The Agency Is Far Better Than Your Typical American Remake
tldr in the end.
I was looking for something to watch after finishing The Day of the Jackal, stumbled upon Slow Horses, and ended up binging all five seasons. Then I started looking for what to watch next.
Le Bureau was always on the list, but I wasn't sure I’d enjoy it with subtitles, so I decided to give The Agency a try instead. And honestly, I’m not disappointed at all.
I think the main reason this show gets viewed so negatively is simply because Le Bureau exists. If The Agency were an original series with nothing to compare it to, I think it would have been received a lot better. Imdb rating of 7.5 vs 8.7 is brutal, I don't expect the gap to be that big. The agency is at least 8 imo.
I keep seeing people say things like “The Agency is for the masses” and “Le Bureau is for finer tastes,” and I just don't buy that. I've watched a lot of shows and movies in this genre, and I don't think The Agency feels diluted at all. It's genuinely really good. Definitely not the shitty American remake some people make it out to be.
And if you liked Fassbender in The Killer and Black Bag, I think The Agency will feel right at home.
It just doesn't deserve to be dismissed simply because there's a “better” French version out there.
tldr
If you're coming to this as a first-time viewer with no Le Bureau comparison in your head, The Agency is just a really good spy thriller on its own. It’s far from a watered-down American remake