The Agency: Hard Landing

January 4, 2025 7:27 PM - Season 1, Episode 7

Mr. Dalaga intensifies pressure on Sami. Bosko learns about Valhalla's scope. Jerome receives horoscope advice. Martian's hand forced when Poppy threatened; with Henry's team, he plans risky recruitment strategy involving her life.
posted by extramundane (2 comments total)

This series is really fantastic.

I thought they overplayed some of the subtle realism with the Valhalla/Wagner breakdown ("an unauthorized cell phone is grounds for a death sentence... carried out by sledgehammer" / "so the world's most paranoid asshole, trained by old KGB in counterespionage, and surrounded by his own fanatical private army of Nazi mercenary thugs" sounds like something out of a 2000s Bond film) but besides that I am blown away on a weekly basis by how good this series is at creating a low, tense simmer.

Fantastic acting and I love the relationships between the characters. I was especially struck by the scene between the therapist and the case officer in the bathroom. Overall this series is usually excellent at showing, not telling, which feels like such a rarity these days.
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 10:33 AM on January 5

Totally agree on both points. I love that the case officer reevaluated her own position after the little chat with the psychologist and went back to review Martian's tape.
posted by extramundane at 8:22 AM on January 6 [1 favorite]