The Agency season two

Michael Fassbender is back as undercover CIA operative Martian for the second season of Paramount+ thriller The Agency. Inspired by the French series Le Bureau des Légendes, the show follows Martian as he continues his efforts to save Samia (Jodie Turner-Smith), the woman he loves and was forced to leave behind. To do so, however, he must play a dangerous game of international espionage that puts the lives of his coworkers and family on the line. Although this season’s greater focus on plot marks a vast improvement from its predecessor, its laborious pacing remains a major sticking point.

The show wastes no time throwing viewers into the action by quickly setting three major investigations in motion. One follows Samia, who’s being held as a political prisoner. Another sees operative Danny (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) as she works to gather intelligence in Iran, and the third centres on Owen (John Magaro) as he goes undercover to intercept a US national involved in terrorist activity. Each plotline is layered with intrigue and bolstered by a strong ensemble cast. Keanush Tafreshi, Medalion Rahimi, and Tesser Ferrer are just some of the new faces joining the returning ensemble of Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, and Katherine Waterston, all of whom are excellent.

Even with the latest season’s newfound urgency, its slow pace is still the show’s biggest issue. All the plotlines move at a simmer, with it taking a substantial chunk of the ten-episode series for the action to pick up. When it does, it comes in small bursts that gradually raise the temperature rather than serving as the sort of tense set pieces seen in similar genre outings. It also doesn’t help that the plot relies on dialogue-heavy exposition to deliver key story beats. Having characters narrate and overexplain what they’re doing for the audience’s benefit detracts from the grounded and sophisticated tone the series aims for.

The second season of The Agency is the kind of slick and glossy production expected from a big-budget show with major names attached to it. By hitting the ground running and featuring three equally engaging plotlines, the latest instalment is a step in the right direction. However, its extremely sluggish narrative makes it hard to recommend this show over more exciting offerings.