The Bends

I like spy movies a lot. I enjoy these actors moderately. With this series, I was greatly intrigued in the pilot, by the emphasis on practicalities and the unsexy aspects of the spy world. But by the end, it devolved into the usual drivel. None of that practicality was really expanded on. One major character, whose arc is introduced in the first episode, only really begins their major story by the time the season ends. And their major test at the end is entirely skipped, and it is just shown that they pass. Two of the other major characters are barely developed. Richard Gere's character devolved by the end so hard, it was a bit cringe to watch even though I binged the series in 2-3 days. The music is good, the set is good, but by the end the main thing carrying the show is suspended disbelief and plot armor.

If you are a discerning viewer, you will not enjoy this. Otherwise, it is a decent one-time watch.

Picture-perfect mediocrity. If the screeching tones of Jack White butchering "Love Is Blindness" and the stilted chit-chat between daughter and dad don't make you reach for the remote, you might just watch long enough to be bored to death by this predictable, flat-lined CIA drama, drenched in cool blues and washed out industrial soundtrack. Yeah, we've been here before, as a rule. A "Bureau" remake by the numbers, "The Agency" appears to be guilty of just about every spy cliché in existence. "In too deep" meets "lying to your superiors" meets "trained killer has emotions, too" with a bunch of mundane characters, each with exactly one trait to be exploited. Fassbender is colorless and dull, and maybe that's the point, but who can care so much when the fate of many nations seems to hinge on romantic emails. The Agency had me thinking more about The Americans than it did whatever was happening on screen here, and that's immediately a problem. Not much to recommend here.

The creators, writers, and directors of this show seem to have relied heavily on favors. George Clooney's involvement does not elevate the quality, as the show is a significant disappointment. The pacing is excessively slow, the dialogue is barely audible, and the acting is subpar.

Although I am not a professionally trained CIA agent, the characters lack authenticity. The overacting by the drivers and the portrayal of a female character who fails to complete an interrogation role play in a Muslim country are unrealistic. If the goal is to create a realistic portrayal, such scenes should be avoided. I will watch the second episode, but it is almost as disappointing as Fassbender's movie "Killer," which was also a slow-moving failure. This show will only appeal to those who enjoy unrealistic plots and poor scripts. I struggle to find any positive aspects. If this depiction is accurate, it suggests that the CIA is staffed by individuals who lack the commitment and understanding required to protect our country. They are not just humans; they are soldiers.

The previous TV series by this name was broadcast two decades ago with Rocky Carroll in the lead, before he found greater success running "NCIS". This cable TV series begins with a rather dreary episode, hardly a grabber.

What's missing is the camaraderie of a team (think of any hit procedural show like NCIS or Criminal Minds) and an interesting mission to carry out. Nothing wrong with taking things seriously, but you need to lighten up a bit to engross an audience.

Perhaps the problem is making a show about the CIA with British writers and a British director, actually based on a French spy series. Seems a bit of forcing a round puzzle piece into a square hole. And technology is a problem: James Bond or McGoohan's John Drake were charismatic Action Men, not staring at screens or trapped in cubicles, or dealing with bureaucratic superiors. I don't think John Le Carre would approve.

Exactly same thing as the famous French TV show called Bureau Des Légendes (he quit someone he love lying to his supervisor, he has a daughter, some agent drinks and gets trouble with local police somewhere in non friendly country, and so on). This is very disappointing and shameful not to mention it.

I will continue to watch but the comparison is not in favor of this copy of the original. I like the lead actor and Richard Gere (maybe the same character as MAG we will see). All characters are same.

I am expecting to see if CIA showed different than the French agency or if this is a simple copy based on similar characters.