When The Agency was first announced on Showtime, it seemed destined for greatness. With an impressive ensemble cast featuring Academy Award nominees Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright, alongside the acclaimed writing team of John-Henry and Jez Butterworth, expectations were high. Add to that the fact that the show is based on the critically underrated French series The Bureau, known for its realistic portrayal of the world of espionage, and it felt like a perfect recipe for success.
Spy shows are a staple in television, with series like Slow Horses proving their ability to captivate audiences with thrilling plots and complex characters. In many ways, The Agency appeared to be cut from the same cloth as Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, especially with its star-studded cast and quick production timeline—filming began in June, and the show is already set to premiere by Thanksgiving. With all the right elements in place, including the use of Jack White’s haunting cover of “Love is Blindness” as the theme song, which suggests Fassbender’s character is a more vulnerable spy, The Agency should have been a winner. But something about it just doesn’t quite hit the mark.
What Is The Agency About?
The show follows CIA agent “Martian” (Fassbender), who has spent considerable time in Ethiopia, where he had a secret affair with married college professor Sami Zahir (Jodie Turner-Smith). After being reassigned to London, Martian abruptly ends the affair and heads back to Europe. In London, he faces the challenges of reintegrating into his civilian life. The show portrays a more mundane view of working for the CIA, featuring a mix of personal and professional drama, including tense interactions between co-workers such as Director Henry (Wright) and Chief Bosko (Richard Gere).
Things take a dramatic turn when Sami unexpectedly reappears, pulling Martian into a moral dilemma between his loyalty to his career and his feelings for her. While this premise has the potential for emotional depth and intrigue, The Agency takes its time, often moving at a pace so slow that the first episode feels like little more than a setup.
Visually, The Agency holds promise, with even the simplest moments—such as Fassbender riding in a car with Henry or Dr. Blake (Harriet Sansom Harris)—capturing a pleasing aesthetic. The involvement of talented director Joe Wright seems to have elevated these moments, but ultimately, the show’s pacing and storytelling still leave much to be desired.
Playing It Too Safe
Despite its stellar cast and promising foundation, The Agency falls into a trap of playing it too safe. The show is far from bad; it’s competently directed, and the actors do their best with the material they’re given. Wright is a standout as the sharp, no-nonsense Director Henry, bringing the same charm and intelligence we’ve come to love from his performances. Fassbender, as Martian, delivers a performance that recalls his previous roles—mysterious, calculated, and cold—but there’s little that sets this role apart from his other, more memorable characters. Turner-Smith, meanwhile, shines as Sami, bringing depth to a character who, at this point, feels underwritten but promises more as the series progresses.
The story, however, does not do enough to keep the viewer engaged. The series attempts to weave in real-world geopolitical tensions, like the Russo-Ukrainian War, but it fails to make a clear statement on these issues. Mentioning figures like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin feels shallow and lacks the depth necessary to spark real interest. It’s as if the writers were aiming for deeper commentary on surveillance and global power dynamics but stopped short of exploring anything too controversial or thought-provoking.
Wasted Potential
What ultimately hurts The Agency is its inability to fully commit to any one direction. The series presents a mix of intriguing ideas—from espionage-driven suspense to the mundane aspects of CIA life—but it never fully realizes either aspect. Martian’s unexpected reunion with Sami could have been a great opportunity for steamy chemistry and plot twists, but the show never dives into these aspects with the intensity they deserve. Meanwhile, the more grounded look at spycraft, with employees navigating routine office politics and managing foreign assets, could have been a fascinating take on the espionage genre, but the show’s reluctance to push boundaries keeps it from reaching its full potential.
Despite its talented creative team and A-list cast, The Agency ends up feeling like a lesser version of better spy dramas. It’s not poorly made, but it doesn’t stand out in a crowded field. With shows like Slow Horses setting a high bar for espionage thrillers, The Agency fails to measure up, leaving you wishing that Fassbender and Wright had been cast in something more engaging.
Ultimately, The Agency is a series that could have been much more than it is. With a talented cast, a compelling premise, and a prestigious creative team behind it, the show squanders its potential with slow pacing, a conflicted tone, and a lack of commitment to either gritty realism or more action-packed suspense. As it stands, it’s hard to get excited about a series that feels more like a missed opportunity than a thrilling ride. If you’re a fan of espionage dramas, you’ll likely find yourself wishing for something more—perhaps the next season of Slow Horses—rather than slogging through The Agency, which feels like it never quite conquers the moment.