The Agency episode 9 recap: time is running out

It's the penultimate episode of The Agency, episode 9, and Martian (Michael Fassbender) faces multiple dilemmas that will impact global security and personal bonds.

After measures to gain access to General Volchok (Juris Žagars) were unsuccessful, Martian makes a risky plan to rescue Coyote (Alex Reznik) before it is too late. However, Martian has to put another top-secret operation in jeopardy to do so.

An update about Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith) also puts Martian in a tricky situation that could compromise everything, which Dr. Blake (Harriet Sansom Harris) warns Henry (Jeffrey Wright) about. Meanwhile, Naomi (Katherine Waterston) tests Danny (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) as she edges closer to her mission goal.

Bluffing the CIA director

After making big promises to Langley, the London field office is no closer to rescuing Coyote from the Valhalla mercenary group. Martian explains for the operation to be successful, they need to know where Coyote is and where he will be. This bluff buys them time to formulate a new plan, even if the CIA director (Dominic West) is furious with them.

Danny isn't quite the seasoned pro at lying that Martian is. Naomi asks Danny questions to find holes in her cover identity and is concerned when she fumbles for an answer about a famous horse race. “You never switch off, okay?” Naomi implores.

Henry wants Dr. Blake to resume her sessions with Martian, but Martian is too busy trying to find a hole in Volchok’s inner circle. Martian gives Owen (John Magaro) and Blair (Ambreen Razia) a list of personnel that hopefully includes their “white rabbit” (aka the person who will lead them to Volchok), giving the duo four hours to complete this task.

In the meantime, Martian asks Simon (Bilal Hasna) in tech if he can see the Paul Lewis phone, following instructions from Osman (Kurt Egyiawan). Osman has sent a video of an imprisoned Sami, proposing to trade Sami “for a thing of interest.” Martian arranges to meet Osman under Southwark Bridge in London later that day.

Making demands

In Ukraine, behind enemy lines, Henry’s brother-in-law Charlie (Edward Holcroft) is back working at the clinic as part of Operation Felix. Dr. Koval (Sergej Onopko) and Boutenko (Oleksandr Rudynskyi), the two Ukranian special forces, report that the Russian FSB intelligence agents are sweeping the clinic. They speculate that their target, Chekhov, is “on his way.”

Back in London, Blair narrows down the list to one person. She explains that working for Volchok is a “career-maker,” leading to promotions in different military and political sectors. That is for all but one: Leo Kravitsky (Vladimir Angelove). Blair has access to Leo’s messages, in which he openly discusses his dissatisfaction.

The team gets to work on their “white rabbit,” posing as a paranoid Volchok. They ask him to head up a new team and draw a list of “men we trust, men we don’t.” They also give Leo part of a poem to recite to an already-selected member of this trusted squad.

While plans are finalized, Martian meets Osman to hear his demands. Osman wants the names of the people Martian recruited in Addis in exchange for Sami’s life. Martian has 48 hours to complete this.

Elsewhere, Reza (Reza Brojerdi) is giving his farewell lecture at the university before returning to Tehran. Danny starts a conversation with Reza’s wife, Azar (Bita Taghavi), and answers many questions, including the name of the horse race she flubbed with Naomi. Luckily, Danny now knows the minutia of her cover alias. Reza tells Danny that Azar isn’t his wife, but someone sent to ensure that “there aren’t any problems.” Luckily, Danny’s alias had zero holes, and Reza picked Danny to go to Tehran.

Back in the field

Even though Dr. Blake hasn't had more time with Martian, she warns Henry that Martian should not return to the field because he has “PTSD triggers, hypervigilance, aggression, paranoia, avoidance.” Risks include “delusions of omnipotence, invincibility, invulnerability.” Henry wishes Dr. Blake had told him sooner; Martian is headed to Belarus to meet Leo.

The meeting with Leo goes according to plan. Leo doesn’t want to assist the CIA, but they take photos of him taking American dollars from Martian. If he doesn’t help, he is a dead man anyway. Leo does as instructed, giving Martian vital intel revealing the secret itinerary for the Russian Deputy Defense Minister on his forthcoming frontline visit.

Colonel Oleg Dimushenko is traveling with the minister and is in charge of security. Dimushenko is Volchok’s former protégé, which is why Volchok is handing Coyote over to him. Volchok has political ambitions and wants to meet with the minister.

Changing priorities 

Henry says there is one place on the list they can’t use, and Martian knows the clinic is a no-no for a potential handover site. However, Martian told Leo to arrange the meeting at this spot because they needed an edge with the team already on the ground.

“How dare you f*** a mission that isn’t even ours!” says Henry. Martian argues it's all one mission and that rescuing Coyote is more important than Operation Felix. Despite not being told the details, Martian deduced that Charlie and the other two men are a kill team sent to assassinate the Deputy Defense Minister, and there is a strong chance they would not get out alive.

Charlie is told the target is no longer the objective, and they have new orders. The two Ukrainians are unhappy but reluctantly agree to the new mission. Leo gives Volchok the location of the Coyote handover, and the London office runs through the plan one final time.

Henry can’t stop Martian from pulling the strings but is tracking where Sami’s plane landed, deducing that Sami is being held in a prison black site. Martian hasn’t told anyone about his communication with Osman but doesn’t hand over the names of his recruits as instructed. “You just killed her,” Osman texts Martian.

However, does Martian have another plan up his sleeve? “Coyote could still make it back; I knew I never would,” Martian says in a voiceover. What exactly will Martian risk in the name of love in The Agency finale?

New episodes of The Agency premiere Fridays on Paramount Plus with Showtime in the US; Saturdays on Paramount Plus in the UK.