Gabriel Basso has come a long way from his breakout role in J.J. Abrams’ Super 8. The former child actor has steadily built a career playing young men thrust into impossible situations, from The Kings of Summer to Hillbilly Elegy to his star-making turn as Peter Sutherland in The Night Agent. In Season 3, streaming now on Netflix, Basso returns as the low-level FBI agent who keeps getting promoted into increasingly dangerous circumstances, and the actor brings a harder edge to a character who has been through too much to remain innocent.
Creator Shawn Ryan, who knows a thing or two about morally compromised protagonists from The Shield, has crafted a season that takes Peter Sutherland across Istanbul, Mexico City, Washington, New York, and the Dominican Republic. The mission starts simple enough: track down a young Treasury agent who fled to Istanbul with sensitive government intel after killing his boss. But as Ryan teases, “What begins as a high-stakes manhunt quickly spirals into something far more dangerous.” By now, Peter should know that nothing in his life stays simple for long.
Basso’s performance in Season 3 reflects Peter’s evolution from reluctant hero to hardened operative. “He’s definitely flawed. He doesn’t always make the right decision,” Ryan notes. “Peter desperately wants to do the right thing, wants the best for the most people, but the line of work he’s in demands that you don’t always get to choose between right and wrong—sometimes you have to choose between wrong and bigger wrong.” This moral complexity is what separates The Night Agent from standard action thrillers, and Basso navigates it with increasing confidence.
The season finds Peter grappling with guilt over his actions in Season 2, desperate to bring the mysterious broker Jacob Monroe (Louis Herthum) to justice. But this pursuit comes at a steep price. As losses pile up, Peter wonders if he can ever fully atone for his previous deeds or if he’ll have to do more harm in his pursuit of ultimate good. It’s the kind of character arc that requires an actor capable of suggesting internal struggle without excessive dialogue, and Basso delivers.
The expanded cast includes new faces and returning favorites. Fola Evans-Akingbola is back as Agent Chelsea Arrington, now Head of Security for the First Family after her Season 1 heroics. Ward Horton plays President Richard Hagan, a charismatic leader who must choose “between being seen as a great president or a good man.” Newcomers include Sunita Mani as Priya, Jack’s quirky new partner at the sheriff’s office, and various international players who complicate Peter’s mission.
What makes Season 3 particularly compelling is how it expands the show’s scope while maintaining its core appeal. The Night Agent has always been about institutional corruption and personal sacrifice; this season simply adds more stamps to Peter’s passport. Basso has grown into the role, his physical presence more commanding, his emotional range more nuanced. He’s no longer the kid from Super 8—he’s a leading man carrying a global thriller.
Ryan promises an “adrenaline-fueled thrill ride,” and the early episodes deliver. But the show’s secret weapon remains Basso’s ability to make Peter’s impossible choices feel grounded and human. When he stares down another moral abyss, you believe he’s actually considering jumping in. That’s star power, and The Night Agent is smart enough to build its entire franchise around it.
Stream The Night Agent Season 3 now on Netflix and watch Gabriel Basso take Peter Sutherland to new heights of international intrigue.