Netflix’s action thriller The Night Agent returned for its third season on February 19, and the numbers tell two very different stories. While critics are calling it the best season yet with a perfect score, the actual viewership numbers show a sharp drop from previous seasons. This has sparked discussions about how the show compares to Prime Video’s other big action series Reacher, which debuted its third season just one day later on February 20.
The timing of both releases has naturally led to comparisons between the two streaming giants. Both shows follow similar formulas – ordinary people with special skills thrown into dangerous situations. But the early data suggests that while critics may prefer one, viewers are still showing up in big numbers for the other.
The Night Agent Season 3 Viewership Numbers Tell a Clear Story
The third season of The Night Agent pulled in 8.4 million views during its opening week from February 15 to 22. That number sounds impressive until you look at where the show started. The first season exploded onto Netflix in March 2023 with 20.6 million views in its first week. Season 2, which aired in January 2025, brought in 13.9 million views during its debut.
The pattern is clear. Season 3 dropped 59 percent from Season 1 and 40 percent from Season 2. The show also failed to hit the number one spot on Netflix’s global charts during its opening week. A documentary called Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model took the top position with 14.2 million views. The Night Agent ranked number two in the United States but only made the weekly Top 10 in 50 countries, compared to 75 countries for Season 2 and 92 countries for the first season.
Critics Love The Night Agent Season 3 More Than Ever
Despite the lower viewer numbers, the critical response to The Night Agent Season 3 has been overwhelmingly positive. The season holds an 82 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, beating Season 1’s 75 percent but falling slightly behind Season 2’s 86 percent.
However, early reactions showed a perfect 100 percent score when only six reviews were counted. As more reviews came in, the score settled at its current 82 percent, but critics are still calling it the strongest season yet.
“The Night Agent season 3 is the show’s best installment yet, thanks to a tighter narrative, compelling characters, solid action, and great twists,” wrote Lewis Glazebrook of Screen Rant in an 8/10 review.
“By tightening its storytelling, deepening its characters, and delivering deliberate, hard-hitting action sequences, The Night Agent has officially delivered its strongest season yet,” added Jen Vestuto of Collider, also giving it 8/10.
“Buoyed by the best ensemble of new supporting players for the show to date, the third season of ‘The Night Agent’ is arguably the best,” said Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com.
Reacher Season 3 Viewers Show Up in Big Numbers
While The Night Agent struggles with declining viewership, Reacher Season 3 is breaking records for Amazon Prime Video. The show, starring Alan Ritchson as the massive former military policeman, drew 54.6 million viewers globally in its first 19 days. That makes it the most-watched returning season ever on Prime Video, with a slight increase from Season 2.
More than half of Reacher’s audience comes from outside the United States, with strong performances in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Brazil. The show debuted with three episodes on February 20 and will release new episodes weekly, totaling eight episodes for the season.
Critics also love Reacher Season 3. It holds a 96 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. While that’s lower than The Night Agent’s early perfect score, it’s actually higher than The Night Agent’s current 82 percent.
The Night Agent Story Moves to Istanbul for Season 3
The third season of The Night Agent sends Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland on a new mission that starts in Istanbul. According to Netflix’s official description, Peter must track a young Treasury agent who killed his boss and fled to Turkey with sensitive government information. The chase pulls Peter into a dark money network and puts him on a collision course with new threats.
Shawn Ryan, the show’s creator, told Netflix’s Tudum that the season would span the globe. Production actually began in Istanbul before moving back to New York State, which remains the primary filming location.
The cast for Season 3 includes returning players and new faces. Louis Herthum is back as intelligence broker Jacob Monroe, and Amanda Warren returns as Peter’s handler Catherine Weaver. Fola Evans-Akingbola, Ward Horton, and Albert Jones have been upped to series regulars. New cast members joining the season include David Lyons, Jennifer Morrison, Stephen Moyer, Genesis Rodriguez, Callum Vinson, and Suraj Sharma in a recurring role.
What the Numbers Really Mean for Both Shows
Comparing The Night Agent and Reacher directly is tricky because both streaming services measure success differently. Netflix reports views based on total viewing hours divided by runtime, while Amazon has its own measurement system. But the available data shows two different trajectories.
The Night Agent Season 3 opened to 8.4 million views, a significant drop from its previous seasons. The show also failed to hit number one globally, losing the top spot to a documentary about America’s Next Top Model.
Reacher Season 3 pulled in 54.6 million viewers in its first 19 days, making it Prime Video’s biggest returning season ever. The show also improved slightly on Season 2’s numbers, showing growth rather than decline.
Critics seem to prefer The Night Agent’s storytelling improvements this season. Many reviews note that Season 3 has tighter writing and stronger character development. But viewers are voting with their remotes, and Reacher is winning that battle so far.
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The Future of Both Series
Shawn Ryan told Deadline that a writer’s room for a potential The Night Agent Season 4 was quietly established back in 2025. He confirmed, “We’ve been working for a while on the storyline. We have some scripts, we are breaking stories.”
However, star Gabriel Basso expressed some doubts about playing Peter Sutherland for too long. He told ScreenRant, “What I don’t want to do is be the fighter that you’re watching, and you’re like, ‘Dude, you should have retired six fights ago.’ I don’t want that.”
Reacher’s future seems more certain given its growing viewership. The show is based on Lee Child’s book series, so source material exists for many more seasons. Season 3 adapts the 2003 book “Persuader” and sends Reacher to Maine.
Both shows represent the kind of action-focused programming that streaming services love. They deliver reliable entertainment with clear heroes and villains. But the numbers suggest that Reacher’s audience is growing while The Night Agent’s audience is shrinking, even as critics praise the show’s creative improvements.
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