I was glued to the screen for the first season of The Night Agent. It was corny but had plenty of action, a popcorn plot, decent acting, and was filled with episodic cliffhangers that beg for letting Netflix autoplay. I, like many others, was hooked. Season 2 arrived, and the show lost a bit of its magic, but it was still a wonderful guilty pleasure. With Season 3, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the action thriller is finally realizing its potential.
It’s a course-corrected, elevated story with an incredible cast of new actors (and some great returning ones) coming together to deliver a far more refined, mature plot. The still over-the-top show retains the same corny fight choreography. But it’s now complemented by great writing, heightened tension, and deeper character work. I feel like The Night Agent is growing up, and this might be its best season yet.
A Mature Plot Shows Massive Growth
There’s no question that Season 3 is better than Season 2, but I might even argue that it’s better than Season 1. With a sharper plot, more assured storytelling, and addictive pacing, it’s one of those seasons you’ll want to watch in a single sitting. Thankfully, Netflix obliges this desire by dropping all 10 episodes at once, so go ahead and binge.
There are shocking twists with blurred allegiances and murky morality that make you question what you know about certain characters, especially with the standout flashback episode. The story evolves through each episode, each time peeling back yet another layer of this complex web of corruption, lies, deal brokering, and betrayal. But it consistently remains easy to follow. Despite the plot being so twisted, it isn’t overwhelmingly so, never losing clarity.
Rose (Luciane Buchanan) is absent this season, she and Peter reluctantly parting ways for the sake of her safety. Peter, however, is lucky enough to once again be paired with another beautiful young woman, Isabel (Genesis Rodriguez), a journalist investigating the very same case he’s working, albeit from a different angle. Naturally, it all ties back to Jacob Monroe (Louis Herthum), the wealthy billionaire broker Peter made a deal with in Season 2 in exchange for Rose’s life. As they begin to put pieces together, it seems the more they know, the more danger they’re in.
The Cast is What Makes This Season
Basso already has a pretty impressive resume to his name, but while he’s an action star on the rise, he’s no Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves just yet. He has a magnetic quality about him. But what really amplifies Basso’s performance this season is the incredible cast around him.
Along with returning actors like Fola Evans-Akingbola (Chelsea), Herthum, Amanda Warren (Catherine), and Ward Horton (President Richard Hagan), several high-profile actors join the cast. This includes David Zayas (Dexter: Resurrection), Timothy Hutton (American Crime), Michaela Watkins (Hacks), David Lyons (The Beast in Me), Stephen Moyer (True Blood, Sexy Beast), Jennifer Morrison (Tracker, This Is Us), Rodriguez (Lioness), Suraj Sharma (God Friended Me), and Callum Vinson (Long Bright River). There isn’t a weak one among the bunch. Moyer delivers a layered performance as the unnamed assassin, while Lyons has an unassuming, mysterious way about him that fits perfectly alongside Basso.
The cast is so great, I can’t tell if it’s the story that’s better this season or just the cast that takes it to another level. It’s likely a combination of both. Nonetheless, they all come together to tell a compelling story fueled with tension and high action. From a tense car chase to a brutal warehouse pursuit or a cat-and-mouse game with a lethal assassin, the suspense rarely lets up.
Old habits die hard, of course, and there are a few too many miraculous escapes and overly choreographed fight moments that briefly pull you out of the experience. Nonetheless, those moments are outweighed by ambitious and polished action sequences, stunt doubles clearly working overtime this season.
We’re Finally Getting to Know Peter The Man, Not Just Peter the Agent
The Night Agent is such a fun, escapist show, it’s easy to forget that the protagonist is human, not just a robotic killing machine who fights bad guys. We got a glimpse of that in Season 1 when Peter opened up about his father, when we met his old police academy friend, and when he even told Rose about a mysterious ex-girlfriend (vaguely, however, and only to explain why he had women’s clothing in his closet).
But up until now, we never really got to know anything personal about the man behind the gun. This season aims to give Peter more humanity and heart, a reason for the hero complex that drives him. We’re also reminded that he’s still learning, still developing his skills and instincts. He’ll always be a rebel who isn’t afraid to colour outside of the lines to do what’s right, of course, even against the instruction of others.
If Peter ever had time to breathe and relax, he’d sit in his isolation and trauma, which may explain his unwavering sense of duty: it keeps him distracted. But there’s more to it, and to him, than meets the eye, and it’s nice that the show is finally exploring that. This season, we gain deeper insight into Peter’s past, his family, and the motivations behind his rigid moral code. The fact that his only real connection to the world is his work is a reality that feels both tragic and illuminating.
It’s More Than Just a Guilty Pleasure Now
I’m not reluctant to say that this season of The Night Agent might very well be the best one yet. With Seasons 1 and 2, I was similarly itching to get to the next episode every time I finished one. But this season is firing on all cylinders in more ways than one. It’s finally hitting its stride, pulled out of guilty pleasure territory and placed in the big leagues of crime thrillers. It’s not on the level of shows like The Wire, Ozark, or Dexter. But I’d place it in the same league as series like The Blacklist, Cross, The Day of the Jackal, even Paradise.
I went in expecting the season to be decent and if nothing else, entertaining. But I was surprised at the maturity, growth, and more ambitious narrative scope. You still get the same fun, fast-paced, high-octane action that you’d expect. It wouldn’t be The Night Agent without it, after all. But it’s a more confident, sharper, focused season. Welcome to the big leagues, The Night Agent. The show is still a popcorn thriller, but with far more flavour shaken on top this time around.