The Night Agent brings back the binge-worthy energy of the 2000s-era spy/action thriller that relied on countless twists, turns and cliffhangers to keep you invested. It follows Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent manning a phone in the basement of the White House… a phone that never rings. One night, it does, kicking off a high-stakes conspiracy that goes from the quiet city streets to the Oval Office.
Nowadays, a lot of spy thriller shows focus on action and entertainment with one twist to cap it off at the end, which really works and makes way for deep character-driven stories. Gone are the days of shows like Prison Break, where they’d keep you on your toes with regular twists and cliffhangers bookending every other episode – perhaps because it could get exhausting in some cases. Well that’s not the case here. Every episode of The Night Agent is drenched in suspense from beginning to end, moving along at a blistering pace as our characters are being hunted and pursued in every waking moment. It’s all set up by a brilliant well-written pilot that introduces the main players, puts all the pieces on the table, kicks off a conspiracy that exponentially grows in scale and depth, and raises questions that’ll have you hitting “next episode” as soon as the credits roll.
From there, the narrative is consistently thrilling and engaging. As our characters are put in more and more dire situations, the tension rises and the edge-of-seat thrills take hold. It does a great job of making you feel like you’re along for the ride, piecing together clues to solve the long list of mysteries that only grows with each episode. The writers deserve all the credit for executing multiple subplots, character arcs and mysteries, all happening concurrently, in a way that’s easy to follow and digest. It’s easy for shows with a tonne of interconnected narratives to lose focus or feel bloated and messy, but the writers have managed to ensure every piece of the puzzle makes complete sense once answers come to light. It’s not one of those series’ that poses a long list of questions then rushes some half-assed answers that aren’t fulfilling. This narrative delivers on introducing a slew of mysteries, teasing their resolutions all season and then delivering on a climax that makes the suspense-filled journey worth it.
The weakest link in the narrative is the character arc following Dale (Phoenix Raei) and Ellen (Eve Harlow). As much as the series remained thrilling and fast-paced throughout, any scene focused solely on these characters was a bore. They shared next-to-no chemistry and the story gave us no reason to care about them or want to see them outside of their criminal escapades. They’d have been better as nameless villains, as any attempt to humanise them falls completely flat. Not to mention it takes time away from the actually interesting narratives.
The Night Agent brings together a diverse cast of knowns and unknowns, all of whom do a great job in their respective roles. In quite possibly the most surprising casting, Hong Chau plays Diane Farr, the White House chief of staff, and dons silvery white hair that’s sure to stand out for anyone familiar with the Oscar-nominated actor. Nevertheless, she plays against type superbly and sells the role really well – giving off an assertive presence that makes her position of power very believable. For an actor I’m not familiar with, Gabriel Basso brings a good amount of personality to a lead role that could have been another bland FBI type of role. He gives off more charm than he does that hardened FBI agent vibe, but that’s what makes the character interesting. Acting alongside Luciane Buchanan (Rose), the two of them exhibit great chemistry, resulting in a very likeable duo we root for in every moment. Luciane also brings more depth to the character than expected, taking her from a potentially cliché heroine in distress with a knack for hacking to a caring and committed individual who fights for what’s right.
In terms of supporting performances, Fola Evans-Akingbola (Arrington), D.B. Woodside (Monks) and Christopher Shyer (Redfield) are all standouts in their respective roles. The interactions between Fola and D.B. are some of the more engaging of the series – their relationship constantly ebbs and flows, leading to some great character development throughout the season.
In the end, The Night Agent is a fantastic spy thriller that successfully builds suspense across every single one of its episodes. It hooks you in with an intriguing mystery and doubles down with unexpected twists lurking around every corner. It may fall into some spy thriller clichés, but it’s a largely original narrative that will no doubt keep you guessing in the lead up to uncovering its rewarding revelations. Full of action, drama and tension, this is another of Netflix’s must-watch events – an exceptionally riveting espionage adventure.
9/10
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