The Recruit season 2 ending explained: what happens to Jang's wife?

The Recruit season 2 sees the return of Netflix's action-packed thriller, coming to the streamer in the same month as The Night Agent season 2.

Rookie CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks found himself embroiled in some seriously intense agency business in The Recruit season 1.

And while Owen must suffer the consequences of his actions in the Max Meladze operation, he’s quickly thrown right back into the deep end - this time in Seoul, South Korea. But, it’s far from a holiday as life-threatening affairs await him, alongside espionage, kidnapping, hostage negotiations, and more.

While Owen is joined by returning agents, he also meets a lot of new faces on his international travels - namely, Jang Kyun (Teo Yoo) and Grace Cho (Young-Ah Kim). Though their part to play in The Recruit season 2 is full of twists and turns.

Here's a recap of everything that happened in The Recruit season 2 episode 6.

The final episode opens with the team sailing into Vladivostok, Russia. The coastguards approach, so Lester and Owen hide on the boat. Nichka calls Owen to tell him she’s heading for the Yakuza compound and he says he can't talk, but to keep him informed. Jang and Yoo Jin tell the coastguards they’re here for fishing - but the guards want payment for letting the privilege. Jang hands over cash and they let them go and as they’re leaving, you see the rest of the CIA operations team emerge from underwater in full diving gear.

Meanwhile, CIA Director West tells Nyland and Amelia that the mission is going to go badly. So, their focus now should be on protecting the Agency’s reputation. Amelia reads a document she’s written that vindicates both Owen and Lester and says they’d gone rogue - pushing all blame away from the CIA entirely. She then burns it. Elsewhere, the director of the NIS is doing the same. He asks Grace Cho what she’s doing about their problem and she says she’s getting somewhere with Janus.

In Russia, Nichka drives into the Yakuza compound. She tells them she is an enforcer for the Russian mafia and she’s there to speak to their boss - Kenta Nakano - the man from the negotiation meeting in Seoul. She says she’s there to take over some operations and needs the Korean NGO worker who was kidnapped on Russian soil. He said they took her because she learned of a drug shipment and needed to keep her quiet. Nichka is taken to Nan Hee where she’s lying in a coffin-shaped caged box, still alive.

In Korea, Grace sees if she can get any information out of Janus. He says while he might’ve liked her romantically in another life, in this one he’s not giving anything away to her or he’d end up in a cell back in the US. Nichka calls Owen and reveals that while she’s seen Nan Hee alive, the place is a fortress in a marina that is impossible to penetrate. Owen says they should pretend to be the kidnapping and ransom firm again, but tell Nakano that they’ve been given more cash. To meet, they will have to bring Nan Hee to them because, for legal reasons, the deal would need to be done on international waters - not on Russian soil. Owen makes the call and arranges the meeting, asking Nichka to stay close and let them know what's happening on her end.

That night, Dawn and Lester finally talk about what’s happened - the assassination attempt and Lester holding her job, while she’s been rubber-roomed in Mauritius. He says if she helps with this mission, he won’t worry about the past. But, if she tries again, he’ll cut her head off. Meanwhile, Yoo Jin and Owen spend the night together. He’s worried that this is just another selfish moment and that he’s just chasing redemption in Jang’s love story, but Yoo Jin reassures him it's worth it.

Both Owen and Jang can’t sleep. Owen tells Jang he shouldn’t come to the meeting as he’ll let emotions rule him. Plus, Nan Hee could give him up, to which Jang shows him he’s written ‘you don’t know me’ in Korean on the palm of his hand.

Back at the Agency, Nyland speaks to Amelia. He tells her that the mission is happening soon and that she’ll be able to watch a video feed from one of the offices. While she says she’s not interested, she can’t help herself and goes down to the room.

In Russia, Nan Hee is brought to Nakano’s boat and Nichka is there with Nakano. Meanwhile, Dawn hands Owen a watch to press when he sees the hostage. They leave the trawler behind and Owen and Jang head into negotiation. On the boat, Jang demands to see Nan Hee first, before they see the money. They bring her up and he approaches her, explaining who he is, whilst showing her the words on his hand.

Owen presses his watch to call Dawn’s team in, but the coastguards appear. The team are forced to abort the mission and while Yoo Jin is angry at them for abandoning Owen, Lester locks her in the bathroom and they sail away. Realizing they’re not coming, Owen tries to buy time while Nakano insists on the money being handed over - of which they don’t have enough. As Nakano realizes, they all start fighting. While Jang grabs a gun and kills one of the guards, Nakano shoots him. To this, Owen runs upstairs and jumps overboard. The Yakuza shoot at the water and presume he’s dead, so sail off. Nichka tells Nakano her bosses won’t be impressed that he got played. Amelia is watching at the Agency and cries.

Owen emerges from the water and watches both ships leaving. But, instead of swimming towards his CIA team, he swims back to land. Meanwhile, Amelia goes to tell Nyland what she witnessed and he tells her to re-paper Owen, meaning she’ll add all failings to his file which means the CIA can blame Owen for everything. Then, she’s to bury it off-registry so they can tell CEG that it fell between the cracks. While she refuses, he insists that it’s her job. Meanwhile, Owen makes it back to shore, breaks into a boathouse on the harbor, and lies down in a blanket, falling asleep.

In Seoul, Violet meets with Grace Cho. Violet tells Grace she’s finished considering Jang is working with the CIA and Jae has been arrested. Violet says with Grace’s job on the line and possible prison time, she’ll help her if Grace helps them first. Violet says they’re going to help the NIS pin everything on Owen. Meanwhile, Owen wakes up to two Russians arriving home - they’re dressed in combat gear and armed. When one comes upstairs, Owen beats him. He then beats the other, seemingly killing him.

The Recruit season 2 ending explained

As Lester and Dawn decide what to do, Owen calls them from one of the Russian men’s phones. While Lester tells him to get out of there, Owen says he won’t leave without helping Jang and his wife. Lester tells him it’s a terrible idea, but that he will instruct Nichka to help him. At the marina, they offload Jang and his wife and Nichka pays the coastguard for coming round during the meet. The FSB arrive saying she promised the American spy. She says she can still get him. Moments later, Lester calls Nichka and tells her where Owen is and she goes to meet him.

When Nichka arrives at the houseboat, Owen has put on one of the soldier’s clothes. But, when she realizes the other man is still alive, she shoots him dead. But, as she leads Owen away, apparently to help him, she holds her gun to him and instead tells him to get in the trunk. She reveals she told the FSB that the CIA tried to recruit her, but that she’d be a double agent for them instead. Her plan is to hand over Owen and Jang and, as reward, get paid a lot of money and a promotion. As Nichka tries to capture him though, he pulls out a gun and throws it at her face. He then jumps into the back of the car and finds a shotgun. Though he misses his shots, he manages to escape out the back of the car without her seeing and hits her round the head with the shotgun, knocking her out. He then puts her in the trunk.

Lester calls him and Owen tells him what’s happened. He says that the FSB are coming for him and Jang in an airfield - which is where he’s planning on going next. He finds an old abandoned bike and cycles off. Lester then gets a call from West who says they’ve cracked the code on the dead man’s switch. They’re instructed to bring Jang back, but Lester explains the Russians captured him. West says that Jang will leak secrets when they break him and tells them they need to go and kill Jang to silence him. Dawn says she’ll do it, but in exchange, she wants to be made chief of Moscow Station - betraying her deal with Lester. West tells Nyland to leave and agrees to Dawn’s deal.

Elsewhere, Violet tells Janus he can come back to the US and Grace says he’s banned from Korea forever. Meanwhile, Nichka wakes up in the trunk and breaks loose. Owen makes it to the airfield and sneaks his way towards the meet. Though, at the same time, Dawn is getting into position with a sniper to kill Jang and, as instructed, tie up any loose ends.

At the boat, Lester realizes that Yoo Jin has escaped out the bathroom window and turns round to find Dodge holding up a gun to him. He tells him that Dawn instructed him to make sure there were no survivors. Yoo Jin, just in time, appears behind Dodge and knocks him out with a fire extinguisher. Then, she knocks Lester out and ties them both up.

Jang and Nan Hee wait in the airfield as Jang is bleeding out from his gunshot wound. He apologizes to his wife for everything. He says they’ll separate them in Moscow and send Nan Hee to a prison camp. She’s still hopeful someone will come and save them. At this moment, Owen walks in, knocks out the guard and walks towards them. They sneak out behind the guards and as Dawn lines up to shoot, Nichka comes up behind her and they get out their blades to fight. While they slice and stab at each other, Nichka manages to get the final blow and kills Dawn.

Owen, Nan Hee, and Jang manage to find a car with the keys on the wheel and begin to drive out. Unfortunately, Nichka shows up and while Owen tries to run her over, she dodges the car and starts shooting, triggering all the guards to do the same. They reach the water and jump out of the car to start swimming. As they do this, all the guards have run after them and start shooting at them.

Meanwhile, the FSB take Nichka for failing to complete their mission. As it seems unlikely they'll survive the barrage of bullets, Yoo Jin drives the trawler up so Owen, Jang, and Nan Hee can climb onboard - avoiding all the bullets hitting the water. But, the Russian coastguards have been called to stop the boat and they’re in hot pursuit. Just as the coastguards are gaining ground, a huge submarine submerges from underwater - it’s the US Navy, which forces the Russian coastguard to turn around.

The US Navy takes the team onboard and Owen finally gets to speak to Jang. Jang thanks him and asks what’s next? Owen suggests that they tell everyone that Jang and Nan Hee were killed in Vladivostok and the CIA will give them new identities and money in the US - in exchange for his secrets. Jang realizes Owen is trying to recruit him. Owen tells him his other option is to get locked up for treason in Korea. With no clear alternative, they shake hands.

All episodes of The Recruit are available to stream on Netflix now.