The Night Agent is an American action thriller television series created by Shawn Ryan based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quirk. Starring Gabriel Basso in the title role, it premiered on Netflix on March 23, 2023.[1] The series emerged as the third-most-viewed debuting series on Netflix in its first four days, and within a week it was renewed for a second season.[2] Within a month, it became the streamer's sixth-most-viewed series.
Plot
FBI Agent Peter Sutherland is thrown into a vast conspiracy about a mole at the highest levels of the United States government. To save the nation, he plunges into a desperate hunt for the traitor, while protecting former tech CEO Rose Larkin from the people who murdered her aunt and uncle.[3]
Cast and characters
Main
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who works at the White House as a Night Action telephone operator
Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin, a young cybersecurity entrepreneur and the niece of two Night Action agents.
Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington, an ambitious U.S. Secret Service agent who leads Maddie's protective detail
Sarah Desjardins as Maddie Redfield, the daughter of the Vice President
Eve Harlow as Ellen, an unpredictable assassin with a tragic and sad past.
Phoenix Raei as Dale, a professional hitman, and partners with Ellen.
Enrique Murciano as Ben Almora, the director of the Secret Service
D. B. Woodside as Erik Monks, a veteran U.S. Secret Service agent newly assigned to Maddie
Hong Chau as Diane Farr, the White House chief of staff
On December 24, 2020, it was announced that Sony Pictures Television would produce the TV series adaptation of Matthew Quirk's novel The Night Agent, with Shawn Ryan as writer.[7] On July 21, 2021, the series was acquired by Netflix, with Seth Gordon set to direct the pilot and produce the ten-episode series with Ryan, Marney Hochman, Julia Gunn, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Paul Neinstein, Nicole Tossou and David Beaubaire.[8] The series was released on Netflix on March 23, 2023.[1] On March 29, 2023, Netflix renewed it for a second season.[2]
FBI Special Agent Peter Sutherland saves countless civilians from a bombing on the DC Metro. He is recruited by White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr to a position monitoring a phone seldom used by the secretive Night Agent program. Rose Larkin, a former cybersecurity CEO who has recently gone bankrupt, is staying with her aunt and uncle Emma and Henry Campbell in Loudoun County, Virginia when their house is attacked. Before they are both killed they give Rose a phone number and code word that she calls and is connected to Sutherland. She is rescued by local police before the assassins can reach her. Sutherland is instructed by Farr to take Larkin into protective custody, against the wishes of FBI Deputy Director Jamie Hawkins. Sutherland explains that the Campbells were members of the Night Agent program. It is also revealed his father, FBI agent Peter Sutherland, Sr. was suspected of being a traitor before his untimely death in a car crash. En-route to a safe house they are pursued by the assassins, but are able to evade them. Sutherland uses his apartment's CCTV to capture an image of a ring worn by one of the men. Once there, Larkin requests Sutherland's presence, not feeling safe with anyone else and being reluctant to tell Farr and Hawkins the truth in her debrief; having heard her aunt mentioning someone in the White House cannot be trusted before her death. Meanwhile, assassin couple Dale (one of the men who killed the Campbells) and Ellen break into a suburban house in Racine, Wisconsin and retrieve a hidden bag.
2
"Redial"
Seth Gordon
Shawn Ryan
March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
In a flashback, several high profile clients of Larkin's are hacked due to internal sabotage. She lies in the debrief about seeing Dale's face, and is sent to a hotel under Secret Service protection. Hawkins discloses the Campbells worked in counterintelligence. Sutherland matches the ring emblem to the House of Karađorđević. He also discovers Hawkins was the Campbells' former handler, and Farr instructs him to review their case history. The bag the assassins took contains a stuffed toy nanny cam. Dale takes a call from their employers, who know Larkin's whereabouts and want her eliminated. Sutherland arrives at the hotel, but notices the Secret Service agents are gone. He evacuates Larkin and they are pursued unsuccessfully by Ellen and Dale. Farr deduces it was Hawkins ordered the security pulled. Sutherland and Larkin revisit the Campbell residence, and she recalls overhearing them talking to someone codenamed 'Osprey' about the White House traitor, mentioning '7 days left' and a 'drive in the woods'. Deducing this means a hard drive, she and Sutherland travel to her uncle's woodland cabin. Sutherland finds a hidden hard drive, but it has encryption that Larkin cannot surpass. Sutherland notices the file name matches the number of the train targeted in the DC Metro bombing. Hawkins meets with one of the assassins’ clients, but is killed for his silence and is discovered by Farr.
President Michelle Travers is updated on the investigation into Hawkins death, and one of the assassins' clients is revealed to be Vice President Ashley Redfield. Farr demands the President reveal what the Campbells were involved in with Night Action. Sutherland and Larkin narrowly avoid the assassins at the cabin, causing Larkin to suspect Farr is the traitor the Campbells warned about. Needing advanced computers to crack the drive, Sutherland returns to the White House with it claiming Larkin ran from him. He then covertly sets up a remote connection allowing her to download the contents once it is decrypted and wipe the original. Farr discovers this and confronts Sutherland, but denies trying to kill them. She reveals the President was using the Campbells to investigate the metro bombing and a possible White House mole who was involved in it. Sutherland trusts her and brings her into the fold. Chelsea Arrington, the Secret Service agent guarding second daughter Maddie Redfield at Georgetown University is assigned a new partner; Erik Monks. Returning to active duty after being shot saving the previous President, he makes a mistake the first night on shift. Arrington questions his assignment to her team. Maddie's teacher is revealed to be associated with the perpetrator of the metro bombing.
Larkin finds several items on the hard drive, including building blueprints, CCTV footage from around DC and documents on the drive about the Peoples Independence Front (PIF), a radical Balkan political organization blamed for the metro bombing. Spyware is found on Farr's phone, explaining how Sutherland and Larkin were tracked. Larkin reluctantly agrees to work with Farr, and travels with Sutherland to an address found on the drive. They meet Lorna, an old friend of the Campbells who helped them gather intelligence, specifically blueprints for buildings and infrastructure around Washington, DC. She determines Sutherland's interference with the metro bombing prevented the correct target being destroyed. Arrington discovers Monks is recovering from painkiller addiction and is only still in the job due to his friendship with the Director. Having got the assassins' license plate number at the cabin, Sutherland gets a friend in the Maryland State Police to trace their car to a residence, but it is empty when they raid it. Dale and Ellen are sent by Redfield to Lorna's house and torture her for information before killing her. Reviewing CCTV on the drive, Sutherland spots Arrington in multiple videos, deducing the metro bombing may have been an assassination attempt on her charge.
5
"The Marionette"
Guy Ferland
Corey Deshon
March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
Sutherland questions Arrington on who she was protecting the day of the bombing, but she is instructed to divulge no information other than it was not Maddie. Larkin further investigates the ring image, tracing the heraldry to the Serbian Pavelić family, relatives of the defunct Yugoslav royal family. Andrej Pavelić, an assemblyman, recently disappeared in Montenegro and a police sketch of a suspect matches that of Dale. Sutherland visits Hawkins's widow, who reveals her husband always doubted the PIF's alleged involvement in the metro bombing, instead believing government contractor Turn Lake Industries was responsible. Returning to Larkin, she reveals that Pavelić was campaigning against US contractors conducting black operations in the Balkans, and referenced Turn Lake by name. She also discovers via the FEC website that they are a major political donor to Vice President Redfield. President Travers orders Sutherland and Larkin to report to the White House. Maddie starts a relationship with her art teacher, and escapes her detail to visit him. However, his associate (involved in the metro bombing) kills him and kidnaps Maddie before Arrington and Monks can reach her.
6
"Fathoms"
Ramaa Mosley
Imogen Browder
March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
Two years prior, the assassins kill Andrej Pavelić, but Dale keeps his ring. Sutherland declines to take Larkin to the White House with the drive, electing to leave her in the protection of his State Trooper friend Cisco whilst he attends alone with paper copies. He reveals Redfield's connection to Turn Lake and its CEO Gordon Wick to Farr, but deduces she is involved when she alludes to knowing Larkin is with a trooper (information he did not provide). Farr worriedly calls Wick, instructing him to kill Larkin. Sutherland warns her and Cisco to run. Farr orders Sutherland's arrest, but he narrowly escapes the White House via a secret tunnel. Cisco drops off Larkin so she can meet Sutherland at a pre-arranged spot, and is later killed by Ellen. Dale pursues Larkin, but after a brutal fight she and Sutherland are able to kill him. The two seek refuge in a boat owned by Sutherland's godfather, where Larkin treats his wounds. Arrington and Monks continue to investigate the kidnapping. Farr and Redfield argue over their involvement in the conspiracy, and she has Redfield give a press conference where he falsely names Sutherland as the main suspect in Maddie's disappearance.
A flashback shows Maddie’s younger sister Sarah drowned in the family pool, something her father’s negligence caused but he blamed her for. Arrington and Monks investigate an environmentalist group Maddie’s art teacher was involved with. A colleague identifies his associate (who kidnapped Maddie) as a man named Matteo. Matteo demands Redfield confess to orchestrating the metro bombing in 2 days, otherwise Maddie will be killed. In a meeting with Wick, Farr reveals to the Vice President that Maddie was planning on publicly ruining him by leaking the nanny cam footage the assassins retrieved from Wisconsin. The footage shows him assaulting 13 year old Maddie when she refuses to continue being blamed for Sarah’s death. A grieving Ellen confronts Wick, and with a knife to his throat he gives her Matteo’s last known whereabouts, asking her to kill him in exchange for Sutherland’s location. Farr and Wick, and independently Sutherland and Larkin, identify Matteo as Colin Worley, a former employee of Turn Lake and the metro bomber, who is legally considered dead. Arrington and Monks interview Sutherland’s godfather, and by chance come upon the pair at a dock and arrest them.
8
"Redux"
Adam Arkin
Rachel Wolf
March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
It is revealed that Colin Worley's twin brother Matteo was mistakenly killed instead of him by Turn Lake to cover their tracks after the metro bombing, and Colin assumed his identity before going on the run. Sutherland and Larkin discuss their findings with Arrington and Monks, who reluctantly agree to further investigate due to the potential of a second attack happening. Arrington reveals the day of the bombing she was guarding PIF leader Omar Zadar, who was meeting with someone from the Travers administration. His codename was Osprey. They deduce he was the intended target of the failed bombing. In the Situation Room, President Travers discusses wanting to establish relations with Zadar as an ally for democracy in the Balkans, which Redfield opposes. Redfield discovers Farr and Wick know the kidnapper's identity, they assure him that Worley is being tracked. Farr amends the order to have Ellen kill Maddie also. Maddie secretly discovers a number on metal behind the drywall of her cell, and convinces Worley to record another ransom video to send directly to her father. However, she gives him Arrington's cell number and uses a visual code to covertly convey the information. Sutherland and the Secret Service are able to track her to a shipping container depot. They rescue Maddie, but Worley and Monks are killed by Ellen, who had been trailing the group. Larkin kills Ellen by pushing her off a crane.
The night of the bombing, Redfield summons Farr and reveals he orchestrated the attack with Wick to kill Zadar, due to him believing he is a terrorist and Wick's activities in the Balkans being threatened should he be elected. With Travers administration and legacy threatened should anything be discovered, Farr reluctantly agrees to work with them. Sutherland and Larkin flee the depot before backup arrives, and take shelter with his godfather Jim, a reporter with The Baltimore Sun. Arrington plans to take Maddie to President Travers and Secret Service Director Almora to tell them the truth, but they are diverted to One Observatory Circle instead. Wick, Redfield and Farr discuss a second attack on Zadar, planned for the following day when he arrives stateside. Larkin hacks Ellen's cell, discovering images of files and documents taken inside the Night Action office. They discover Farr took the photos, and forward the evidence to Jim. Larkin, Arrington, Maddie and Sutherland deduce Zadar is meeting the President at Camp David, and Wick likely intends to kill Travers also to elevate Redfield, who can then issue pardons. Farr agrees to help them when she discovers Travers is also under threat, revealing she was not aware of the development as Redfield and Wick have frozen her out.
10
"Fathers"
Millicent Shelton
Seth Fisher
March 23, 2023 (2023-03-23)
Arrington and Maddie fly with Redfield to Camp David on Marine Two. Redfield locks himself and Maddie in a basement panic room, telling her he thinks Travers to be the enemy for cooperating with Zadar. She threatens to tell the truth to the press and he lets her out, believing she will instead be killed in the assassination attempt. Farr uses her position to sneak Sutherland and Larkin into Camp David. She warns Almora of the threat to Travers, but she is shot and Almora killed by Briggs, a rogue Secret Service agent working for Wick. Sutherland and Arrington realize two bombs have been planted. Arrington kills a rogue agent and finds one of the bombs and evacuates Laurel House. She also releases Maddie from the basement and gets her out just before it explodes. Intercepting the rogue agent's comms, Sutherland discovers the second bomb has been planted on Marine One, where the President will be evacuated to. Pursued by US marines and Secret Service, he is able to intercept Travers's detail and prevent her from boarding just before the helicopter explodes. Instead of seeking vengeance, Larkin keeps Farr alive so she can stand trial and die in prison. Redfield is arrested, with Maddie agreeing to testify against him at his trial. Wick flees the country. Travers provides Sutherland with conclusive evidence of his father's guilt, but reveals he was planning on becoming a double agent and was assassinated, not killed in a car accident as was reported. She recruits him to become a full Night Agent in the program. Now in a relationship with Larkin, he later departs Joint Base Andrews on his first mission.
Reception
Audience viewership
According to Netflix, the series had 168.71 million hours of worldwide views over its first four days, the third-highest for a new series.[14] In its second week, it amassed 216.4 million hours of views.[15] In its third week, it gained 130.48 million hours of views, and became the streamer's ninth-most-viewed series, with a total 515.57 million hours viewed.[16] By 25 days, it accrued 605.62 million total hours, emerging as the streamer's sixth-most viewed series.[17]
Between its release and June 2023 the series totaled 812.1 million hours watched, the most of any Netflix original during that span.[18]
Critical response
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating with an average rating of 6.5/10, based on 28 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Bingeable as a beach read and just as forgettable, The Night Agent is a routine spy thriller told with commendable bravado."[19]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20]
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave the show 4 out of 5 stars, writing: "It is propulsive, slicker-than-slick fun, with every hairpin turn perfectly negotiated. There are fine performances—especially from Basso, who is getting two or three notes out of what could easily have been a one-note part."[21] Comparing The Night Agent and Rabbit Hole in the New York Times, Mike Hale writes: "The two new shows are ... cheerfully, maddeningly implausible. Night Agent is on more of a meat-and-potatoes level... but it strings the viewer along in sufficiently teasing fashion to carry hard-core fans of the genre through its 10 episodes."[22]
Accolades
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