Mars' Inability to Let Go of the Past Could Be His Final Undoing

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Mars' Inability to Let Go of the Past Could Be His Final Undoing

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for episode 4 of The Agency.When I first heard about The AgencyI didn't expect Michael Fassbender's new spy series to be so slow. Still, with each new episode of the series, I become more intrigued by the nuances of his character, Marciano. Episode 4 of The Agency dives deeper into the political aspect of the series. The action isn't a major part of the episode – or the series, really – but things start to ramp up on different fronts, which makes me excited for future developments in the rest of the season.

The Agency is a 2024 spy thriller that follows undercover CIA agent Martian, who is called back to London station, disrupting his secret life. As an old romance rekindles, Martian's career and true identity are threatened, thrusting him into a high-stakes world full of international intrigue and deception.

Release date

November 29, 2024

Network

Paramount+ with Showtime

Cast

Jeffrey Wright, Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith, Saura Lightfoot Leon, Katherine Waterston, John Magaro, Alex Reznik, Harriet Sansom Harris, India Fowler, Reza Brojerdi, Richard Gere

Seasons

1

The first three episodes of The Agencywhich I spoke about in more detail in my analysis of The Agency season 1, establish the rules of this world. Fassbender's Martian is back in London and trying to adjust to his normal life after spending years in Ethiopia working undercover. Episode 4 continues many of the threads created by the series' first episodes, with the psychological aspect of what that time on mission did to Marciano returning in an interesting way. While other characters in The AgencyThe star-studded squad is good for players, Marciano is incomparable.

Agency political intrigue delivers mixed results

I should start by talking about the central aspect of the program, which didn't completely work for me, at least during The Agencyfirst episodes. Often with spy series or films, like the James Bond franchise, more excitement and action is expected. I didn't go in The Agency expecting these things, as the show has always made it clear that its true intention was to function as a psychological thriller, building an atmosphere full of paranoia of not knowing who to trust and having to manipulate others to achieve a goal.

I think a lot of emotion can come from this premise without necessarily having to resort to the action scenes seen in episode 3, when three of Felix's agents had to shoot their way out in Ukraine. However, by episode 4, I still wasn't fully captivated by the series' slow-paced story. Some of the political connections are hard to follow, although the show's latest episode offered some solid developments. The Agency still needs to find its rhythm, as it oscillates between monotonous and interesting moments with its political conversations.

Danny's Story Finally Starts Moving

The character escapes a problematic situation


Danny looks at Marciano reflected in a mirror at the Agency

Now that Marciano is back in London, Danny is the field agent we actively follow while undercover. The character was introduced as the agency's brightest young recruit. I was disappointed that she didn't have much to do in the first three episodes, but I'm glad that changed, with her mission beginning in earnest in episode 4. There's a nice contrast to how Martian and Danny view their work. Marciano is dealing with the consequences of years undercover, finding it difficult to fully let go of the life he led there.

This is where things get interesting. Danny needs to convince Reza, responsible for the exchange program, that she is the best choice.

On the other hand, Saura Lightfoot-Leon's character is just starting down this path and sees how difficult it can be. Danny has to be chosen as a student at the Institute of Geophysics to go to Tehran to get to the next chapter of his mission. Naomi, played by Katherine Waterston, guides her as she adapts to her new life, although there is only so much she can do – the rest is up to Danny. This is where things get interesting. Danny needs to convince Reza, responsible for the exchange program, that she is the best choice.

Many students are trying to get a place. However, Reza likes Danny. The problem is that Reza simply wants to take advantage of her by making inappropriate advances in the car while they are driving to an event. At the beginning of the episode, Naomi said that Danny would have to seduce his target if necessary, so that's what I expected to happen after Reza made his move. But I was surprised when Danny shot him. It looks like she's going to get lost or have to find a different way to get into the exchange program.

Marciano's life is about to become very difficult

Episode 4 ends with a big development

I was impressed with Martian's story in episode 4. Martian and his daughter patch things up after a tense conversation, and I'm happy to see a softer side to the character when he's with her. They even lose Marciano's tail together, something that comes up in a major way later in the episode. Martian and Jeffrey Wright's Henry is also a fun duo to follow, and the two manage to secure a direct line to the KGB to get Coyote back, which I'm interested in watching.

Marciano's love life is also going through some developments. It is revealed that Sami is actually divorcing her husband, with Osman not working for him, but rather as an intelligence agent trying to maintain the secrecy of negotiations between Sudanese and Chinese authorities. That's why he's looking at Marciano and everyone Sami interacts with. After pressing her for information just as Martian is about to enter his hotel room, Sami is forced to reveal Martian's secret name, “Paul Lewis”. Marciano messed up and now his cover may be blown, making for an interesting episode 5.

New episodes of The Agency drops weekly on Paramount+ with Showtime every Sunday.

The Agency

Pros

  • Martian and Danny's stories continue to be exciting
  • Episode 4 ends with a big reveal that shakes things up
Cons

  • The pace of the show continues to drag

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