Over recent years, the tally of solitary heroes tackling terrorist dangers, drug overlords, or outright villains has surged dramatically. The era of Kiefer Sutherland weeping in a vehicle as the minutes dwindle in “24” is a thing of the past. Instead, television has discovered champions such as Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) in “Reacher,” John Krasinski’s remarkable stint as “Jack Ryan” that wrapped up in 2023, and even Charlie Cox reprising his role as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen in “Daredevil: Born Again.” In the ongoing streaming service showdown, one individual holding the fort for Netflix is Gabriel Basso portraying Peter Sutherland, also known as “The Night Agent,” who is only improving with every task he bravely undertakes.
Making its debut on the big red N in 2023, “The Night Agent” draws inspiration from the book of the same title by Matthew Quirk and the vision of “The Shield” and “S.W.A.T.” showrunner, Shawn Ryan. Basso takes on the role of Peter Sutherland, a desk-bound FBI agent assigned as the Night Agent, who answers a phone that is only picked up in dire circumstances. Can you believe it? The phone begins to ring. From this point, our determined agent is thrust into a perilous conspiracy involving the niece of two spies who have been killed following a recent finding. Thus starts a classic cat-and-mouse thriller straight out of the ’90s, where Basso is perpetually on alert, hiding in shadows and placing himself between whoever is pursuing the caller he is now committed to safeguarding.
The Night Agent isn’t your ultra-intelligent spy thriller (and that’s just fine)
With two seasons now completed and a third one freshly added to the Netflix lineup, “The Night Agent” has maintained a steady pattern of being just clever enough to keep you engaged, while staying as straightforward as some of the spy thrillers from the past to keep you absorbed. Sutherland’s list of trusted allies diminishes with each season, peril lurks at every corner, and most notably, Basso excels at ensuring this straightforward, rule-abiding hero is compelling enough that you continually cheer for him. Possessing a physicality akin to Ritchson’s muscle-heavy henchman in “Reacher,” but coupled with the evolving intelligence of Jason Bourne, in another reality, Basso could have easily been the ideal Bucky Barnes, or even the Captain America we never encountered.
But how does the third season of “The Night Agent” measure up? Well, with season 1 receiving outstanding accolades and season 2 achieving near-perfection, it’s hardly unexpected that season 3 pushes the standard higher, and critics have swiftly taken note. JoBlo guaranteed that “third time’s a charm” for the series, with Collider commending the latest installment for “providing its finest storytelling thus far.” Don’t just take their word for it, though. With the entire third season now accessible on Netflix, you can embark on a night of action right now and witness the skills Sutherland brings to the table.