This ‘XO, Kitty’ Couple Is the Only Good One in the Show

As a spinoff series of the popular rom-com To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the new Netflix series XO, Kitty promised us hilarious love stories, adorable couples and contagious romance. Starring the youngest of the Covey sisters, Katherine Song Covey (or as her friends call her, Kitty), Anna Cathcart perfectly encapsulates the childlike wonder and perspective that Kitty holds towards true love and soulmates. So naturally, this series aims to break down her love ideals and complicates how she views romance and relationships. And they definitely got complicated right. The storylines for the romances end up becoming so convoluted, it’s hard to become invested. Instead of the promised iconic love stories, we get a pale imitation of the fake relationship trope from the original film, a bland love interest that is sorely underdeveloped and a playboy that randomly decides he’s in love with the protagonist after one dream. The only redeeming romances that yield any interest are the queer ones.

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Most of ‘XO, Kitty’s Romances Didn’t Work

At the forefront of the show was Kitty and Dae’s (Choi Min-young) relationship. In the final installment of the original trilogy, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Kitty’s meet-cute with Dae is on her family trip in Seoul, with the backdrop of a beautiful love-lock bridge. With the series set four years later, Kitty’s long distance relationship is finally about to become real as she is accepted into the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS). There, she finds out that Dae is in a relationship with the principal’s daughter, Yuri (Gia Kim), and immediately spirals. From the first episode, we know that the extremely publicized relationship is fake, but it’s hard not to pull our hair out every time Dae fails to confide in Kitty about it. Eventually, Dae and Yuri break up, Dae dates Kitty, Kitty develops feelings for someone else and the relationship ends. This complex love story is filled with nuances that could potentially be interesting, if it weren’t for the poorly developed characterization of Dae. Hints of authenticity in his personality are highlighted during heartwarming scenes with his family, particularly when he decides to buy shoes for his younger sister. But apart from those, we primarily see him moping around and staring longingly at Kitty; how are we supposed to be interested in a love interest that isn’t remotely interesting?

In comparison, Min Ho’s (Sang Heon Lee) character arc is far more endearing and believable. Witnessing his gradual transformation from then irreverent playboy to wanting a serious relationship has its own classic charm. His impulsive fling with the equally emotionally detached Madison Miller coupled with his relationship with his mother are valid catalysts for his transformation. But his crush on Kitty is just plain random. It’s almost as if the writers tried to force a love triangle into the series (as if there wasn’t enough drama), jam-packing as many romantic tropes as they could. Their unrequited romance and intimate moments were far more impactful than any between Kitty and Dae, but it just felt as if he was being used to provide a new potential love interest for Kitty in the end. Min Ho is such a well-developed and lovable character, despite being a sanctimonious prick at times. He deserved more than just being a device for a cliffhanger.

The Queer Love Stories That Could Have Become Interesting

As the daughter in a wealthy, reputable and highly conservative family, Yuri did not have the luxury of being out. Since she was forcibly separated from her girlfriend Juliana (Regan Aliyah), the relationship itself has limited screen time. We only saw Yuri’s pain and love, but completely missed out on the dynamics of the romance. Yuri’s storyline primarily tackled with her queer identity and how it affected her familial relationships and mental health, with the actual relationship falling to the wayside. In a sense, it kind of works for the show, making us root for the electrifying romance between Kitty and Yuri when Kitty develops an unrequited crush on her. It also makes the heartbreak of Kitty leaving Yuri equally worse for us: both us and the protagonist agonize over Yuri picking someone we barely know. On the other hand, by choosing not to flesh out Yuri and Juliana’s romance, it feels as if there’s something missing. There may be heartbreak in the conclusion, but it rings hollow since we don’t fully understand the depth of their relationship. Apart from a clandestine meeting in the storeroom, a jealousy-ridden phone call and a brief flashback, there’s not much context for their relationship. And with all the drama in the show, sometimes it’s easy to forget Juliana even exists.

‘XO, Kitty’s Only Redeeming Official Couple

Kitty’s crush on Yuri and the multiple breathless slow-motion scenes included may be the most tantalizing romance on the show, but the only good official couple is Quincy (Anthony Keyvan) and Florian (Theo Augier). Amid the dramatic flourishes and feverish lies, the queer couple’s simplicity and consistency sets them apart from the others. They are consistently supporting each other and their friends, from the chaos in detention to Florian’s parents’ divorce. They also show that romance doesn’t have to be a whirlwind adventure and can be a place where we simply find comfort and acceptance. They maintained their status as the most believable and likable couple until the disappointing end, where Quincy’s judgmental nature was aroused when Florian cheated on the semester finals. We witness an ugly and messy scene of Quincy condescendingly treating Florian, where Quincy’s derision is framed to come from a place of moral judgment. But we only really understand how high the stakes were when Dae’s reaction is revealed. The end of their relationship (if it is the end) was handled poorly, with Quincy jumping from one opinion to another and the ramifications of Florian’s actions not being explained properly. Despite this bizarre conclusion, they truly were the only couple that lived up the original promise of XO, Kitty as a spinoff of a charming rom-com.