SPOILER ALERT: This column contains potential spoilers about “XO, Kitty.”
Drama, romance and a little bit of music came together in season two of Netflix’s “XO, Kitty,” which premiered on the platform Jan. 16. The show brings viewers on an emotional roller coaster full of twists and turns — a story straight out of a classic rom-com.
If you forgot where last season ended, fans were left with a love confession from Min Ho (Sang Heon Lee) to main character Kitty (Anna Cathcart). Said feelings had been a huge point of drama during the first season due to Kitty dating Min Ho’s best friend Dae (Minyeong Choi). Kitty also came to a few self-discoveries during season one, including realizing that she is bisexual, a fact which she came to realize after having feelings for Dae’s fake girlfriend Yuri (Gia Kim). I know, it’s complicated.
This new season starts off with a time jump of Kitty coming back to the Korean Independent School of Seoul, KISS, after winter break. Kitty is ready to focus on school and learn more about her deceased mother, the reason she came to Seoul in the first place. No drama, no issues and, most importantly, no relationships. Though relationship drama still continued to be a huge driving force through this season, it was Kitty finding her family that helped make the show so compelling.
For those who have seen Netflix’s film series “To All the Boys I've Loved Before,” based on the books of the same name by Jenny Han, you know about the death of Kitty’s mom, Eve Song-Covey. Eve attended KISS as a teenager and died when Kitty was a baby, prompting Kitty to attend KISS to learn more about her mom. This season her search continued and led Kitty to discover of a whole side of her family she never knew existed.
With the help of her friends, primarily Min Ho, Kitty is able to reunite her grandmother with her great-aunt after the two had been estranged for years. I am not ashamed to admit that there were several moments throughout this process where I began to tear up. I mean two sisters seeing each other for the first time after not speaking for years, how can you not get emotional?
More than Kitty’s grandma and her great-aunt were reunited this season though. Season two of “XO, Kitty” featured cameos from Kitty’s sister Margot (Janel Parrish) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), who was the main love interest throughout the original film series.
Before the second season’s release, Centineo was featured across the show’s social media platforms to get fans excited about the show. While I was happy to see Peter return to my screen and continue that brother-sister dynamic with Kitty, I did feel a little let down by how much he was actually in the show. I feel like fans were led to believe he would be involved in a lot more given how much the show advertised Centineo, but in reality he only had a couple of scenes in one episode. Sure, they were fun scenes, but they weren’t so much vital plot points as they were nostalgic bits for long time fans.
While these cameos were a great reminder of the films that came before “XO, Kitty,” it’s the parallels between the show and the movies that do a great job at honoring the original series. One such parallel was the hot tub scene between Min Ho and Kitty. As fans know, in the first “To All the Boys I've Loved Before” film there is a scene between Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter in a hot tub that marked the real start of their relationship.
This spinoff features a similar moment when Min Ho comforts a crying Kitty in the hot tub. Yes, it’s not the exact same as the scene in the movie, and it doesn’t mark the beginning of any romantic relationship. But it does show the depth of their relationship, romance or not. And if you can honestly say someone getting into a hot tub fully clothed just to comfort the person they care about isn’t completely heartwarming, you’ve never seen a good rom-com.
But like all things, this season wasn’t just sunshine and roses. With season two came the introduction of a new villain named Stella (Audrey Huynh). Now, maybe the term “villain” might be a little harsh, but to say this girl just annoyed me would be an understatement. Her whole storyline was based on manipulating Min Ho so she could take down his dad for being mean to her years ago. I felt bad that she got bullied but everything she did to right the personal wrong was insane.
Despite this insane character stirring up most of the drama for the season, “XO, Kitty” season two was everything I wanted it to be and more. As someone who loves a good rom-com, this show brings the intriguing romance I love from Han’s books and films and puts it into a show where I feel like I get more content. For those who love watching love in all its forms, “XO, Kitty” is for you.
