Warning! Spoilers for The Night Agent season 3 ahead!Luciane Buchanan’s Rose Larkin was a fixture of The Night Agent‘s first two seasons, but she did not appear in the most recent season 3. This is, of course, a significant disappointment, since Rose’s clever participation with Night Action was all part of the thrill and charm of the Netflix series. Add in the romantic chemistry and tension between Buchanan’s character and Gabriel Basso’s Peter Sutherland, and this performer provided yet another reason for viewers to keep coming back for more. Despite that, The Night Agent has moved in a different direction.

The Night Agent served as Buchanan’s breakout into the mainstream. Her character, Rose, is what got everything started for Peter in season 1, since it was her panicked call to Night Action that dragged this former FBI agent into the central political conspiracy. In season 2, Buchanan returned alongside Basso, continuing the romance arc between Rose and Peter while exploring a brand new conspiracy and the psychological fallout of Camp David. The ending of The Night Agent season 2 left things ambiguous for Rose, but there was little doubt at the time that Buchanan would be back.

Unfortunately, just a handful of months before The Night Agent season 3’s February 19, 2026, premiere, Buchanan announced that Rose wouldn’t be a feature in the coming episodes. Creator Shawn Ryan later confirmed this, but it was still hard not to look for Buchanan’s character throughout season 3, especially during the ending. Still, this character didn’t make so much as a cameo appearance, but the reason for Rose’s absence means the door is wide open for the future.

Why Luciane Buchanan’s Rose Larkin Does Not Appear In The Night Agent Season 3

Thankfully, Buchanan’s absence in The Night Agent season 3 isn’t the result of any contention. The actor’s big reveal that she wouldn’t return this time around was full of positivity and excitement about what would come next for Basso and his Night Agent character. Buchanan stated that the writers “decided that they wanted to follow Peter and his journey based on what happened at the end of season 2,” adding that this was a choice respected.

Ryan later followed up on Buchanan’s statement with the same story. He explained that they had “always envisioned the show as telling a new story each season with a revolving cast,” and that it simply hadn’t felt like there was an organic way for Rose to fit in with this new rotation of Peter’s allies and enemies.

With The Night Agent season 3 officially on Netflix, it’s now clear what Buchanan and Ryan meant. These episodes marked a significant shift for Peter, as he attempts to reclaim his morality and identity after his difficult decision to commit an illegal favor for Jacob Monroe to save Rose’s life. It made sense within the story for Peter to take some space from Rose, both to keep her protected and to allow for his own personal development.

It’s also worth noting that even Peter was a bit less involved in the central story of The Night Agent season 3. This isn’t to say he is no longer the series protagonist. Rather, the central conspiracy of this installment didn’t directly involve him or his past. The emphasis was placed on Isabel De Leon’s character instead. The episodes featured a careful balance between this arc and Peter’s personal growth. With Rose added to the mix, Isabel’s story might have struggled to find its legs.

What Happened To Rose After The Night Agent Season 2

Given the events of The Night Agent season 2, it was easy enough to keep Buchanan’s Rose out of things for a while. Throughout this sophomore installment, Rose grappled with symptoms of PTSD resulting from the events at Camp David in season 1. This naturally made coping with another conspiracy and a run-in with criminals all the more challenging. She loved Peter, but she, too, was ready for some space. After all, their romance was built entirely on trauma.

Given Rose’s struggles, it would have seemed almost cruel to make her endure another traumatic event. There were previous hints that Rose might join Night Action, but this, too, wouldn’t make sense on either side of things, considering her psychological state. It completely worked that Rose would shift her focus back to her career. The Night Agent season 2 kept a door open for another Rose story with the tease that her people-finder software could become a problem, but it was far more fair to the character to allow her to follow through on the choice to stay out of the action.

Will Lucianne Buchanan Reprise Her Role In New Seasons Of The Night Agent?

Even though Buchanan wasn’t in The Night Agent season 3, the show’s writers carefully and cleverly kept Rose on the audience’s minds. She continues to be a motivator for Peter as he carefully maneuvers his interactions with Jacob Monroe. He knows that any mistake could get Rose killed, and we, the audience, are just as aware of this fact. In this way, she is still a prominent character, even off-screen. This essentially means anything can happen.

Buchanan is certainly open to the possibility of returning for future seasons of The Night Agent, provided it works well for her character. “If there is an opportunity that makes sense to the story for her to come back,” the actor said, “I’m sure they’ll explore it.” The finale of season 3 seemed to hint at as much, since Rose was once again brought up as Peter prepared to take time to heal before taking on another case at Night Action.

One thing is for certain: Peter still loves Rose, and he’s unlikely to move on from that unresolved romance any time soon. Rose’s time off-screen can even give her character development a bit of a boost, since this space from that trauma-driven romance can give viewers the sense that she has regrounded. If Buchanan’s Rose does return for The Night Agent season 4 and beyond, her story should be refreshed and revitalized, making her involvement all the better.