XO, Kitty Boss Teases ‘Exciting Possibilities’ for Kitty and Min Ho After Finale — But What About Yuri?
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the XO, Kitty Season 2 finale. Proceed at your own risk!
Chaos reigned supreme, especially in the romance department, for XO, Kitty’s titular gal during Season 2.
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First, Kitty wrote a letter to Yuri about her feelings for her and locked it away, but the note got out, thanks to Kitty’s treacherous new roommate and Min Ho’s girlfriend, Stella. Adding to the drama, Kitty and Yuri shared a kiss while the latter was still dating Juliana. In the hopes of reuniting with her girlfriend, Yuri, initially, pushed Kitty away as a friend.
Meanwhile, Kitty developed a deeper friendship with Min Ho, who came through for her in the search for her family in South Korea. As the two grew closer, Kitty even admitted to herself that she has feelings for Min Ho. But rather than outright confessing them, the season finale concluded with Kitty asking Min Ho if she could accompany him on tour during their summer break before she returns to KISS for another year.
Below, showrunner Jessica O’Toole talks about what the future holds for Kitty and Min Ho, and whether there’s still hope for Kitty and Yuri.
TVLINE | Kitty starts off the season pretty hung up on Yuri, but by the end of it, she admits to having feelings for Min Ho. What’s changed for her?
She shoots him down at the beginning, basically, and he is very mature about it and accepts what she’s telling him, which is that she doesn’t feel the same way. I think, partly, it’s that the two of them are able to develop a real, true friendship. It’s funny, it’s similar to how my husband and I got together, where we had all kinds of weird timing, and then we got to a point where we were really just friends. And because of that, stepping back from the other stuff, we were able to sort of fall for each other in a totally different way. That’s kind of what I like about [Kitty and Min Ho’s] story is that they’re not trying to impress each other. They’re just getting to know each other. They’re real in front of each other. He’s there for her in these really difficult moments, really, as a friend. And so, she’s able to get to know him in a deeper way, and then the Stella situation brings everything into focus for her with intensity. So it kind of hits her, but it’s something that’s grown gradually over a whole semester, really.
And as far as Yuri, this is the person through whom [Kitty] discovers a new aspect of her sexuality. It’s intense. She doesn’t know Juliana when she starts these feelings, and I think the reality is she’s rooming with Juliana, Juliana and Yuri are a real relationship. So it’s not going to work because the timing is wrong, and there is somebody getting hurt. And there is duplicity involved when [Yuri and Kitty] kiss, and they hide it. When the foundation is kind of off like that, it’s something that I think Kitty, instinctively, as a good person, knows that she kind of has to move on from. And Yuri doesn’t treat her well afterwards. They’re both doing the right thing, [which] is to step back and repair their friendship after what happened. And we do see Kitty and Juliana start to appreciate each other, and we see them become friendly towards the end of the season. So I think that that just changes things from what Yuri was to her, initially, to what she is now, and seeing her as a fuller person and seeing that she did have this real relationship with somebody she did truly care about.
TVLINE | Yuri’s really eager to repair things with Juliana, but at the same time, she did sort of initiate that kiss with Kitty. So what did the kiss represent for her? What is she feeling towards Kitty?
It has been through Kitty that she has discovered a new side to herself, the situation with Dae, and the discovery about her having a half-brother. Even the story that happened with Kitty kind of knowing, instinctively, what Yuri needs in regards to her mom…and the bond they have with the fact that their mothers were such good friends. So it is her feeling this closeness and some attraction.
One thing that I also think is interesting, [which] we do touch on briefly, is you have those really, really privileged characters, Min Ho and Yuri. They’re not as accustomed as someone like Dae, for example, [with] having to deal with the consequences of their impulses and actions. Min Ho even blurting out to Kitty that he’s in love with her, knowing that she’s just broken up with his best friend… Like, they might do those things more impulsively. And I think that’s part of just growing up, is learning that there are consequences to your actions, which isn’t to say [Yuri’s] feelings for Kitty weren’t genuine or sincere. … As pure as your intentions can be when you kiss someone while you are dating someone else, I think [Yuri’s] intentions were pure. It was really feeling drawn to Kitty, genuinely, but it wasn’t a great thing for her to do. Kitty’s been yearning for her this whole time. So it was a mistake that she has to repair in the future with Kitty, especially, and, obviously, with Juliana.
TVLINE | Min Ho made an important note when he said that Kitty smiled on the plane for a moment. Does that mean she was in denial about her feelings at that point?
Yes, I think so. That’s probably a smile that you wouldn’t make unless you were having some kind of a spark. She’s our chaos queen, and she’s young, and let’s face it, we’re all chaos queens when we’re teenagers. So even if it is something that kind of passed quickly and her feelings for Yuri were stronger in that moment, I think it definitely means there’s an attraction there. That really becomes something much more later on. Once she’s moved off it and the friendship develops, then it becomes something much deeper.
TVLINE | Kitty doesn’t directly tell Min Ho her feelings in the finale, but she does ask if she can come with him on tour for the summer. Is that as good as a confession for him?
That’s something that we might have to wait and see, if we’re lucky enough to get a Season 3. The old Min Ho would’ve been like, “Oh, so she’s obviously into me.” But I think now that he’s kind of vulnerable a little bit, and also gone through something pretty tough with Stella, can he trust his instincts anymore? That’s kind of what I love about that moment is we know they’re going to go off on some kind of an adventure together, but it’s a little bit open to what’s next. You just know it’s going to be something delicious.
TVLINE | It sounds like Kitty’s definitely going with him on that tour. What does that final moment mean for their relationship moving forward?
It means we’re going to see things from them that we haven’t seen before. It means all kinds of exciting possibilities. But it’s XO, Kitty. It’s K-drama-inspired. There’s always twists and turns. There’s genuine reasons that anything that happens will be complicated. But it’s going to be fun and exciting, whatever it is. [Laughs]
TVLINE | For now, would you say that that particular love triangle between Kitty, Yuri and Min Ho is over, now that she’s seemingly chosen Min Ho?
I don’t think that those things are ever over. At a certain point, the characters take you on their own journey, and things present themselves, and they almost feel like magic. Like you’re not coming up with it on your own. And that’s what’s so great about coming-of-age shows, because young people do make decisions in different ways, and unexpected things happen. So with that kind of thing, my mindset is never say never.
TVLINE | And how important is it to you, if the show’s renewed, to keep exploring Kitty’s bisexuality, even if she’s in a relationship with Min Ho?
Very important. That is one of the things that makes the show feel the most authentic, that we have these kids, and so many of them are in the queer community, and they’re exploring that. I have two sons, and one of them is 17, and I know the way these kids are, and this is how they are: They’re fluid, they’re exploring. They think of it in a completely different way than it used to be. So I feel like whatever happens with Kitty in the future, that is an essential part of her.
What did you think of the XO, Kitty finale? Are you rooting for Kitty and Min Ho, or Kitty and Yuri?
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