The Night Agent Season 2 Faces A Huge Challenge Reacher & Jack Ryan Struggled With (2024)

As The Night Agent gets closer to its season 2 premiere, the Netflix hit will have to face one common problem that other political thrillers have suffered from in the past. In 2023, The Night Agent became something of an overnight hit for Netflix. Over the course of one month, it became the streaming platform's sixth-most-viewed television series ever. Yet, The Night Agent's success does not make it invincible. As The Night Agent season 2 approaches, there is one specific issue the series must overcome. If it does not, all that success may have been for nothing.

The Night Agent is part of a fairly niche genre of political thrillers. In the same vein as Jack Ryan or Reacher, the series follows a government agent who must use his skills, or lack thereof, to uncover a massive political conspiracy that threatens the entire country. In general, these types of shows which showcase a likable action hero in a dangerous political scheme do quite well among audiences. However, there is a recurring issue, proven by both Jack Ryan and Reacher, that The Night Agent is going to have to avoid - and soon.

The Night Agent 2 Might Struggle To Recapture Season 1’s Magic

What Made The Night Agent Season 1 So Good

The biggest hurdle that The Night Agent season 2 must overcome is recreating the magic of the first season. For the most part, every television series has to face this issue, but for The Night Agent, it is a very significant problem. This is because The Night Agent season 1 did so well. After breaking so many records at Netflix, The Night Agent season 2 has big shoes to fill. If it doesn't live up to expectations, some may wonder if the first season was just a fluke. The show has to prove that it deserves its record-breaking status.

The key to reviving The Night Agent's season 1 success is to understand why the show got so big. There are a few theories. First and foremost, The Night Agent is very digestible. Despite being a thriller that relies on politics, which can get complicated, the show's plot remains simple and easy to understand. Yet, at the same time, The Night Agent also manages to be exciting with unexpected twists and turns. Another benefit is the show's newness. Peter Sutherland is a completely new action hero, and this can be appealing. It's unclear whether, given all these factors, the series can retain its fresh feel for a second season.

Jack Ryan & Reacher Also Struggled With Their Second Seasons

Why Jack Ryan & Reacher Season 2 Weren't As Good

The risk of The Night Agent season 2 not living up to expectations is increased by the fact that neither Jack Ryan nor Reacher season 2 recaptured the magic. On Rotten Tomatoes, Jack Ryan season 1 earned a Certified Fresh 75% from critics' and 88% from audiences. The following season, the critics' score lost its Fresh title and went down 5%. The audience score was an equally middling 63%. The same situation happened to Reacher. Reacher season 1 earned a 91% audience score, while season 2 sunk to 78%. Both shows seemingly dropped the ball after season 1.

The big question that remains is where did Jack Ryan and Reacher go so wrong. Reviews of Jack Ryan season 2 claim that the season was good, but a drop-off from season 1. The story wasn't as exciting, was too straightforward, and lacked the charm and wit of the first season. Reacher season 2 saw similar reactions. The overarching refrain for both Jack Ryan and Reacher is that season 2 was simply not as good as season 1. It seems that maybe there isn't a solid reason as to why season 2 fell off, yet this makes it all the more important that The Night Agent is alert to the potential problem.

The Night Agent Season 2 Is Different From Jack Ryan & Reacher In 1 Major Way

How The Night Agent Season 2 Can Succeed

There is definitely still hope for The Night Agent season 2, and a big part of that is the fact that the series does not rely on source material. Where Jack Ryan and Reacher needed to follow storylines written in books, The Night Agent is an original story. Therefore, the political thriller can go in any direction it wants. This could be a serious benefit to the series, especially as it puts out more seasons. The Night Agent season 2 can be better than season 1 by organically finding a path forward rather than being bound to a pre-written story.

Ultimately, this could be the crux of how The Night Agent succeeds where others have failed. In order to do well, The Night Agent season 2 needs to provide a fresh story that raises the stakes but also maintains aspects of the original story, so the magic doesn't fade. All in all, it will be a balancing act for The Night Agent season 2. To avoid Jack Ryan and Reacher's fates, The Night Agent season 2 must toe the line between what is new and what is familiar.

The Night Agent

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The Night Agent is a Netflix original series based on the novel by Matthew Quirk. The show centers on a young entry-level FBI agent named Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) who handles a hotline in the basem*nt of the White House that never rings. When the phone finally does, Peter finds himself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy that climbs all the way to the top.

Cast

Gabriel Basso , Luciane Buchanan , Hong Chau , Sarah Desjardins , Fola Evans-Akingbola , Eve Harlow , Enrique Murciano , Phoenix Raei , DB Woodside

Release Date

March 23, 2023

Seasons

1

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Writers

Corey Deshon , Matthew Quirk

Directors

Adam Arkin , Guy Ferland , Seth Gordon , Ramaa Mosley , Millicent Shelton

Showrunner

Shawn Ryan