“The Agency” promises intrigue, espionage and CIA secrets, bolstered by a heavyweight cast and high-gloss production values reflective of its premium cable berth on Paramount+ With Showtime.
Unfortunately, beneath the polished exterior lies a reheated platter of worn-out tropes that already felt tired 10 years ago. Harried technicians stare anxiously at garbled video calls on their computers while agents rush between their offices, exchanging clipped, clichéd dialogue in hushed whispers. It’s a storytelling shorthand we’ve seen far too many times for it to feel new or compelling.
Indeed, recent history has seen a veritable bumper crop of TV spy fare pop up. Whether AMC’s “The Night Manager,” Apple’s “Slow Horses,” Prime Video’s just-concluded “Jack Ryan” or Peacock’s just-launched adaptation of “The Day of the Jackal,” viewers certainly have no shortage of options at the moment. “The Agency” can’t help but suffer in comparison, lacking the ingenuity or depth to stand out in a crowded field of superior dramas.
Debuting on Nov. 29 with the first two 10 episodes, the George Clooney-produced remake of the French series “Le Bureau des Légendes” (a.k.a. “The Bureau”) has an impressive pedigree, for sure. That, coupled with the star power of Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith and Jeffrey Wright in key roles should have been enough to land it in must-watch territory, but it’s weighed down by a sluggish narrative that struggles to match the undeniable visual flair.
The concept is an intriguing one, for sure: Fassbender is “Martian,” a veteran CIA operative emerging from years undercover and grappling with the lingering fractures of his dual lives. At season’s start, we’re introduced to the dynamic between Martian and Turner-Smith’s Dr. Sami Zahir, someone he got a bit too close to and is having a really hard time leaving behind.
While there’s an ongoing story about a CIA asset code-named “Coyote” who’s been captured overseas, it’s the Fassbender-Smith relationship that makes up the emotional core of the early episodes, but so far the storyline is a puzzle with too many missing pieces.
Helming the first two episodes, feature director Joe Wright crafts a lush cinematic environment rich in shadows and texture that imbues the production with an immediate air of prestige. But while the aesthetics are undoubtedly impressive, the storytelling fails to keep stride.
What should feel like an intricate game of cat-and-mouse instead ends up as a tangled mess of world-weary intelligence jargon and subplots that fail to coalesce into something more significant. Most damningly, there’s a noticeable absence of tension, replaced by an uneven pace that never quite finds its footing.
While always imminently watchable, Michael Fassbender ends up as something of a double-edged sword here. On the one hand, he’s the kind of actor who can convey a world of inner conflict with just a glance. On the other, the character’s very nature as a man defined by secrecy and detachment renders him frustratingly opaque.
Martian is meant to be a cipher, molded by years of living under false identities. While this is entirely appropriate from a thematic perspective, it inadvertently creates a wall between the audience and the character, leaving viewers with little to latch onto emotionally.
Even the impressive supporting cast, brimming with talent though it is, feels oddly underutilized. Wright and Richard Gere, playing high-ranking CIA honchos, lend gravitas but are often relegated to delivering exasperated exposition instead of driving the story forward.
As “The Agency” stretches out over a 10-episode first season, it isn’t until the closing moments of the third episode that a semblance of focus begins to crystallize. The resulting imbalance leads to a show that feels both overstuffed and underdeveloped, as if unsure which to prioritize: character study or plot mechanics.
Ultimately, while the ingredients are here for a standout spy drama — an impressive cast, a talented creative team, and a proven blueprint in “Le Bureau des Légendes” — the execution falters. At a time when the genre is flourishing with bold, innovative entries, “The Agency” feels hopelessly stuck in the past, recycling familiar beats without adding anything new to the conversation.
For those with an abiding appetite for espionage thrillers, the glossy production and flashy cast may warrant a watch, but it’s hard to recommend over the more engaging alternatives already available. While the French original boasted 50 episodes, it’s difficult to imagine this remake hitting that benchmark.
“The Agency” aims to delve into the shadowy world of spycraft, but it doesn’t quite manage to step out of the shadows of its competitors.
“The Agency” premieres Friday, Nov. 29, on Paramount+ With Showtime.