Jodie Turner-Smith wants The Agency to change Samia’s ending as season 2’s production is underway. Adapted from the French thriller series, The Bureau, the Jez and John-Henry Butterworth-created spy series stars Michael Fassbender as Martian, a covert CIA agent who’s pulled back to the London office from his undercover post. However, his life was complicated when Samia Zahir (Turner-Smith), an old flame, showed up. In The Agency season 1 finale, Samia was arrested and put into a Sudanese prison.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Turner-Smith expressed her hope for a different ending. The actor, who has watched the French original and is “still traumatized,” revealed that she has been suggesting “certain changes” in the adaptation and is working on pitching a different ending. She also discusses wanting to spend more time with co-stars Fassbender, Jeffrey Wright, and Richard Gere. Check out her comments below:
Because I’ve seen the show, the French version, I keep on trying to stalk the Butterworths to be like, “So can we make certain changes so that I can get some more time with this one and some time with these guys? I keep coming in with my suggestions of how I would rather this not go. Also, I’m very upset by the ending of the original show, and I would like for us to end differently. Traumatized. I’m still traumatized.
Samia’s Original Fate Is Very Traumatizing
In The Bureau, the Martian and Samia romance arc is told through French spy Guillaume Debailly’s (code name Malotru) story with Nadia, a woman he fell in love with while undercover as a professor in Syria. Their reconciliation after Guillaume’s undercover mission concluded put Nadia’s life in danger, and despite Guillaume’s efforts to save her, she died in the series’ grand finale. Much like Turner-Smith, many viewers and critics have expressed their disappointment with the show’s execution of Nadia’s fate.
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So far, The Agency has been a brilliant adaptation that stays true to its French inspiration, but that doesn’t mean there’s no room for creative changes. In a separate interview, Alex Berger, producer of The Bureau, praised the latest adaptation for respecting the original show while reinventing it when necessary. Despite being created by Eric Rochant, the fateful ending in the French original wasn’t written by the showrunner, who handed complete creative control to someone else to remain non-sentimental toward his own show.
Our Take On Samia’s Fate In The Agency
Changing Samia’s Fate Is Huge, But It Could Benefit The Series
The Agency has made several updates, including a huge geographical change to make the show about America instead of France, but still, altering the ending is a shift that would be far more controversial. While many viewers are upset by Nadia’s treatment at the end of the French original, the traumatizing two-episode finale also serves as one of the main reasons why the series is so memorable. But then, there’s also the factor that Rochant himself wasn’t involved in the decision-making of the original’s finale.
So far, the co-showrunners have yet to comment on how they plan to end the show. It’s worth noting that the series’ fate still up in the air beyond season 2, but sticking to the French ending could almost guarantee a strong reaction from fans, especially after rooting for Samia’s survival throughout the entire show. On the other hand, it seems safe to assume that Samia will stick around, even though her fate remains unknown in The Agency season 2.
Source: THR
The Agency
7/10
- Release Date
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November 29, 2024
- Network
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Paramount+ with Showtime
- Directors
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Joe Wright