Netflix’s biggest Reacher rival is coming to an end, with the series having one major flaw that hurt it in later seasons. The Jack Reacher novels have been bestsellers for decades now, to the point where a live-action adaptation became inevitable. After the misadventure of the Tom Cruise movies, the Reacher TV series has become one of Prime’s biggest hits.
It feels like love for the Alan Ritchson-fronted thriller grows with each series, with the upcoming Reacher season four adapting the 13th novel, Gone Tomorrow. The streamer is doubling down on its commitment to the property too, with spinoff show Neagley also set to arrive in 2026.
It could be argued that Prime’s Bosch set the template for Reacher’s success, though. That was another long-running thriller based on a hugely popular novel series. Over a decade after its arrival, Bosch is still going strong with spinoff show Ballard and an upcoming prequel.
One thing Reacher’s success has inspired is streamers seeking out popular book series to mount a show around. Prime has more heavy hitters like The Terminal List and Cross, while Netflix’s recent Man on Fire adaptation has the potential to launch a new long-running show.
Netflix also scored big with The Night Agent, based on the 2019 novel of the same name. This cast Gabriel Basso as FBI agent Peter Sutherland, whose boring duty manning a special phone line at the White House soon thrusts him into a dangerous conspiracy. The show was a major hit in 2023, but its luster soon faded.
The Night Agent Is Coming To An Abrupt End With Season 4
When The Night Agent debuted, the show garnered over 20 million viewers (via What’s on Netflix) in its first weekend, making it one of Netflix’s most-watched shows that year. Cut to the second season, the thriller pulled in almost 14 million views on its opening weekend; still a very solid performance, but a noticeable dip from its first year.
By the time the third season arrived in 2026, it didn’t even garner nine million views. So, it came as little surprise when Netflix confirmed The Night Agent season four would be the last. Given how ruthless the streamer has been with axing shows that don’t perform to their expectations, the fact a fourth series is happening at all is a minor miracle.
Still, it feels like an abrupt end to a show that began with such promise. The Night Agent had a great hook and a likable pair of heroes in Peter and his love interest, Rose (Luciane Buchanan), and the cliffhanger of season one made it seem like it could run for years. The viewership drop makes it clear the show just couldn’t hold onto that early buzz.
Unlike Reacher, The Night Agent Suffered From A Lack Of Source Material
Gabriel Basso as Peter wearing an FBI vest in The Night Agent season 3
Reacher already had a fanbase before the show began, thanks to both the novels and the Cruise duology. There are currently 30 novels in the Lee Child-penned series, so in addition to providing Prime’s adaptation with a strong foundation, the amount of source material means it could run for years to come.
If anything, the biggest problem facing the showrunners each year is “Which great novel do we tackle next?” The same logic could be applied to Bosch or The Terminal List, but one flaw The Night Agent faced is that there was only one book.
Author Matthew Quirk never penned a follow-up, so after season one, the show noticeably floundered. Season two felt like a reheated remake of the first year that also borrowed generously from 24. The third season was a mild return to form, but dropping Rose entirely was a big error that robbed the series of a key dynamic. The Night Agent season three was a step in the right direction, but it still wasn’t as solid as its debut series.
While this is a way more extreme example, a show like Game of Thrones saw a dramatic fall in quality when it no longer had George R.R. Martin’s source material to fall back on. Adapting a book series has given the likes of Reacher a roadmap to follow, which was something The Night Agent really needed in hindsight.
The Night Agent Could Still Continue In Another Form
Rose and Peter in The Night Agent.Netflix
Even if The Night Agent season 4 is an unexpected blockbuster for Netflix, it’s doubtful they’d reverse their stance and greenlight a fifth outing. That said, they could take the route Prime has with Jack Ryan and continue Peter’s story with a spinoff movie.
This might actually be a better direction, as the weakest episodes of seasons two and three felt like they were simply wheel-spinning until the next big plot twist or action scene. A Night Agent movie could take a leaner approach, dropping Peter into the middle of a mission with more straightforward stakes. This outcome would, naturally, depend on how season four performs.
Source: What’s on Netflix