by Chantal Ashford, Contributing Writer
Spy stories and political thrillers can often either be exciting or not so great. The Agency is one with both good and not-so-good moments.
You might expect incredible action scenes and special effects from a show of this genre, but The Agency differs slightly. It has a great cast, including Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright, and Richard Gere, which made me want to watch more — at least for a while.
The main character is CIA agent Brandon Cunningham, played by a stoic and intense Fassbender. He is called back to London to stop his undercover work. But things get complicated when his old girlfriend (Turner-Smith) comes back into his life. This forces him to choose between his job and his feelings for her.
There are also other storylines here. For example, a new agent joins the team to help find people who work with nuclear technology. At the same time, Cunningham is trying to be a good father to his teenage daughter (India Fowler), who knows about his dangerous job. There’s also the added tension of another agent who has gone missing in Belarus. Additionally, determining who to believe and rely on as the season unfolds is challenging.
The series has some parts where it switches between different storylines, which can sometimes make it feel slow. Sometimes, I forget which story I’m following, but in the end, they all come together. The political talk can sometimes be confusing and make me zone out, but the story always brings me back in.
There are moments when characters discuss past relationships while in the bedroom, and Cunningham pretends not to notice what is happening, yet he always seem to be a step ahead of everyone. In one scene, Cunningham has to pretend that he doesn’t see someone is going to attack him. Although he knows how to defend himself, in this moment, he has to act like he is unaware, and does not try to protect himself.
The season’s highlight is the last episode, “Overtaken by Events.” In this thrilling conclusion, all the tension building throughout the season erupts excitingly. We witness the challenges Cunningham faces and how everything unfolds up to the end. The episode wraps up with a closeup of his face, leaving us in suspense as the screen darkens.
As the season wraps up, it’s clear that a second one is coming. I’m eager to see what happens with Cunningham and the decisions he’s made. Will he hurt his career, or will he be able to win back his love? We’ll have to stick around to find out!
Rating: Liked It
The Agency is currently streaming on Paramount+
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