The Agency episode 5 recap: setting a trap

Martian (Michael Fassbender) expects risk-taking in his line of business but underestimates how his personal and professional lives will overlap in The Agency episode 5. Despite Henry’s (Jeffrey Wright) warnings, Martian continues to meet with Sami (Jodie Turner-Smith) which results in him coming face-to-face with Sudanese intelligence agent Osman (Kurt Egyiawan).

Meanwhile, attempts to find Coyote (Alex Reznik) continue with Owen (John Magaro) traveling to Belarus to search Coyote’s apartment. However, Owen lacks experience in the field, resulting in some missteps. Danny (Saura Lightfoot-Leon) also undergoes a dangerous encounter that tests her endurance skills.

Read on for our full recap of The Agency episode 5.

The values of covers

Dr. Blake (Harriet Sansom Harris) is curious about what Paul Lewis means to Martian. Martian compares a cover story to a windshield in that it can protect against bugs, but “anything hard enough, moving fast enough smashes clean through.” Osman proves not to be a bug, as he digs into Paul’s social media and travel history.

The biggest concern in the CIA field office isn’t this potential issue (Martian hasn’t shared any of this with his superiors), but finding a break with Coyote. Someone has contacted them with interest in an exchange, so Owen is tasked with searching Coyote’s apartment in Belarus for anything useful. Owen asks about a cover story, which Martian immediately vetoes as Owen hasn’t been trained.

Owen finds signs in the bathroom and bedroom at Coyotes' apartment that someone else has been there. As Coyote’s handler, Owen clocks other unusual details, such as a cat that Coyote never mentioned.

In the field

A date between Sami and Martian is interrupted by Osman, who makes Martian feel like a cop is questioning him. After Osman leaves, Martian has some follow-ups about this so-called colleague of Sami’s. But when Sami says her life will be in danger if she spills the real reason Osman is in London, Martian tables the conversation. “But Sami wasn’t a threat to me. I was a threat to her,” Martian tells the unseen woman in the flashforward.

The following morning, Osman orders Sami not to see "Paul" again. He claims to be protecting Sami, revealing his scar-covered chest (the result of six days of interrogation that proved he was telling the truth). Martian knows somebody will search his hotel room, so he leaves a copy of the manuscript of the novel "Paul" claims to be writing with eraser shavings inside (if they are disturbed, it will prove someone opened it). Martian follows Sami’s car and snaps photos of her entering a fancy building.

In Minsk, Owen meets the cat’s owner in Coyote’s apartment. Eva (Emma Nova) says Piotr (Coyte’s cover name) is her boss. She is staying at his apartment because she fought with her boyfriend. Owen ignores Martian’s instructions, pretending his name is John. They end up sleeping together.

Checking in with Danny, she's on a high after receiving an apology from Reza (Reza Brojerdi) and impressing him with her Farsi skills. She is quickly brought back to earth when she is handcuffed and detained. The interrogator ties Danny to a chair, telling her Reza works for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. “Spying is against the law in this country,” he says. Does this man work for British intelligence? The interrogation is violent, but Danny doesn’t crack. This ultimately was a test (Martian gives her a B+). Wen her interrogator informs Danny she passed, the two strike up a light flirtation — despite what he put her through — and later on, the two hook up for some out-of-office naked bonding.

Panicking

The CIA analysts pinpoint where somebody sent the Coyote-related text, a known dead drop spot. They realize Coyote must be leaking information, which means it is no longer safe for Owen to be there. Owen panics as he hasn’t told Henry about Eva.

In the bathroom, the steam from the shower reveals the word “VALHALLA;" Owen worries Eva is in on the deception. He locks Eva in a cupboard and finds a gun. Luckily, the extraction team arrives, detaining Eva before Owen does anything stupid.

While his colleagues try to learn more about Coyote's situation, Martian continues to gather intel on why Sami is in London. He learns that one of the men Sami is meeting with is Dalaga (David Harewood), the first cousin of General Hemedti. Martian also finds out that the owner of the building they are meeting is Chinese businessman Eric Zheng Huang, which will help uncover the motive for these meetings.

Martian also needs to lay a trap to ensure Osman believes the Paul Lewis cover story. Martian knows he will be followed and tested to see if he has skills that determine if he is an intelligence operative. So Martian receives specific non-fight training so he doesn’t respond to an attack like a CIA agent. When Osman’s man jumps Martian, he can't defend himself and his jacket is stolen with ease.

Martian's mistake 

Martian goes to the police station, knowing he is being watched by the man who stole his jacket because Osman wants verification that Martian reported the attack. He ultimately doesn't report the assault.

Reporting back to CIA, Owen tries to reason why sleeping with and then locking Eva in a closet was a good idea. Eva is just a secretary, but it isn’t a total bust. They have the phone, the word Valhalla on the mirror and information that Coyote was seeing a psychiatrist. Martian calls it “the most mishandled, questionable, sloppiest mission,” but Owen has “found a hole in the boat.” Is the psychiatrist the key?

Speaking of sloppy, Poppy’s (India Fowler) student ID was in Martian’s jacket pocket. Now Osman thinks he has to “get rid of someone” (note that he doesn’t specifically say Martian) and asks one of the Chinese agents for assistance.

Martian continues his off-books investigation, asking a British friend, James Richardson (Hugh Bonneville), for his thoughts on Eric Zheng Huang being part of whatever is going on. James says Eric is a self-made man who made his fortune in tech services, he is also a negotiations middleman. Martian is putting all the pieces into place. “I had to make lies real, or people would die,” Martian says. But is it too late?

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