WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Recruit season 2. The expansion of Nathan Fillion‘s character in The Recruit season 2 was a much-needed improvement to his limited role in The Recruit season 1. Fillion plays CIA Director Alton West in The Recruit, often appearing during emergency and crisis situations involving Noah Centineo’s CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks. In The Recruit season 1, Alton West only appeared in a few scenes via remote video calls.
However, season 2 sees West more involved in the plot, sharing the screen with multiple CIA characters. Best known for his celebrated television roles in Castle (2009-2016) and The Rookie (2018-2025), Fillion first appeared in The Recruit season 1 finale. The ambiguity surrounding Nathan Fillion’s character in The Recruit is cleared up in season 2, where he appears in four of the six episodes. It’s no coincidence that The Recruit creator Alexi Hawley also created Fillion’s hit ABC police procedural series The Rookie, which is currently in its seventh season and streaming now on Hulu.
The Recruit was right to make Fillion’s CIA Director Alton West another force of opposition against Owen rather than keeping him as an authoritative figure on the outside looking in. Prior to season 2, Fillion had no idea who Owen was and did not play a significant role in the unfolding action until the very last episode of the first season. Even then, West felt more like an afterthought in the overall storyline, leading fans to wonder if he would even return in season 2.
This season, however, several factors of West’s character were explored, making him a more responsive and integral player throughout. Initially, West had no connection to Owen, didn’t care about him or his friends, and was ready to pull the plug on his heroic mission, positioning him somewhat as an antagonist. Though he and Owen are technically on the same side, West’s priorities as CIA Director starkly contrast with Owen’s “falling upward” approach.
West’s ruthless nature is demonstrated when he authorized Dawn to assassinate Jang Kyun, revealing a darker side to his character that even Nyland could not support. The dynamic between West and Owen adds depth to the narrative and raises questions about loyalty and motivation. If The Recruit season 3 happens at Netflix, Fillion’s character must have more screen time with the series’ biggest star, Noah Centineo. He could emerge as a formidable antagonist to Owen, possibly engaging in graymailing, which would be a shocking twist.
Several CIA-oriented action thrillers and espionage dramas, similar to The Recruit, are currently available to watch across various streaming platforms. Given that it was never officially confirmed whether Max died in season 1, West might play a pivotal role in her disappearance, or he might want to confront Nichka directly if she makes a return. Considering Nathan Fillion’s star power, The Recruit has to do more with his character than merely showing him standing in a room looking at screens.
