Will The Night Agent low rating in Season 2 affect the upcoming Season 3? Explained in depth

Netflix’s The Night Agent became a success when it premiered in 2023. The political thriller, based on Matthew Quirk’s novel and created by Shawn Ryan, follows an FBI agent (played by Gabriel Basso) who uncovers a government conspiracy.

Season one was a massive success, drawing in millions of viewers and strong reviews. Season two, released on 23rd January, 2025, didn’t perform quite as well. Although season three is officially on the way, the decline in audience approval for season two could affect season three.

How The Night Agent’s drop in ratings may impact season three

When The Night Agent launched its first season, it became one of Netflix’s biggest hits of the year. Viewers praised its high-stakes drama, engaging characters, and interesting plot. The series stayed in Netflix’s Top 10 list for twelve weeks straight. It also received more than 800 million viewing hours between January and June 2023.

Given that success, Netflix quickly renewed The Night Agent for a second season. Expectations were high when season two premiered in early 2025, but audience reactions didn’t live up to the hype. While season two managed to get 457.8 million viewing hours over the same six-month period, it was a significant drop compared to season one. That’s nearly half the viewership, a clear sign that something didn’t connect with viewers this time.

Critically, season two actually received better scores than season one. The second season was praised by reviewers, earning an 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the original’s 75%. However, season one held a strong 78% audience score, but season 2 dropped dramatically to just 38%.

The general reaction was that the show lost its focus in the second season. The plot became less believable, and the characters started making strange decisions that didn’t match their earlier behavior. What once felt like smart storytelling started to seem forced, as if diplomatic issues were forcefully created just so Peter could be a savior. While safety and national security are key themes of the show, the viewers felt that the show progressed only in the story and not in the development of the characters, especially Rose and Peter.

While Netflix’s total viewing hours remain high, it’s unclear how many people actually watched every episode to the end. Despite the dip in ratings, The Night Agent season 3 is officially confirmed and is currently in production. The strong start of the series and the critical support for season two were likely enough to keep the show going. But with the audience’s trust starting to fade, season three may not have the same strong following if key issues aren’t addressed.

If the show wants to regain fans’ interest, it’ll need to return to the grounded, character-driven storytelling that made season one such a hit. Viewers enjoy action, but not at the expense of character consistency and logical decisions. There’s still hope for The Night Agent. With the right changes, season three could win back viewers and keep the series going strong. But if Netflix overlooks the concerns raised by fans, season three could very well mark the end of what was once a promising series.

The Night Agent is streaming on Netflix.

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