Netflix‘s The Night Agent just returned with its third season, and it’s a big hit with critics — it currently has an 85 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Season 1 of the excellent action thriller centered on an FBI agent (Gabriel Basso), who was plunged into a conspiracy involving a mole at the highest levels of the United States government.
As the show continues on its winning streak with a top-tier third season, Watch With Us believes it’s one of the best things to binge right now.
We break down why The Night Agent should be at the top of your watchlist.
The Narrative Is Tight, Compelling and Well-Written
While the first two seasons of The Night Agent were generally well-received, it’s no contest that season 3 features the current peak of the series’ writing. The narrative is instantly intriguing from the jump, coming off the shocking events from season 2 (we won’t spoil them entirely if you aren’t aware already). Night Agent Peter Sutherland (Basso) is assigned to track down a young treasury agent who has fled the country for Turkey. But that’s only half of the situation: not only does this rogue agent carry sensitive government information, he also killed his boss after making off with it.
This situation kickstarts a chain reaction wherein Peter begins investigating a network of dark money that involves paid hitmen, and it also involves the return of a key character from season 2. All of this together creates a story with a greater sense of urgency than was present in the previous two seasons, and the ten-episode season 3 manages to run along at a brisk, absorbing clip, never dragging or feeling overstuffed. Instead, season 3 of The Night Agent is tighter and more disciplined in its storytelling, balancing high-stakes and complex political drama with some exciting globetrotting.
The Character Development Is Even Stronger in Season 3
Michaela Watkins and Gabriel Basso in The Night Agent season 3 CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS/NETFLIX
Outside of the central characters of Peter and Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), The Night Agent had a consistent problem with offering this same level of nuanced writing to its supporting characters. This made subplots a bit of a slog to watch, making audiences wonder “Where is Peter Sutherland?” whenever Peter Sutherland was not on screen. This problem has been greatly mitigated in season 3, and the writers display a stronger grasp of across-the-board character-writing that fleshes out both new and existing characters, and makes the show a more compelling watch.
David Lyons‘ appearance as a new character named Adam has been an excellent addition to the series, giving a fascinating relationship dynamic for Peter that the show hasn’t seen before. Adam is Peter’s new partner at the FBI, and it’s compelling to watch the two men do a delicate dance of learning to trust each other. Along with newcomer Lyons, season 3 also gives more complexity to the return of season 2 character Jacob Munroe (Louis Herthum), an illegal intelligence dealer, as well as the inclusion of a villainous new duo named only “The Father” (Stephen Moyer) and “The Son” (Callum Vinson). Not only is their pairing engaging, but it also features a surprising emotional depth, and one even hopes to see them in the series beyond season 3.
The New Season Boasts Consistent, High-Quality Action
Gabriel Basso and David Lyons in The Night Agent season 3 Netflix
It seems that everything in season 3 of The Night Agent is bigger and better, and that includes the action sequences. This is greatly helped by, as previously noted, the improvements in narrative and pacing this season, but we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the stunts, fight choreography, shootouts and chase scenes. The high-adrenaline action is stunningly realized, going further to heighten the espionage atmosphere of the show. The Night Agent season 3 ends up playing out like a ten-hour action movie, and it never overstays its welcome throughout that hefty runtime.
Instead of cartoonish violence, the fight sequences in The Night Agent are brutal and grounded, highlighting the physical toll taken on the people in this line of work. Despite the fact that Peter is the show’s lead and thus we expect him to live to see future seasons, he often barely makes it out of situations alive. This helps to set audiences on edge and increases the stakes. The ambitious action set pieces spanning multiple international locations are impressive and exhilarating, including a fight sequence that literally takes place underwater. Of course, credit where credit is due to Basso, who performs the majority of his own stunts. He’s an action hero you can relate to, especially when he winces at all those hard punches he takes throughout the season.
Stream The Night Agent now on Netflix.
