Ben’s Breakdown | “The Night Agent” Three Episode Thoughts
An FBI agent, whose father was apparently a disgraced agent, saves a train full of passengers from a terrorist bomb. A woman just fired as CEO of her own cybersecurity company is on the run after learning her aunt and uncle weren’t who she thought they were. The daughter of the Vice-President is somehow a target by individuals with mysterious motives. These seemingly separate stories are threads that make up the new political thriller series on Netflix titled The Night Agent.
The series quite literally starts with a bang, or rather, a boom, as FBI agent Peter Sutherland witnesses a questionable character deposit a backpack underneath a seat on a subway train. After rescuing almost all of the passengers, his life takes a bizarre turn, both personally and professionally. The White House recruits him to man a phone. It’s described to him as a highly classified assignment, but to him, it’s nothing more than a demotion. He’s also the subject of accusations from Internet news rags that he was the one who planted the bomb and that he’s just as much of a traitor as his father.
While all that is happening, a woman named Rose Larkin, who is staying with her aunt and uncle until she can get back on her feet, learns that they’re being hunted and is given instructions to call a specific phone number and identify herself as “Night Agent.” Who answered that phone? Agent Peter Sutherland. Then there is the mystery of the Vice-President (who apparently keeps some unsavory company) and his daughter. These are the storylines in play during the first three episodes of this thrilling series. The details look pretty good in terms of accuracy. Then again, I’m not involved in the Secret Service or the FBI, so maybe this comes off as pure nonsense. However, as far as I’m concerned, the first three episodes had me sitting on the edge of my seat, holding my breath, and scratching my head as I tried to put together the clues being presented in each of the first three episodes.
The cast for The Night Agent is made up of some strong working actors, starting with Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland. Basso has a good working background, going back to 2011’s Super 8. Most of the episode has him written almost as a one-note character. This is not Basso’s fault, as he has one good moment of exposition in the third episode. The fact is, Basso is written pretty straight. He almost has a Boy Scout-type character. However, his acting does show that Sutherland has some strong instincts as an agent. It’s never stated in the series, and Basso gives just the right subtle signs indicating that he’s a far better agent than anyone in the White House or the FBI has given him credit for.
Luciane Buchanan, as Rose Larkin, is one of the more “explosive” characters in the series. This is expected because her character is also on the run from the same people who were after her aunt and uncle. One might think that her acting is too much over the top. However, given what Rose did go through, who is to say that her reactions aren’t justified? Regardless, Buchanan does an admirable job of being both terrified for her life and highly motivated to uncover the truth about what her aunt and uncle were doing.
There are other secondary characters, including Phoenix Raei and Eve Harlow, as the two people trying to eliminate Rose and Agent Sutherland. Then there are two characters who almost serve as the angel and devil on Sutherland’s shoulders. On the one hand, there is the President’s Chief of Staff, Diane Farr, played by Hong Chau, and the Assistant Director to the FBI, named Hawkins, played by the scene-stealing Robert Patrick (everyone’s favorite T-1000 from Terminator 2). With Sutherland having to report to both Diane Farr and Director Hawkins, it sets those two characters almost in an adversarial relationship, and both Chau and Patrick play it beautifully. The relationship between those two characters adds plenty of subtexts that make the viewers wonder if they’re both loyal and upstanding or corrupt and working against the Federal Government.
The first two episodes were about placing the various pieces on the playing board while keeping the action going at a breakneck speed. It wasn’t until episode 3 that a few breadcrumbs were finally given that helped the viewer, along with Agent Sutherland and Rose, to start putting some crucial pieces together.
The series, thus far, has been highly engaging. The Night Agent, which saw its entire first season of ten episodes drop this past March 23rd, is based on the novel by Matthew Quirk. Having not read it, I cannot say if this adaptation is faithful to the book, if it is only a part of the book, or if there are more volumes of books that make up a larger story. What I can say is that it has been so very thrilling, with clues and new mysteries being dropped that have kept me glued. After watching only three episodes, I want to watch the remaining episodes of this season!!!
Official Website: Watch The Night Agent | Netflix Official Site
Twitter: @TheNightAgen
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The Night Agent
Genre: Action/Drama/Thriller
Low-level FBI agent, Peter Sutherland, works in the basement of the White House manning a phone that never rings–until the night it does–propelling him into a conspiracy that leads all the way to the Oval Office.
All 10 episodes of the first season of THE NIGHT AGENT can be streamed on Netflix.
ONE-LINER: Heroes Aren’t Born. They Answer the Call.
