Life gets very interesting when one gets in the way of plots to kill presidents and the like. FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) learned that in real time in The Night Agent Season 1. Assigned to a room in the basement of the White House to monitor a phone line used only by agents investigating top secret cases of corruption within American intelligence agencies, he settles in to watch a phone never ring. Sutherland had to race against the clock to stop a top-level conspiracy while protecting civilian Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan) and redeeming his family’s name. Total walk in the park, right? With explosions. Lots of explosions.
The Night Agent Season 2 picks up nearly a year after Sutherland is offered a position as a Night Action field agent. The intake has been rough, and he’s burdened with significant imposter syndrome as his new boss, Catherine Weaver (Amanda Warren), undermines his confidence, and his first mission goes horribly wrong. There are multiple plays in motion that could have repercussions on the highest levels of various governments. When Rose returns to his side, they must follow the clues, avoid the thugs and track down the person pulling all the strings. Buckle up, folks; there are TWISTS to come.
Netflix’s The Night Agent Season 2
While Matthew Quirk’s 2019 novel The Night Agent provided the source material for the plot and characters of Netflix’s first season of the series, Season 2 had no literary touchstone, and the script is a wholly original narrative. There are both benefits and drawbacks to this, as the second outing plays a lot more with theatrical devices like flashbacks and split-screen perspectives that feel “made for TV.”
RELATED: TV Review: Squid Game Season 2
However, Season 2’s bigger picture takes a lot longer to form as the early episodes introduce individual pieces in methodical turns. This forces the audience to sit with burning questions over multiple episodes. Why is Weaver so resistant to putting Peter into the field? Who are the bad guys answering to? What is the ultimate endgame to this complicated series of intelligence gambits?
Peter’s relative inexperience in Season 2 pushes the boundaries of plausibility at times. Despite everything he managed to accomplish in Season 1, much is made of how little actual training he’s had. But when he wants to go to ground, he proves a savant at evading detection by his own agencies as well as nameless criminal pursuers. Of course, on the other end of the suspension of disbelief spectrum, Rose’s programming superpowers outstrip the government’s, and she finds him with improbable ease. All that aside, their reunion is appropriately nuanced, with the various safety and personal considerations intensifying the already substantial tension.
New Faces
Weaver is a wild card character, holding her cards close and working through the bureaucratic channels while trying to track down her rogue agent. Where she falls on the trustworthy scale takes time to establish. In the role, Warren evokes a familiar sense of competence and caution. However, if Season 1 established anything, it’s that danger could come from any corner, even from inside Night Action itself.
RELATED: Netflix’s One Piece Adds Three New Faces to Season 2
Other newcomers to the series shine in their roles while conjuring a wholly separate sense of anxiety. Noor (Arienne Mandi), a low-level Iranian aide with the mission to the U.N., becomes entangled with Peter and Rose through her own choices. Her life is already one of extreme scrutiny. When she attracts the attention of the Iranian mission’s security head Javad (Keon Alexander), the politics of her country, her culture and the safety of her family become a dangerous balancing act. Alexander, as Javad, exudes predatory vibes. A lot.
What The Night Agent Does Well, It Does Really Well
Of all the espionage thrillers out there, The Night Agent stands out for putting some realistic natural consequences to characters’ choices. One might want to throw a bad guy out of a plane, but those opportunities are rare. But when the bad guys seem to know your every move, your options get limited and your choices are desperate. Failure is an option, and watching a team regroup after a setback is fascinating when done right. The Night Agent does it all very right.
RELATED: What’s New on TV This Week (Jan 19 – 25)
There’s also a solid human element to the character development. Trauma is recognized. Getting in one’s own head and letting experience cloud judgment is a known obstacle that needs overcoming. With Season 3 already greenlit, we know there are more shenanigans to come. Who will be back? Can Night Action thread the needle of intelligence versus integrity at the highest echelons of power? Or will the fabric come apart in the light of discovery?
The Night Agent Season 2 premieres with all 10 episodes on Netflix on January 23.
- On Location: The Armour-Stiner Octagon House on POKER FACE - May 12, 2025
- LEVERAGE: REDEMPTION Recap: (S03E06) The Swipe Right Job - May 8, 2025
- On Location: Please Touch Museum on ABBOTT ELEMENTARY - May 5, 2025
