Based on 2 seasons, 20 episodes · through June 21, 2026
The Agency is an espionage thriller about a secret CIA agent named Martian who returns to London after a long mission in Africa. He must deal with dangerous office politics and try to save his former lover, a Sudanese professor. The show features visible themes of female power and modern diversity. The female lead is portrayed as a strong activist, and young female spies are shown as highly competent leaders in dangerous situations. These elements of identity representation are clear and easy to notice.
Why 51%? See the score breakdownBreakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for The Agency.
Woke representation / casting
The show has a very diverse cast. This matches what modern Hollywood likes to do. Jeffrey Wright plays Martian’s boss and mentor, Henry Ogletree. Ambreen Razia plays a smart and ambitious CIA officer named Blair Khan. Jodie Turner-Smith plays Samia Zahir, a smart Sudanese college professor who leads an opposition group. She gets put in prison but refuses to break. The actress said in interviews that she wanted her character to show the strength of Black Muslim women. Some viewers felt these casting choices and the way characters were written felt like the show was trying to fill diversity quotas.
45%
Woke political dialogue
Most of the talk in the show is about spy rules, secret missions, and office politics. It does not have preachy speeches about politics. However, the main female character, Samia, sometimes talks like a modern activist. She uses progressive academic words when she talks about Sudan and Western countries. Still, the show mostly stays away from making political lectures. It focuses on being a dark and tense spy story.
20%
Identity-driven story themes
The main story is about secret agents, double-crossing, and spy work. But there are still some themes about identity. Samia’s story focuses on her struggles as an African Muslim woman. The show highlights her feminist strength and her refusal to give up. The show also has young female spies, like Danny and Blair, who are shown as super smart and strong under pressure. They are often shown as more competent than the older male characters. These themes of female power are noticeable but they do not ruin the spy plot.
35%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show critiques big spy groups like the CIA and MI6. It shows them as cold, greedy, and willing to hurt people to get what they want. It also criticizes older male bosses, like Richard Gere's character. It frames them as symbols of toxic office rules and male entitlement. These old power structures are put next to the strong, diverse female characters. Still, most of this is just standard spy fiction where everyone is corrupt, rather than a deep lecture on modern politics.
30%
Woke character or canon changes
The show is based on a famous French TV series called Le Bureau des Légendes. It changes several characters to be more diverse. In the original, the characters were white French people. The American version changes the boss to a Black man played by Jeffrey Wright. It also changes the main love interest from a Syrian woman to a Sudanese woman played by Jodie Turner-Smith. These changes were made to add modern representation, but the main story stays very close to the original French show.
10%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Some viewers complained online that the show felt too woke or had a DEI agenda. They did not like the main female character, Samia. They felt she was boring and made too many preachy statements that did not fit a traditional Muslim woman. In the second season, some viewers also complained about a female spy leading a major tactical field operation. They felt this was unrealistic and only done for female-empowerment points.
30%
Creator track record context
The team who made the show has a mix of views. Original creator Éric Rochant is apolitical. Writers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (12/100 and 13/100) do not write political agendas. But director Zetna Fuentes works on diversity tasks in Hollywood. Director Joe Wright has progressive views on gender roles. Producer George Clooney is a famous liberal supporter. Together, the team has a mild progressive background.
25%
Production
