‘The Night Agent’: Season 1 DVD Review – Engaging Spy Thriller Keeps You Locked In

Based on the novel by Matthew Quirk, The Night Agent is a sophisticated, character-based, action-thriller centering on a low-level FBI Agent who works in the basement of the White House, manning a phone that never rings — until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast-moving and dangerous conspiracy that ultimately leads all the way to the Oval Office.

For thoughts on The Night Agent: Season 1, please check out a previously published piece here. 

Video Quality

The Night Agent comes to DVD with 10 episodes over 4 discs, which offers a nice amount of room to avoid compression issues. Due to the limitations of the format, these episodes are not going to look as good as they do in HD or 4K UHD on Netflix, but the presentation is first-rate within the DVD format. Even without the added definition, this is still a slick show with intricate details easily visible. Skin tones look natural, and close-up shots look quite good. Black levels struggle ever so slightly, as nighttime scenes lose some of the crisp outlines of objects within the shot. Colors are rendered consistently, and there is some welcome texture in the clothing. We are disappointed this was not given a Blu-Ray option, but those who want to own it physically should find this to be a passable presentation at home. 

Audio Quality

This DVD comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that sounds perfectly fine for what is asked of it. The mix has an admirable sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels inauthentic flowing from the wrong place. The rear speakers create an enveloping atmosphere as our characters visit various locales that embrace you at all of the appropriate times. Dialogue is brought to life clearly with a focus on the center channel. The sound effects and the thrilling score never overshadow any exchanges causing lost information. You come to this series for thrills, and this track executes all of the key elements perfectly when building out this world. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary

• • Episode 1: Show Creator Shawn Ryan

• VFX: A chance to look at some cleverly hidden VFX shots in some of the episodes. 

• • Episode 1 (9:54)

• • Episode 10 (3:04) 

• Deleted Scenes: There are 12 unused scenes totaling nine minutes of footage provided here. There are some interesting moments fans will appreciate getting to see, but we understand why they were cut for pacing reasons. 

• Blooper Reel: Nearly four minutes of laughing fits, ruined takes, malfunctioning props, goofing around, and more. 

Final Thoughts

The Night Agent is a perfectly engaging conspiracy thriller that may not always challenge you as much as other acclaimed series, but it functions as terrific popcorn entertainment. The narrative weaves together very well with parallel plotlines converging and the stakes escalating at regular intervals to keep you coming back for more. The performances are solid across the board and the direction never allows you to feel any lulls. It is a populist show in the most complimentary way. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a DVD featuring a good A/V presentation and a few fun special features. While we would prefer a Blu-Ray release, we are happy to have this in our collection in any form. 

The Night Agent: Season 1 will be available to purchase on DVD on October 8, 2024. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.