Peter Sutherland is a character in the series The Night Agent. He is portrayed by Gabriel Basso.
Biography[]
Peter is a young FBI agent who answers the phone for the night agents in distress. He receives mentorship from Diane Farr, the U.S. president's chief of staff. Peter's father worked at the White House and was accused of treason, but died from a car accident before he could prove his innocence. As a result, Peter's loyalty is often questioned and is sometimes harassed by journalists and protesters when in public. Peter hopes to learn the truth about his father.
Throughout The Night Agent[]
A mother boards a train with her young daughter. Peter Sutherland get up and offer them his seat. He notices a stranger in a black hoodie leaving a bag behind on the train. Peter looks inside the bag and discovers a bomb.
Peter opens the emergency door, bringing the train to a halt. He pulls out his FBI badge and orders everyone to get off the train slowly. During the commotion, the bomb explodes. Most passengers manage to escape in time.
The paramedics and police arrive. Peter is informed that only one person died in the explosion. While getting first aid, Peter notices the bomber standing in the crowd, watching them. Peter runs after the bomber through some shadowy alleys. During their fight, Peter spots a snake tattoo on his side. Despite Peter's attempts to arrest the man, he escapes and Peter was struck by a car.
One year later, Peter is preparing for his shift at the White House. He meets with his boss, Diane Farr, who is not happy about Peter's response to being ambushed by Elliot Rome, a conspiracy theorist who runs a site named The Rome Tome. He accuses Peter of being responsible for the bombing a year prior. Peter's father was previously accused of treason and died before he could prove his innocence, causing people to theorize that Peter is also a traitor.
Diane instructs Peter to say "no comment" to future ambush interviews. She reminds him of their agreement and that he must do well as a night agent before moving on to something greater.
On the way to his office, Peter encounters the Director of the Secret Service, Ben Almora. Ben suggests that the President is interested in Peter's decision to stay with the FBI rather than join the Secret Service.
Jamie Hawkins, Deputy Director of the FBI, asks about a crime report that Peter is meant to write. He is not happy with Peter's response and is annoyed that Peter also reports to Diane Farr, Chief of Staff. Jamie cautions Peter to choose his side wisely.
Peter enters his windowless office, with just a phone and a table, and begins some paperwork. He receives a call from terrified civilian Rose Larkin, a tech CEO whose aunt and uncle were assassinated. Rose pleads for help, telling him that a guy is after her and that her uncle and aunt are in danger. Peter sends police to the house and advises Rose on how to hide from the intruder. Luckily, the police arrive in time to save Rose. The intruder escapes from the window.
Peter informs Diane about the situation. Diane orders Peter to keep Rose safe and not to tell her anything. There is a debrief the next morning.
Jamie Hawkins informs Rose of the news her aunt and uncle had been killed. He is not pleased that Diane had sent Peter to take Rose. Peter drives Rose to his apartment to pick up a few things. He sets up a camera, takes a gun and a burner phone. Rose begins to realize her aunt and uncle lied to her about their jobs. Rose finds newspapers about a disgraced FBI agent who died in a car crash.
Outside Peter's apartment, they are ambushed by 2 Rome Tome fans, who accuse Peter of being behind the metro bombing.
In the car, Peter notices that they were being followed. He orders Rose to call a number on his phone. The man in the car following them begins shooting at their car. They manage to escape and make their way to an AirBnB rented under Peter's friend's name. Inside, Rose finds some female clothes, which Peter explains belonged to his ex-fiancée, Zoe.
While Rose sleeps, Peter gets a notification about someone in his house. He calls Diane, who alerts agents outside his apartment. Unfortunately, once they get inside, they do not find anyone. Peter screenshots a ring one of the intruders were wearing.
The next morning, Peter is kicked out of the debrief because it is above his level. He urges Rose to tell them everything she saw, but as Rose overheard her aunt say someone in the White House was compromised, she refuses to give information during the debrief.[1]
Rose provides Jamie Hawkins and Diane Farr her statement. She is interrogated by Jamie who believes she is hiding something. Jamie doesn't think Peter Sutherland should be protecting Rose, because he's not qualified, but Diane assures him that Peter is ready.
After the debrief, Peter asks why Rose withheld information and she reminds him the White House has been compromised. At the hotel, Rose complains about the room being like a jail. Peter sends books to her room.
Diane asks Peter to double-check Jamie's work and get the files on the Campbells', even though it's above Peter's clearance. She is curious whether Peter is willing to do what it takes to discover the truth and protect Rose.
Peter's colleague tells him the ring worn by the intruder resembles a sigil from the Yugoslav Royal House, which means the first owner might be a member of a royal family.
Peter discovers that Jamie used to be the Campbells' handler while they were employed by the FBI. Diane is unaware of this as well, and he wonders what else Hawkins might be keeping a secret. She requests that he keep their newfound knowledge to themselves.
Peter receives a call from the night action number from Rose, who's feeling lonely. She wants to know if they are making progress on the case. She is reassured by Peter that they are pursuing some new leads. Peter shares with Rose his previous dream of becoming a professional basketball player, while Rose tells him that she was betrayed by a friend. Rose invites Peter to join her for breakfast the following morning.
Peter tells Diane of his plan to have breakfast with Rose. Diane hopes this relationship will help Rose open up.
Peter arrives at the hotel to find the Secret Service agents are gone. The power suddenly goes out. Peter rushes to Rose's room and finds the door is unlocked. They try to flee quickly, but Dale spots them on the steps and starts shooting.
Peter and Rose jump through the glass window and flee into the streets. They go to a clothing store to get new clothes because Rose is only wearing a robe. Ellen fails to find them and gets frustrated.
Peter calls Diane and asks who removed the Secret Service agents. Diane kicks everyone out of the room, except for Ben Almora and Nathan Briggs from the Secret Service. Ben says it's impossible and tells Nathan to investigate, who finds out that a command was issued 30 minutes ago, pulling out the agents. Only the President, Diane, Ben, Nathan, and Jamie have such power. Jamie Hawkins can't be reached, which Rose finds suspicious.
Rose decides to head back to the Campbells' house to investigate what got them killed. At the house, Rose shares with Peter what she heard that evening regarding Osprey, the engineer, and some documents. They said that someone would happen in 7 days and the country would be in trouble. Rose recalls her uncle saying something about a drive in the woods, so they drive there.
Peter tries to persuade Rose during the journey that she doesn't need to do her own investigation because she can trust the FBI. He assures her that he would look after her and avoid a repeat of the incident at the hotel.
At the cabin in the woods, they find a hard drive that has been heavily encrypted. Rose can't access the files. Peter discovers the files are named 2781, which is the number of the train he was riding on when the bomb detonated. He wonders what Rose’s aunt and uncle were doing investigating the metro bombing.
Peter calls Diane, who reveals it was Jamie Hawkins who gave the order to pull the agents, but Jamie is dead. He was killed and dumped on a farm. Peter tells Diane about the encrypted hard drive, and she orders them to go to the White House and bring the hard-drive.[2]
1 year ago, Diane Farr and Peter Sutherland meet at a zoo. He remembers visiting when he was younger and wanting to a bear because he was being bullied at the time.
Diane offers Peter a job - to answer the phone for night agents in distress. She tells him that the phone never rings unless a night agent is in trouble.
Peter feels that she is asking him to be a glorified 9-1-1 operator, but Diane adds that this job will help him advance his career and open up new opportunities for him. Given his dad's reputation, it will be hard for him to get a better offer. Before Peter can answer, Diane tells him that in a zoo, you should always want to be the decision-maker, the one with all the keys, therefore the zookeeper.
In the present, Peter tells Diane that he and Rose Larkin will arrive at the White House in an hour. After hanging up, Peter wonders why Hawkins would throw away his 30 years of service and become a traitor. However, Rose seems unconcerned with Jamie's death and is more worried about Peter's intention to follow orders and go to the White House within an hour.
Peter explains that the White House has the tools to decrypt the hard drive, but Rose is worried about providing evidence to the culprit at the White House.
Peter says he is too low-level to go against an order from above. He trusts Diane to protect them. She was the only person who gave him a chance, despite his father's reputation.
Peter informs Diane that Rose is reluctant to enter the White House and would need some time. She gives them until the next morning at 10 a.m. She tells Peter they are looking into Jamie Hawkins' death and that the President would be briefed in an hour.
Peter and Rose are in the woods, observing the house from a distance. They are trying to test if Diane can be trusted because she is the only one who can trace their location. Soon, Ellen and Dale arrive and search the cabin.
Rose and Peter manage to get away. Peter records Ellen and Dale's license plate information. He asks his police friend Cisco Jenkins to run a BOLO on the vehicle. Rose takes this as a sign that Diane can't be trusted, but Peter is reluctant to believe this.
At the White House, Ben questions Diane about the whereabouts of Peter and Rose. Diane replies that she doesn't trust him and questions how he didn’t know that the Secret Service agents were pulled from the hotel.
Peter and Rose decide to work on the drive by giving it to Diane. They plan to use her to get the drive decrypted. Peter leaves Rose in a diner and set a meeting place. Rose persuades Peter to steal Diane's access card while the FBI is busy working on the hard drive to let her back into the system. Rose makes a call in order to divert Diane's attention.
Peter follows through with the plan and lies that Rose ditched him. Diane puts out a BOLO on Rose. Everything goes according to plan until several police officers unintentionally stop by the diner Rose is in. Diane realizes Peter used her access card and asks why he did it. He explains that he doesn't trust her since she was the only one who knew their location, yet the assassins found them there. Diane sends her phone to the lab to test if it has been compromised. She gives Peter her word that she is trustworthy. She explains to Peter that the Campbells were commissioned by the President to look into the metro bombing.
The next morning, Rose checks into a motel and starts going through the drive. The hard drive was successfully decrypted and she finds files about the metro bombing. Peter shows up to the motel with Diane. Rose is angry that he brought Diane. Diane asks her to calm down as she is not the traitor and is there to tell her the truth.[3]
Diane Farr persuades Rose Larkin and Peter Sutherland that she is on their side, and wants to deliver the hard drive to the President. Rose replies that they will keep the drive and finish the work her aunt and uncle started. She mentions she found an address on the hard drive and that she and Peter will follow up on this lead. Diane warns that this is dangerous, but promises to update the President on the situation and buy them time. After Rose asks about Osprey, Diane promises to look into it.
On the drive to the address, Rose asks Peter not to surprise her like that again. She asks about Zadar, the Balkan dissident and PIF leader. Peter is unsure whether Zadar was actually responsible for the metro bombing.
When they arrive at the address, they wonder why an engineering firm would be in the middle of nowhere. They meet a woman named Lorna and pretend to be journalists, but after she fails to believe them, Rose identifies herself and Lorna lets them in.
Lorna used to work with Emma and Henry, and the three of them even grew close. Lorna is saddened to hear of their deaths. They persuade her to assist them since they believe an attack is imminent. Lorna reveals she had been approached by Emma and Henry to obtain blueprints. Since it is her job to gather intelligence rather than evaluate it, Lorna didn't ask why. Lorna offers to explain the other documents Henry and Emma requested.
They drive into town, and Rose is surprised to hear about Emma and Henry’s secret lives. Lorna assures Rose that they had a wonderful life doing meaningful work. Peter asks about Osprey, but Lorna is not familiar with the code name. Lorna asks how Peter and Rose came to know each other, and seems to know Peter's dad, but acts like she doesn't.
In a café, Rose and Lorna go through the documents that she provided to Henry and Emma. While Peter checks the area, Lorna doubts Peter's reliability. They search the files for his name, but there are no results.
Peter discovers that the metro passes directly underneath the café, and it is the area Henry and Emma were looking into. Lorna advises them to investigate the original target the bomb was meant for. As she leaves, she warns them to be careful. She advises Peter to stop worrying about proving his dad's innocence, as it will cause him pain.
They return to Washington, D.C., where Cisco meets Rose. Cisco and Peter search the house, but Ellen and Dale had already left after getting an order to kill Lorna. Although Lorna fought hard and refused to talk, they kill her and bury her in the woods.
Peter and Rose check into a motel. Rose digs into the files to find out why someone in the White House was involved in the metro bombing. After dinner, Peter reveals to having a hard time after the bombing, which led to his break-up with his ex-fiancée Zoe.
At the motel, Rose finds CCTV footage from the metro bombing. Peter recognizes Chelsea, who was sitting in the café. She seems to have been working, but they can't tell who she was protecting. Peter worries that this is no longer a terror attack, but an assassination attempt.[4]
At Georgetown University, Peter Sutherland meets Chelsea Arrington and questions her on who she was protecting the day of the metro bombing. Peter mentions that he is working under Diane Farr's orders and that Maddie may be in danger. She asks to get clearance first, before answering his questions.
While Chelsea calls Ben about Peter's question, Rose and Peter go to the university's library. Ben instructs Chelsea to divulge no information other than it was not Maddie Redfield. Ben later confronts Diane about Peter ambushing Chelsea. She informs him that she is not aware of the situation and that they must wait for Peter to check in before learning more. Ben claims he feels uneasy about Diane conducting an off-the-books investigation. Diane assures Ben that he has nothing to worry about if he is clean. He warns her to tread carefully and leaves. Diane tries to call Peter, but can't reach him.
At the library, Peter and Rose investigate the metro bombing. Peter dismisses Rose's suggestion to access Jamie Hawkins' computer and believes it would be better to talk to his widow instead. Rose stays behind to investigation the image of the ring worn by the killer.
Before leaving, Peter gives Rose his new burner phone and asks her to check in on him from time to time. Chelsea calls Peter just before he departs to let him know Maddie is not involved. Chelsea is confused when Peter brings up the café and does not answer when Peter questions who Osprey is.
Peter speaks to Jamie's widow, Cynthia. She admits that Jamie was close to the Campbells. She tells Peter that Jamie was investigating the Metro bombing and what happened to the Campbells. Her husband always doubted the PIF's alleged involvement in the metro bombing, instead believing government contractor Turn Lake Industries was responsible. On the day he died, he was due to meet the CEO of Turner Lake Industries. Turner Lake Industries is a government contractor.
At the White House, Ben arranges a meeting with Diane, President Michelle Travers and Vice President Ashley Redfield. Ashley asks about what Peter was doing at Maddie's university. He is not pleased to hear Peter has not spoken to Diane yet and that she has no information to give. Diane insists that Peter is loyal and there should be no issues. She explains that Peter and Rose are investigating the Campbells' case. Michelle orders her to get Peter and Rose back and make sure they are safe.[5]
Ellen and Dale are following Rose Larkin and Peter Sutherland, who are driving to the White House. Ellen wants to have a high-speed car chase, but Dale tells her that they have a tracker on Peter's car, so they won't lose them.
In the car, Rose gives Peter points on how to approach the situation when he reports to Diane Farr and President Michelle Travers. Peter wants Rose to stay behind while he goes into the White House. Peter and Rose notice they are being followed. Dale and Ellen retreat when they realize they have been spotted.
Peter takes Rose to his friend Cisco Jenkins's place. Cisco is cooking in preparation for his first date with someone he met on Bumble. Cisco is not happy with canceling his date, but agrees to help them. Peter and Rose plan a place to meet, and she asks him to be careful. Cisco and Rose have dinner and talk about Peter. Rose learns that Peter's ex-fiancée Zoe bailed on him when things got tough, and he needed help. Cisco tells Rose that he and Peter were classmates at the FBI Academy in Quantico. Cisco was unprepared for the water survival portion of academy training, but Peter helped get him through it. Cisco dropped out of the academy due to family issues, but the two remained friends.
At the White House, Peter meets Diane and tells her Rose is with a friend. He also tells Diane that he met with Jamie Hawkins' widow and his suspicions that Turn Lake was involved in the metro bombing, but blamed it on Omar Zadar. Diane is surprised that someone made an assassination attempt disguised as a terror attack.
Peter tells Diane it's possible that Vice President Ashley Redfield is working with Gordon Wick to carry out another attack in 2 days. Diane says she needs to update President Michelle Travers and asks Peter to have Rose brought in by his trooper friend. Peter pauses, as he realizes he never told Diane Rose was with his trooper friend.
Peter realizes that Diane is in on it, but keeps calm. He tells Rose and Cisco to escape. Diane calls Gordon to inform him that Peter and Rose know. She suggests having Peter arrested and for Gordon to handle Rose.
Peter is hunted down by the other agents, who want him arrested. Peter escapes from the White House via a tunnel that leads outside. He heads to the foundry park, where he finds Dale about to kill Rose. Peter fights Dale and gets the upper hand. Rose wants to kill Dale, but Peter wants to have him arrested. Dale taunts them about Rose's aunt's and Lorna's deaths. He tries to attack Peter again, so Peter kills him and leaves Dale floating in the water.
At the White House, Diane and Ashley discuss how to get ahead of Peter. Ashley pretends to be concerned about Maddie's kidnapping, but Diane insists on using the kidnapping to frame Peter, as he and Rose know enough to jeopardize Diane and Ashley's careers. Diane reminds Ashley that he was the one who started all this, and only roped Diane in after things didn't go to plan. They prepare for a press conference.
The next morning, Ellen finds Dale's body at the foundry park and is visibly upset. Peter and Rose hide on a boat that belonged to his godfather, Jim Wilson. Peter is shaken by Diane's betrayal, but is grateful for Rose's support.
Erik and Chelsea find a lead on Paulo and update Ben Almora. Ben tells them has another suspect in mind and wants them to investigate Peter.
At the White House, Diane tells Ashley that they must discredit Peter, to avoid ending up in prison themselves. Peter and Rose watch the news and finds out about Cisco's death and sees Vice President Ashley Redfield naming Peter a suspect in Maddie's kidnapping.[6]
Personality[]
Peter Sutherland started the series as a rule-follower who did everything by the book in his job. However, there were times when Peter would break the rules if it benefitted himself or Rose Larkin, who he was protecting. Alongside being protective, Peter is shown to be a nice guy since he has made the time to comfort Rose through her trauma. Later in season 1, when someone Peter trusts betrays him, he becomes more cold and angry.
In season 2, viewers see a more closed-off, tougher version of Peter, but he still has a soft spot for Rose, who he cares deeply for and yearns to protect.
Physical appearance[]
Peter has light skin and brown eyes. His hair is short and brown. He is slightly above average height, standing at 6 feet or 182.88 centimeters.
Appearances[]
- Season One
- The Call
- Redial
- The Zookeeper
- Eyes Only
- The Marionette
- Fathom
- Best Served Cold
- Redux
- The Devil We Know
- Fathers
Trivia[]
- Peter originally wanted to be an NBA player, but was a terrible player in college.[7]
Gallery[]
