Russians away. Somehow, Owen and the others survive once again.
The final scene shows Owen and Jang having a deep conversation. Jang thanks Owen for risking everything to save his wife and himself. Owen, in return, asks him to fake his death and become an asset for the U.S., an offer Jang reluctantly accepts. Owen’s future, though, remains uncertain and looks like it will be addressed in another season.
