Episode 1 of "The Agency" unfolds in England, where our protagonist, Martian, steps away from an airfield and dials back to his base with a sense of finality. Fresh from his clandestine mission in Ethiopia, where he had been embedded to extract crucial information from an undisclosed target, Martian embarks on a strategic detachment. This includes bidding adieu to Samia Zahir, his current romantic interest, by fabricating a tale of his departure for Jordan to pursue a teaching gig. He paints a picture of himself as a lost soul, devoid of direction, before sharing a poignant kiss that contradicts his claim of non-intimacy to his handler, Naomi. However, fleeting glimpses of their final night together hint at a deeper connection, suggesting otherwise.
For now, Martian's duties beckon. After a brief stint in a Jordanian safehouse, he finds himself back in London, but his apartment, riddled with listening devices, poses a constant threat. In hushed silence, he incinerates a business card bearing a handwritten note from Samia, a gesture that underscores the complexity of his personal and professional entanglements.
Martian's reunion with his daughter serves as a pivotal moment, offering deeper insights into his role within the narrative and the nature of his work. He is a man skilled in the art of intelligence gathering, identifying key individuals with precision. His six-year absence, spent living a double life in Ethiopia, has strained his relationship with his daughter, despite the playful banter that still flickers between them.
In Belarus, a thrilling car chase weaves through the labyrinthine streets, culminating in the manic driver's eventual capture. This daredevil agent goes by the moniker Coyote, Vulica Lienina, and finds himself in the heart of Minsk. News of his antics swiftly crosses the Atlantic, reaching the London-based agency, which buzzes with excitement over the notorious agent's exploits. Henry, the overseer of operations, faces a rebuke from higher authorities concerning the Belarus situation. While he publicly downplays the incident as "nothing out of the ordinary," beneath the surface, a storm is brewing.
Henry's subordinate, Frank, delves into the training tapes of Coyote and discovers a troubling revelation: several tapes are corrupted, and there are no backups available. The only snippet gleaned from these flawed recordings is Coyote's vehement opposition to alcohol, leading him to bypass the standard training protocols. But what secrets lie hidden in his past? The answer, we suspect, is just around the corner.
Henry makes his way to Martian, sensing that something significant is in the offing. The Russians are stirring the pot, and Martian has observed an unusual sight: the Russian embassy now boasts 30 satellite dishes atop its roof. Henry fears that the Cold War shadows have crept back, and the Belarus saga demands drastic measures. Martian is summoned back into action, accompanied by a promising newcomer, Daniela Ruiz Morata, whom he must mentor.
Before embarking on this new mission, Martian returns to the office, his thin smile barely masking the tension beneath. The warm applause and greetings from his colleagues do little to ease his mind. Suddenly, news breaks of an explosion in Khartoum, where Samia is stationed. Matters worsen with a message from Samia on his outdated email, revealing that she still harbors unresolved feelings for him.
Through Daniela's eyes, we catch a vivid glimpse of how life will unfold within the agency, as she embarks on her role as one of its agents. Martian, in his uncompromising manner, puts her through a rigorous test by assigning her to gather intelligence from patrons at a bar. Though it's a straightforward mission, it serves as a potent reminder that she must depend solely on herself, rather than the mission itself, from this point onward. This clever maneuver mirrors Martian's own experiences in Ethiopia, where he was abruptly removed from the capital. He voices his discontent to Frank at the agency, feeling deeply disrespected by his abrupt relocation and subsequent months of confinement in a safe house in Jordan.
There are whispers among the higher-ups that Martian might be overly emotionally entangled, prompting the agency to assign a constant shadow to him. Martian, undeterred, picks up a disposable phone and decides to reach out to Samia. To his relief, she's still alive and happens to be in London. This unexpected revelation complicates matters further and makes it evident that shaking off his tail will be a more arduous task than anticipated. It transpires that this constant surveillance is merely standard procedure until the agency is convinced of his uncompromised status.
The agency buzzes with chatter about Coyote's recent disappearance, marking him as AWOL. The meeting with the top brass, including Owen (who's there solely to endure a tongue-lashing from his superiors) and Martian, takes a tense turn when Frank reveals that Coyote was a recovering alcoholic who had refused training. The collective anxiety stems from the fear that he may possess knowledge of various operations, notably one code-named Felix.
Frank is entangled in a web of trouble for concealing the truth from the agency, despite his conviction that alcoholism is a malady and his earnest attempts to assist his fellow agents. Henry, however, perceives the situation through a different lens, highlighting the financial repercussions that shadow every revelation. As Frank prepares to depart, he urges Henry to keep a wary eye on Martian, the very same Martian who, in a desperate bid to reunite with Samia, sheds his tail and abandons his tracker.
It transpires that Samia has a husband residing in the capital, but as their conversation unfolds, a deeper twist emerges. Martian, unaware of a secondary tracker attached to him, finds himself increasingly surrounded by those hot on his trail. Yet, for Martian, the allure of love is such that he is prepared to jeopardize everything.
During his subsequent briefing with the agency, Martian speaks with Naomi and casually mentions Samia, a historian by profession. However, he weaves a fabric of deceit, asserting that he has only known her for a mere 24 hours. The intricacy arises if Samia is indeed privy to their machinations, a detail Martian remains oblivious to. Naomi raises these pertinent concerns, cautioning him that if he succumbs to love, it could pose a monumental issue, for love often blinds one to reality.
