Netflix’s 3-Part Action Thriller Is a Perfect Weekend Binge That Makes 'Reacher' Look Soft

In Reacher, retired Military Police Officer Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) gets sucked into a deadly conspiracy after being arrested for a murder he did not commit. In The Night Agent, a 2023 thriller series that just released its third season, the main character, FBI agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso), has been running from false accusations himself when he uncovers a web of lies he could've never predicted.

The series, which released its third season on February 19, 2026, is a must-watch for Reacher fans, not only for its similar plot, but for its heart-thumping action too. Since the Season 3 premiere, the Shawn Ryan-created series has been topping the Netflix streaming charts and is currently in the #4 position worldwide, per FlixPatrol. The series is a riveting roller-coaster ride for viewers, and its sharper Season 3 has kept the show's magic going.

What Is 'The Night Agent' About?

Season 1 of The Night Agent kicked off with Peter as a naive yet dedicated FBI agent who spends most of his night shifts parsing through reports next to an emergency landline that never rings. In Episode 1, however, he gets an unexpected call from Rose (Luciane Buchanan), a tech expert whose aunt and uncle are in danger. Their call leads to Peter taking Rose under his protection, and together they trace a greater conspiracy in the White House that goes all the way up to the Vice President.

By Season 3, Peter is no longer the naive, fresh agent undergoing baptism by fire. Now an experienced Night Agent himself, he has sharpened his instincts and found an inner philosophy that is not reliant on basic survival instincts or emotions. The mission this season feels simple at first: track down FinCEN employee Jay Batra (Suraj Sharma), a man accused of murdering his boss after uncovering sensitive government intel. But when Peter locates Jay in Istanbul, it quickly becomes clear that nothing about this case is simple. What begins as a manhunt spirals into a sprawling investigation involving dark money, political influence, and paid assassins determined to eliminate anyone who gets too close.

'The Night Agent' Flipped the Script With Season 3

While Season 1 of The Night Agent established the series as one of the most-watched TV shows in Netflix's history, the thriller has been reinventing itself ever since. In Season 2, The Night Agent not only gave Peter a new position, but sent him across the globe as it introduced new characters, international threats, and a more tangled political conspiracy. In Season 3, which holds the series' best Rotten Tomatoes score to date at 85%, a new mission unlocks another cast of characters, while shining a light on some Season 1 favorites. "By tightening its storytelling, deepening its characters, and delivering deliberate, hard-hitting action sequences, The Night Agent has officially delivered its strongest season yet," wrote Jen Vestuto in her review of Season 3 for Collider.

Among the biggest changes in Season 3, in addition to the sharper and more focused writing, is the absence of Season 1 main character Rose. Instead of tagging her along for another one of Peter's missions, Rose remains Peter's moral compass while giving space for the rest of the ensemble to shine. Plus, her absence makes way for another unlikely ally to Peter, relentless journalist Isabel De Leon (Genesis Rodriguez). Much like Rose's tech expertise, Isabel's investigative skills become a secret weapon to Peter in his mission, leading them to a conspiracy that turns out to hit much closer to home.

With that said, while Reacher is certainly one of TV's most enticing and gripping action thrillers, The Night Agent is another unmissable show. With non-stop action, shocking revelations and the rare ability to get better season after season, the series has become an all-around home-run for Netflix, for critics reviews and streaming numbers alike.