Includes SPOILERS for The Night Agent season 2!

The Night Agent’s cast changed significantly between seasons, but the two lead cast remained consistent with Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland and Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin. However, while their will-they-won’t-they romance dynamic was an integral part of season 1, season 2 received critique from viewers for the writing of Rose’s story, with her often feeling adjacent to the main plot.

Netflix’s action thriller series knows how to create compelling characters, and The Night Agent season 2 still succeeded with Noor (Arienne Mandi), Jacob Monroe (Louis Herthum), and more. Rose, on the other hand, who was tied to season 1’s narrative through her uncle and aunt, constantly felt like an add-on in season 2. Her dynamic with Peter was repetitive and inconsistent, as she constantly tiptoed the line between wanting to be on the mission and wanting to stay away. The silver lining was her relationship with Noor, but it wasn’t enough to fulfill expectations for one of the show’s leads.

The Night Agent Season 2 Killed Off The Rose Replacement Right Away

Alice Could Have Been A Great Character

The Night Agent season 2’s story brought back Rose because she was a primary character in season 1 and because she was a main character in the book. Realistically, she had no place in Night Action’s top-secret international missions, and that’s not the fault of the actress in any way; it’s just a critique of the writing. Rose may be a genius, but she’s not a trained operative who should be working on highly classified missions to stop terrorist attacks or infiltrate embassies just because she’s romantically involved with the show’s lead.

Unfortunately, Alice was killed off in the first episode when the Bangkok mission went awry, setting up season 2’s plot but also eliminating the potential for an exciting new character.

The Night Agent had an opportunity to introduce a new female lead with Brittany Snow’s Alice. That’s not to say Rose needed to disappear entirely, but involving Alice as Peter’s partner for at least a full season could have provided some worthwhile elements to the series, even benefiting Rose’s involvement. With Alice around, Rose wouldn’t need to be Peter’s field partner, raising questions of practicality. Unfortunately, Alice was killed off in the first episode when the Bangkok mission went awry, setting up season 2’s plot but also eliminating the potential for an exciting new character.

Why The Night Agent Season 2 Killed Alice's Character So Soon

Alice's Death Was The Catalyst For Season 2's Plot

In of setting up season 2’s plot, it makes plenty of sense why Alice’s character needed to die so soon. Her death scrambles the whole plot, forcing Peter to go into hiding and creating the initial villain to track down, with them spending the first few episodes trailing Solomon in New York City. Had Alice and Peter succeeded in retrieving the information before the sale went down in episode 1, there wouldn’t have been a conspiracy to uncover in season 2 involving the Iranian embassy, the Balas, and other individual players.

Even more importantly, Alice’s death is tied to Peter’s relationship with Catherine Weaver (Amanda Warren), his new handler in season 2. Catherine personally recruited Alice and doesn’t trust Peter at the start, so her death and Peter’s subsequent disappearance divide Night Action even further. The lingering distrust between Peter and Catherine is a significant part of The Night Agent season 2’s drama, but it ultimately progresses and leads to them preventing the attack on the UN building as they learn to work together.

Why The Night Agent Should Have Kept Peter & Alice As Partners

Alice Could Have Been A Veteran Mentor For Peter And Also Rose

Peter and Alice’s dynamic is short-lived in The Night Agent season 2, but it’s an enjoyable one. Alice, being a more experienced agent than Peter, could have allowed him to develop naturally as an official agent after being promoted in season 1’s ending. His going rogue creates interesting stakes, but his naturally progressing as an operative could have been exciting, too, especially if he was ed consistently by a partner with whom he had enjoyable chemistry. It would almost be like how James Bond movies always feature a different female lead.

As it pertains to Rose, having Alice around could help her find a more natural position in the script. Rather than taking unnecessary risks as an untrained field operative, Rose could work behind the scenes on the technological overwatch side on missions while Alice slowly trains her. By The Night Agent season 3, Rose could have been better trained and more believable as a Night Action agent, creating more meaning for Alice’s exit from the show. Alice could have been Rose's mentor and Peter's partner, but she was killed off immediately instead.