The Agency
The Agency
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The Agency

"Truth is a moving target."

7.2
Yr 2024
Status Returning Series
Your Verdict
Unrated

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Series Brief

Overview

Covert CIA agent Martian is ordered to abandon his undercover life and return to London Station. When the love he left behind unexpectedly reappears, their romance reignites, pitting his career, his real identity and his mission against his heart while hurling them both into a deadly game of international intrigue and espionage.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 65 /100

The Agency has split critics, emerging as a deliberate, dialogue-heavy espionage drama that polarizes depending on an audience's appetite for slow-burn storytelling. While some reviewers find its methodical plotting and heavy surveillance atmosphere engaging, others argue that its measured pacing robs the central narrative of urgency.

Favorable notices highlight Michael Fassbender's grounded performance and the series' icy, realistic depiction of modern intelligence work. For those willing to invest patience, critics note that the show delivers sharp character drama and sophisticated tension rather than relying on explosive stunts and special effects.

More skeptical reviewers, however, find the series sluggish and formulaic. Detractors point to an excessively slow opening run of episodes and a solemn tone that occasionally collapses under its own self-importance, leaving the espionage stakes feeling flat despite its talented cast.

“A fabulously gripping series that's realistic and immersive, with excellent characters.”

“This is a slow, ambling show that, at times, feels as if it is collapsing under the weight of its own self-importance.”

“This solid but somewhat lifeless spy thriller plays by the rules, even when its characters don't.”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Why fans love it

The Agency balances the mechanics of a political thriller with the deliberate pace of a character study. By grounding the high-stakes world of international espionage in the somber reality of a man leaving his identity behind, the show prioritizes atmosphere over loud spectacle. London functions as more than a backdrop, providing a textured, muted environment for the tension to unfold as long-buried secrets surface.

Michael Fassbender anchors the drama with a performance that emphasizes the internal friction of a spy caught between professional duty and personal attachments. The series focuses on the understated fallout of a compromised mission rather than leaning into explosive action tropes. It treats the complications of a reignited romance as a primary source of suspense, making the bureaucratic machinery of the CIA feel as dangerous as the physical threats lurking in the city.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 20
Longest run 20 eps
Show 67 more
Andrew Brooke as Grandpa 20 episodes Christian Ochoa Lavernia as Grandma 10 episodes Reza Brojerdi as Reza Mortazevi 20 episodes Ambreen Razia as Blair 18 episodes Alex Reznik as Piotr 'Coyote' Rybak 11 episodes Richard Gere as James 'Bosko' Bradley 20 episodes Dominic West as CIA Director 7 episodes Adam Nagaitis as Grandma 8 episodes Bilal Hasna as Simon 20 episodes Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Ben 8 episodes Edward Holcroft as Dr Charlie Remy 5 episodes Emma Lau as Amelia - China Ops 4 episodes Annabel Mullion as Emily Ogletree 3 episodes Marcin Zarzeczny as Orekhov 3 episodes Sergej Onopko as Dr Koval 4 episodes Oleksandr Rudynskyi as Boutenko 4 episodes Elena Saurel as Ms Robinshaw 13 episodes Dmitry Turchaninov as Interrogator / Ski Mask One 2 episodes Jack Jagodka as Interrogator / Ski Mask Two 2 episodes Pääru Oja as Man in Tracksuit / Special OP 2 episodes Timothy Harker as Manager, Institute 2 episodes Kurt Egyiawan as Osman 12 episodes David Harewood as Dalaga 7 episodes Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Jerome 3 episodes Jessie Mei Li as Rose 2 episodes Akpore Uzoh as Negotiator 3 episodes Hugh Bonneville as James Richardson 12 episodes Elham Ehsas as Edward 2 episodes Abdullahi Islaw as Abdel 4 episodes Violet Verigo as Administrator Cultural Heritage 2 episodes Curtis Lum as Guo 4 episodes Juris Žagars as General Volchok 5 episodes Anthony Edridge as Secretary of State 3 episodes Ray BLK as Dozer 7 episodes Vladimir Angelove as Leo 3 episodes Tanya Shpadi as Sylviya 2 episodes Dmitriy Sharakois as Sasha 2 episodes Afsheen Misaghi as Iranian CIA Operative 2 episodes Marko Leht as Valhalla Mercenary 2 episodes Michael Lindall as SAC/SOG Commander J. Pruitt 4 episodes Sabrina Chow Yee Wu as Raine Miller 17 episodes Clayne Crawford as Viking 9 episodes Keanush Tafreshi as Hassan Zamani 9 episodes Medalion Rahimi as Darya 5 episodes Thomas Coombes as Tom 10 episodes Raza Jaffrey as Craig 9 episodes Nasser Memarzia as Majid Zamani 4 episodes Shaheen Jafargholi as Zak 2 episodes Tej Obano as Guard 5 episodes Tessa Ferrer as Robyn Crawford 5 episodes Charles Mnene as Adil 3 episodes Lucy Newman-Williams as Lizzy Crawford 2 episodes Ali Zayn as Karim 3 episodes Savvy Clement as Officer Jones 3 episodes Mamad Heidari as Captain Esmaeili 2 episodes Rudy Ruggiero as Isaac Lelov 2 episodes Reza Shademan as Major Nazari 3 episodes Amir El-Masry as Saeed Al Bukhatir 5 episodes Andrei Zayats as Vlad 3 episodes Erik Alens as Vladimir 3 episodes Oleg Levin as Valhalla Soldier 3 episodes Andrii Zamiatin as Valhalla Mercenary 4 episodes Joaquim Tivoukou as Paris 3 episodes Steve Tagheu as Crossbow 3 episodes Christian Friedel as Nils Jansen 4 episodes Trond Fausa Aurvåg as Mikkel De Bruyne 3 episodes Alain Ali Washnevsky as Colonel Yousefi 3 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Agency overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

london, england spy undercover agent remake political thriller cia agent spy thriller spycraft grim foreboding
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
December 01, 2024
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
278