Genre – Spy Drama
Time: 10 episodes of average 48 minutes each
Platform: Jio + Hotstar
Director: Multiple directors for episodes
Cast: Michael Fassbender (Martian). Jeffrey Wright (Henry Ogletree). Katherine Waterston (Naomi). Harriet Sansom Harris (Dr. Blake). Saura Lightfoot-Leon (Daniela aka Danny). Jodie Turner-Smith (Samia Zahir). Richard Gere (Bosko, Head of London Station). India Fowler (Poppy).
Plot: Martian has just come back from being six years undercover in Sudan, developing contacts and agents. His cover as a teacher brought him in touch with Samia Zahir and they became lovers. He is now back in London Station, awaiting reassignment subject to psychological evaluation by Dr. Blake, and his handler Naomi’s reports. Martian is also trying to get back with his teenage daughter Poppy who resents his attention but grudgingly accepts that he may not be all that bad and is genuinely trying to make amends.
At the same time, there is a deep cover operative in Belarus, code named Coyote, who is involved in a car crash and is picked up by Belarusian FSB (KGB). There is also another deep cover Special Forces trio in Ukraine, code named Felix, who are hunted by the Russians and who must lie low but have their own secret tasking.
The deputy Henry Ogletree has a personal interest in Felix as the American leader of the Felix trio, is his brother-in-law. Bosko, the head of the station, is dealing with multiple crises. Samia lands up in London on a student visa and things go topsy turvy as she resumes her affair with Martian while being constantly shadowed by the Sudanese Mukhabarat (Secret Service). Meanwhile Daniela aka Danny, a fresh operative is being trained to infiltrate the Iranian nuclear program….
The Agency is an English remake of The Bureau, a French TV Series that ran for five incredible seasons, between 2015 and 2020, and was lauded world-wide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bureau_(TV_series)
Unfortunately, it is unavailable in India on any channel. Apple TV and Amazon Prime have it internationally. (Original French version is on You Tube for Season 1 , without any English subtitles and the auto translate does a terrible job).
While watching the French original, I had to keep reminding myself time and again that this is a TV serial and these are not spies but professional actors; the series was THAT GOOD.
So how does The Agency stack up against The Bureau? Fairly well. The Series has been “Anglicized” to fit in with American expectations of some ‘slam bang’ action for which you have the special Forces team and their secret ‘tasking’. This story arc does distract from time to time, but does make some sense and a connect to the overall story in the final two episodes.
Geo politically, there is plenty of realistic stuff. Sudan and its internal / civil wars. Americans trying to get influence in a region that is largely suspicious of Americans and favor the Chinese, who love to fish in troubled waters. The Belarus standoff. The 3-man team of 2 Ukrainians and 1 American, to cater to the angle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. London itself as a backdrop to the spying intrigues. Martian and his dangerous relationship with Samia. The Chinese brokering an agreement between the hostiles in Sudan for a slice of the geopolitical pie and influence in a region where they are absent.
All these (and more) are revealed in the first three episodes.
So, how does it develop overall?
Very well. Thank you. Barring couple of episodes in the middle which are a bit dull, the series ends on a high note that guarantees it further seasons. We can only hope that the future seasons lives up to it.
What doesn’t work. Most Western serials with a Special Forces / Spy as the central character have a troubled teenager – usually a teenage daughter – with whom the spy/ operator must now catch up. This has now become a cliche and an absolute masala element in quite a few TV serials and or movies. Naturally, the daughter realises the importance of keeping America safe, as she is chased at times by the bad guys. This too has become a cliché. Barring this cliché, the series is well written and picks up in the last three episodes, ending on a high which guarantees a Season 2 and 3 and so on.
Fassbender is at times dull but then it can’t be helped as he is an agent who has been out in the Cold for six years and is now back and still can’t shake that off from his character. Everybody else is competent.
So, should you spend 10 hours? Watch the first four episodes and then decide. Be patient with episodes 5,6,7 as the pace slackens and you will be wondering what is going on. However, Episodes 8,9,10 , the tension racks up to a terrific finale.
Despite my constant comparisons with The Bureau, I was very impressed with the series. If you haven’t seen The Bureau, you will enjoy it even more.
Script – 4 out of 5
Story – 4 out of 5
Direction – 4 out of 5
Photography – 4 out of 5
Total – 4 out of 5
Great review. Will definitely watch