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Spies will never go out of style
The Night Agent is back on Netflix as we wait to find out who will be the next 007
January 31st, 2025
Spies will never go out of fashion. This is proven by The Night Agent, with its second season skyrocketing to the top of Netflix's most-watched series, and its feature-length counterpart Back in Action, a comedy that marks Cameron Diaz’s return to the screen—already Charlie’s Angel in the two films directed by McG—alongside her colleague and friend Jamie Foxx. The show, created by Shawn Ryan and based on the eponymous novel by Matthew Quirk, is the most straightforward spy story one could ever be offered, especially with its return compared to its debut in 2023. Two years ago, when it premiered on the platform, the story revolved around the young recruit Peter Sutherland (played by Gabriel Basso), forced to sit in a storage room in front of a phone before finally taking action. This time, The Night Agent immediately thrusts the character into international conspiracies, dealing with chemical weapons and delicate negotiations. A protagonist immersed in events from the start, leading him to operate in the shadows—every spy's favorite zone—while episode by episode, more and more pieces are added to form a broad and complex puzzle that the characters must try to unravel.
The Night Agent offers a full-circle experience of the very concept of espionage fiction, a genre born with the creation of intelligence services and shaped by the two world wars. In the most classic way, the Netflix series guides the audience alongside a hero who is the prototypical agent one would expect, with his greatest strength being exactly this lack of the embellishments that, today, characterize other products of the same genre. The Night Agent embodies an almost 20th-century espionage style, despite technological advancements and the dangers of the 21st century. He is the nearly invincible protagonist, devoid of any irony—not even sarcastic—the all-in-one-piece agent who, even when in love, must still underline that being close to him will only lead to getting hurt. And it works in its simplicity, which is what viewers seem to appreciate. It is the elimination of nuances that cinema and television have sought elsewhere, aiming not necessarily to revolutionize the genre but at least to color it. In this sense, The Night Agent feels like the beta version on which many other titles have since been built. A continuous evolution from Jack Ryan, less over-the-top and, therefore, better developed than any Citadel. Perhaps not as deeply psychological as Killing Eve, though it tries its best.
one thing about the night agent it's gonna make sure you stay locked in for that next episode. this is real tv. pic.twitter.com/NcK8HP2QFv
— k. (@blkwatcher) January 25, 2025
Alongside its second season, Netflix is also releasing the new season of The Recruit, which debuted in 2022 and follows a CIA lawyer unexpectedly thrown into missions. With the battle cry “I’m not a spy, I’m a lawyer”, protagonist Owen, played by Noah Centineo, follows in the footsteps of characters who find themselves in roles they were never meant for, getting caught up in situations far beyond any courtroom trial. A bit like the accidental agent par excellence, Zachary Levi’s Chuck is the modern TV icon created by Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz. Characters who are total outsiders to field missions yet inevitably drawn into them. Sometimes, however, being a spy is a job one wants to forget, to leave behind, ignoring the number one rule of the profession: no matter what you want to do, the past will always come back to haunt you. If you’re a comedy film like Seth Gordon’s Back in Action, things can only turn out for the best, with a possible sequel on the horizon. If you’re called Black Doves, things might get more complicated, but maybe a second season will still happen. In full English style, with Ben Whishaw—who not only plays Q but essentially becomes James Bond (having been part of the 007 saga)—the actor steps into Daniel Craig’s shoes, alongside Keira Knightley, in a series that subverts genre conventions, especially in its character portrayals, bringing back two wandering nomads forced to reunite, showing how their personal lives impact their work. Two silent agents thrust back into action against their will, with a dramatic undertone and a touch of humor, delivering a well-measured British product.
This is, in fact, what the audience often seeks and what the industry is able to deliver. Even when it comes to its most famous titles, excluding the likes of Jason Bourne. The attempt to introduce new shades of light and shadow to the tone and characters has even led espionage into sci-fi with a series like Andor from the Star Wars universe. It happens even with the biggest names. It’s an insight worth considering, seeing Ethan Hunt/Tom Cruise not exactly struggling but certainly straining in the two Mission: Impossible films that conclude the saga, with Dead Reckoning released in 2023 and The Final Reckoning set for 2025, bidding farewell to the most reckless espionage world ever. This is at the core of another serial success that explores the failures of spies, like AppleTV+’s Slow Horses, starring a brilliant and incorrigible Gary Oldman for five seasons in five years, with another set for 2025. A truly unstoppable phenomenon.
Josh O’Connor on the James Bond rumors : “If I am Bond, I don’t know about it” | #Sundance2025 pic.twitter.com/BDu1akURy1
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) January 25, 2025
It can be said that, in these years of absence from 007, the seat has been kept warm until Barbara Broccoli decides it’s time to announce the new secret agent. Four years have passed since the conclusion of No Time to Die and every year, speculation arises about whether this will finally be the year when the next face of Ian Fleming’s character is chosen, decided, and revealed. A moment that could mark another turning point for the genre, with Broccoli and her team reportedly wanting a new type of spy—not necessarily starting from the origins but for a commitment spanning twelve to fifteen years, preferably with an actor unattached to other major franchises. They must hurry, as many have already been snatched up by DC or Marvel, and some candidates are now considered too old—take Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton. For now, the choice might land on Josh O’Connor, according to the latest rumors, while the option of Aaron Taylor-Johnson may have fallen through, especially after Kraven the Hunter. But even a Harris Dickinson wouldn’t be a bad pick, despite his involvement in the spy-comic-style Kingsman saga by Matthew Vaughn. We’ll just have to wait and see, following James Bond’s fellow spies scattered across the world and all its subgenres.