Can I tell you a little secret?
I finished watching the second season of XO, Kitty and by the time the credits rolled, I had forgotten all the important things that happened.
It’s really bad when this happens, but it’s even worse when it happens to a show that actually has huge potential.
‘XO, Kitty’ Is One of the Few Teen Series in a Disappearing Market
One of the biggest takeaways from “XO, Kitty” is how quickly the season wraps up just as it starts to find its rhythm, which sums up the series itself.
Kitty is a lovable and funny teen protagonist in an era that lacks them.
Seriously, not to sound like an old, grumpy millennial, but when I came up, I was all about teen and young adult programming at all levels.
The Warner Bros. phase of TV dramas is killing me, from “People” and “Dawson’s Creek” to family dramas like “7th Heaven.”
On the face of it, I can’t understand a single aspect of “Clueless,” but I love Dion, and “Felicity” is a perfect hit series that I can’t get enough of TV series.
Boy Meets World still brings nostalgia to my mind for all things Sean Hunter, Angela, and Topanga.
Let me not talk about Veronica Mars, she had a perfect reputation for those of us teenagers who grew up in homes where disposable cell phones were readily available everywhere.
Teen programming ranges from teen to coed.
But now, as an adult, I still enjoy watching this type of movie, but it’s sorely lacking in this area.
XO, Katie has the guts to make a great teen drama
As a result, XO, Kitty is exciting and its premise should be great. It has a backbone because Anna Cathcart is a charismatic heroine.
Katie is one of the most annoying characters, but at that stage of life, it’s endearing and feels real.
But XO, Kitty can’t just rely on the charm of Cathcart and Sang Heon Lee to get the credit. Or if they’re going to do that, the show needs to be more focused and take full advantage of that.
XO, Kitty feels like a great gateway into Korean dramas and K-pop. It rides the wave of this popularity without necessarily making every effort to fully embrace it, creating this strange, unparalleled Korean-American hybrid.
Season two exposed this to a disservice to the series, as it introduced countless new characters and focused on them at the expense of other characters we might have considered more compelling or without much development.
Katie coming to terms with her bisexuality was a defining moment in season one, and season two didn’t know what to do with it.
Kitty’s bisexual exploration misses the mark
XO, Katie faces two problems in relating Katie’s newfound attraction to women exclusively to Yuri.
First of all, this isn’t the best attempt at letting Kitty explore her female attractions, as she immediately falls in love with her best friend and desires her, to the exclusion of other possible love interests, such as the cool but abused Praavi Na.
It also follows the problematic trends often seen in bisexual or queer relationships when Yuri and Kitty’s behavior introduces an element of infidelity, leading to a season of tension and drama between Kitty, Yuri, and Juliana metaphor.
Kitty also has to juggle another family storyline that feels half-baked and doesn’t have the emotion or urgency of the first season. So much so that it’s barely considered a plot, even though it ends with a neat bow in the finale.
But season two teases that Kitty will spend an entire semester trying to do better and improve, and then spend most of her time getting lost in plots that have no “charm.”
This season also failed because she had to spend too much time weaving her own story with the other characters.
XO, Kitty doesn’t know what to do with half the characters while focusing on the new ones
The season quickly revealed that XO, Kitty didn’t know what to do with characters like Dae and Q.
All of these characters are lost in a seemingly pointless plot that swallows them whole.
I can’t actually tell you much about their storylines because of the aforementioned forgetfulness of them once the end credits roll.
Much of this season also hinges on Stella. Over time, it became difficult to invest in this new character, despite her crucial role.
A dynamic and truly charming character like Yuri, one of the best characters in season one, seemed bland in comparison and faded away in season two.
She spent most of her sophomore year stalking Juliana.
I understand why they wanted to expand Juliana’s character and even appreciate it to some extent, but considering this resulted in a more silent Yuri, here we are.
Min-ho was the only character to survive the second season with actual character development and a decent plot.
Once they put Alex, Professor Lee, and the family arc surrounding Dae and Yuri into context, Minho had to carry it, and he did a great job.
Minho’s character development and coherent plot
The evolution of Min-ho and Mo-eun’s father-son relationship from the beginning to the end of the season was satisfying and real.
Many teenagers, especially young men, struggle with issues like living in the shadow of an older sibling or feeling like they don’t live up to their parents’ expectations.
Minho balances this ongoing arc well with the other things he’s involved in, including assisting Dae and being a good friend to Kitty during her recent family mission, while keeping their spark alive.
The fact that Kitty and Minho’s connection is once again the best aspect of season 2 suggests that the series will be wise to focus on this and give them more going forward.
My attention was piqued in the final moments of the season when they teased an adventure between the two, and I just wish the entire season had had the same energy from the beginning.
In XO, Kitty centers on Kitty herself as she grapples with identity, high school, friendships, and “finding a family.”
It would have been better if the series focused more on these aspects of Kitty, keeping the focus grounded, rather than having Kitty go on random side quests or go off topic with other (usually new) characters.
If XO, Kitty continues, this will help focus Kitty and Min-Ho
Minho often walks away with the strongest, most developed storylines, and his chemistry with Katie carries much of the series.
XO, Kitty needs to be restructured and focus more on these two characters, both individually and together, and then branch out to other key characters as supporting characters and characters.
XO, Kitty can be something truly special, with the right silhouette and focus. Anna Cathcart and Sang Heon Lee can save it as the show provides them with quality storylines and writing.
We don’t have to resort to random and pointless gimmicks like Noah Centineo’s cameo that are just meant to capitalize on the To All the Boys franchise and nostalgia.
Come on, Netflix, you’re better than this!
What are the reviews for the second season of “XO, Kitty”? Let’s hear all your thoughts below.
“XO, Katie” watch online
