The Night Agent was a massive surprise hit on Netflix when the series’ first season premiered in March 2023. It catapulted to the top of the streamer’s charts and remains one of Netflix’s most viewed series to this day. The action thriller was dubbed corny by some, but there was something enthralling about the story of a young man named Peter (Gabriel Basso) working in a dark room of a White House basement waiting for a phone to ring. Uncovering political conspiracies, corruption, lies, and deceit once that trill finally came, the show kept viewers glued to the screen through its 10 episodes.
Now returning for a second season, and already renewed for a third, you can stream all 10 episodes at once, a rarity nowadays with streaming shows. How does season two stack up to the first? The stakes are higher with the show presenting like a 10-hour long action movie that’s a cross between Homeland and 24.
The Night Agent Season 1 Refresher

To get you back up to speed, The Night Agent season one is centered around Peter Sutherland, a young FBI agent who has been given the job of sitting in a dark room of the White House pushing papers. There’s a single rotary phone on the table that he is told to answer if it rings. It never does and he’s starting to think his will is being tested, or his mentor Chief of Staff Diane Farr (Hong Chau) is just messing with him. But one night, the phone does ring and it’s a scared young woman named Rose (Luciane Buchanan) on the other end. Her aunt and uncle have been murdered and there’s an assassin after her.
Unable to sit back and do nothing, Peter rushes to her side to help. Together, they uncover a massive conspiracy. Unable to know who they can trust, they go on the run. But in doing so, they are viewed as being guilty of crimes themselves.

The story takes twists and turns throughout that keeps viewers at the edges of their seats and wondering who is part of the sinister plot and who is actually on Peter’s side. By the end, he saves the president’s life and she is forever grateful. Along with giving him the information and closure about his father he craved for so long, she offers him a job as one of the Night Action agents working for a secret underground force. These are the people who call the phone he was manning, only when absolutely necessary. And she thinks he would be perfect in the field.
Peter accepts the mission and sets out to his next location, cutting all ties with those he loves and knows in the process, including Rose.
The Night Agent Season 2 Review

The Night Agent might have come across like a sophomoric procedural in season one, but it has graduated in season two. There’s a lot more action right from the get-go, such that you feel like you’re watching a blockbuster movie, not a 10-episode TV show.
The fight scenes are wonderfully choreographed and there’s a new maturity about Basso, which translates to his character. The stakes are higher than ever now that Peter is part of an elite team, even though his handler doesn’t have faith in him due to his lack of experience.

The season crosses into international territory and involves players in different countries. Expect subtitles throughout as there’s dialogue in Farsi, requiring that you pay full attention to the show as you watch (no second screen experience here).
Peter and Rose are at the center once again, but they’re the only main characters you’ll recognize from the original, beyond a few cameo appearances from others. Season two has an almost entirely new cast, which makes it at times feel like a different show. But every character holds their own as the story dives into the topic of international relations, secrets, and chemical weapons.

At times, you’ll feel like you’re watching 24 or Homeland, a testament to how The Night Agent has found its footing following the admittedly cheesier first season. There’s a greater sense of seriousness to the plot. Peter is his own version of Jack Bauer and Rose his Chloe O’Brien, albeit with far more field work alongside her incredible computer skills.
While you’ll still encounter completely unbelievable storylines that require that you suspend belief and lean into the action anyway, you’ll be rooting for Peter to prove that he’s worthy and President Travers did not make a mistake. Rose, meanwhile, is a shining star this season who brings new meaning to the value of the people working from the sidelines.
Should You Watch The Night Agent Season 2?

It’s evident that if you got sucked into The Night Agent season one like so many others, you’ll want to see how the story continues. It’s a different feel from season one, as if the show has graduated to the big leagues in some sense. There’s no more phone on which Peter is waiting for a call (well, there is, but in a different context) yet it’s the same level of edge-of-your-seat tension that made season one so palatable. Peter has something to prove, and though his decisions are sometimes morally questionable, and he clearly hasn’t dealt with his trauma, he’s up for the task.

Don’t expect an Oscar-worthy story and be ready to elicit an eyeroll or two from time to time, just as you did in season one. But there’s a sense of growth with season two that suggests the creators were having fun in season one and are down to business for season two. With a season three on the horizon and the ending of season two setting it up perfectly for the story to continue, you’ll blaze through the 10 episodes in no time.
Bottom line: there’s a lot of action with Peter now on the front lines of Night Action. He might not be fully ready for the role yet. But fans will enjoy watching him get his wings.