The Zookeeper – As the third episode of The Night Agent begins, Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) is introduced to Diane Farr (Hong Chau) one year earlier. Peter points out that she said there was a job she wanted to talk to him about. She tells him about night action which is a top-secret investigative program within the FBI. It isn’t her business to know what they investigate although it always involves matters of national security. Diane wants Peter to answer the phone for the night agents. She explains that it is a dual role so he’ll answer to her and Deputy Director Jamie Hawkins. Agents who work the phone get their pick of the assignments afterwards.

Diane welcomes him to the White House. In the present, Peter tells Diane that they’ll be at the White House in an hour. After the call, Peter can’t wrap his head around the idea that Hawkins would turn. Rose (Luciane Buchanan) isn’t happy that he told Diane they would be coming into the White House. She isn’t stepping foot into the White House and turning over the hard drive. Peter believes they have the equipment needed, but Rose suggests they could be handing over key evidence to the killers. They discuss whether Hawkins was straight or dirty. Rose says her entire point is that they don’t know who is involved. Peter reminds her that this is way above his level because he is a nobody at the White House.

He argues they need someone with actual power and resources to protect them. Peter would bet his and her lives on Diane Farr. He says he has been kept down because of something his dad was suspected of doing. Farr was the only one who never held it against him. Rose asks what happens if he is wrong. Peter calls Farr to tell her that Rose is jumpy after everything that has happened. She can’t tell him anything about Hawkins although it’ll be the biggest investigation since JFK. Peter says Rose needs some sleep so they agree to meet in the morning. After the call, Rose says she knows where they can stash a car overnight.

Peter tells her they have until 10 AM tomorrow. They agree to go camping. FBI Director Willett (Hiro Kanagawa) and the others discuss the murder of Hawkins. President Travers (Kari Matchett) wants to know when she should share her condolences. In private, Diane talks to the President about Peter and Rose. Travers says it doesn’t feel like she has control of the situation. Diane admits Michelle isn’t making her job easy. She goes on to say she is in the dark here because she doesn’t know why Hawkins would’ve pulled Rose’s detail. President Travers is asked what she was using Emma and Henry to find out. Michelle agrees to tell her. In the morning, Peter tells Rose that he called Diane on her personal phone so she could’ve traced it and sent someone.

Before they can go, they hear a woman screaming for help and claiming she fell on the trail. They see a man with a gun going around the back before Rose confirms it is him. As they break into the cabin, Peter and Rose flee. Once they make it to their vehicle, Rose says they got their answer. Peter asks Rose to swap out the SIM on his phone. When the assassins drive by, Peter manages to get their license plate. Peter and Rose argue whether Diane is a traitor. Rose thanks him for protecting her and says they should just get out of there. Ben asks Diane where Peter and Rose are. Diane asks Ben (Enrique Murciano) how Rose’s detail got pulled without him knowing. He didn’t know Hawkins had pulled them until after the fact so he is trying to make it right now.

Diane says they were supposed to be there, but they haven’t shown up. Ben is told that Agent Arrington has returned his call. Ben talks to Chelsea Arrington (Fola Evans-Akingbola) and says he is sending Erik Monks (DB Woodside) as a replacement. He thinks Monks is a good choice for the detail of the VP’s daughter. Chelsea introduces Erik to Maddie Redfield (Sarah Desjardins) moments later. Maddie learns about Monks being shot when he saved the President. She says she is going to a bar tonight and takes her panic button before leaving. Erik tells Chelsea that this is their way of easing him back into work. Peter calls Cisco to get him to run a BOLO on the Ford Bronco.

After the call, Rose and Peter talk about Diane. They discuss the possibility of having the hard drive. Rose is now considering giving Farr the drive. The assassins hang out in a motel room. Ellen thinks they deserve a home. Rose tells Peter that they need NSA-level stuff. She tells him about shoplifting. Peter is concerned though because he is finished if they get caught. They agree to come up with a meet-up spot in case they get separated. Peter tells her where to meet him and to make sure she isn’t being followed. Before they split up, Rose tells Peter she is glad he picked up her call. Peter takes the hard drive to Diane and says Rose ditched him when he was washing up at a gas station.

They begin decrypting the hard drive. It’ll take several hours. Diane tells Peter to get some sleep since Almora got Rose’s description out to the metro area. Peter wants to be by the phone since Rose could call him again. The professor talks to Maddie and suggests she isn’t showing herself yet, but she claims not to be hiding anything. He reminds her that this is art and activism so they need to confront themselves first. Ellen takes her partner to see their new home in a desirable neighborhood. She’d like to try being normal people to see what it is like. He claims the people in these houses are not happy and only pretend to be. She thinks they could be happy there though. He agrees to buy the house and try it.

Rose goes to a café to work on the hard drive. Peter goes to his office. Chelsea and Erik watch Maddie at the bar. Maddie approaches a boy at the bar who calls her father a fascist. Erik quickly takes him down. They rush Maddie out of the bar. Chelsea blames Erik for letting that guy get his hands on Maddie. She warns him that she’ll have to report it. Rose calls Peter who tells Diane that she wants to talk to her. While Diane talks to her, Peter manages to steal her pass. Peter goes to Diane’s computer and tries to get the data as instructed by Rose. Diane tries to answer Rose’s questions. The files are transferred. Rose gets concerned when two cops enter the restaurant.

Rose ends the call and tells Peter using text. Diane begins looking for Peter who tries to escape without being spotted. He goes back to his office and runs into Diane who wants in to get her badge. He manages to hide it without her noticing. Diane says it sounded like a diner where Rose was. Rose manages to get rid of the evidence on Diane’s computer before she returns. When Rose leaves, the cop follows her out to give her the charger she left. Diane finds the adapter that Peter forgot to remove. She goes to him and tells him that the hard drive is blank. Diane accuses him of doing it and shows him what she found. Peter confronts her about the killers coming after them this morning.

She sends the device to be checked for spyware before telling Peter to convince her that he is innocent. She explains that the President initiated a Night Action into the metro bombing two months ago. There was nothing until a statement leaked from the People’s Independence Front. Diane admits there were doubts. The leader of the PIF, Omar Zadar, disavowed the attack and said the statement was fake. The President asked two old friends from her Senate Intelligence days to look into it because she didn’t think she was getting the truth. The Campbell couple suspected someone in the White House was involved in the metro bombing. Peter thought she was trying to kill them, but Diane swears she wouldn’t send anyone after them.

Chelsea calls Ben to tell him what happened at the bar. She blames Monks. He should’ve defused the situation but slipped. Ben reveals they were partners and he will be an asset to her team. Rose gets a message asking where she is. She opens the files and watches a video of Omar denying the bombing. Rose questions what is happening in five days. Chelsea meets with an old friend who owes her a favor. She wants to know why Erik was assigned to watch Maddie. Maddie shows her professor what she drew. It is her father who she believes is holding her back. He tells her it is incredible and she has to paint it. Maddie tells Chelsea that she is figuring things out with her art. She also tells her about Harper’s invite to see a couple of pieces on display.

Maddie learns that her dad is going to stop by to see her tomorrow and she isn’t happy about it. Chelsea insists they’ll get through it together. Rose finds hidden envelopes under the blueprints. She writes down the address before letting Peter inside. Rose is surprised to see Diane with him. Diane insists she didn’t try to have her killed and she’ll tell her the truth about her aunt and uncle. The professor sends a message about getting closer to Maddie. The man with the tattoo gets the message.

 

The Night Agent Review

The Night Agent had a simple, somewhat enjoyable story through two episodes, but the third really made everything confusing. It quickly added too many characters and attempted to become something more complex. The script probably isn’t tight enough to hold up under the weight of these complexities so it’ll likely get even more convoluted and frustrating.

When the show focuses on Peter and Rose, it is watchable despite some issues here and there. It feels like this is the point where the series is going to begin on a slippery slope though. I am already slightly annoyed with it because it is being intentionally confusing by adding all these people without identifying anyone. We’ll see whether it manages to right the ship in future episodes. This one scores a 5 out of 10.

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