The Night Agent Owes Everything to 24

Netflix released Season 3 of The Night Agent on Feb. 19, and many viewers find it the series’ strongest chapter yet. The season opens with a literal bang: Flight Pima 12 is shot down over Venezuela, Pentagon employees are exposed selling submarine schematics, and a FinCEN analyst faces accusations of stealing intel and killing his supervisor.

Those climactic beats feel intensely addictive and point directly to a familiar touchstone: the action thriller 24. Created by Shawn Ryan, The Night Agent follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland as he works for Night Action, a top-secret, off-the-books unit run by the FBI and the White House to uncover conspiracies threatening national stability.

The series is loosely based on Matthew Quirk’s novel. 24, one of the high points of Kiefer Sutherland’s career, tracked CTU agent Jack Bauer as he dismantled terrorist threats in real time, using split screens and a ticking digital clock, and earned 68 Emmy nominations during its run.

Venezuela

night agent, season 3, netflix, flight pima, venezuela, pentagon, submarine schematics, fincen, peter sutherland, shawn ryan