Reel Review: The Newest Mission In The Night Agent Strays Too Far

Night Action Season 1 was an intense thrill ride, packed with fun twists and turns. The finale left endless possibilities—Peter, now on the other side of the phone as a Night Agent, heads to his latest assignment, while Rose is ready to restart her life and get back on track with her own company. But what’s next for these two? Well, the series returns two years later, throwing us into a rush of unexpected changes.

Ten months after the events of Season 1, Peter (Gabriel Basso) is in Thailand, training with his partner Annie—though fans shouldn’t mistake her for a new love interest. However, he does casually drop a bomb, slyly stating he’s “single.” The two are on the hunt for someone who leaked government secrets, but things take a turn when their cover is blown, and Annie is taken out.

Brittany Snow is intriguing as Annie, making it a total disservice to fans that we only get one flashback of her and Peter working together. She’s around just long enough to make a strong impression before her death sparks the latest Night Action conspiracy. Peter, now paranoid and convinced that someone on the inside—specifically his new boss—set him up, goes AWOL.

Don’t fret—Luciane Buchanan returns as Rose, and she and Peter are just as hopelessly drawn to each other as ever. It’s Rose who pulls him out of his head to work the problem. Their connection remains one of the pillars of the show, but this season, the will-they-won’t-they aspect of their romance wasn’t as effective. When Rose gets a call that Peter may be in danger, she immediately sets out to find him. Despite Catherine, Peter’s boss, warning her to stay out of it, Rose—being the notorious rule-avoider she is—doesn’t listen. She tracks Peter down, and the two are instantly thrown into the action.

However, both are still dealing with the trauma of ten months ago, making it difficult to fully open up to each other—or even to themselves. Peter jumped right back into work after his promotion from the president, putting himself in direct danger before fully processing how his past may affect his future. His instincts and passion for the job are his strengths, but they’re also working against him. This is a Peter we haven’t seen before—lost, frantic, and irrational. Rose might be the one person he trusts, but this time, his love for her is more of a hindrance than a motivator. Rose, on the other hand, is stuck—unable to move forward in any aspect of her life, from her career, where she’s not asserting herself, to her relationship with Peter, where she more emotionally closed off. Throughout the season, she struggles with whether to stay or leave. Every time she walks away, she turns back around. Is she scared of the external threats, or of her own risk-taking nature?

The challenge with a show like this is that a strong protagonist needs an equally strong supporting cast, and that’s where this season falters. The actors don’t feel as collectively strong as before.

New to this season is Catherine (Amanda Warren), Peter’s handler, whose history with Sutherland Sr. and Peter’s recent betrayal by Farr makes trust difficult for them both. There’s also Noor (Arienne Mandi), an Iranian CIA asset helping Peter track down stolen American intelligence, and Sami (Marwan Kenzari), an ex-soldier and impressive Night Agent. Sami, in particular, is a standout, bringing a sense of personal mystery into the show.

Night Action focuses heavily on its plot-driven mystery, but it never aims to make things more realistic than thrilling. That choice didn’t work in the show’s favor this season, as the Iran storyline pushed the series toward a more sophisticated and potentially nuanced direction that it wasn’t fully prepared to handle.

Unfortunately, this season drags in parts, with more lows than highs—especially early on—lacking the excitement of the first season. The villains aren’t particularly creative or intimidating. Tactical? Maybe. But at no point does the threat Peter or Rose face feel life-threatening. I fear the show may have leaned too far into its social commentary, losing some of the suspense that made Season 1 so engaging.

Still, Peter doesn’t disappoint. He’s on a defining journey—he hasn’t quite figured out who he’s going to be, but by the end of the season, it’s clear he’s about to find out exactly what he’s capable of.

Season 2 of The Night Agent is available on Netflix now.