There are certain expectations for a spy series: a sexy leading man or woman, thrilling action setpieces, conspiracies that go all the way to the top, perhaps the threat of nuclear warfare. It’s the kind of escapist storytelling regularly headlined by ultra-cool movie stars like Tom Cruise, Daniel Craig, or, indeed, by Michael Fassbender. So when The Agency opens on Fassbender’s covert CIA operative returning home after a six-year deep undercover mission, only to meticulously search through his apartment to destroy the bugs planted everywhere, you may think, “Oh yeah, I’m in for the coolest sh*t ever.” But The Agency, an upcoming 10-episode series on Showtime executive produced by Fassbender and George Clooney, is doing something much more interesting than the typical spy stuff.
