AceShowbiz - XO, Kitty marks a new low in audience reception for Netflix's beloved To All the Boys franchise with its recently released third season. This series, which spun off from the original hit trilogy based on Jenny Han's bestselling novels, follows Lara Jean Covey's younger sister, Kitty, as she navigates love and life. However, the latest season has drawn critical and fan disappointment, setting a record-low audience score for the entire franchise.

The original To All the Boys movie trilogy, which centers around Lara Jean Covey (played by Lana Condor) and her accidental love letter mishap, was a major success for Netflix. Following the trilogy's acclaim, the spinoff series focusing on Kitty (Anna Cathcart) debuted, providing new stories and perspectives from the Covey family universe. Yet, the third season of XO, Kitty, which premiered on April 2, 2026, has struggled to resonate with viewers.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, XO, Kitty season 3 holds a dismal 35% audience score, the lowest in the entire franchise's history. This number even falls below the audience score of 45% earned by the second movie in the trilogy, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. Critically, the season also received the lowest rating among the series with a 75% critic score, still relatively fresh but indicating a decline in approval.

To put this in perspective, earlier entries in the franchise earned significantly higher ratings. The original film scored 96% from critics and 84% from audiences. The final movie, To All the Boys: Always and Forever, had a critic score of 79% and audience approval of 57%. Meanwhile, the first two seasons of XO, Kitty scored well with audiences at 60% and 67% respectively, and critics rated them above 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The backlash to season 3 largely stems from dissatisfaction with the storyline and character development. Viewers expressed frustration over Kitty's romantic arc with Min-ho, feeling it became stereotypical and regressive, especially concerning queer representation. Many noted that Kitty appeared to lose her established independence and personal growth, relying too heavily on Min-ho in ways that felt forced and inconsistent with her previous character progression.

ScreenRant’s review by Cher Thompson echoed these concerns, stating that the season "lost its identity in the process of striking out on its own," pointing out that the narratives for Kitty and her classmates at KISS (the fictional school) lacked cohesion. Nonetheless, the review conceded that the season was "still a fun ride," largely due to the cast’s strong ensemble performances, ultimately awarding the season a moderate 6 out of 10 stars.

Despite the mixed reactions, XO, Kitty season 3 has maintained impressive viewership numbers, holding the No. 1 spot on Netflix in the United States since its debut. It has outperformed other popular series on the platform, including Love on the Spectrum, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, and Bloodhounds season 2. This strong streaming performance may influence Netflix’s decision about whether to renew the show for a fourth season.

Currently, the future of the series remains uncertain. Season 3 sees Kitty entering her senior year at KISS, and rumors suggest that this season might conclude her story. No official confirmation about a fourth season has been announced, leaving fans and observers waiting for Netflix’s next move.

Meanwhile, Jenny Han, the author behind the franchise, has not commented on the fate of XO, Kitty. She has been busy with other projects, notably finishing the adaptation of her novel The Summer I Turned Pretty for Prime Video, which ran for three seasons. Following the series finale, Han confirmed a movie adaptation is in progress, though it is reportedly experiencing delays due to a salary dispute.

If XO, Kitty season 3 does indeed serve as the conclusion to Kitty's story, it remains unclear if Netflix plans to continue expanding the To All the Boys universe with further spinoffs. Fans will likely have to wait for official announcements regarding the franchise’s future direction. For now, all three seasons of XO, Kitty are available to stream on Netflix, offering viewers the chance to revisit Kitty’s journey despite the divisive reception of its latest installment.