‘XO, Kitty’ Review: Kitty Song Covey Gets Her Spin-Off!
About the Author
Jenny Han is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series and The Summer I Turned Pretty series. She is now the creator and co-showrunner of XO, Kitty, a To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before spinoff series.
What is XO, Kitty About?
Kitty Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) is the youngest of the Covey sisters, and now that she is old enough, she’s on her quest for true love. When Kitty feels alone in the house without Margot and Lara Jean, she wants to go to her roots. She finds her mom’s old KISS uniform and plans on going there to feel closer to her late mother. But there’s also her pen-pal/boyfriend Dae, who she is going to meet. Not only does Kitty find love, but she also learns more about herself in the process.
Who is in XO, Kitty?
Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey
Anthony Keyvan as Q
Minyeong Choi as Dae
Gia Kim as Yuri
Sang Heon Lee as Min Ho
Theo Augier Bonaventure as Florian
John Corbett as Dan Covey
Sarayu Blue as Trina Rothschilds
What does Kitty find out when she meets Dae?
(left) Anna Cathcart, Minyeong Choi and Gia Kim
After travelling all that way to meet her boyfriend, she finds out that Dae has a girlfriend named Yuri. Dae tries to explain the situation between her and Yuri, but she doesn’t believe him. The more she assesses their relationship, the more cracks begin to show. Yuri and Dae are fake dating for different reasons. Yuri is closeted and has a girlfriend named Juliana that no one can know about, or else it would tarnish her father’s reputation, and Dae needs tuition money to stay in school. Together they build a public persona, which confuses Kitty.
*** SPOILER WARNING IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SEASON ***
How was Kitty’s mom involved in the lives of others when she went to KISS?
Kitty’s mom had a lot of friends at KISS and was close to Jina, Yuri’s mom. As the season unfolds, Jina doesn’t want to discuss Kitty’s mom at all and avoids Kitty at all costs. Once Yuri and Kitty let bygones be bygones, they become close and discover a huge secret. At first, Kitty thought that her mother had a child she didn’t know about and that she had a half-brother working at the school as a teacher.
The more she digs, she finds that it was not her brother, but Yuri’s. Jina finally tells Yuri the truth and explains how she and Professor Lee were in a relationship, but it was not going to work out for them. So she gave up the baby and used Kitty’s mom’s name as cover at the hospital. Jina explains to Kitty and Yuri that first love can be powerful and wonderful, but they are lessons in the grand scope of life because of how long it is.
Who does Kitty have feelings for?
(left) Minyeong Choi and Anna Cathcart
The beauty of this first season and getting to know Kitty and Anna Cathcart is lovable. She has a sincere and optimistic presence on screen that will draw you in. Kitty is first heavily in love with Dae, but it’s a short-lived relationship once she sees how Dae responds. Once she experiences her first kiss with Dae, she understands the difference between love for another person.
Halfway through the season, Kitty experiences something she never thought she would. She starts crushing on a girl. These feelings are unknown to her, and the bisexual representation is great to see. It’s something natural that unfolds, and it is her progression with her identity that she wouldn’t have explored if she didn’t go to KISS. The Song-Covey siblings believe in the universe and fate, so Kitty knows she was meant to discover herself on this journey at the boarding school her mother went to.
What happens at the end of season one?
At the end of season one, Kitty ends things with Dae because she realizes they are better off as friends. She explains that first love will always stay with you even if you dated them or not. It’s an all-consuming feeling that leaves you empty and confused that you won’t feel that ever again, but you will. She gets expelled from KISS because they find out she has been living in the boy's dormitory.
She gets to the airport and sees Yuri, and before she tells her that she has feelings for her, Juliana walks through the doors. And without thinking, Kitty thinks this is what the universe wants to happen. When she eventually gets on the plane, she sits beside Min Ho, who is going to Los Angeles to visit his movie star mom. He was battling with his feelings for Kitty and tells her how he feels about her while on the plane. The season technically ends on a cliffhanger, but it also works with knowing that the universe can lead you down different paths.
Is xo, kitty worth watching?
Anna Cathcart as Kitty Song Covey
XO, Kitty does start off slow, but once it hits its stride in the middle it’s an entertaining coming-of-age series. Jenny Han took what made Kitty so lovable when she was younger and made her own journey of self-discovery. Out of all the siblings, we get more time with Kitty and it made for a different series. In a way, this gives the backstory to the entire Song-Covey family, which is helpful for the trilogy. The queer representation is strong throughout, but it isn’t until the last half that it becomes even more authentic when coming out.
Kitty went to Korea to be one with her mother and ended up finding herself in the process. It’s a beautiful sentiment and an emotional story for Kitty, as teenagers have the weight of the world on their shoulders when trying to build their lives. If you’ve been a fan of the To All the Boys trilogy, then you will definitely enjoy this spin-off series. Being able to expand on the universe that Jenny Han created is beneficial to everyone who is lacking in the romance department.
Will there be a season two?
There is no concrete answer other than the streaming numbers have to be high for them to move forward with the next season. However, with Never Have I Ever ending next month, this would be the perfect transition for a new coming-of-age series for Netflix. With the way the series ended, there needs to be a season two because of how satisfying the ending was.
What did you think about XO, Kitty? Let me know in the comments below and join us for a nice discussion in the discord!
