WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Recruit season 2
Laura Haddock’s Maxine “Max” Meladze does not appear inThe Recruitseason 2 after the unforgettablecliffhanger ending inThe Recruitseason 1finale. Following a remarkable turn of events during the final moments of season 1,The Recruitseason 2picks up exactly where season 1 left off with Nichka and Owen. Nichka, who is revealed to be Max’s daughter, Karolina, at the end ofThe Recruitseason 1, threatens to kill Owen. Owen protects himself with threats about the consequences of killing a member of the CIA. Still, Nichka proves to be ruthless, attacking Owen before Dawn saves his life.
Max was one of the most intriguing and entertaining characters inThe Recruitseason 1. Her lead character took on many roles throughout the first season of the hit Netflix action spy show, from a fierce CIA asset-turned-enemy to Owen’s unexpected romantic interest. While Max consistently carried an element of mystery and suspicion, she was emotionally accessible enough to make her a compelling, even likable, character. Haddock’s missing Max, who had nearly just as big of an impact asNoah Centineo’s Owen inThe Recruitseason 2, certainly leaves a notable absence, one that the show arguably doesn’t fill in.
Max Meladze Was Killed By Her Daughter In The Recruit Season 1’s Finale
Nichka, AKA Karolina, Killed Her Mother Without Hesitation
The Recruitseason 1 finale concluded with Max reuniting with her daughter, Karolina, who she thought was dead. Max is stunned to see Karolina in the flesh, unaware that she is the same person as Nichka, the Russian mafia enforcer who tried to convince the Council to kill Max for quite some time.Max appears genuinely happy and even relieved to see Karolinain front of her, calling her"My angel"in Russian. Without hesitating, Karolina shoots her mother in the chest. Max appeared to die instantly.The Recruitseason 2 confirms that Nichka truly did fire a fatal shot.
Since Max was imprisoned and awaiting trial in the U.S., Nichka likely assumed that Max was already compromised.
While there is not much backstory about Nichka and Max in both seasons ofThe Recruit, it’s evident that Nichka was not on good terms with Max. There’s an obvious conflict between Max being a CIA asset and Nichka being a Russian mafia enforcer, whichsuggests a key nationalistic and/or ideological difference. However, Owen appears to tell Nichka that her mom was a CIA asset at the beginning of season 2, suggesting that Nichka didn’t know before pulling the trigger. Since Max was imprisoned and awaiting trial in the U.S., Nichka likely assumed that Max was already compromised.
The Season 1 Cliffhanger Is Finally Resolved
Max’s death was one of the biggestquestions thatThe Recruitseason 2 needed to answer. While there was speculation that Laura Haddock’s Max would return and survive Nichka’s gunshot, potentially reemerging at the end ofThe Recruitseason 2, there was no secret twist, which means Max’s character is truly dead. Owen quickly moves on after witnessing Max’s death without demonstrating much sorrow, suggesting to Lester that Nichka could essentially take Max’s place as a Russian CIA asset.The Recruitseason 2 doesn’t reveal what happened to Max’s bodyand the characters hardly ever talk about her throughout the season.
Max’s CIA secrets are never revealed inThe Recruitseason 2.
After Max’s death, Nichka unwillingly becomes a CIA asset, collecting a series of payments in exchange for intel on Nan Hee, Jang Kyun’s missing wife. Nichka proves to be resourceful yet eerily deceptive, possessing much more of a cold-blooded quality than Max carried in season 1. After traveling to South Korea,Owen moves on from Max rather quicklyafter reconnecting with a childhood friend, Yoo Jin Lee, and not getting back together with Hannah. While Max and Owen didn’t have anything too serious, the memory of Max’s character inThe Recruitseason 2 is swept under the rug quite rapidly.
How The Recruit Season 2 Replaces Max’s Role On The Show
3 Key Characters Take On Parts Of Max’s Season 1 Role
Max is replicated in various forms and characters throughoutThe Recruitseason 2. Nichka adds a similar sleek and dangerous allure to the cast ofThe Recruitseason 2 while also becoming a Russian asset like her mother.A new CIA asset, Teo Yoo’s Jang Kyun, emerges as a graymailerand makes the same threats against the CIA that Max did in the first season, demanding their resources and assistance. Finally, Owen’s romantic subplot with Max is replaced by Yoo Jin Lee. Like Max, Yoo Jin ends up playing a key role inThe Recruitseason 2 finale.
