19 Thoughts I Had While Watching Season 1, Episode 1 of ‘XO, Kitty’

This story contains spoilers for the first season of XO, Kitty.

It’s no secret that I’m an absolute sucker for teen dramedies, and I may or may not have watched To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on repeat in my room during a particularly challenging breakup a few years ago. At the time, I needed the sugary-sweet comfort, but since then, I’ve come to realize that the antics of onscreen teens will always cheer me up (unless they’re the kids from My Super Sweet 16, who were absolutely cursed). Naturally, I was thrilled to find out that To All the Boys star Anna Cathcart, who played nosy little sister Kitty in the original film, was getting a Netflix spinoff set at a Korean boarding school. I dove into Episode 1:

1. Ugh, I want to be on a pool floaty FaceTiming my crush instead of what I’m actually doing (frantically packing up my apartment to prepare for a cross-country move).
2. To recap, for those of you who have missed previous Kitty lore: she’s trying to get in touch with her long-distance boyfriend Dae in Korea, but it’s becoming increasingly hard to connect. LDRs are tough, man! Hence my move!
3. Kitty’s sunglasses are rad as hell. Are those Crap Eyewear?
4. Kitty doing a presentation for her dad about why he should let her attend boarding school in Korea for her junior year at the last minute is adorable, and so me-coded (I distinctly remember giving a similar presentation about why I should be allowed to get a puppy, which did not work).
5. Kitty’s argument about having missed out on getting to know her mom and now wanting to go to school on the same scholarship she once received is very touching!
6. God, Kitty’s dad, a.k.a. John Corbett, a.k.a. Aidan, a.k.a. Kate Hudson’s hot pastor boyfriend from the aughts rom-com Raising Helen (nobody?), is so perfect in this role.
7. Obsessed with Kitty’s cropped sweater-shirt situation, but I do have to wonder if it’s the best choice for an international flight, warmth-wise. (I just aged 30 years.)
8. Kitty meets an (extremely dashing) fellow student at the Korean Independent School of Seoul—a.k.a. KISS—but he’s mean to her 🙁
9. OMG, Kitty hasn’t even kissed her boyfriend yet!
10. I’m very impressed with this girl for missing her bus (relatable) and trying to find her way to school on the Seoul subway (less relatable; personally, I would have just had a crying panic attack until somebody helped me).
11. A cool, rich hotel heiress named Yuri, who also happens to go to KISS, gives Kitty a ride, and we learn that she’s got a sweetie of her own at school, but she won’t say who it is. Dramatic irony!
12. Ugh, I want to go shopping in Seoul.
13. Hey, the hotel chain is called Han Hotels! Like Jenny Han, the author of the original book! Cute.
14. Wait, I don’t think I realized until right now that Kitty literally hasn’t told Dae that she’s coming to KISS (where he also goes. Did I mention that?).
15. Oh, babe, that’s the kind of thing you really want to send a text about.
16. Damn, Yuri’s crush is leaving her on read. Uncool.
17. Uh-oh, Dae’s having tuition issues.
18. Yuri’s mom is the school principal, and she’s also…kind of a bitch? She apparently heard that Yuri was “embracing” her friend Juliana, and is not on board with it. Yuri insists it was a misunderstanding and claims she’s actually been hooking up with some other secret guy all summer, but I’m sus.
19. Kitty shows up at the school’s welcome-back party ready to surprise Dae, but he’s…with Yuri? Or is he, really? Color me intrigued!