Since the end of The Night Agent Season 2 and the final scene between Peter Sutherland and Rose Larkin, fans have been wondering if Luciane Buchanan would return for Season 3. It’s official now, as news broke via Deadline that Buchanan wouldn’t be returning.
According to the Deadline interview, Buchanan said, “They called me not so long after Season 2, and they were like, we’ve been trying to find a way to bring her in, but we want to do her character justice and not make her a sub-character.” Okay, valid, but here’s the thing, we don’t want Rose to be a sub-character either, but there’s something to be said about how even an arc with less screentime could’ve been compelling still if writers didn’t dismiss female characters as flippantly as they do.
A large part of the reason why The Night Agent stood out in a sea of similar action-packed shows is because of the romance between Peter and Rose. She was the compelling character in the first season, and still so much of the heart in Season 2. It’s tiring to continue watching women be treated with the same level of frustrating narratives to service a man’s arc. We’ve been watching it through Bond films for years, and various other series, so how long will it take before people realize that we aren’t just a stepping stone or a crutch?
Female characters like Rose Larkin are fleshed out and can fully stand on their own without being treated as a “sub.” She’s been that way from the first season, and Buchanan’s performance has ensured that she’s been layered, easy to adore, and worthy of a captivating arc for multiple seasons. The romance between Peter and Rose has made the show unique because it’s touched on some of the best tropes so organically, it guaranteed we’d watch the show more than once.
Furthermore, layering the story with this approach in the first two seasons made it so that the romance genre in general wasn’t dismissed as some plot device, but a necessary inclusion to give the characters worthwhile story arcs. By taking Rose out of the equation after the type of ending they are given, what comes next? Is Peter just going to hook up with anything that breathes? Or is he going to be left alone to sulk until the very end? Where she was once his equal, it now feels like she was just there to service his character growth, and that type of an approach always sours the relationship between viewers and creators. It’s the easiest way to ensure that people will continue being distrustful of writers because they’ll dangle something popular in front of their faces, get their praise and attention, then take it away.
As a streaming site, Netflix executives are fully aware of how popular romance as a genre is. There’s a reason Bridgerton remains on top. The success of Nobody Wants This, Virgin River, and similar shows proves that viewers will continue to tune in if there’s a great romantic arc to follow because it’s not just some meaningless trope but a relatable part of all our lives.
The Night Agent, as an action is riveting, yes, but it’s the romance that makes it something different. It’s the romance and Rose Larkin’s character that added layers to the show that would’ve otherwise been predictable. It’s the romance and the character that had people who generally don’t tune into shows like this, not only watch the series, but do everything in their power to spread promotional content via social media. So, yeah, I’m tired of romance and women on TV being treated as disposable when there’s always a way to give us compelling arcs and an equal space in the narrative.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Netflix