Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Night Agent.
Netflix’sThe Night Agentfinds FBI agent Peter Sutherland Jr. (Gabriel Basso) relegated to a desk in the basement after nearly dying on the night of a terrorist attack. Peter is tasked with answering a phone that rarely rings, leading him to Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan) and a governmental conspiracy and cover-up tying back to the infamous metro bombing. With enemies surrounding them,Peter and Rosego on the run to try to uncover the truth and find the evidence they need to clear their names. Few are in their corner, but one trustworthy individual who believes their story is Chelsea Arrington (Fola Evans-Akingbola) — leader of the Secret Service unit assigned to protect the vice president’s daughter Maddie (Sarah Desjardins). And, when Chelsea becomes a major player in the story, the series becomes infinitely better, as she is the most valuable player amidst a sea of intriguing and entertaining characters.
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Who Is Chelsea Arrington on ‘The Night Agent’?
When we meet Chelsea, she is eager to prove herself and devoted to the rules. She and Maddie have created quite a beautiful bond, a friendship that surpasses the role of protector and protectee. This is Chelsea’s chance to prove herself, more than ever before, and to get a leg up in the Secret Service going forward. With Maddie, she can plant the seeds for a beautiful future. And, that’s exactly what she’s doing, as Chelsea becomes the youngest person to lead a Secret Service unit, showcasing her incredible talents. Plus, as we see throughout the season, Chelsea has a unique way of running her unit that changes for the person she’s protecting, something that helps her stand apart from the others and depicts how innovative she is. Unfortunately, when Maddie is kidnapped (as the kidnapper’s retribution toward the vice president), that future is at risk as the blame falls squarely on her shoulders. Her friend and charge is missing, driving Chelsea down the rabbit warren as she attempts to find Maddie, discover the truth about what’s going on, and becomes entangled with Peter and Rose in the ever-building conspiracy.
Chelsea Provides the Emotional Connection to the Story
When the season begins, Rose is our immediate emotional tie to the conspiracy. The reason she calls Peter in the first place is that her aunt and uncle were murdered as they grew closer to figuring everything out. It definitely packs a punch to start but falters by the end of the second episode. It’s hard to hold an emotional connection to characters you saw for roughly five minutes, and Rose has much more important things to worry about than grieving the deaths of her loved ones — like, say, keeping herself alive. But, when Chelsea arrives on the scene and Maddie is kidnapped, we see the emotional turmoil this is causing her on-screen. At the same time, we’re getting glimpses into how Maddie is being treated as a prisoner and victim of these covert affairs.
Chelsea oversteps her duty to search for her friend, with the help of Erik Monks (D.B. Woodside), because that is how involved she is. If something happens to Maddie, it likely means the end of her career, but it also means the end of her closest friend. The stakes are impossibly high for Chelsea as she attempts to grapple with this turn of events. Most would crumble under the pressure, but it’s a true showing of strength and dedication from Chelsea. She powers through and manages to prove herself countless times. Granted, she has support from Monks, but that only adds to the entire story. They build a friendship — a deep friendship — over just a few days, allowing him to comfort and support Chelseaandproviding enough depth for Monks’ heartbreaking death later in the season. Likewise, Chelsea is all-around the most relatable character on the show. She brought the emotion to the story, but it was also refreshing to see Chelsea’s dedication to her job and commitment to making a name for herself in the Secret Service. In short, it was easier to bond with Chelsea and see yourself in her shoes than with the other major players. This was obviously supposed to be Peter’s role on the show, beginning as the everyman who turns into the country’s greatest hero, but the shadow of his father’s treason and how much that one event drove Peter’s story prevented him from being the access point for many viewers. Chelsea just wanted to do a good job, but proved herself as one of the strongest that the Secret Service has to offer instead.
‘The Night Agent’ Needed Chelsea… And Still Does
Without Chelsea,The Night AgentSeason 1 wouldn’t have worked. She quickly became themost interesting characterof the bunch, truthfully rivaling only Chief of Staff Diane Farr (played by the insanely talentedHong Chau). Her friendship with Maddie arguably rivaled (or, in my personal opinion, shined brighter than) Peter and Rose’s partnership and romance as the best relationship of the show. In fact, all of her relationships had a special quality that many of the others were missing. Chelsea brought a special energy that perfectly countered and complemented both Peter and Rose, making them an incredible trio. So, the thought of not having her around for a second season is incredibly disappointing, especially now that she has beenpromotedto the Secret Service unit for President Travers (Kari Matchett).
In our exclusive interview withThe Night AgentcreatorShawn Ryan, he mentions that very few familiar faces will show up in future seasons as each season will (mostly) tell its own condensed story. From how it sounds, the only characters returning in the same capacity are Peter and Rose. After what she’s gone through and her much more important role in the Secret Service, Chelsea’s story doesn’t feel like one we can leave behind and be satisfied with. There’s much more story to tell, and the season hardly touched upon any actual working relationships with Peter and Rose. As the MVP of the first season, it’ll definitely not pack the same punch if she’s not there when we see these characters again. (And, if she’s not sticking around forSeason 2, at least consider a spin-off following Chelsea and President Travers.)
