XO, Kitty Season 2 Review: Queer Storylines, Drama, and Character Breakdowns

XO, Kitty is in a rare position right now. It came back for Season 2, kept people watching, and is already heading into Season 3. In a time where shows get canceled constantly, that alone says a lot.

Season 2 feels like a transition season. It’s fun, messy, and entertaining, but it’s also trying to do a lot at once. Sometimes that works in its favor, and sometimes it makes things feel a little rushed or all over the place. But even when it stumbles, it’s still easy to stay invested because the characters and energy carry it through.

Kitty’s queer journey actually sticks

One of the biggest concerns going into Season 2 was whether the show would quietly move on from Kitty’s identity storyline. That didn’t happen. Instead, the show actually commits to it in a way that feels intentional.

Kitty explicitly identifies as bisexual and continues to explore what that means for her, not just in theory but through her actions and relationships. It’s not treated like a one-time reveal or something temporary. It becomes part of how she moves through the world, even when she doesn’t fully understand it yet.

And that lack of understanding is important. Kitty is still figuring things out, and she’s doing it in the messiest way possible. She jumps into situations, misreads her own feelings, and gets caught up in other people’s lives while trying to avoid sitting with her own. It’s frustrating at times, but it also feels real for where she is in her life.

This season is doing a lot… maybe too much

If there’s one thing that stands out across the entire season, it’s how much is happening at once. There are multiple storylines running in parallel, and instead of building off each other, they sometimes feel like they’re competing for time.

You’ll get pulled into one storyline, then it disappears for an episode or two, and when it comes back, it’s wrapped up quickly so the show can move on to something else. It creates this feeling where everything is moving fast, but not always landing the way it should.

It almost feels like the show expanded into more of an ensemble without adjusting the pacing to support it. Season 1 worked because everything centered around Kitty. In Season 2, everyone has their own thing going on, but there isn’t always enough time to fully develop those arcs.

That’s where a lot of the frustration comes from. Not because the ideas aren’t good, but because they don’t always get the space they need.

Kitty and Minho feel like a last-minute shift

The dynamic between Kitty and Minho is probably the clearest example of the pacing issue. It’s very obvious that the show is positioning them as endgame, but the way it gets there feels uneven.

For most of the season, their relationship reads as platonic. They feel like best friends, or even siblings at times. There isn’t a consistent emotional throughline that suggests something deeper is building.

Then, toward the end of the season, everything shifts. Suddenly, we’re told that these feelings have been there, and the show leans into it heavily in the final episodes. The slow motion moments, the music cues, the framing, it’s all there. But it feels concentrated at the end instead of being layered throughout.

It’s not that the pairing doesn’t work. It’s that the buildup doesn’t match where the show wants you to be emotionally by the finale. Going into Season 3, that relationship is clearly going to be central, but it needs more consistency in how it’s developed.

Dae ends up with one of the most grounded arcs

While most of the characters are caught up in chaos, Dae somehow ends up with one of the most natural and complete storylines of the season.

His relationship develops in a way that feels organic. He isn’t chasing anything, he isn’t rebounding immediately, and he’s not getting pulled into constant emotional shifts. He meets someone, they connect, and it builds from there in a way that feels steady.

That contrast really stands out, especially when you put it next to Kitty’s storyline. Where she’s jumping from feeling to feeling, Dae is actually experiencing something that grows over time.

His arc also ties into one of the more interesting layers of the season, which is the commentary on the entertainment industry. The whole media training situation and how it impacts his relationship adds a level of realism that you don’t always expect from a show like this. It shows how external pressure can shape personal dynamics, and that part actually lands.

Praveena brings balance to the chaos

Praveena is one of the strongest additions this season, and it’s immediately clear why. She walks into the show with a grounded presence that contrasts with how chaotic everyone else is.

She sees what’s happening with Kitty almost right away. She understands that Kitty is still emotionally tied to someone else, even if Kitty doesn’t fully realize it herself. And instead of ignoring that or trying to push through it, she acknowledges it.

That awareness makes her stand out. She’s not getting swept up in the same patterns as everyone else. She’s making choices based on what’s actually in front of her, not what she hopes things will be.

And because of that, she ends up being one of the characters you feel the most for. She gives Kitty chances, she shows up honestly, and she still gets hurt in the process. Her dynamic with Juliana ends up feeling more natural than some of the other relationships in the season, and she adds a level of emotional clarity that the show really benefits from.

Yuri’s storyline doesn’t get the space it needs

Yuri is one of the characters who feels the most affected by how crowded the season is. After being such a major part of Season 1, she’s pushed more into the background here, and her storyline feels rushed.

Her connection with Kitty happens quickly, escalates quickly, and then disappears without much follow-up. There isn’t enough time spent on her perspective or her emotional process for it to fully land.

It ends up feeling like the storyline exists more to create conflict than to explore something meaningful for her character. That’s frustrating, especially because there’s clearly more there to work with.

The one thing that does stand out is where she ends the season. She’s in a completely different position than where she started, and that opens the door for a stronger arc in Season 3. If the show actually gives her the time, there’s a lot of potential there.

There’s a lot of commentary happening under the surface

Beyond the relationships, Season 2 is also doing more thematically than it might seem at first.

Through the entertainment industry storyline, the show touches on things like image control, nepotism, and the pressure to present a certain version of yourself. Stella’s storyline in particular brings up how damaging those systems can be, especially when they start affecting people at a young age.

Even the media training moments tie into this. The idea that you have to shape your personal life around what an audience expects or wants to see adds another layer to the relationships.

It’s not always the main focus, but it’s there, and it adds depth to the season when it’s given the space to come through.

The pacing holds it back more than anything else

Most of the issues in Season 2 come back to pacing. There are strong ideas, interesting dynamics, and characters you want to follow, but everything moves a little too quickly.

Emotional moments don’t always have time to sit, and some storylines feel like they’re resolved before they’ve fully developed. It creates this sense that the show is always moving forward, but not always taking the time to fully process what just happened.

It doesn’t take away from the enjoyment completely, but it does make the season feel less cohesive than it could have been.

It’s still fun, and that matters

Even with all of that, XO, Kitty is still an enjoyable watch. The humor works, the cast has strong chemistry, and the tone of the show keeps things engaging.

Kitty can be frustrating, but she’s also the reason the story moves at all. And the performance behind her makes it easy to stay invested, even when you’re questioning every decision she makes.

That balance is what keeps the show working, even when it gets a little messy.

Season 3 has a real opportunity here

With Season 3 about to release, this feels like a turning point for the show.

It doesn’t need to add more. It needs to focus on what it already has. Let the storylines breathe, build relationships more intentionally, and give characters the time to actually sit in their emotions.

There’s also a real opportunity to explore growth in a deeper way, especially for Kitty. Not just in terms of who she ends up with, but in how she understands herself and how she shows up for other people.

Want more XO, Kitty content?

If you want to keep the conversation going, come hang out with us in the Discord. There’s a lot to unpack this season, and we’re definitely not done talking about it.

And if you want even more, our Patreon has ad-free discussions of all seasons plus full-length reaction videos for Seasons 1 and 2.

We’ll be back soon to get into more of the chaos, the relationships, and everything that had us spiraling.

Until then, stay hydrated and gay it up all over the place!