Based on the French series The Bureau, Showtime‘s The Agency ended on an action-packed note in its Season 1 finale. Following Michael Fassbender in the shoes of an undercover CIA agent, The Agency sets up multiple storylines throughout its ten-episode season. With Showtime renewing the espionage series for a comeback, Season 1 of The Agency ensures that the ground is set for Season 2 to maintain the adrenaline-inducing action. The season finale, while sealing the fate of a few important characters, such as the Russian General Volchok (Juris Zagars), leaves the fate of others, including Fassbender’s Martian, hanging in the balance. Thankfully, while Season 1’s ending ensures that there is scope for a lot of action in the future, the renewal news confirms that audiences will get an opportunity to witness how The Agency resolves its many entangled story threads.
‘The Agency’ Season 2 Will Bring Martian’s Toughest Challenge
In the biggest twist of the Season 1 finale, Hugh Bonneville’s cunning MI6 agent James Richardson compromises Martian at the end of Season 1, forcing Martian to share top secret details of his missions with the MI6 agent. In return for his life, Richardson holds Martian by his collar and demands he serve as a double agent for MI6 within the CIA, leaving no choice for Martian but to follow Richardson’s whims. In the final moments of Season 1, the audience witnesses Martian returning to the London office, where everyone is thankful to him for the tip that helped secure Coyote.
Just when Martian is possibly compromised for the first time in his career, he also becomes a hero for his colleagues, setting up an interesting story arc for Season 2. To Richardson, Martian’s growing prominence is just a way for him to find his way into classified secrets of U.S. Intelligence. Within the CIA itself, Martian has always led with a rebellious attitude, and it would be interesting to see how he navigates his path in Season 2, given he must keep a secret that betrays his own country. Also, it is going to be interesting to witness how Richardson plans to use his ally. So far, MI6 was not an active participant in the action, whereas it can be expected that the British Secret Intelligence Service (SAS) will play by its interests in Season 2, considering they now have a pawn in the CIA.
Martian and Samia’s Bitter-Sweet Romance Will Continue
In return for Martian’s loyalty, Richardson gives Martian an offer of Samia’s (Jodie Turner-Smith) safety. While Samia has been missing from action in the last episode, with her whereabouts confirmed in the dangerous Kobar Prison in Sudan, the cloud around her eventual fate will only be cleared once Season 2 premieres. It would be interesting to see how her recent experiences shape her character in Season 2. While Martian continues to love her, Samia, on the other hand, still feels a sense of betrayal in her heart, and her own personal mission conflicts very strongly with Martian’s agendas. Undoubtedly, Season 2 will continue to focus on Samia and Martian’s relationship considering Samia’s return is inevitable after the bargain between Martian and Richardson. Also, Osman’s (Kurt Egyiawan) role is going to be important as he promised Martian he would kill Samia when Martian refused to divulge details of his contacts during his time undercover in Addis.
Season 2 of ‘The Agency’ Has a Lot of Ground To Cover
After a rigorous training period, Saura Lightfoot-Leon‘s Danny finally lands in Tehran, much to Naomi’s (Katherine Waterston) satisfaction. On her first mission in Season 2, Danny will be pitched against the rugged terrain of Iran where she’s tasked with finding top-secret details of Iran’s nuclear program. Danny’s adventures will clearly form a major part of Season 2’s story. Until now, Danny had not been exposed to individual decision-making as required by her profession. Going forward, not only must Danny navigate the complexities of the life of an espionage agent in a hostile nation, but she must do so without the constant guidance of Naomi, who has helped her throughout the journey so far. Also, Iran’s cultural and political landscape will definitely add more flavor to the thrilling story of The Agency Season 2 as Danny finds herself on a challenging debut assignment in a potentially fatal environment.
After almost everyone put every possible effort into bringing Coyote (Alex Reznik) back, it would be interesting to see what part he plays in the future politics of the show, considering Coyote will have a lot of insights to share with his superiors, as after all he was a top asset. Coyote has been treated as a top asset throughout, and with him back in safety, he might get back on the ground soon enough. Another story line that Season 2 can explore revolves around Martian’s dwindling mental health. In Season 1, Martian has already shown signs of impulsive decision-making, resulting in choices that have also backfired on him. In his prime, it’s unlikely that Richardson would have been able to trap Martian in his web. It’s obvious that Martian’s efficiency as an agent has been affected by his emotional turmoil. The future of other supporting character,s such as the Felix operatives, who join the Blue team in the finale after successfully achieving their mission of eliminating the Russian minister through a helicopter blast, will also add to the chaos of The Agency Season 2. Clearly, Season 1 of The Agency had a lot going on within its ten episodes, adding to the rich scope of the sophomore season when it finally returns with more espionage action.
All episodes of The Agency Season 1 are available to stream on Paramount+ with Showtime in the U.S.
