The Night Agent

I can't remember the last time a show surprised me by how much I liked it like The Night Agent did. I didn't know much about it but saw it was the #1 show on Netflix for a while and thought the trailer looked pretty good too. Then after reading the mostly positive reviews from both critics and audiences alike I was sold. It not only met my expectations but surpassed them in every way. It may get slow in some parts but for the most part it's very entertaining. It has a cast of mostly unknowns but Gabriel Basso is definitely the break out star here. His performance in this will definitely lead to more starring roles. I'm so glad this has already been renewed for another season.

The thing that made season 1 good was that the story and the action kept the story moving along. It was intriguing, interesting and compelling. I watched the first season in 2 or 3 days and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Season 2 is the exact opposite. Lots of pointless dialogue that doesn't move the story along. Lots of repeated conversations. Too many characters that have no purpose. Lots of talking. Little action. I am 4 episodes in and feel like I am now trying to get through this. Forcing myself to stick with it. Pretty much everything that made the first season good is missing in the second season.

Absolutely loved the first series, the characters all made sense, their actions were believable and everything just slotted in to place nicely, whilst constantly keeping the viewer guessing.

I was so excited for the second series but almost stopped watching it part way through due to my utter frustration revolving around Rose's character.

The level of madness surrounding both her perceived entitlement to top secret / classified information and Operations is staggering, almost as infuriating as the level to which people in certain positions pander to her.

Either sign her up, or pack her bags.

But the character's level of whine has pretty much put me in the position of now completely losing interest in a third season (unless they decide to remove the character....)

This is a fast moving and fun action series that keeps you engaged. To enjoy it, you cannot be too analytical or expect any logic to how the events unfold. Suffice it to say that events happen only to suit the narrative and keep the action moving along at a rapid pace. Some events lack context, while others seem to be included solely to pad the script and stretch out the time to get it to the required number of episodes. The fight sequences seem to be very "Kung Fu" styled, complete with sound effects. From how the first season ends, it's clear that they are hoping to have continuing adventures for a second season. The lead character seems to be a hybrid version of Jack Reacher, 007 and Superman rolled into one!

Season 2: This is pure and unmitigated rubbish. It can only garner a 4/10 rating as it makes no sense at all. None of the events bear any relationship to the real world of espionage, but instead is more like a parody or comedic version of that world. Who gives a civilian so much say in a CIA operation? The type of decisions made as the plot unfolds indicate that the writers have no clue how government agencies like the CIA or the FBI operate. The fact that there is to be a season 3, change the writers if the show is to be successful!

It's a watchable series, but you'll have to forget everything you know about...

• Security and safety, video surveillance, etc
• Guns and handling them
• Any rational decision making
• How police and military works
• How agents and other highly trained people operate work, move, and secure areas
• Etc

And I'm not talking about you being an expert on these things, just that you understand even some basics or have seen any other series where actual, trained people have participated in advising how to write the scene or how the actor needs to move in a particular area (hint: not in the middle of the street if you want to hide).

Simply put, you'll have to think like an under-10-year-old kid.

I liked the actors, though, hence 4/10 instead of 2-3/10.