In recent years, no genre has been more prolific on television than the espionage thriller. In 2026 alone, audiences have been gifted season two of Prime’s “The Night Manager,” Peacock’s “Ponies,” and season three of Netflix’s “The Night Agent.” Each of these differs from the others in pace and tone, showcasing just how expansive this genre can be in the modern age. While there are plenty of spy shows to choose from, there are none currently airing like Paramount+’s “The Agency.”
Based on the French series “Le Bureau des Légendes,” season one followed CIA agent Martian (Michael Fassbender), who risked his legitimacy and life for Samia (Jodie Turner-Smith), an academic and activist with whom he slowly fell in love. Their forbidden relationship led to the slow demise of both their social and professional lives, yet even in the face of danger, the two could not stay apart. Season two picks up right where season one left off, with Samia being taken prisoner. In exchange for her freedom, Martian continues to play his agency and the British intelligence he’s become a double agent for, keeping secrets from everyone around him.
While the plot meanders for the first couple of episodes, the series slowly drifts away from Martian, instead focusing on how his actions—some of which are approved by his superiors, and some that are hidden from them—impact the people he works with. At the center of this is Daniela ‘Danny’ Ruiz Morata (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) and Owen Taylor (John Magaro), two young but ambitious agents who are desperate to earn their stripes in their respective roles in the CIA. Still dispatched in Iran, Danny continues to get dangerously close to her targets, who this time take the shape of wealthy Iranian heir Hassan Zamani (Keanush Tafreshi). Owen, as in last season, is used to extract information from the sister of this series’ main antagonist, Viking (Clayne Crawford).
Both of these characters are quite green despite what they went through in season one, yet both are desperate to prove their worth not only to their colleagues but also to their country. As the season progresses, they are forced by their superiors to take greater risks, some of which come with deadly consequences. Instead of focusing on the more seasoned Martian, “The Agency” forces us to watch two young—and frankly inexperienced—spies attempt to master what their coworkers have had years to shape. Both Magaro and Lightfoot-Leon are magnetic and perfectly convey the fear and unwavering desperation of characters whose superiors play fast and lose not only with their safety but with their loyalty as well.
By allowing the narrative to stray from Martian, this series slowly chips away at any semblance of clichéd elements. Instead, it carves out a unique place for itself in an overwhelmingly ordinary genre, where set pieces are abandoned in favor of intricate, thrilling character work. From fleeting glances to hushed conversations, everyone here has secrets, some of which could put them in the range of the agency’s firing squad. This season is a true ensemble effort, allowing characters like Blair (Ambreen Razia) and Naomi Ford (Katherine Waterston) to take center stage and, with this move, allowing their respective actors to deliver some of the best performances to grace the camera lenses pointed at them.
Similarly to the ice baths Martian takes, this series is its strongest when you allow yourself to sink into its frigid waters. Instead of pleading for the show to turn into something it’s not, once you give yourself away to the dark recesses of its characters’ psyches, you’ll find yourself getting swept up into its murky waves. There’s not much action in this thriller, but what it lacks in fight choreography, it makes up for with its tense interrogations, where characters battle with one another through gazes, without lifting a finger.
Though there are times when “The Agency” feels tedious—like when the audience is forced to deal with dully written villains whose missions feel predictable—once these scenes end and the camera focuses back on our handful of muddled “heroes,” the show finally takes flight again. Things may come to a head slowly in this second endeavor, but once the explosive secrets each of these characters harbors begin to fester, nothing can stop them from igniting.
At times, it feels as if all the threads “The Agency” has pulled together have unspooled to the point of no return. But in a fantastic trilogy of final episodes, every piece of the puzzle comes together and proves that nothing can stop this show from continuing to burn a relentless fire that you can’t look away from.
All episodes were screened for review.
