What Happened to Peter Sutherland Sr.?

The Night Agent Season 2 Confirms Peter Sr.’s Failed Atonement

The Night Agent Season 3 Could Upend Peter Jr.’s World

In Netflix’s library of original series, The Night Agent is one of the biggest standouts. It focuses on Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland Jr. as he works for the White House’s Night Action initiative. In other words, he’s a super-spy known as a Night Agent.

Peter manned the phones in Season 1, but Season 2 has him operating in and out of America like he’s in a James Bond movie. However, Peter finds himself in yet another scandal. This time, some good comes from the conspiracy as it brings closure to the arc with his father: Peter Sr.

What Happened to Peter Sutherland Sr.?

Peter’s Father Sold Secrets From the Pentagon

Peter Sr. was an FBI agent, but his colleagues raided his home and arrested him in front of a teenage Peter Jr. The Night Agent Season 1 confirmed Peter Sr. sold sensitive information to America’s enemies. This Pentagon breach was obviously treason, which led to Peter being arrested. The Night Agent Season 1 finale revealed Peter Sr. was killed after being taken into custody. The then-president, Michelle, said her team got Peter Sr. to become a double agent for them.

Peter Sr. wanted to redeem himself, but an assassin took him out before that could unfold. It was a heartbreaking revelation, shattering the hopes of Night Agent fans who thought the father might still be alive somewhere. Still, Peter Jr. knew he couldn’t trust his own government. Peter Jr. uncovered dark secrets, helped stop a coup on Michelle, and was even betrayed by his handler, Diane. He could tell everything he learned might have been a facade.

Peter Jr. saw the promotion as a chance to redeem his father’s name, and to possibly uncover the full truth than just the video that Michelle shared with him. After all, in this spy game, a confession could be forced. The state was using Peter Jr. as a pawn, so he felt like he could work the system, curry favor with the administration, and if any more breadcrumbs existed, find more of the truth himself.

The Night Agent Season 2 Confirms Peter Sr.’s Failed Atonement

Peter Jr. Can Become a Double Agent Like His Father

The Night Agent Season 2 finds Peter once more going off-script to stop another terrorist attack in New York. His new handler, Catherine (Amanda Warren), works with him and Rose in the end to save the day. Ironically, Catherine has to arrest Peter Jr. after he steals information to barter with a villain for Rose’s safety. He basically commits sedition, making him like his father.

In Peter Jr.’s case, it’s more out of necessity than for the sake of money. Peter Jr. is selfless compared to his selfish father. Catherine frees him in The Night Agent Season 2 finale, however. Catherine was one of the people investigating his father’s case. When he flipped, Catherine approved, only to lose him. The attacker was killed in retaliation, wrapping Peter Sr.’s story off-screen. Catherine makes it clear that his son can carry out that mission of redemption.

Amanda Warren Details

Date of Birth
Jul. 17, 1982

Place of Birth
New York, USA

Notable Movies
Mother!, The Super, The Burial

Notable TV Shows
The Leftovers, The Purge

Catherine wants Peter Jr. to work with Jacob (a mysterious intelligence broker) and uncover Jacob’s shady dealings with the soon-to-be president, Hagan. In essence, Peter Jr. has to become an inside man and a mole like what his father was meant to be. No matter what, his father had a hero within at some point. Peter Jr. wanted to be like that when he was a child, but he lost faith. Fortunately, the time arrives to forget his family legacy and forge his own dynasty. Peter Jr. agrees to the new job, as his father would have wanted.

As expected, Peter Jr.’s pensive look at the Oval Office hints he still doesn’t trust anyone, including Catherine. They all want political cogs and spies for their own ulterior motives. Peter Jr. can’t put it past Catherine to feed him a sketchy story, manipulate him, and then gain his trust. It’s what Diane did when she needed Peter to work for her, as a contingency and a fall guy. Many media personnel, unofficial vloggers and conspiracy theorists consider the Sutherlands to be traitors, so Peter Jr. will have to tread lightly on his new quest.

The Night Agent Season 3 Could Upend Peter Jr.’s World

Peter Sr. Could Be Alive as a Mole Working Towards Redemption

There is a strong chance Catherine could be telling the truth, and the plot may move on from Peter’s father. But there are seedy clues laid down for The Night Agent Season 3 that could upend Peter’s family life once more. Jacob, for example, knows a lot about Peter’s history. He even comes off like a father, twisting Peter’s career to get information about CIA weapons. Jacob’s allusions have viewers curious if Jacob was the man who Peter Sr. was selling data to. The father did seem under duress in his confession, so it could be he faked it to keep his son out of harm’s way, or reprisal.

Jacob loves to think he “owns people,” so this might have been the father’s way of tricking Jacob into thinking that if he doesn’t snitch, he’s still loyal. Other theorists are wondering if Peter Sr. is indeed dead. Peter Jr. never got a funeral or saw the body. Michelle and Catherine may well be lying, and using Peter Sr. on the outside to uncover more deep state threats. It just feels so odd that the series has all these blank spaces with the father, via flashbacks and with what other people relay to his son. Peter Sr. feels more like a ghost than anything in Shawn Ryan’s story.

This wouldn’t be a strange arc for Netflix to unwrap. It did so with Outer Banks by bringing back John B’s father after the teenager thought he was dead. Instead, he was off hunting treasure and keeping away to ensure his son was safe from enemies. The Night Agent could also be using misdirection by pulling the wool over Peter Jr.’s eyes. It would fit the Sutherlands, as Peter Jr. asks Rose to stay away so that he can ensure she won’t be endangered anymore. Peter Jr. also hides out in Season 2, letting everyone think he’s dead so he can pursue the Jacob case.

Though all of this is pure speculation for now, there is evidence to suggest the Sutherland family tree dilemma is far from over. Luckily, The Night Agent is at a crossroads where it can move on from the father, or explore more of his death and double agent status in a direction that would, ultimately, harness the potential that the traitor and rehabilitation arc holds.

All 10 episodes of The Night Agent Season 2 are now available on Netflix.