The Night Agent utilizes classic romance tropes in a way few shows like it do. With this, it fortifies the relationship between Peter Sutherland and Rose Larkin by establishing trust while also playing on the initial attraction the characters feel toward one another. It’s evident from the beginning that something will bloom between the characters, so when they’re completely on their own and on the run, it makes perfect sense that we’d also get Peter and Rose’s first kiss.
The end of Season 1, Episode 6, “Fathoms,” and the beginning of Season 1, Episode 7, “Best Served Cold,” work seamlessly together to showcase why these two characters are so drawn to one another. Right now, they can’t trust anyone else, and they’ve both lost too much not to feel vulnerable in their shared isolation. So, when he jokes about sailing someplace and forgetting about all of this, Peter takes a risk afterward. He looks her in the eyes after she tells him she needs him to fight like hell, and he kisses her instead. Rose kisses him back because she realizes in that moment that his action is both a promise to her and confirmation of the fact that he’s longing for her as much as she is for him.
Forced proximity is one of the best romance tropes because it urges people to understand what they’re scared to admit aloud. Both Peter and Rose were getting by before their first meeting, but even while their circumstances are far from ideal, it’s understandable why they’d find a missing piece in each other. It’s why Peter and Rose’s first kiss doesn’t just end with the two of them holding each other’s gaze or even a smile, but it goes on until his injuries force them to stop while they’re on the bed.
There’s a softness tucked underneath the needs and hunger, and it comes alive with every shared look and wordless conversation. It’s a first kiss that’s equal parts hot and tender, vulnerable and real, with music that’s so pretty it matches the way they constantly look out for each other.
It’s also important to note that Rose has already shown him how much she cares by standing beside him through all this. Because she fully trusts him, it also gives him the chance to know that someone genuinely has his back. He wordlessly says as much in the way he looks at her when she comes down from the steps because everything in his expression shows us that he can’t believe all of this is happening.
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He can’t believe how lucky he is or how this moment is panning out because, for a beat, Rose is the only person that matters. She’s better than the cabin he keeps wanting to run away to. She’s the first real proof of light he’s had in a long, long time.
When he tells her he’s good, he doesn’t just mean with his injury, but there’s something more permanent about the idea of everything lining up for once. She’s what’s good about the situation. He’s fully content here, even while the world has falsely deemed him a traitor. For a moment, they’re letting themselves have what no one can take away, and it’s a chance to understand each other more intimately.
Rose and Peter’s first kiss in The Night Agent Season 1 is near perfect in every way, and the only thing that would’ve made it better is if it were just a smidge longer. Every touch and every movement is so carefully blocked to show the audience that the characters are safe with one another. The lighting that goes from sunlight to a dimly lit small space projects their internal closeness in a way that proves they were meant to find each other. And simply, it’s really hot.
The Night Agent Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix. What are your thoughts on Peter and Rose’s first kiss? Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: Netflix