Review: ‘The Night Agent’ Season 2 Isn’t ‘Bourne’ Great, But It’s Oh So Much Fun
Nobody expected the first season of The Night Agent to be such a mega hit – not even Netflix since it forgot to market the spy thriller (much like a lot of its series, mind you).
Sure, it was over the top and some of the plot developments proved to be convenient to the deus ex machina degree, but someone must have laced this show with a bottle of Nutella, because it was insatiable.
Considering the high stakes of the initial story and tidy resolution, the odds were always against The Night Agent Season 2 being able to exceed what came before. After all, how do you top a tale where there’s a mole at the highest level in the U.S. government? Trust showrunner Shawn Ryan to find a way, though this should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Ryan’s previous series such as The Shield and Lie to Me. Look, The Night Agent Season 2 isn’t award-winning television by any means, but it’s 10 hours of nonstop espionage fun. Mild spoilers for The Night Agent Season 2 follow.
What’s the plot for ‘The Night Agent’ Season 2?
In the first episode of The Night Agent Season 2, “Call Tracking,” viewers discover that Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) and Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan) are pursuing life apart from each other. Peter is now located in Bangkok, Thailand, working a case with another agent, Alice (Brittany Snow). For Rose, she’s now based in California, passing her days as a developer at a marketing company that deals with high-powered facial recognition software.
Peter and Alice’s mission takes a turn for the worse after someone blows their cover. Uncertain of who he can trust now, Peter goes on the run and attempts to figure out who’s the snitch and why. When Rose finds out that Peter’s missing, she uses her skills and access to special software to find him, which leads her into a new web of intrigue that spreads across continents and borders. Yip, you guessed it – this mystery is bigger, juicier, and more international than Season 1’s.
Don’t poke at the story too much or it might fall apart
Like the first season, it’s important for viewers to suspend their disbelief when watching The Night Agent. There are a number of convenient occurrences and players who all seem to serendipitously find each other at the right moment. But this series has never focused on the smarts, choosing the thrills and action over brains – and that’s okay, because it plays to its strengths to compensate for the obvious weaknesses.
Much like before, The Night Agent Season 2 doesn’t turn Peter into an indomitable superspy like Jason Bourne or James Bond. Truth be told, he’s a bit rubbish at his job, usually getting pummeled and outwitted by others who don’t have the same training as him. What makes him different, though, is his humanity and acceptance that he isn’t the best. He has an abundance of heart and courage, and this is what endears him to the audience who’s probably tired of the unstoppable action man trope at this point.
In terms of Rose, it’s welcome to see her character’s development over the seasons and how she’s become a crucial cog to helping Peter uncover the full scope of the conspiracy. There’s a special chemistry between her and Peter that makes The Night Agent more compelling to watch, which is also one of the reasons that most people will accept how she gets shoehorned into the story in this season.
Shawn Ryan’s series continues to be highly addictive and bingeable
While the overall story doesn’t deviate too much from the typical spy thriller formula, Shawn Ryan and the writing team know how to lure in the viewer and keep them hitting the “play next episode” button until they wrap the season in one sitting. This is largely due to how every episode reveals a little more about the big conspiracy, but it also ends on a shocking note that has everyone impatient to find out what happens next. At the same time, the writers and directors don’t try to overcomplicate events – it’s an easy show to follow and refuses to get caught up in the minutiae of detail.
It’s a winning formula that doesn’t deviate from what made the series popular to begin with. Chuck in more action and a gripping subplot involving two new characters in the form of Javad (Keon Alexander) and Noor (Arienne Mandi) – and The Night Agent Season 2 continues to hit the spot for those looking for a fun spy thriller to pass half a day. Just leave your brain at the door, though.
