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.

Unfortunately the momentum of the original show was lost on season 2. Poorly written female roles really made this tough to watch. Actors had little to no depth.

The logic and trade craft for supposed operators is highly questionable in the second season. Always going into situations that can be avoided or dealt with more professionally.

The cast is very talented but they were limited here by the script. Wish it wasn't so but I definitely found myself doing secondary tasks while watching. Didn't keep me glued to it like season one. I say watch them both and you be the judge as I would any show.

Season 1 was enjoyable enough. Season 2, however, descends into stupidity, particularly after episode 7. It's plagued by poor, often immoral decisions, inconsistent character development, illogical plans, and a distinct lack of realism and plausibility. The characters' actions often feel amateurish, even childish at times. The acting is uneven, with some particularly weak performances (notably Rose, Chelsea, and Dr. Wilfred). Furthermore, the dialogue frequently comes across as pretentious, often eliciting laughter or annoyance rather than the intended effect.

While the season does offer some well-executed action sequences and a few surprising plot twists, and a few times evokes the feel of Homeland, as the season progressed my only desire was for it to end.

Season 1: 8/10 Season 2: 4/10.

My overall rating of Night Agent is a 6.5 rounded up to a 7, because I really did like the first season.

Basic premise, an unlucky government employee is given a 2nd chance with a secret organization that is supposed to keep him out of trouble, but... Surprise! He gets wrapped up into a complex international conspiracy with surprisingly ambitious aims.

I think the reason the first season was so much fun was the borderline preposterous story that somehow maintains a thread of believability throughout. Really, though, it's probably the characters that do most the heavy lifting - Night Agent is one of those rare shows that develops every major character, including the bad guys. So when bullets fly and people go down, the viewer feels the consequences, even if the good guys win.

First season did a good job of all of this stuff, so I was looking forward to season 2. While season 2 isn't a complete train wreck, it is worse than the 1st season in all important ways. It's probably ok the story is less ambitious and more personal, but! Season 2 is painfully slow to get going with little meaningful introduction, And! The characters for the first 4 episodes are way less developed and interesting than season one. That is unfortunate - many of the bad characters in season one had unique personalities, and made for quirky scenes. The characters in season 2 are simply not as entertaining to follow, and this is nothing personal regarding character and casting - I'm really blaming the writers and dialog that is serviceable at best.

I don't know, but I'd guess season 2 is just a rushed product compared to season 1, and maybe the budget got slashed. There does seem to be less action scenes and special effects. The further season 2 goes, the better it gets, but it really never reaches the level of the first season, that was only good in the first place.

I gather a third season is being made - I'd hope the writing is more considered, and the characters get back to being more entertaining. Probably could use a boost in budget with more action scenes too.

Edit: Second season fully earns 6/10 demotion for lack of inspiration, fewer action sets, and poor work in the details. Whether it's a poor fitting shirt, unkept hair, average makeup or props (like food) that don't fit context of scene, there's a consistent slipshod nature to 2nd season details. That being said, many good trademarks of the 1st season are maintained, but never feels as entertaining. I still recommend watching for fans of season one because it does continue Peter and Rose's journey.

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....)