After spending weeks juggling secrets, escalating dangers means it's time for Martian (Michael Fassbender) to share with Henry (Jeffrey Wright) why his former contact Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith) is in London. The problem is Osman (Kurt Egyiawan) has gotten too close to discovering who Martian is; in doing so, Martian’s teenage daughter Poppy (India Fowler) is a target. Martian must also consider Sami’s safety, as her security detail closely monitors her every move in The Agency episode 7.
Elsewhere, plans to locate missing agent Coyote (Alex Reznik) continue as the team looks closer into General Volchok (Juris Žagars) and the mercenary force Valhalla. With a limited time frame, they must act fast, putting a reluctant person into the field. Meanwhile, Danny (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) has to turn to a new friend to aid her mission.
Read on for our full breakdown of The Agency episode 7.
Threats to Sami and Poppy
News of Sami evading her security detail causes concern, so at the next round of negotiations it's made clear if she tries anything like that again her family will be punished using horrifying sexual violence methods that Sami has written about in her work.
Sami calls Martian, underscoring the severity of this threat. “Nowhere is safe,” Sami says. Martian doesn’t have a quick fix, telling her he is working on a way out and to follow the orders given by her security team.
Martian is also concerned for his teen daughter, Poppy, after Osman approaches her in a London cafe. Martian wants the teen to stay at the apartment, which she agrees to. However, as a precaution, he asks one of the field team members, Dozer (Ray BLK), to tail Poppy if she goes anywhere.
Of course, Poppy ignores her father’s instructions and heads to class. Guo (Curtis Lum) follows Poppy as she walks home, but Dozer safely intercepts, pulling Poppy out of harm's way.
An offer you can't refuse
At the office, the team strategizes about the next steps regarding Coyote, detailing everything they know about Volchok and Valhalla. The mercenaries first appeared in 2014 and have grown in size and scope in the last decade. They are registered internationally, so legally they have zero ties to Russia. They are an aggressive military force that successfully gains ground using ruthless methods.
Owen (John Magaro) says it's hard to estimate the number of forces that make up Valhalla. Rising tension between Russian higher-ups and Valhalla has only made Volchok more paranoid about potential infiltrating enemies, so it will be hard to get someone on the inside.
After undergoing intense interrogation earlier this season, it doesn’t seem likely that Alexei (Marcin Zarzeczny) will be persuaded to be the asset sent into the Valhalla compound. However, Martian doesn’t give Alexei much of a choice. They'll give Alexei, his brother and his mother US citizenship in return, but if he refuses, they will send him back to Belarus and ensure people know he has been working for the Americans.
Martian shares some truths
Martian quickly has to switch gears when he sees Poppy in the office and learns an agent from Beijing followed and tried to kidnap her. Martian realizes it's “now or never” to tell Henry about Sami’s role in the meetings brokered by the Chinese agencies. Martian sprinkles some truth in but conceals his personal entanglement with Sami.
One big lie though is that it was a coincidence he learned Sami was in London. Martian says he accidentally bumped into her while taking Poppy to a museum (Martian gets Poppy to corroborate this story). Martian thinks he can get Sami to turn and become an asset. Henry debriefs Bosko (Richard Gere), who agrees Martian should pursue this plan.
Dr. Blake (Harriet Sansom Harris) and Naomi (Katherine Waterston) strategize options for Sami, with Dr. Blake suggesting Martian use Sami’s love for him to get her to help. Dr. Blake emphasizes Sami isn’t betraying her Sudanese home because “home is you.”
After the meeting, Dr. Blake tells Naomi Martian is still in love with Sami, but Naomi says Martian didn’t keep his feelings for Sami secret during their debriefs. Dr. Blake questions whether Naomi’s feelings for Martian have clouded her judgment, which Naomi rejects outright. But Dr. Blake is an expert in this field and looks like she hit a nerve.
Finding a way to talk to Sami will be challenging, so they decide to “attack” her cover for being in the UK. Sami must attend an in-person appointment at the university to explain her absence throughout the program, or her visa will be revoked.
Putting on a convincing show
After requesting a meeting with Volchok about sensitive matters, Alexei arrives at the heavily guarded Valhalla compound. Alexei says he works in the accounting department of the trucking company that is conning Volchok out of a lot of money on his invoices. Volchok appears impressed with Alexei’s demeanor and that he didn’t “piss his pants.”
Alexei shares intel with the CIA about who else was in the room, but Volchok thinks something about Alexei is off and correctly guesses he was there on behalf of the Americans. What's the fallback plan if this doesn't work?
Another fluid situation is Danny’s mission to get selected to go to Tehran. Unfortunately, Reza (Reza Brojerdi) has picked Jerome (Ben Lloyd-Hughes). But Danny isn’t going to quit this easily. Danny asks Edward (Elham Ehsas) for assistance in getting Jerome to drop out.
First, Edward uses vague threats, then shows Jerome he means business by gaining access to Jerome’s wife’s phone. The plan works, and Jerome passes on the opportunity. Danny and Edward are still sleeping together, and there is a sense they are growing closer — despite Naomi warning Danny not to catch feelings.
As predicted, Osman escorts Sami to the university meeting but doesn’t stay for this part of the conversation. The professor leaves through a different door, and Martian enters the room.
“Paul,” Sami says. “No,” is Martian’s response. How will Sami react to finding out everything she knows about Martian is a lie? Will Sami agree to become the latest recruit in this high-risk environment?
New episodes of The Agency premiere Fridays on Paramount Plus with Showtime in the US; Saturdays on Paramount Plus in the UK.
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