The Night Agent is based on the novel of the same name by Matthew Quirk<\/a>, and follows Basso\u2019s Peter Sutherland, a low level FBI agent who works in the basement of the White House manning a phone line that never rings. However, when it does he\u2019s thrown into action, looking to untangle the web surrounding a dangerous conspiracy.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s important to note that The Night Agent is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a bad series. It tells a simple but engaging story, the action beats are well devised and propulsive and the performances are well-pitched. Basso in particular is magnetic in this role, making a fairly two dimensional character believable and likeable.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just one of the most wholly generic series we\u2019ve seen in a while, and indicative of the content model a number of the streamers seem to be striving for these days.<\/p>\n There\u2019s good reason for this. After all, The Night Agent acts as a perfect binge watch, with each episode rolling into the next handily. You don\u2019t need to pay close attention \u2013 even if you get lost in the plot at some points, one of the characters will spell everything out for you in a subsequent scene, making sure everyone\u2019s still on board.<\/p>\n The intelligence agent gone rogue to deliver justice isn\u2019t just a trope by now; it\u2019s a whole subgenre. And some series and films manage to make this distinct.<\/p>\n Just look at Apple TV+<\/a> series Slow Horses<\/a>, which is marked out by its dry wit and a grimy aesthetic. Even where it\u2019s spy plots are sometimes familiar, the excellent character work and inimitable tone make it feel one-of-a-kind.<\/p>\n Here, everything is polished. The look of the drama is the go-to style for a mid-tier streaming series, with lots of helicopter shots of Washington, secretive phone calls made from diners and indistinguishable hallways. It looks perfectly fine \u2013 just generic.<\/p>\n The humour consists of a couple of light and breezy quips, but for the most part everything is treated with an unnecessary gravity. The introduction of two assassins who are also lovers could easily have introduced some dark comedy to the proceedings, but that isn\u2019t the series this wants to be.<\/p>\n Even Chau, who in countless projects has so far proven herself to be a phenomenal performer and a truly individual screen presence, is here seen in a by the numbers role as the White House\u2019s chief of staff, who acts as Peter\u2019s boss and confidant.<\/p>\n Can she be trusted? Maybe, maybe not. In the end neither would come as a shock because again, we\u2019ve seen this before, where twist is piled upon twist and everyone the protagonist trusts is in doubt.<\/p>\n Some of these tropes of course have to play out \u2013 they\u2019re what make a political thriller what it is. It just feels like The Night Agent could have used a little more innovation to make it stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n The truth is that in recent years the thriller, and in particular the political thriller, has oftentimes become one of least thrilling genres around, because we know all the beats already. This series is comfort viewing, plain and simple, keeping you far back in your seat rather than being on the edge of it, just letting the episodes play out.<\/p> If you haven\u2019t seen this sort of narrative in a while and you\u2019re looking for an easy watch, then I\u2019d absolutely advise you to dive into The Night Agent. It plays the beats well with an impressive cast, and there are plenty of options out there right now where that is not the case.<\/p>\n But if you asked me to tell you about a series where a low-level agent goes rogue from an organisation he can\u2019t trust in order to get to the heart of a conspiracy, I\u2019d be hard pressed to whittle it down to 10 options, let alone pick out this show.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why a fresh take on the material is key, and unfortunately, The Night Agent doesn\u2019t have one.<\/p> ![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2023\/03\/TNA110UNIT02357RC-1-14ee7ab.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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