Upamanyu Biswas
The first two episodes of ‘The Agency‘ introduced viewers to the two central plot threads at the heart of the narrative – the disappearance of CIA agent Coyote and Martian’s return to civilian life after six years as an undercover agent. In the third episode, further complications arise as Martian’s personal and professional lives continue to collide in unpredictable ways, pushing him closer to being discovered. The various doubts he picked up about Sami’s appearance in London begin to bug him as he questions her reasons for showing up so close to home. Meanwhile, the CIA’s constant supervision over his life adds to the drama as the protagonist tries to juggle the two sides of his identity without comprising anything in between. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Martian’s Personal Relationships Unravel in Quick Succession
In a similar fashion to the previous episodes, episode 3 emphasizes the psychological aspects of its spy narrative in a complex manner, showcasing Martian’s character in a different light. At the start, the protagonist slips away from his CIA tail and meets up with Sami at a local hotel. They end up sleeping together again, but their nightly rendezvous is cut short when Henry contacts Martian through the bedside phone. Annoyed at being followed everywhere, Martian tries to make his feelings known to Henry. However, the director shuts him down after telling him that he knows that Martian has logged into the hotel’s registry as Paul Lewis, his undercover alter ego. Realizing that he has been caught red-handed, Martian follows him out.
As they talk, Martian realizes that Henry does not know he has been seeing Sami, which would put him in an even more precarious position given she is someone from his previous life. The protagonist is frustrated by the all-round vigilance being kept over him, which Henry justifies and tries to convince him to accept. He also advises Martian not to repeat the mistake of using his alter ego’s identity again, warning him that the Agency is always on the lookout for any deviancy from their long-serving undercover spies. Martian is reluctant to walk away before saying goodbye to Sami. However, Henry gives him no choice. Sami watches her lover leave from her upstairs window while a mysterious man keeps an eye on her from a car below.
In the aftermath, Martian cuts off all contact with Sami, fearing even more blowback from Henry or the Agency if he mixes with her again. However, things take a difficult turn at home as his daughter, Poppy, discovers his secret passport pertaining to his past life as Paul Lewis. She questions him regarding its validity and his constant secrecy. At the same time, Martian is angry at her for reeking of drugs. After the young girl lashes out at him for not revealing the truth about his life, he storms her into the bathroom and tells her to pay attention to what she says as the whole house is bugged, and people may be listening. Although his harsh treatment leaves her crying, his concerns prove to be true as Bosko alludes to knowing the exact contents of their conversation when he meets the station chief at the office.
Operation Felix Finds its Legs After a Minor Hiccup
The previous episode saw the Agency kidnapping Alexei Orekhov, a trusted contact of Coyote, whom they interrogate rather ungraciously. The whole process proves to be futile when Martian uses a simple test in the final moments of episode 2 to confirm his innocence in the Coyote matter and his loyalty overall. In the third episode, Orekhov is allowed to regain his freedom and given clear instructions about a safehouse he can stay in while avoiding contact with the public. Before he leaves, the man rages at Bosko for treating him so inhumanely during the interrogation. However, the reason the CIA acted so harshly was because of their desperation to find out whether any of their sensitive missions and agents had been compromised following Coyote’s disappearance.
One of the main undercover missions being led by the CIA at the moment is Operation Felix, which is introduced to viewers in episodes 1 and 2. It is a mission in war-torn Ukraine headed by Henry’s brother-in-law, Charlie. Charlie and his two companions are forced to go into hiding following information being sent to them that Felix is to be aborted. In episode 3, he and his men find a way to escape the Russian military on their tails, discovering a safe spot in the woods. However, it is reactivated by the Agency once again after Bosko is informed by his higher-up that Felix is of the utmost priority to the country’s intelligence operation. Therefore, Charlie and his men can resume their work without any further infringement for the time being.
Meanwhile, back at the London base, Henry worries that the higher-ups may eventually find out about his decision to relay information to Charlie personally. Bosko tells him to have faith in his stoic duty and put emotions aside moving forward, which he acknowledges is a difficult thing that the Agency demands from all its operatives. This also circles back to the same theme running throughout the series thus far—compromising one’s personal life for the sake of duty.
Martian Highlights the Need for Insanity in His Job
One of the main highlights and mic-drop moments in the episode arrives when Martian sits down for his counseling session with Dr. Rachel Blake. The latter constantly pesters the protagonist about the importance of psychology in the lives of the spies working at the Agency, especially those like Martian, who have lived undercover for several years. In the ensuing conversation, Blake tries to hit Martian with the standard questions expected of a therapist, but Martian seems to turn the tables on her, accusing her of blocking his attempts at opening up. Eventually, after a bit of a verbal stand-off, Martian tells the psychologist that his job as a spy requires him to be insane, as no sane person could live as someone else for years at a time and still keep their priorities set straight.
He blatantly accuses Blake of faking her interest in helping him psychologically. Instead, he tells her that her reasons for questioning him are strictly vested in the interest of the Agency and in finding out whether he is capable of carrying out his job regardless of his personal mess. Following the session, Martian meets up with Sami, having planned a rendezvous after breaking contact with her for a while. Tired of playing any games, Martian directly questions Sami about her reasons for being in London and whether they have anything to do with him. Hearing his loaded inquiries, Sami is enraged by his questioning attitude. Instead, she tells him that he was the one who abandoned her for months following his return to London. Their conversation reaches a breaking point, with Sami remarking that they are “not working.”
They both turn and walk away from one another, creating a huge distance between them as they walk the length of the Waterloo Bridge in opposite directions. During the whole sequence, neither turns to look at the other, clearly feeling disconnected and disillusioned with their partner, leaving the fate of their relationship slightly hanging in the balance. The episode’s end introduces another important variable through the mysterious man who was watching Sami in the opening sequence. He flags down Sami to enter his car, who does so without any complaints. Clearly, his emergence in London will add more drama to Sami and Martian’s evolving relationship, including some new twists further down the road.
Read More: The Agency Episode 1 and 2 Recap
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