Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Agency episode 5.
After a slower episode last time around,The Agencyepisode 5 did a great job of adding tension to the series and progressing several characters' stories. The previous episode focused more on Danny as she started her undercover assignment, with the character choosing not to accept Reza’s inappropriate advances. This comes back to play a role in the show’s new hour, though I did not expect where her story would go from there. As for Michael Fassbender’s Martian,episode 4 saw his cover blown.
The Agency
Cast
The Agency is a 2024 espionage thriller following covert CIA agent Martian, who is recalled to London Station, disrupting his undercover life. As a former romance rekindles, Martian’s career and true identity are jeopardized, leading him into a high-stakes world of international intrigue and deception.
Osman has become a sign of danger for Martian and the series. Whenever he is onscreen, I tend to have the same uncomfortable reaction that Jodie Turner-Smith’s Sami has. Tension has built up nicely in Martian’s storyline largely due to Osman’s role. The character is there to ensure the secret talks between Sudanese and Chinese officials do not leak. I really liked the twist that there was more behind the character than being revealed as the head of security for Sami’s husband, which would have been a more disappointing storyline.
Martian’s Game Of Cat And Mouse Is Taken To The Next Level
Michael Fassbender Does A Great Job As His Character’s Life Enters A State Of Disarray
The Agencyepisode 5 is mostly focused on three characters. As the series' lead,Fassbender’s Martiantakes more of the spotlight, but I was a fan of all three main plots and their twists. After discovering that Sami was seeing a man named Paul Lewis — Martian’s disguise — Osman embarks on a mission to learn everything he can about him. It was interesting to see a different side of Fassbender’s character, as he now fully knows Osman is on to him and has to come up with every subterfuge possible to maintain his cover.
Martian handled the situation well, and there was a palpable tension for the whole scene despite Osman trying to feign a sense of camaraderie.
One of the episode’s most exciting scenes, which I didn’t think would happen just yet, was when Martian and Osman met and talked. Since Sami was there, Martian was pretending to be Paul, and he had to engage Osman as the intelligence agent grilled Martian about his life and connection to Sami. Martian handled the situation well, and there was a palpable tension for the whole scene despite Osman trying to feign a sense of camaraderie. Martian choosing not to press Sami for information to keep her safe was a perfect choice.
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After that, a game of cat and mouse ensued. Fassbender’s spy has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with when on the offensive, such as his hardcore interrogation techniques. He has also shown great ability to lose his tails and realize when someone is spying on him, and the latter is employed toward the end of episode 5. Osman and his team go after Paul Lewis in any way they can, and Martian prepares his room to be found the way he wants it to, even letting himself get mugged, though it might have been for nothing.
Danny & Owen Also Get In On The Action
The Agency’s Ensemble Shines In Episode 5
Elsewhere inThe Agencyepisode 5, Danny’s story takes a dark turn. Afterdealing with inappropriate advances from Reza in episode 4, Danny manages to clear the air with him. She has the character in the palm of her hand. After Reza apologizes for what happened, he even ends the conversation by thanking Danny for her silence, knowing full well that she could end him. That victory turns sour when she is kidnapped out of the blue. I was mixed about the event being real or a CIA test, and it was the latter, with Danny resisting nicely.
With Martian, we get a look at what a professional in this line of work looks like, with meticulous planning and cards up his sleeve at all times.
Danny’s story had already started to make waves, but this is the episode where Owen really gets in on the action. The character is sent by Henry to Minsk. Owen remains focused on the agency’s efforts to localize Coyote and his story unearths a major reveal. I like howThe Agencyepisode 5 focused on three very different types of characters. With Martian, we get a look at what a professional in this line of work looks like, with meticulous planning and cards up his sleeve at all times.
Then comes Danny, who is held by the CIA as a promising agent who could become one of the organization’s finest. Still, Danny is fresh in the undercover business, and she may get nervous at times. Episode 5 showed that she can rise to the occasion when it is needed. As for Owen, this is a guy who is not meant to be in the field at all. He panics upon his discovery and what is the right behavior for a field agent, but he is intelligent enough to find a key tip in the Coyote mystery.
New episodes ofThe Agencydrop weekly on Paramount+ with Showtime every Friday.
