The Agency Episode 4 Review: Martian's Inability To Let Go Of The Past Could Be His Ultimate Undoing

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Agency episode 4.When I first heard about The Agency, I did not expect that Michael Fassbender’s new spy series would be so much of a slow burn. Still, with every new episode of the series, I become more intrigued about the nuances of his character, Martian. Episode 4 of The Agency dives deeper into the political aspect of the series. Action is not an important part of the episode — nor the series, really — but things do start to ramp up on different fronts, which makes me excited about further developments over the rest of the season.

The first three episodes of The Agency, which I talked more in-depth about in my review of The Agency season 1, set the rules of this world. Fassbender’s Martian is back in London and trying to adjust to his regular life after spending years in Ethiopia working undercover. Episode 4 continues many of the threads set up by the show’s first episodes, with the psychological aspect of what that time on assignment did to Martian coming back in an interesting way. While other characters in The Agency‘s star-studded cast make for good players, Martian is second to none.

The Agency’s Political Intrigue Offers Mixed Results

I have to start by talking about the show’s key aspect, which has not completely worked for me, at least during The Agency‘s first few episodes. Often, with spy series or movies, such as the James Bond franchise, one expects more thrills and action. I did not go into The Agency expecting these things, as the show always made it clear that its true intent was working as a psychological thriller, building a paranoia-filled atmosphere of not knowing who to trust and having to manipulate others to accomplish a goal.

I think that a lot of excitement can come from that premise without necessarily having to resort to the action scenes seen in episode 3 when three operatives from Felix had to shoot their way out in Ukraine. However, by episode 4, I was still not fully captivated by the show’s slow-burn story. Some of the political connections are hard to follow, though the show’s latest episode did offer some solid developments. The Agency still has to find its groove, as it fluctuates between dull and interesting moments with its political conversations.

Danny’s Story Finally Gets Moving

The Character Escapes A Problematic Situation

Now that Martian is back in London, Danny is the field agent that we actively follow while undercover. The character was presented as the agency’s brightest young recruit. I was disappointed that she did not get much to do in the first three episodes, but I’m glad that changed, with her mission beginning in earnest in episode 4. There is a nice contrast with how Martian and Danny view their work. Martian is dealing with the fallout of years undercover, finding it hard to fully abandon the life he led there.

On the other hand, Saura Lightfoot-Leon’s character is just starting on that path and sees how hard it can be. Danny has to be chosen as the Institute of Geophysics student to go to Tehran to make it to the next chapter of her mission. Katherine Waterston’s Naomi guides her as she settles into her new life, though there is only so much she can do — the rest is up to Danny. That’s where things get interesting. Danny has to convince Reza, who is in charge of the exchange program, that she is the best choice.

Many students are trying to get the spot. However, Reza takes a liking to Danny. The problem is that Reza simply wants to take advantage of her, making inappropriate advances in the car as they are headed to an event. Early in the episode, Naomi said that Danny had to seduce her target if needed, so that is what I was expecting to happen after Reza made his move. But I was surprised when Danny shot him down. It seems she will either lose herself or have to find a different way to get into the exchange program.

Martian’s Life Is About To Become Very Difficult

Episode 4 Ends With A Major Development

I was gripped by Martian’s story in episode 4. Martian and his daughter patch up things after a tense exchange, and I’m happy to see a softer side of the character when he is with her. They even lose Martian’s tail together, something that comes up in a major way later in the episode. Martian and Jeffrey Wright’s Henry are also an entertaining duo to follow, and the two manage to secure a direct line with the KGB to get Coyote back, which I’m interested in watching play out.

Martian’s love life also sees some developments. It’s revealed that Sami is truly divorcing her husband, with Osman not working for him, but rather being an intelligence agent trying to keep the secrecy of talks between Sudanese and Chinese officials. That is why he is looking at Martian and everyone Sami interacts with. After pressing her for information just as Martian is about to walk into her hotel room, Sami is forced to give out Martian’s undercover name, “Paul Lewis.” Martian screwed up, and now his cover might be blown, setting up an interesting episode 5.

New episodes of The Agency drop weekly on Paramount+ with Showtime every Sunday.

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7/10

The Agency

Pros

• Martian and Danny’s stories pick up in exciting ways
• Episode 4 ends with a major reveal that shakes things up

Cons

• The show’s pacing continues to drag