The Agency: And Spies Play Deadly Games

The Agency (Season 1/2025) Series is a contemporary espionage tale from the United States of America. The protagonist of this spy series is a Central Intelligence Agency agent Martian (Michael Fassbender).

Series Review [Spoiler-Free]: The Agency (Season 1, USA, 2025) Series

In FOCUS: As Geo-Political Issues Dominate, Spies Play Deadly Games

The Bureau

Furthermore, it is worth noting that “The Agency” (2025) series is an American adaptation of the French “Le Bureau des Légendes” (2015-2020), aka “The Bureau” series. Thankfully, we have seen the original French show so that we can compare the two series. Moreover, it seems that could be one of the reasons in this day and age of high-tech. IT, the CIA Agent, Martian, still believes in old-school spy craft.

The CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency, abbreviated as CIA and informally called “The Agency” and commonly referred to by the pseudonym “Langley“, too. Historically, the other names of the “CIA” are “The Company” and/or the “Compañía” (in Spanish). This agency functions as a civilian foreign intelligence service for the federal government of the United States.

It focuses on the collection, processing, and analysis of national security information from across the globe. Its primary methods include human intelligence (HUMINT) and covert operations managed by the Directorate of Operations. The headquarters of the CIA is at the George Bush Centre for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia.

Two Kinds of Spies

CIA Case Officers, such as Martian and his CIA colleagues, operate in foreign nations through two primary methods.

1. The Diplomatic Cover Officials often use the first method. As they collect intelligence while serving as a government representative, such as a Cultural Attaché. And the protections of Diplomatic Immunity are enjoyed by them. This approach is colloquially termed the “Diplomatic Cocktail Circuit,” as it often yields limited substantive information.
2. The Non-Official Cover (NOC) Officials usually fall in the second category. Notably, they are referred to as the “Deep Cover” in the spy circles. These officers adopt a non-governmental role for extended durations. And they often face significant risks without the safeguard of immunity, which may include imprisonment, torture, or even death.

Case Officers, previously referred to as Operations Officers, can function as either Inside Officers (Official Cover) or Outside Officers (Non-Official Cover). Informants or Agents report to the Outside Officer, while the Non-Official Cover (NOC) communicates with the Inside Officer. The Inside Officer serves as a crucial link to the Agency, facilitating the flow of operational information essential for mission success.

In situations where the operational environment is too dangerous for face-to-face interactions between case officers and NOCs or other agents within a country, alternative clandestine communication methods are employed, such as electronic means, satellite communication, secret writing, and dead drops. Any necessary personal meetings are conducted outside the country. All of these are standard operational methods for the spies.

Poster

Meet 5 CIA Spies

For the sake of brevity and suspense, we are going to introduce only 5 principal characters. Besides Martian, this spy show also focuses on Danny’s mission, which might unfold in upcoming seasons. All the following 5 CIA personnel named below play a vital role at the London Station. And this is the current location of the lead character, Martian.

Looking at the lives of two CIA spies, Martian and Danny, it seems that it is almost impossible to lead a normal life. Spying is a deadly and dangerous game. So, there are possible threats to their loved ones.

A Complex Spy Tale

The story primarily revolves around a CIA agent Martian (Michael Fassbender), who is based in the London office, as of now. However, in season one, his globe-trotting spy missions often take him to distant places in Africa, Russia, Ukraine, etc. However, London is an active playground for spies from different nationalities in this spy show.

Each one of them vying to serve and protect the interests of their respective nations. Moreover, given the current geo-political alignment, we see the spies from Sudan, China, Iran, Russia, and of course, Britain, all of them playing their highly competitive espionage games.

[The transformation of an individual into an Agent, Informer, or Confidential Informant by a Case Officer is achieved through the strategic use of the acronym MICE - Money, Ideology, Compromise (aka Blackmail), and Ego.]

As we have seen in the original French series (named above), there is a very thin line between the personal lives and professional lives of such covert agents. And more often than not, these thin boundaries are often crossed, in the very high stake spy activities. Although, we liked the fresh story of “The Agency”, the slow pace did bother us many times.

One needs to stay invested and involved to finish watching its ten episodes. We hope that in season two, “The Agency” will pick up the pace and get more action. Especially with the new energetic US president.

Ensemble Cast

What attracted us to this spy show was to check out the outstanding group of actors and actresses. The protagonist Martian is played by Michael Fassbender, whom we last watched in The Killer (2023) movie. Then, there is his love interest Dr Samia Fatima portrayed by Jodie Turner-Smith, whom we saw in the “Bad Monkey” (2024) series. If “The Agency” series follows in the footsteps of “The Bureau”, then we are going to more of CIA agent Martian and Sudanese educator Dr. Samia. Particularly, the way the season finale played out for both of them.

But, apart from Danny (aka Ruiz), we did not get a chance to see more of his CIA office colleagues. Maybe, because they are operating in the espionage business, we did not get up close and personal with most of them. And this is a waste of great talent. Because they all are wonderful performers and they did well. The way this contemporary spy tale is going ahead, we are going to see more of Russia, China, Iran, and of course African nations like Sudan. So, once again, we hope that in season two, “The Agency” will show more insights about these characters and add a few more spooks, too.

Rating

Conclusion

In short, it is a fairly engaging and realistic spy show. But, to be honest, we expected more from it. Maybe, we have seen the original French show, so we certainly want more.

Geopolitics is changing at a rapid pace. So, let us see what the future holds for “The Agency”.

Key Details

Trailer & Synopsis

Martian (Michael Fassbender) is a covert CIA agent, ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind reappears, romance reignites. His career, real identity, and mission are pitted against his heart—hurling them into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.

Bonus YouTube Video Link: The Agency | Inside The Agency | Paramount+ with SHOWTIME | YouTube.

The Poster and Featured Image of The Agency (Season 1/2025) Series are credited to Paramount+ with Showtime.