Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The Night Agent, which transforms a simple phone call into Netflix’s most addictive political thriller, delivering edge-of-your-seat conspiracy action that proves sometimes the biggest secrets are hidden in plain sight.
The Night Agent premiered on Netflix on March 23, 2023, with season one featuring 10 episodes with approximately 50-minute runtime each. Season two premiered on January 23, 2025, also with 10 episodes. Based on Matthew Quirk’s novel and created by Shawn Ryan, this action thriller stars Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent monitoring an emergency phone line who gets pulled into a deadly conspiracy that reaches the highest levels of government.
The Night Agent isn’t just another government conspiracy show. It’s a masterfully paced thriller that combines old-school espionage tension with contemporary political paranoia, creating a series that feels both familiar and completely fresh. The show succeeds by grounding its high-concept premise in relatable characters and genuine emotional stakes, making viewers care about the people caught in the conspiracy as much as the mystery itself.
When the Phone Finally Rings: Conspiracy at the Highest Levels
The Night Agent follows Peter Sutherland, a low-level FBI agent working the night shift in the White House basement, monitoring a phone line that never rings until the night it does. The call plunges him into a deadly conspiracy involving a mole at the White House, forcing him to protect cybersecurity expert Rose Larkin while uncovering a web of corruption that threatens national security.
The series excels at building tension through seemingly mundane details, showing how government bureaucracy can both hide and reveal dangerous secrets. Each episode escalates the stakes while maintaining the intimate focus on Peter and Rose’s growing partnership. The conspiracy unfolds with careful pacing that reveals new layers of deception without overwhelming viewers with unnecessary complexity, creating a thriller that’s both intelligent and accessible.
Peter Sutherland: Gabriel Basso’s Everyman Hero
Gabriel Basso delivers a compelling performance as Peter Sutherland, creating a protagonist who feels genuinely heroic without falling into superhuman action hero tropes. Basso brings earnest intensity to the role, showing a dedicated agent whose moral compass drives him to do what’s right regardless of personal cost. His performance grounds the series’ more outlandish elements in authentic human emotion.
Peter’s character represents the series’ faith in institutional idealism, as someone who believes government can work for good even when confronted with overwhelming corruption. Basso shows Peter’s evolution from bureaucratic functionary to active agent, demonstrating how ordinary people can rise to extraordinary circumstances when driven by genuine conviction. His chemistry with co-star Luciane Buchanan provides the emotional anchor that keeps viewers invested in the escalating conspiracy.
Rose Larkin: Luciane Buchanan’s Resourceful Survivor
Luciane Buchanan portrays Rose Larkin, a cybersecurity expert whose aunt and uncle are murdered because of their connection to the conspiracy. Buchanan brings intelligence and vulnerability to the role, creating a character who’s neither helpless victim nor unrealistic action hero. Her performance balances Rose’s technical expertise with genuine fear and determination as she fights for survival.
Rose’s character provides crucial perspective on how government conspiracies affect ordinary citizens who get caught in the crossfire. Buchanan shows Rose’s growing partnership with Peter while maintaining her independent agency, creating a relationship dynamic that avoids typical romance clichés in favor of genuine mutual respect and shared purpose. Her character’s arc demonstrates how civilian experts can be just as valuable as trained agents in high-stakes situations.
Season Two Escalation: Chemical Weapons and Global Threats
Season two expands the scope significantly as Peter, now a disgraced Night Agent, works to prevent the use of K.X chemical weapons while navigating internal threats within the intelligence community itself. The second season explores themes of institutional corruption and the price of loyalty while maintaining the breakneck pacing that made the first season so addictive.
The latest episodes demonstrate the series’ ability to evolve beyond its original premise while maintaining the character dynamics that made it successful. Without spoiling specifics, season two raises questions about whether the systems Peter believes in can actually be reformed or if they’re too corrupt to save. The escalating stakes test every character’s loyalties while introducing new threats that feel both contemporary and timeless.
The Shadow Government Network
The Night Agent features excellent supporting performances from Hong Chau as White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr, Fola Evans-Akingbola as FBI Agent Chelsea Arrington, and Eve Harlow as assassin Ellen. Each supporting character represents different aspects of how power operates in Washington, from legitimate authority to shadow networks to independent operators working their own agendas.
The series particularly excels at showing how government conspiracies require widespread complicity across multiple agencies and levels of authority. Every supporting character must choose between institutional loyalty and personal ethics, creating moral complexity that avoids simple good-versus-evil dynamics. The supporting cast helps create an authentic sense of how Washington actually operates beneath its public facade.
Success on Netflix
The Night Agent achieved unprecedented success on Netflix, becoming the third-most-viewed debuting series in its first four days and earning renewal within a week of its premiere. Within a month, it became Netflix’s sixth-most-viewed series of all time with 98.2 million views in its first 91 days. Season two debuted at number one on Netflix’s Top 10 with 13.9 million views, demonstrating the series’ sustained popularity and proving that audiences hunger for well-crafted political thrillers.
Why This Political Thriller Demands Your Attention
If you love fast-paced conspiracy thrillers that combine political intrigue with genuine character development, The Night Agent is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. This isn’t just mindless action entertainment; it’s a sophisticated thriller that respects both its characters and its audience while delivering the kind of edge-of-your-seat tension that makes episodes fly by.
Why This Series Redefines Political Television
The Night Agent succeeds because it understands that the best conspiracy thrillers are ultimately about people trying to do the right thing in impossible circumstances. By focusing on character relationships and moral choices rather than just plot mechanics, the series creates television that’s both entertaining and emotionally satisfying. It’s smart, exciting, and absolutely essential viewing for anyone who appreciates well-crafted thriller television.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 20 episodes across 2 seasons (10 episodes each, Season 3 in production)
Platform: Netflix
Release Year: 2023-2025 (ongoing)
Current IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Genre: Political Thriller/Action Drama
Status: Currently airing, renewed for Season 3
Protagonists: Gabriel Basso (Peter Sutherland), Luciane Buchanan (Rose Larkin)
Antagonist: Government corruption and shadow networks within the intelligence community