The Night Agent's Similarities To This Classic TV Thriller Will Only Get Worse In Season 3

Warning: Major spoilers for The Night Agent season 2 below!The Night Agent has often been compared to classic real-time thriller 24 - and those similarities are only going to be amplified by the upcoming third season. The Night Agent's season 2 ending set up a whopper of a cliffhanger, as Peter (Gabriel Basso) learned he was directly responsible for helping a puppet President get elected. The upcoming Night Agent season 3 will thus see Peter heading undercover with sinister "intelligence broker" Monroe (Louis Herthum) to discover just how deep his ties to the new POTUS go.

When The Night Agent debuted, it was labeled as Netflix's answer to 24. It was easy to see the comparisons too, with both featuring relentless heroes battling political conspiracies, in addition to featuring shocking deaths and plot twists. The biggest differences come down to the personalities of their leads. Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer is a seasoned vet who will cross moral lines to save lives, while Peter is often wrestling with the ethics of his actions. This gives The Night Agent an extra layer of tension, as audiences hope Peter won't lose his moral code for the job.

The Night Agent Has A Lot In Common With 24

It's hard to think of a plotline 24 didn't cover at some point

The original series of 24 ran for eight seasons, so combined with 2014's limited revival Live Another Day and spinoff Legacy, the show covered a lot of ground. The accelerated pacing of the thriller meant it burned through plotlines quickly, with Jack often facing multiple threats over a single day. The Night Agent season 1 saw Peter and Rose (Luciane Buchanan) preventing the assassination of the President - a task Jack himself performed more than once.

The Night Agent's President Travers is played by Kari Matchett, who also played Lisa Miller during 24 season 6.

The driving threat of Night Agent's second year involves a lethal gas dubbed K.X., which the villains plan to unleash inside the UN headquarters. Nerve gas was one of the big threats of 24 season 5, while the UN headquarters played a major role in the final series. Both shows also feature their heroes having to go rogue to get things done - though Peter usually does this as a last resort, while Jack seems to prefer working that way.

Action is also a driving element for 24 and The Night Agent, and it's rare for an episode to go by without a shootout or a foot chase. Most of these comparisons are surface level though, and could apply to any number of spy series or movies. Still, it's easy to see how Netflix's Night Agent is filling a void for 24 devotees.

The Night Agent vs. 24 - Which Show Is Better

Who wins when it comes down to Kiefer Sutherland vs Peter Sutherland?

Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in 24 and Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland in The Night Agent.

The Night Agent has become one of Netflix's most watched programmes, and reviews for both seasons have largely been positive. The show is certainly an absorbing thriller, but does The Night Agent beat out 24? Considering the latter began back in 2001, it can look and feel dated to modern eyes - especially in terms of tech or its usage of torture as a plot device. The show could also get pretty ludicrous at times, especially in later series. Still, the real-time format, its intensely cinematic feel and the great cast - led by Kiefer Sutherland - mean24 is the superior show.

It's one of the best thrillers that has ever aired on televison, and while the quality could be inconsistent, even its lesser seasons are incredibly watchable. The Night Agentlacks 24's harsher edges and doesn't have the same sense of urgency. For instance, the nerve gas plotline in 24 felt like a driving threat, whereas the K.X. only becomes a problem during Night Agent's finale. Even then, it's resolved fairly easily. Again, having Peter at the start of his spy career makes for a unique contrast to 24, and Night Agent feels like a spiritual prequel in some ways.

The Night Agent's Comparisons To 24 Will Only Get Worse In Season 3

It's Peter and Night Action vs The White House

The big twist of The Night Agent's season 2 finale has upped the stakes immensely. President Hagan (Ward Horton) is in the pocket of Monroe, who will now have unlimited access to classified information. Using Hagan, Monroe will get to shape the nation's agenda - which can only mean bad things. Having Peter and Night Action going against the White House is only going to invite further comparisons to 24though, since Jack's battles with President Logan (Gregory Itzin) made up one of the best seasons of the show.

Actor	The Night Agent Season 2 Role
Gabriel Basso	Peter Sutherland
Luciane Buchanan	Rose Larkin
Amanda Warren	Catherine Weaver
Brittany Snow	Alice
Berto Colon	Solomon
Louis Herthum	Jacob Monroe
Marwan Kenzari	Sami
Dikran Tulaine	Viktor Bala
Arienne Mandi	Noor
Michael Malarkey	Markus
Keon Alexander	Javad
Navid Negahban	Abbas
Rob Heaps	Tomas Bala

The difference is that 24 withheld the reveal that Logan was the main villain for most of season 5, whereasThe Night Agent is making it clear Hagan is corrupt right up front. This setup could make for the most stressful season of The Night Agent yet since Peter's new foe is literally the most powerful man in the country. As 24 proved, it's still a fight that can be won.