Warning! Spoilers for The Night Agent season 2 ahead!
It’s clear that Peter Sutherland’s new boss, Catherine Weaver, doesn’t trust him inThe Night Agentseason 2—though, to be fair, she has a good reason. The sophomore season of this Netflix series sees Peter officially become the titular Night Agent, working on the field for the secret organization Night Action rather than only answering phones in the basement. This is the direct result of Peter saving the president inThe Night Agentseason 1. The POTUS herself ensured her savior got a swift promotion, but his new boss, Catherine, wasn’t pleased with this arrangement.
The Night Agentseason 1demonstrated several things about Peter Sutherland’s character, as well as the risks of working for secret organizations within the US government. Peter learned that he couldn’t trust his superiors, and Night Action learned that Peter would quickly go off-book if it meantprotecting Rose Larkin. This meant thatthere was natural distrust between Peter and Catherine from the very beginningofThe Night Agentseason 2. Of course, this only escalated when Peter’s partner, Alice, died in the very first episode.
Catherine Makes It Clear That She Doesn’t Fully Trust Peter In The Night Agent Season 2
POTUS Forced Catherine To Take Peter On As A Night Agent
Peter went AWOL afterAlice’s death inThe Night Agentseason 2, ultimately leading Rose to look for him. She had the president’s phone number, and when Rose inquired, POTUS arranged for her to meet with Catherine. It was immediately clear to Rose and the audience that Catherine wasn’t thrilled with this entire arrangement.She was enraged by Peter’s disappearanceand devastated by Alice’s death. To make matters worse, she hadn’t even been able to get answers about what happened in Bangkok because Peter never met for a debrief.
Later inThe Night Agent, a flashback shows the audience Peter and Catherine’s first meeting, and some light is shined on why there was so much distrust here. Catherine clearly takes her role with Night Action very seriously, and by her standards,Peter is nowhere near ready to be an agent. His experience saving the president was noteworthy, but Peter had done so in an entirely unrefined way while disregarding any and every order. Catherine said that Peter didn’t have the practice of even her lowest-ranked agents, and she found this immensely dangerous. Of course, she wasn’t wrong.
Peter’s Actions In The Night Agent Season 2 Justifies Catherine’s Distrust
Peter Messed Up In Every Way Catherine Thought He Would
Peter also went AWOL during the events ofThe Night Agentseason 1, and though this came down to the clear fact that there were untrustworthy figures within the White House, Catherine correctly saw this as a red flag. She knew Peter couldn’t trust her and recognized that he would take his own route at the first sign of trouble. Catherine was quickly proven correct. When Alice was killed in Bangkok,Peter assumed that his Night Action boss had something to do with it. He went AWOL once again and only bothered to check back in with Catherine when it was a matter of Rose’s safety.
The Night Agent Season 2 Cast & Returning Character Guide
The Night Agent returns to Netflix for its second season with several new characters. Here’s who’s in the show and where you’ve seen them before.
Though Catherine eventually won over Peter’s trust,he continued to disregard her orders whenever Rose’s life was in danger. To her credit, Catherine attempted to give Peter the benefit of the doubt even after he disappeared following Bangkok. As repayment, Peter freed Solomon and allowed the criminal to lead him to a meeting with intelligence broker Jacob Monroe. It was then that Peter committed his worst crime—agreeing to steal secret documents from the UN and deliver them to Monroein exchange for information that would lead Peter to Rose’s captors.
Everything she feared about her new Night agent wound up being true.
Once Rose was safe and the deadly KX attack averted, Peter turned himself into Catherine. However, the documents he provided to Monroe came with significant consequences. It ultimately swayed the presidential election, ensuring that Monroe’s candidate became the next President of the United States. Since Monroe is a man who deals in confidentail information,any document that crosses the new president’s desk will be on the global market. This was largely Peter’s fault, and Catherine knew it. Everything she feared about her new Night agent wound up being true.
Peter’s Father Is The Real Reason Catherine Doesn’t Fully Trust Him
Catherine Has A History Related To Peter Sutherland Sr’s Crime
Catherine did her best to give Peter the benefit of the doubt despite his history of going AWOL for the sake of his own definition of the greater good. At the beginning of their working relationship, Peter had no history as a legitimate traitor, and she tried to keep this in mind. However,Catherine couldn’t help but hold the actions of Peter Sutherland Sr. against his son. She promised to remain impartial, but her own history with Peter’s father and the consequences of his treachery left her conflicted.
The Night Agentseason 1 revealed that Peter’s father had once sold confidential information that led to a Pentagon breach. Season 2 revealed that this breach had resulted in deaths within Night Action.Catherine’s own partner was killed as a result of Peter Sutherland Sr.’s actions. Of course, she knew that the man had made efforts to repent. Peter’s father had agreed to become a double agent, specifically so that his son could one day see that he had done all he could to make amends.
While Catherine couldn’t fully trust Peter, his father’s actions led her to believe that he, too, would do everything it took to fix what he had done. For this reason,she gave Peter the same opportunity Peter Sr had been offered. Theending ofThe Night Agentseason 2saw Catherine ask Peter to be a double agent. Monroe would continue to believe that Peter was his, but the agent would instead work to ensure that the swayed election wouldn’t jeopardize the government’s secrets.
Did Catherine Trust Peter By The End Of The Night Agent Season 2?
Catherine Trusts Peter To Remain Untrustworthy
Catherine and Peter’s relationship is still complicated at the end ofThe Night Agentseason 2. Peter is long past suspecting Catherine of the sort of betrayal he experienced with Diana Farr in season 1. As a result, Catherine can trust that Peter will trust her, making it less likely that he will withhold important information. Additionally,Catherine understands that Peter will do whatever it takes to make his mistakes right. She understands Peter, and while she disagrees with his actions, Catherine can predict Peter’s next moves because of his moral motivation.
This also means that Catherine understands Peter’s weakness. He will do anything—even (temporarily) betray his country—to protect Rose. Moreover,Peter will never go by the book if he thinks there is a better way. In the end, it’s less about Catherine trusting Peter and more about recognizing where he fits best within her plans. As a double agent, Peter has the freedom he needs to act, and Catherine can trust that he will do whatever it takes to save lives inThe Night Actionseason 3.
