So Chris has graciously handed the reins for the Weekender to me this week, and I’m going with TWO shows while I have the chance: two different takes on the world of spycraft.
First up: Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag (2025). This one is a sleek, low-flash spy drama that trades in James Bond pyrotechnics for razor-edged conversation—and wins. Starring (the always excellent) Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as married British intelligence officers, it plays like a dinner-party with a ticking bomb under the table. The surfaces are polite and British-genteel, but you can feel the explosion coming.
One aspect of this that was great fun was the sudden twists — you definitely won’t see certain scenes coming. Additionally, a lot of the “action” goes on beneath the surface; the script is clever in that when a “reveal” comes, you have that “ah, of course” moment.
Credit the excellent cast for putting this over creditably in a taut 90 minutes of intrigue and office maneuvering, as spycraft and marital distrust collide. Every glance is a clue, every line has a double meaning. Who’s doing what to whom? That’s what the film wants you guessing — and you will.
Is it action-light? Definitely—but that’s the point. Black Bag thrives on craft: tight staging, clipped editing, and dialogue that cuts deeper than the usual knife fights on a building ledge. When the final twist lands, it’s satisfying without betraying the film’s intimacy—a “trust is currency” finale that lingers nicely.
This is also one of those films that feels believable — despite the fact that a few of the plot-twists stretch the imagination pretty far. Put simply: it wouldn’t happen this way. But who cares — you won’t notice. And stranger things have happened in that world. And add a star for the dark, almost Victorian London atmosphere.
Next is a very different thing: The Agency, a series airing on Prime Video and starring Fassbender again, Jeffrey Wright, and, of all people, Richard Gere.
Now this one IS believable — and for good reason. The series is rumored to be based (likely very loosely) on an actual CIA operation that ran for years, telescoped here into a 20-episode, two-season streaming show. (That said, it’s based on an original French series called The Bureau, so one has to wonder how true that is).
This one reeks of authenticity — if for no other reason than the bureaucratic interplay among the characters. Personally, I never really considered Richard Gere as an actor, but I have to say, he is excellent here, the best of the cast. Anyone who has ever worked in this world (or in any office, for that matter) will recognize his character instantly: tough, sardonic, with a beating heart that he doesn’t want to acknowledge. His scenes lift perceptibly.
The Steve-McQueen-cool Michael Fassbender is also fine as (again) the main character (although his style tends to be a bit wooden, both here and in Black Bag. I assume he’d say ouch if he burned his hand in real life, but I’m not sure). But Jeffery Wright, who plays a mid-level CIA supervisor, makes up for it. He’s an actor who does a lot with simply his facial expressions, and he has a few (funny) “uh-oh” moments where you can see the fear of an operation-going-wrong on his face. Anyone who has done law enforcement or intelligence work knows that sinking feeling. (Wright should do comedy sometime; he has a certain “oh what the hell’s gone wrong now” facial expression that would kill).
The setting for The Agency is current: Russians, Chinese, African geo-politics, corruption, this time playing out in a less atmospheric London (CIA London station).
It’s slower-going than Black Bag, and you’ll have to stay with it. But if you appreciate complex intrigue and the subtle combat of differing international agendas, this one’s for you.
If your mood is to binge a series that will capture you in an unforgiving world that brings home the true stakes always lurking behind intel work, go with The Agency. If you prefer a quick ride based on intrigue and plot-twists, go with Black Bag. Neither will disappoint, but be warned: you’ll have to pay attention. Neither of these is a casual watch while you answer emails.
Both shows are available on Amazon Prime, with Black Bag apparently also in theaters (remember those?).
In the meantime, we’ll see you shortly with this week’s Ops Drop — and a podcast that tears the lid off of the foreign funding of the country’s newest socialist star, Zohran Mamdani.
So stay safe and enjoy the weekend! Hope you’re getting some nice Fall weather, wherever you are.
Took your advice and watched Black Bag Sunday evening. Brilliant!! Thanks for a great recommendation, Paul!
Re: The Agency
As Dan says below "Amazon will get you there" but you need the Paramount upgrade. Fortunately a big box store throws in a subscription if you subscribe to their home delivery.