First Impressions: Third Time’s the Charm in “XO, Kitty” Season 3

Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers for XO, Kitty Season 2 + 3 

Following the scare of almost losing her scholarship, Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) is back for her final year at KISS (Korean Independent School of Seoul). With so many things still left undone, Kitty has crafted her very own Senior Sunset list to help her keep things on track before time runs out. From spending time with her friends to looking forward to her future, there are a lot of boxes for Kitty to check off, but the most pressing of them all is: DTR (define the relationship) with Minho (Sang Heon Lee), whom she unexpectedly developed feelings for in the previous season. 

Will Kitty’s study abroad experience go out with a bang, or will everything she dreamed of come to a devastating end? Join EnVi as we recap XO, Kitty Season 2 and take a deep dive into Season 3, covering the opening heart-fluttering moments, new characters, and discussing the show’s heart.

Let’s Rewind: XO, Kitty Season 2

A lot can change in a year, and a lot can be forgotten. If you’re in need of a refresher, EnVi has your back! Before we get into the chaos queen’s oh-so-disorderly senior year, let’s look back on her junior year.

Family Matters

In “K.I.S.S. Me Again” (Season 2, Episode 1), Minho’s father, Mr. Moon (Philippe Lee), steps up as a donor to KISS and funds a new arts program. As a bonus, Mr. Moon promises that one of the school’s lucky students will have a chance to become a global superstar. Even though most students find his presence captivating, Minho, understandably so, is the only one who sees his father for who he truly is. At first, Minho remained indifferent to the entertainment industry, but as he progressed through his father’s management masterclass, his interest shifted in a positive direction.

However, Minho was not the only one with a pressing family issue. Following her mother’s resignation from KISS, Yuri (Gia Kim) faces even more complicated feelings. But matters become even worse in the Season 2 finale, when she learns that her father is involved in a class-action lawsuit. With all of her family’s assets newly frozen, Yuri has to learn how to navigate the world differently.

Emerging Talents

After staying in the background for much of the Season 1, Eunice Kang (Han Bi Ryu) crept further into the limelight after partnering with Dae (Choi Min-yeong) for a dance competition in “New Year’s Kiss” (Season 2, Episode 3). As the pair continued to interact through their shared passion, they found that they had many things in common, which eventually led them to start dating. However, their budding romance was met with tension as Dae felt pressure to win the prize money for his family, since his father had been hospitalized after a traffic accident. In the season finale, Eunice won the competition, which meant she would be signing an exclusive contract with Mr. Moon’s company.

The Rise of Moon Covey

Following an untimely love confession in “OTP” (Season 1, Episode 10), Moon Covey began Season 2 on the wrong foot, but the strain doesn’t last long. As Kitty navigates her mixed feelings for Yuri and delves deeper into her mother’s past, Minho, despite his hurt feelings, consistently shows up for her. Think: the library heist scene in “New Year’s Kiss” (Season 2, Episode 3), the hot tub scene in “Kiss and Tell” (Season 2, Episode 4), the rain scene in “Kissing Cousins” (Season 2, Episode 5), and the market scene in “Kiss and Death” (Season 2, Episode 7). Although the affection shared between the pair might’ve been obvious to the audience, it isn’t until the latter part of the season that Kitty comes to terms with her feelings for Minho and decides to confess to him. Well, almost.

Before she can even gain the courage to say how she feels, Minho reveals that he will be spending the summer on tour with his father and his brother, Joon-ho (Peniel Shin of BTOB). Furthermore, thanks to his heartbreak from the season’s antagonist, Stella (Audrey Huynh), Minho states, “I’m swearing off all relationships. I think I was better off as a playboy.” Taken aback by the sudden revelation, Kitty holds back from confessing and instead asks if she can join him, to which he gestures an enthusiastic yes. Given the easygoing cliffhanger, audiences would assume Kitty is about to have the most amazing summer, but as you may know by now — nothing is ever that easy for the chaos queen.

Miscommunication Mishaps

As the first episode of XO, Kitty season three begins, we immediately pick up right in the middle of the almost confession. As Highasakite’s “Can I Come Home” mellows in the background score, Kitty expresses excitement about her upcoming summer vacation with Minho. That is, until he interrupts her thoughts, and it becomes clear that there’s been a bit of miscommunication. Before Kitty can clarify her true desires, Eunice interrupts to ask if she will be coming to Busan for a summer kickoff yacht party hosted by Minho’s father. Looking for an out in the now-awkward conversation, Kitty casually states that she would be down to kill some time before heading home — by herself — the next day. Although Minho finds her behavior to be quite weird, he shrugs it off and tells Kitty she “might want to bring a change of clothes, because that outfit is not gonna cut it.”

While giving her best friend Q (Anthony Keyvan) the rundown on the not-so-confession, Kitty assures him that she will definitely tell Minho how she feels within the 14 hours and six minutes she has left in Korea. As they devise a plan on how she will go about the seemingly simple task, Kitty comes up with the great — or perhaps not so great — idea of inviting him to the yacht party. Initially, the party is presumed to be exclusive, but as more people catch wind of the event, it quickly turns into an all-hands-on-deck situation, and the crew could not be any more oblivious.

During a montage of the group’s time in Busan before the yacht party, the friend group unintentionally gets between Kitty and Minho, who clearly want to spend time alone. It isn’t until Kitty’s number-one wingman, Q, comes to the rescue, giving the pair alone time on an air cruise. But of course, this season’s writer, Valentina Garza, wouldn’t let the most anticipated moment arrive so soon. As a nervous Kitty struggles to get the words out, Minho receives a phone call from his father. In a sudden turn of events, Minho will now take on the role of Eunice’s manager for her pending debut. Seeing Minho express massive excitement at the opportunity causes Kitty to freeze up once again, but she quickly reassures herself as she thinks, “Okay, so my timing sucks, but I still have eight hours and ten minutes to tell Minho how I feel.”

The Almost Goodbye

For the first time in the series, Kitty begins to understand the true scope of Minho’s lifestyle — which causes a one-sided rift to form between the pair. Thanks to her misunderstanding of what “yacht chic” meant, Kitty finds herself mistaken for the waitstaff, which makes her feel inadequate. In an attempt to distract herself from her own misfortunes and make her friend feel better, Yuri takes Kitty to try on a dress by the famous designer Yi-soo (Soy Kim). Although the intentions are pure, the impromptu game of dress up ruins Eunice’s debut performance. 

It just so happens that the exact dress that Kitty is wearing is the same one that Eunice is supposed to be wearing onstage. As her dress begins to light up in the crowd, all eyes are on Kitty, but not for the right reasons. Despite feeling embarrassed, Kitty, after an encouraging conversation with Yuri, still plans to confess to Minho. However, her path is intercepted by Mr. Moon, who quickly dismisses her apology. He delivers words that completely blow her confidence: “Look, I know you mean well, but you’re trying to fit in a world that you don’t understand. And right now, Minho needs to do damage control for Eunice. And not be distracted by you.” Unaware of his father’s comments towards Kitty, Minho chases after her to the beach, where they finally correct the record before Minho invites her to go on tour with him over the summer.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, Kitty explains that she will be returning to the United States after all, which leaves a somber mood in the air. Before any more misunderstandings can arise, the two share a romantic kiss that is beautifully amplified by the non-diegetic soundtrack “This Is Our Time” by Wave System and MØØNWATER. Even though they have essentially marked claims to one another, they are not quite official yet, which makes their looming separation all the more anxiety-inducing for Kitty. Just before they part ways for the summer, Minho offers her assurance, stating, “Trust me. [Three months will] fly by.”

New Characters, New Chaos

In Season 1, Episode 2, “WTF,” Marius (Sule Thelwell) was first referenced as a suitmate and friend to Dae, Minho, and Q, who had moved back to Greece. However, one year later, in Season 3, Episode 2, “Sunset List,” he returns to KISS with plenty of drama in tow. From their first encounter, Marius expresses a consistent distaste towards Kitty — or “Kathy” as he calls her — which is further amplified when he finds out about her complicated relationship with Minho.

If Kitty is known as the campus matchmaker, Marius might be considered the campus homewrecker. In another reference in Season 2, Episode 5, “Kissing Cousins,” Q confides in Juliana (Regan Aliyah) about his previous escapades with Marius during their sophomore year. “He had a girlfriend back home [but] he and I used to secretly hook up,” he revealed before further explaining that he eventually cut relations with Marius after realizing just how wrong the situation truly was. Even though Q is now in a committed relationship with his former rival, Jin (Joshua Lee), he finds his feelings being tested with the return of Marius, who has absolutely no plans of respecting his boundaries. 

Gigi played by Christine Hwang

Unlike Marius, Gigi (Christine Hwang) enters the narrative with no prior references, but that doesn’t mean she has no history. At first, Kitty assumes Gigi is a fashion assistant that no one has met before, but upon her arrival, it becomes clear she shares a past with Minho. “My Korean isn’t perfect, but I heard you say noona? Do you already know each other?” Kitty asks as Gigi and Minho engage in a joyful reunion. Initially, Minho introduces her as nothing more than a family friend, but Marius later reveals that she was actually his first love. Between the language barrier and a clear class difference, if Kitty wasn’t already insecure enough about Gigi’s arrival, she certainly is now.

Yisoo played by Soy Kim

The third and final new character is Yisoo (Soy Kim), a world-famous fashion designer. For the majority of the narrative, everyone is on edge about her upcoming collaboration with Eunice. However, Yisoo becomes more prominent in the storyline through her engagement with Yuri, who is in desperate search of a job after her family’s assets have been wiped out.

Growth Isn’t Always Perfect

In XO Kitty, matters of self-discovery and relationship preservation are key driving forces within the narrative, and as Kitty becomes more established and mature, so does the representation of these topics. In Season 1, Episode 1, “XO,” Kitty’s naive perception of the world was clear when she presented her father with the idea of moving across the world to be with her long-distance boyfriend — and of course, discover the truth about her mother. Although everyone doubted the latter of those two objectives, she assured her family that she was on a mission of personal introspection: “ … I know you still don’t believe me, but this is not all about a boy. This is for me, XO, Kitty.” Similar to how those around her doubted her true motives in Seoul, some viewers expressed criticism of Kitty’s lack of maturity, but in life, you have to make mistakes to learn.

Near the end of season three, Kitty, who has been caught in many bizarre situations, demonstrates a more stable worldview as she prepares her college application essay. Despite initially struggling with the prompt, “Who are you?” she ultimately writes a thoughtful reflection on how her bold personality has shaped her into someone who isn’t afraid to live life as it comes. “It takes courage to leap, but it also takes courage to pick yourself up when you fall and keep going, to grow … I know there is so much of myself to discover. I’m not done leaping yet. I’m barely getting started.” If any single moment defines the series, it would be exactly this one. On the surface, XO Kitty is a romantic comedy viewers love to hate, but at its core, it’s a story of vulnerability and perseverance.

No need to wait any longer to join the KISS crew in their newest adventures! All eight episodes of XO, Kitty are now available for streaming on Netflix!

Want more of XO, Kitty? Check out our XO, Kitty Season 2 Refresher!