Spy thrillers are having a golden era, with shows like The Night Agent and Slow Horses delivering pulse-pounding action and intricate plots. Among the standout recent entries is Peacock's The Day of the Jackal, which premiered in November 2024 and earned an 84% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. But while fans wait for its second season (expected in 2027), there's a Paramount+ series that's quickly becoming the perfect substitute: The Agency.
Premiering in late November 2024, The Agency initially flew under the radar with a lukewarm first season. However, its second season, released all at once on June 21, 2026, has transformed the show into a critical powerhouse, boasting a stellar 92% on Rotten Tomatoes—a massive 26-point jump from its debut. With a top-tier cast and a story that deepens with every episode, The Agency is now a must-watch for anyone craving sophisticated espionage.
What Is The Agency About?
Based on the acclaimed French series Le Bureau des Légendes, The Agency centers on CIA operative Brandon Colby, codename “Martian,” played by Michael Fassbender. After six years undercover in Ethiopia, Martian returns to London, but he's haunted by a broken rule: he fell in love with university professor Sami Zahir (Jodie Turner-Smith). Forced to leave abruptly, he severed all ties, and now he must reintegrate into a desk job while grappling with his fractured identity and his relationship with his teenage daughter.
The series excels in its portrayal of Martian's struggle to adapt. His superiors, Director Henry (Jeffrey Wright) and Chief Bosko (Richard Gere), embody contrasting leadership styles and quietly question his reliability. Just as Martian begins to find his footing, Sami re-enters his life, and he's thrust into a dangerous mission to rescue an undercover agent—a mission that tests his loyalties and forces him to confront his past.
Why The Agency Is the Ideal Day of the Jackal Replacement
While the two shows have distinct flavors, they share a sleek, modern espionage aesthetic that blends high-stakes international intrigue with deeply personal stories. Both center on complex protagonists—Fassbender's Martian and Eddie Redmayne's Jackal—who grapple with the psychological toll of living under false identities. However, their approaches differ: The Day of the Jackal is a relentless cat-and-mouse chase across the globe, filled with elaborate assassinations, while The Agency is a slower, more introspective burn, focusing on Martian's relationships and the bureaucratic maze of the CIA.
What makes The Agency so compelling is its emphasis on uncertainty and manipulation. The tension comes not from car chases but from the question of who can be trusted. As one Rotten Tomatoes review puts it, "It's a chillingly negative view of human nature going rotten at the core, but weirdly compelling nonetheless." This moral complexity is a hallmark of the best spy dramas, and it's on full display here.
For fans of The Day of the Jackal, The Agency offers a different but equally satisfying experience. If you prefer fast-paced action, stick with the Jackal; but if you're drawn to slow-burn espionage and morally ambiguous characters, The Agency is your next binge. Both shows explore themes of secret identities, international conspiracies, and the isolation that comes with a life of secrets—making them perfect companions for a spy-thriller marathon.
If you're hungry for more thrillers, check out our list of six perfect shows that never missed a beat, or dive into the most intense thriller books ever written. And for a cinematic take, explore the best thrillers of the 1990s.
