Gabriel Basso (left) with showrunner Shawn Ryan —PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The production team behind “The Night Agent,” a new action-conspiracy thriller series on Netflix, has just received the green light to make Season 2, and showrunner Shawn Ryan was convinced that it was because the program “has a good twisty story, some good action, but ultimately, it goes really deep on character.”
The series, which premiered on March 23, is based on the novel of the same title by Matthew Quirk. It centers on Peter Sutherland Jr. (played by Gabriel Basso), a low-level FBI Agent, who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings—until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast-moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.
“The Night Agent” emerged as the third-most-viewed debuting series on Netflix in its first four days, and within a week was renewed for a second season. It also features Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin, the young cybersecurity entrepreneur that Sutherland is tasked to protect from people who murdered her aunt and uncle, who were both Night Agents.
“I was surprised because I had initially been told that it would probably be at least a month after the premiere of the show before we’d hear about a pickup. I guess the show did well enough that Netflix wanted to move right away,” Ryan told Inquirer Entertainment during a recent virtual chat, also with Basso.
“I was surprised at the timing, as well as the number of people who have been watching it. I think [the program did well because] we spent a lot of time trying to figure out what appeals to people,” Ryan said when we asked what he thought were the factors that led to the show’s eventual renewal. “Ultimately, we went really deep on Peter, on Rose and on the two of them together. Even with our bad guys, we tried to understand them as people, understand their motivations.”
Other notable cast members are Oscar nominee Hong Chau as Diane Farr, the White House chief of staff, Christopher Shyer as US Vice President Ashley Redfield, and Sarah Desjardin as Redfield’s daughter Maddie.
Meanwhile, Basso said he found it “weird” and “uncomfortable” that compliments are now coming his way, especially because of the show’s success. “To think I was simply saying words that Shawn and the writers told me to say, and that I was simply told where to stand. I was merely a cog in the machine of this show,” he pointed out. “I do feel gratitude and pride in the fact that we all pulled it off. After seeing the results and the numbers, I now feel responsible to fulfill my role for Season 2. I also feel really motivated, but also humbled, by the fact that people are going to expect Season 2 to be something.”
Top 10
Ryan then made sure to compliment Basso for a job well done. “I will make Gabriel feel uncomfortable by complimenting him. He definitely did more than just stand where he’s told. I don’t think the show would be the success it is without him, so let me just start there,” said Ryan when asked for his reaction to the show’s worldwide success.
The 10-episode series, produced by Sony Pictures Television Studios, immediately reached Netflix’s Top 10 when it premiered. It debuted in the top spot on the English TV List with 168.71 million hours viewed, making it the most viewed title last week. It also ranks third for premiere week of viewing across all Season 1 TV and appeared in the Top 10 in 93 countries.
“When you make a TV show, it’s really hard work for everyone involved. It’s almost impossible to do that if you don’t feel like you’re making something good. We would kick our butts at the end of each night, but would also say, ‘Man, the work seemed really good today!’ That was the one thing that got us through. It felt like what we were getting on film was really good,” explained Ryan.
“Although at a certain point, you no longer have control over how many people will watch it and whether they will like it. I just tried to make a show that, when I went into the editing room and watched, I’d see an episode that I really wanted to watch. This is one of those times when what I wanted to watch was what other people wanted, as well. It’s really impossible to predict, but we got the right story and right network with Netflix, and the right actors, at the right time.”
‘Very fortunate’
Ryan, who also created TV series like “The Shield” and “S.W.A.T.,” continued: “Like Gabriel, I feel very uncomfortable with compliments coming my way. If I’m satisfied with the work, that’s enough for me, regardless of the number of people watching. That’s gotten me through occasions when the shows haven’t done well. I’m just very fortunate that I get to do this job, to put make-believe on screen for a living. I’ve always loved this show and I’m glad that we get to make another season.”
Excerpts from Ryan and Basso’s 20-minute interview with a select group of journalists from the Philippines:
Gabriel, how are you able to relate to Peter in terms of personality? Do you think he could be someone we know in real life?
I don’t want to sound lame, but I think there’s a bit of Peter in everyone. There’s always adversity and there’s always going to be a reason to not pursue something you think is right,” Gabriel said.
“I think the biggest trait I have in common with Peter, which is also to my own detriment, is not caring what—at least during the latter half of the season—the consequences are for pursuing something right objectively. This takes a lot of discernment, and that’s why all these characters are so important in the show. They validate Peter’s belief that the thing he is pursuing is good. He needs Rose around to remind him that he is worthwhile. I relate to that a little bit. In fact, this has gotten me in trouble,” he said, laughing.
Shawn, how did you make sure that the show would stand out from other programs in the action-conspiracy thriller genre?
“Action can be spectacular and can be eye candy, but this only gets to you emotionally if you care about the character and what happens to him. The first thing we did was to try to say that we’re more than a movie with these plot twists,” Ryan began.
“We can take our time and get to know Peter a little bit, and Rose; and then when they’re in danger, we care about them. We then get to know the people who are after them and understand their motivations. For instance, some of my favorite scenes in the show had nothing to do with action. One is the scene where Peter and Rose are eating chicken and waffles in a motel room, just talking about life. It’s scenes like that that elevate the action. You care about what’s going to happen to these characters,” he said.
Ryan said he and his team made it their goal to, “Get you to see characters you’ve not seen on TV before, try to tell a story in ways you’ve never seen before. We try to be as original and as grounded as possible,” he stressed. “Yes, you can aim for that, but if you have the wrong actors, then it won’t work. But since we have the right ones, it resonates with people.” INQ