Is The Agency the BEST thriller of the year? (ep 1&2 review)

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Where would you rank this new thriller series for the year?

[@TheSubpremeState]

@@PascalBreaksDown #1

[@PL2550Dolphins]

I absolutely love The Agency (so far). The second episode had me on the edge of my seat. The supporting cast is outstanding; the dynamic between Owen and Blair (with her military march-walk) had me rewinding to re-watch 😄.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

I'm definitely intrigued, too. Will see how things develop but you would hope, given they've got a hit French version as a reference, that it should hold strong for the rest of the season!

[@kukuricapica]

This has to be one of the best spy thriller in history. This is so great to depict the fck up world of spies.

[@wraith_heart]

i thought they were 'officers' and the people they turn are assets/spies..

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Big call, but happy to hear you've enjoyed it

[@TheSubpremeState]

@@PascalBreaksDown Tell me a series or movie that topped it? Please! Number 1 for me, for recent years . The spy gives great insight into the world of espionage but Sacha Cohen is not winning any Oscars soon. Not for acting but he is a genius all the same. Another fun fact about Michael Collins ( Fassbenders ancestor) . The state of Israel was founded with the help of Irish Jews who helped Michael by 🔫 arms running . I think the first prime minister went under the code name " nom de guerre" of Michael Collins. I hope I'm wrong but I think Menachem Begin was named after Michael Collins but that would make him fairly young as Collins died in early 20s. Menachem= Michael. He was unfortunately a bit more of a gangster than a freedom fighter. A war criminal who caused a split with the stern gang who different goal and I think were betrayed causing poor relations between Irish rebels and Israeli rebels. The Zionists were extremely ruthless and obviously not someone to mess with. A battle hardened nation. Unfortunate that our traitors took the side of a force who only want to get 72 young girls rather than negotiate. Your branded a bigot if you don't agree with Jihad. Ffs lol

[@SzymonAdamus]

I find it SOOO hyper stylised, like a spy-story-on-steroids that it's realy funny to watch. Every scene is 300% serious, every shot is very disturbing and, in some way, unpleasent. I guess they are going for representation of spies paranoia, and it works. But it's also SO MUCH of it, and all of it seems highly theatrical, that it can easily be red as a pastiche. Very strange this one :)

[@PascalBreaksDown]

@SzymonAdamus Very interesting perspective. I didn't have the same experience. Are you still liking it though?

[@SzymonAdamus]

@@PascalBreaksDown Not sure yet. I'll have to watch more and think if this is an intended effect, meant to create a hyper-spy, unrealistic world, or a coincidence - then it would be hilarious. The series is a bit like a screen adaptation of some comic book about super spies and a world in which their syndicates wage eternal war :) Not something realistic at all.

[@117Derek]

My ranking of "The Agency" against other similar series is that only "The Diplomat" comes close to the "The Agency" in quality, story, acting, and action. Both shows are intelligent, and for adults; and they portray the Real World that we live in. Oddly enough, both shows are about American foreign policy/intelligence, but are set in London UK. The Agency was a major surprise for me, because I hadn't heard much about it before it's debut, and I'm not a big fan of Michael Fassbender--not because he's a bad actor, it's just that I don't like the characters he plays. Speaking of which, almost all of The Agency's CIA folks (men AND women) are tough tough tough. I wouldn't want to go up against them--which is good, if you're an American & want the CIA to be effective. Jeffrey Wright (kinda returning to his "Felix Leiter role from the James Bond films), and Richard Gere are solid as the Company Men, who are effective by also manipulate the system for their own purposes. Jodie Turner-Smith is the wild card in this show--and, at this point, she could be Good, or she could be a Baddie. She has a Femme Fatale vibe about herself, and could be Fassbender/Martian's greatest adversay and downfall. Action-wise, the scene with the three guys in the Ukraine running from the Russians--and then taking on in a fire fight about a dozen or more, had my heart pounding like nothing I've experienced since "Homeland." And, yes: the Claire Danes/Mandy Patinkin series is the dramatic and thematic precursor of The Agency. Finally, I can't wait to find out what the hell Fassbender/Martian is having done to him in the very last scene of episode 2. It looks like a medical procedure. But, for what? Is it part of the elaborate debriefing/re-integration?

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Love the thoughts! I think the last moment is in hospital after some kind of injury. You can see the right side of his face is swollen like he's been hit by something 😊

[@Auntkekebaby]

Why join? It gotta be more about the addiction to adrenaline than the money. What are you going to do with the money since you gave up your life to do this work? Having hope is to be more human. It's a detriment to your duties to allow yourself to slip towards your desires and human needs. In episode one, Frank already knows that Martian is weak for his girlfriend, Sami. He knows because he was weak when he let an alchololic agent slip through. He recognizes himself in Martian. Frank was fired because of this mess. What's going to happen to Martian? Nothing spelled out. Slowly developed. I'm in. Fassbenders face in that final shot of episode 2. Classic Fassbender. Outstanding. The drama. How does he do that? 👏 👏

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Really like your perspective on these eps. Thanks for sharing. I'm ready for the next episode tomorrow! 🙂

[@wraith_heart]

oh god..

[@ihc909]

The Agency is brilliant, much more believable than jackal. The dialogue is fire.

[@alansweitzer1453]

Looks like a real “Clooney-tune” straight from the bubble 🫠

[@PascalBreaksDown]

🤷

[@ArtByEmilyHare]

I always thought Fassbender would have made a great Bond, but set back in the 50's or 60's, but I think he looks too haggard now and will be relegated to bad guy parts as he gets older. He's a really superb actor.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

The ❤️s for the bond comment haha. He is a phenomenal actor and sometimes I think he hasn't been given the roles he deserves

[@linellinel.]

Fass looks "haggard" on purpose just like bond looks slick on purpose.

[@Auntkekebaby]

@ArtByEmilyHare He more interested in a more cerebral Bond because he has the acting chops to dig deeper into that character. He's said as much. He said that years ago. That's probably why he chose this project. He's a heavy weight when it comes to drama. He wants something more. He would have been great, though.

[@jimnolan830]

Not to give too much away, but you need to belive this man will commit the unthinkable for love, as does the audience. As she in this version tepid is a charisma vacume, lets hope they have another gag to hang this story on. The Bureau was Tinker Taylor with subtitles, cerebral, glacial paced and nuanced. This is tyipical Americana, all the worlds a stage and there the lead. When in doubt lets have a shouty sweary argument with threats aplenty but no thought whatsoever.

[@jeravincer]

Started this on Sunday night (20 minute try out) ... like it a lot but hey - it's Fassbinder ...

[@PascalBreaksDown]

@jeravincer I haven't caught up on the latest ep, got bogged down with Black Doves, but I was encouraged by what I saw so far 🙂

[@dmvbawse4265]

Showtime has the first two episodes on their KZbin for free

[@robinvolpi]

Sooooo.... were you comparing Lashana Lynch to Jodie Turner Smith, and if so - Why?

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Thematically linked because I mention Jodie Turner Smith's bad casting in Without Remorse (great casting in The Agency) and in my opinion, Lynch's bad casting in The Day Of The Jackal 🙂

[@zt_yaaboi4521]

Lol trying to get him on some why are you comparing two black people bullshit., be quiet lady.

[@frozenrose2305]

I beg to differ, her character really grows on you, lashana was a good choice, all in all it was a good watch.

[@davey64]

I find The Agency so much more enjoyable and thrilling than The Lioness or The Day of the Jackal. The plot lines are so much more convincing.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

I'm with you on that even though I loved Lioness Season 2. 1000000% more convincing than Jackal

[@davey64]

@@PascalBreaksDown Season 2 of Lioness is pretty good. I will give it a go. I mean, I do realize these are movies for entertainment not a non-fiction piece. I can enjoy a good Bond film and get past the more unbelievable stuff. Cheers!!

[@Zajuts149]

What is the matter with people? Why do you need to remake such an excellent series? I don't speak French, so I had to read subtitles, although I soon realised that the French word for 'so' is 'donc'. One of the things I loved most about 'Le Bureau des Légendes' is the polyglotic nature of the world they portray. Yes, the main language spoken is French, but there are episodes with 4 or more languages spoken. Off the top of my head, I think that besides French, there is English, Farsi, Turkish, Arabic, and Russian spoken in the show. It was magnificent.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the French version. Have you seen any of the remake? Is it a faithful adaptation?

[@P_O58]

E 1-3 are very good . Didn’t like E4 but . Dialogue an direction wasn’t great .

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Yes, clean crisp dialogue and directing

[@jeravincer]

Where's the E3 review bro?! Is Fassbender too flat for this role? Still prefer the French version ... so far.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

So many shows and films to watch, not enough time 😂 if I have more to say about the show, I'll do a complete season review

[@jeravincer]

@@PascalBreaksDownfair enough … they’re doing that 1 ep a week thing … E4 drops Saturday I think

[@GenesisGunn]

Boring and a crock of shit. It should not have been based in the UK

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Why not the UK?

[@vezrien]

Agency is good, but Day of the Jackal is better imo

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Interesting. I couldn't get past the first two eps of Jackal. It just didn't grab me but I'm glad you're enjoying it. A new season on the way apparently 🙂

[@117Derek]

@@PascalBreaksDown The 2d season order must have been part of a pre-debut deal. The fan reviews have generally been lukewarm online.

[@Auntkekebaby]

​@PascalBreaksDown I agree. It's not grabbing me.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

@@117Derek Interesting. And yet, it has an 8.2/10 on IMDB, so there are quite a few people loving it 🤷

[@frozenrose2305]

The day of the Jackal was so good, I hope the agency cuts it...

[@codyglass809]

This show sucks. It’s boring and the characters and plot lack any development. I don’t know or care about anything that’s happening as a result. Checked out after 2 episodes

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Interesting. I thought there was quite a bit going on character and plot wise

[@codyglass809]

@PascalBreaksDown are you being paid to promote this? Because I saw literally no character or plot development and was remarkably dry.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

@codyglass809 I wish! 😆

[@chelseagalloway6913]

This show is very bad. If people think it’s good then I’m in the twilight zone

[@codyglass809]

@chelseagalloway6913 its truly awful.

[@valar7568]

Filler filler filler

[@PascalBreaksDown]

🤔

[@AirB-101]

A 3-episodes review from a French perspective: Firstly I must admit, I was initially very sceptical of a remake of "Le Bureau des Legendes" by Mathieu Kassovitz from 2015/2019. In France, back then we saw this show as "Homeland" for intelligent and realistic people, purely French in nature and very Kassovitz in its dialogue not "over the top". You get the point. I was wrong! After 3 episodes, I must say that "The Agency" has a LOT going for it, namely: - The show respects the original story yet actualizes it with the introduction of the war of invasion of UA. Here, I will add that so far, the landscapes and realities of the frontline "blurry lines" over 1600km are accurate enough to be credible for the purpose of the story. It is not a documentary afterall. - The writers of the show have an obvious respect for Kassovitz's original dialogues, sometimes following it to the letter (at least in translation "spirit"). For me, this is a sign of people respecting the source material and expecting the audience to follow them instead of "catering to the most common denominator" in order to attract a larger audience. At the time of the original show, Mathieu Kassovitz was not looking to entertain, but rather analyse this underground world, and this becomes more evident in the next seasons after. - The Agency benefits from A-List level actors and actresses. All of them. Lastly, "the Agency" is not a "cut and paste" of the original either, but it has its own personality. It is not anymore a French show, but rather an Anglo Saxon one, part American, part British, part European. Most likely benefitting from a bigger budget, one can expect more on-screen "Oumph", but not to the point of becoming a satire to the "ultra realism" of the original. All in all, watch it! It's worth it. Merci à George Clooney et Grant Heslov pour avoir su faire les choix de production. Note to "Pascalbreaksdown": 1) The original French title is not "Le Bureau" like "The Agency", but rather "Le Bureau des Legendes". That's important. The original show spent more time explaining what is a "Legend" in the world of spies. It is important because it clearly explains what "the TV people" seem to not understand; there are less James Bond and more "normal folks" doing real work in that world. 2) Linking the show to the war in UA IS necessary to this show! Kassovitz did the same in 2015 with the French intervention in the Sahel & the Levant. IT IS THE POINT!

[@PascalBreaksDown]

Thanks for your detailed thoughts. Yes, the full French title is Le Bureau de Legendes. My reservations around linking it to real world events is very much a personal one. It takes me out of the story. But I see the value in it too. 🙂✌️

[@AirB-101]

@@PascalBreaksDown I understand your point about wanting to be in "the story" as a viewer. But I must bring you back to 2015 for this Serie. You already had Homeland since 2011, providing that hefty entertainment. With as many gun fights and super agents pumping up the screen times. For some Writers here in Europe, this was not enough I guess! So you have 2 Series in 2015 which did not really care about that "immerse the audience in a story", but rather wanted to give us a story while keeping the Audience with its feet right on the ground: - "Le Bureau des Légendes" in France, written by a Master of filmmaking with nothing to prove. Once you watch it, you'll see that the DGSE (French CIA) does not have fancy offices like in "The Agency"... But rather grim and shitty realistic ones. - "Fauda" in Israel. A very similar baseline as a story but from the Israel POV. Which (strangely) turned out to be the most watched Series in the Arab world for its realism. Written by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, both with nothing to prove in the world of Middle East Affairs. Seasons 3-5 did become a bit more sensationalist, even they will admit. All in all, I thank you for your video. But at the same time, remember that these Series aren't to be evaluated outside of the current Political context. It was the case when Kassovitz wrote it. So for L. Raz. And I believe that G. Clooney signed off on that for similar (non-financial) reasons. Granted, such series ARE what makes real TV.

[@AirB-101]

@@PascalBreaksDown Sorry to bother you again. But I must add this: The first shot we see of the UA frontline in The Agency is of a ru convoy of BMPs (ru for "IFVs" in NATO callings) following a treelines toward a frontline. They (the 3 protagonists) are in a SUV on an adjacent field road. They decide to go back and one says to go check x km further away. Now I'm not sure how much you are aware of the war in UA, but I am. Very much (French living in PL for close to 2 decades). I have watched and reviewed more VDOs on that than you may have watched TV in the last 3 years. This was surprisingly honest. I was surprised and thankful for! Anyway, cool of you to reply! Allez! I suscribe!

[@caliinthevalley24681]

The first time where I'm dying waiting for the next episode.

[@PascalBreaksDown]

💯