This January, the highly-awaited second seasons of The Night Agent and The Recruit are being released on Netflix. Both series are American spy thrillers with classic premises: lowly FBI/CIA employees are suddenly thrust into a world of danger, betrayal and action after stumbling into situations far above their pay grades.
These series are new additions to the genre of American spy thrillers, following the classic tradition paved by shows and movies before them. They borrow from predecessors like The Bourne Identity movies, Jack Ryan and Mission Impossible, while updating the technology, humor and soundtracks for the enjoyment of new generations. The Recruit even boasts director Doug Liman, who produced The Bourne Identity, who revolutionized the spy thriller genre through gritty realism. The Night Agent is based on the renowned book of the same name by Matthew Quirk, which presents a fresh take on governmental conspiracy novels. Although the shows may be rife with well-established cliches, they still are enjoyable watches, which may be a factor in their popularity.
The first season of The Night Agent follows FBI agent Peter Sutherland, who after thwarting a metro bombing, is assigned to monitor a secretive telephone line used by a program known as Night Action. One night, the phone rings, and Peter finds Rose Larkin on the other line, a former cybersecurity CEO, who is hiding in her home while her aunt and uncle are murdered by anonymous thugs. Peter and Rose resolve to find the killers, and are thrust into the midst of a plot connected to the DC metro bombing. They ultimately uncover traitors in the highest reaches of the U.S. government.
This season was released on Netflix to great acclaim, and became one of Netflix’s most-watched series to date. Season two is out now, and follows Peter and Rose again.
This new season takes a more international focus, as Peter is now a fully-fledged spy in Night Action and takes on missions abroad. Season Two has similar themes of betrayal and corruption, with Peter spending much of the season’s 10 episodes underground and hiding from the U.S. government.
The Recruit is slightly more Jack-Ryan-esque and comedic in nature. Owen Hendricks, played by Noah Centineo, is a newly-hired CIA lawyer. On his second day on the job, he realizes that a former CIA asset is threatening to release national secrets unless she is freed from prison. Of course, fresh secrets are revealed about the asset and Hendricks is dragged into a complicated international conflict. Season one ended on a cliffhanger, and season two, releasing on January 30th, will hopefully shed some light on what happens to Owen and the asset, Max. The trailer sees Owen team up with a new operative as once again, he is in far over his head.
The release of the second seasons of both series might be coincidental timing, considering the swearing in of a new president just a few days prior, but the popularity of shows such as these in this current political climate is no coincidence.
It is nice to escape into a world that essentially mirrors our own, with political corruption, betrayal and intrigue, but one where problems are always resolved and tied up neatly with a bow. In the Recruit and the Night Agent, our heroes, Owen and Peter, are likeable, funny and charismatic, and despite having little-to-no experience as spies, always manage to come out on top and expose the flawed systems that they are a part of. They embody American ideals, and sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded of the way things are supposed to work.