'The Night Agent' Season 3 is the End of an Era For Netflix's Action Thriller Actorsvaultpro

The Night Agent season 3 marks the end of an era for the TV series and the beginning of a new one. Netflix’s action thriller is based on Matthew Quirk’s novel of the same name, and its first season became a massive hit upon release for the streamer. This is one of the most-viewed Netflix series of all time, serving as the streamer’s counter to Amazon Prime’s Reacher or Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Given the hype surrounding season 1, The Night Agent could be a show to last years, but season 2’s decreased reviews have raised questions about its potential for longevity.

Whether it be due to the absence of Matthew Quirk’s source material or just general issues with season 2’s plot, The Night Agent’s sophomore slump resulted in an abysmal 38% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics honing in on the show’s redundancy. Luciane Buchanan, the talented actress behind the show’s co-lead, Rose Larkin, was a central target of fan criticism. While the actress has proven to be an outstanding performer with her role on Chief of War, it’s not unfair to say the Rose character suffered in season 2’s writing.

‘The Night Agent’ Season 3 Has Written Off Rose Larkin

Netflix

Given the critical response to Rose’s arc in season 2, it makes sense that The Night Agent would want to move in a different direction with her character. She consistently felt out of place as an ex-Tech CEO who constantly found herself involved in high-stakes situations, such as the infiltration of the Iranian embassy despite having zero espionage training. Great TV shows have placed unqualified individuals in serious situations before, but much of the problem with Rose was that she constantly swung back and forth between being angered about being in danger and complaining about being excluded.

It’s evident that The Night Agent’s writers had no idea what to do with the character after season 1, but was the solution to write her off entirely? Absolutely not. Rose may have been misused in season 2, but she was instrumental in what made the first season so successful. Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland works due to the actor’s charm, not because he’s a particularly complex character. That charm was amplified by the presence of his co-star, who helped form captivating romantic tension.

The Night Agent season 1 saw two characters facing near-death circumstances, all the while dealing with grief and mysteries surrounding their family members. What ensued was a fluid, will-they-won’t-they excursion that added emotional depth to the plot. The stakes of The Night Agent season 1 worked well because it was easy to buy into Peter and Rose’s dynamic. Rather than try to make it work with smart writing and practical reasoning, the series has given up one of its main characters.

The Night Agent season 3 will return in 2026, and it’s going to feel like a different show. This is no longer the story of two unlikely lovebirds on the run; it’s just another action thriller with minimal differences to a Lee Child or a James Patterson novel. Netflix’s show can turn its reviews around, but it sacrificed a crucial component of its identity by giving up on the female co-lead. Hopefully, we’ll see Rose return for season 4.