“The Night Agent,” a new Netflix drama about an FBI agent in the White House, has a strong “24” vibe, while “Rabbit Hole,” a Paramount+ series thriller starring the show’s star, Kiefer Sutherland, doesn’t. It’s one of those strange juxtapositions that comes with the streaming age.
With “The Night Agent,” a complex thriller featuring high-stakes corruption extending deep into the corridors of Washington and a staunch FBI agent who pays for our misdeeds, Netflix may have discovered the code for another “24”-like franchise. With a taut narrative and a deft casting, Matthew Quirk’s novel adaption raises important questions.
This kind of call really starts the story, as Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso from “Hillbilly Elegy”) ends up working at an apparently pointless place in the White House basement, where there is an emergency phone that never rings until it does.
Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan), a software entrepreneur with later-appeared skills, sends out the SOS after being the target of a violent attack and learning that her uncle and aunt are not who they seem when assassins target them.
In a scene out of “The X-Files,” Peter leaps into action to save Rose, but is soon warned not to trust anyone because of the intricate web of lies they have become embroiled in. This includes cautions from Diane Farr, the president’s chief of staff (Hong Chau, recently nominated for an Oscar for “The Whale”), and a side story involving the daughter of the vice president (Sarah Desjardins), a college student who foolishly rebels against her security detail and its devoted lead agent (Fola Evans-Akingbola), one of those failed attempts at independence.
“The Night Agent,” which is executive produced by Shawn Ryan of “The Shield,” is similar to “24” in more ways than one. It features a morally upright protagonist who takes a lot of punishment and is believable, but also a little overwhelmed and human.
The less attention to detail, as with so many of these shows, the better. Nevertheless, it serves as a decent diversion from the main plot for the course of the ten-episode run, with strong chemistry between Basso and Buchanan.
Probably inevitable, there are a few more awkward parts. Her character’s constant snarl doesn’t do Chau any favors, and two assassins who are romantically involved—Phoenix Raei and Eve Harlow—feel as though they just jumped out of a dark parody of Rocky & Bullwinkle.
However, the show teases the plot in a manner that a film cannot, and may offer Netflix’s own take on the kind of spy material that has long been a TV mainstay, from Jack Bauer to Jack Ryan.
Netflix caters to a variety of consumer segments, although this is more akin to the traditional platforms’ success with meat-and-potatoes content. “The Night Agent” is a worthwhile addition to the menu, even though it might not be Emmy-bait.
Speaking of “24,” Kiefer Sutherland is back in “Rabbit Hole,” which is a terrible moniker for a show that devolves into a mystery that doesn’t feel unique enough to be worth exploring, at least not right away.
Sutherland portrays John Weir, a corporate espionage specialist who gets caught up in a murky plot and has to go on the run to try to clear his name after being set up for murder.
The show is infused with a paranoid thriller reminiscent of “Three Days of the Condor” from the 1970s, even down to the character Meta Golding, who becomes involved in the plot after a one-night fling with Weir. Later episodes feature Charles Dance from “Game of Thrones” as well, but by then, “Rabbit Hole” is already so confused that it’s hardly worth the trouble to attempt to figure things out.
From Kevin Costner to Sylvester Stallone, experienced star power has anchored Paramount+’s lineup. Sutherland contributes a lot of equity to this genre, particularly with his most recent role in “Designated Survivor.”
Nevertheless, “Rabbit Hole” feels like one of those marketable blends of skill and concept that, when it comes to execution, looks to be going nowhere fast midway through its eight-episode season.
