Compare The Agency, Season 2 vs It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1

The final stretch is a clear strength, with reviewers praising how secrets ignite and plot pieces come together. Even when the ending is judged slightly below Season 1’s, the payoff is still considered worthwhile.

The finale is the clearest source of frustration, particularly Lori's romantic choice and the last-minute reversal of the hoped-for pairing.

Season 2 is praised for picking up unresolved threads and connecting storylines that previously felt too separate. The flip side is that several reviewers recommend starting from the beginning to fully track the web of loyalties.

A major drunk-driving crash is criticized for vanishing without a police report or consequences, creating a conspicuous break in narrative follow-through.

Most reviewers find the character behavior grounded in the spy world’s suspicion and moral pressure. One critic objects that Season 2’s treatment of Martian and Samia feels like a regression from the first season.

Malcolm's choices are the main sticking point: critical viewers felt his behavior did not match the responsibilities of a pastor or attentive father.

Most critics say Season 2 moves faster and with more urgency than the first season, helped by connected plotlines and a binge release. Several still flag slow or slack stretches, especially early in the season or during setup-heavy passages.

The middle episodes are the weakest stretch for pacing, with criticism that the season becomes low-key, uneven, and less compelling week to week.

The season keeps many reviewers guessing, and its late twists or reversals are often praised. One review notes that some twists are easier to anticipate, so the surprise factor is good but not flawless.

The changing relationships and twists keep the story lively and increase anticipation for another season.

The screenplay’s best moments come through tense interrogations, precise character work, and scenes that turn bureaucracy into drama. Its weaker moments involve dull villains or predictable mission beats.

The script is praised as carefully thought out, with layered characters and emotional moments that serve more than the central romance.

The finale earns strong marks for impact, surprise, and cliffhanger energy. Several critics say it leaves the next chapter feeling necessary rather than merely optional.

The finale delivers an intense, tissue-worthy emotional experience, even though its romantic outcome divides the audience.

The season juggles many simultaneous missions, and several critics think the cutting between storylines keeps the show moving. Others note that the structure sometimes leads to exposition or scenes where characters catch up to what viewers already know.

The pilot wins viewers over despite a noticeable explainer-heavy setup that sometimes feels like conventional premiere groundwork.

Character work is one of the season’s biggest strengths, especially as the show spreads emotional and professional consequences across the ensemble. The dissenting view is that some development pushes Martian toward larger-than-life heroism or leaves Samia too passive.

The adults and children receive distinct emotional struggles that make most of the ensemble easy to invest in. Detractors found some children unlikable and wanted serious problems addressed more responsibly.

The strongest emotional notes come from Martian’s love for Samia, the psychological toll of deceit, and the human cost of spy work. A few critics wish Samia had more active material, but her presence still gives the season a personal pulse.

Tearful, heartfelt moments are a defining strength, with grief and family scenes repeatedly described as moving, hopeful, and earned rather than manipulative.

Reviewers repeatedly want more, with several explicitly hoping for or looking ahead to Season 3. The cliffhanger and character arcs leave the story feeling unfinished in a productive way.

Demand for another season is exceptionally strong, with many viewers explicitly asking for Season 2 and some wanting several more seasons.

Chemistry is praised both in the Martian-Samia romance and in the ensemble’s working rhythm. Reviewers highlight how briefings, interrogations, and shared scenes feel charged because the actors play off one another so well.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes generate natural, lived-in chemistry that anchors the series, while the wider ensemble often feels like a believable interconnected family.

The cliffhanger lands well for critics who want the story to continue. Multiple reviews say the season closes by opening the door to a darker, more dangerous next chapter.

The unresolved ending clearly points toward another season, though its payoff depends on future episodes following through.

The dialogue is often framed as smart, sharp, and central to the show’s appeal, especially in interrogation and office scenes. The caveat is that the dialogue-heavy style may be too dense for viewers looking for lighter spy entertainment.

The strongest responses call the dialogue realistic and human, especially around grief and family conflict. One critic found it too close to sentimental or unnatural.

Visual craft is mentioned positively but less often than acting and writing. Reviewers who discuss it praise the genre-fitting look, stylish locations, and purposeful framing of London and far-flung spy settings.

The picture is described as clean, steady, and professionally filmed, with clear visuals that avoid the murky darkness common in some dramas.

Reviewers like that the season avoids feeling overly generic, though one critic notes some familiar spy elements and predictable villain material. Its strongest originality comes from office tension, personal compromise, and spy bureaucracy rather than spectacle.

The series often avoids an easy romantic resolution and can surprise viewers, but familiar child arcs, predictable tropes, and one strongly negative response limit the praise.

Direction is praised when action and suspense emphasize consequence over empty spectacle. The show’s visual control and handling of tense set pieces help quieter scenes carry thriller energy.

Brad Silberling's direction is singled out for helping the slice-of-life material feel polished, emotionally clear, and impactful.

The story is widely described as stronger, deeper, and more compelling this season, with global spy plots that increasingly connect. The main pushback is that some side missions feel less gripping when Martian is not central.

The intertwined family story is widely praised as heartfelt, relatable, and compelling, with strong balance between adults and children. Critics cite clichés, overcrowded issues, and disappointing late choices.

One review specifically values the season’s broader international lens, saying it avoids simple American-exceptionalist framing. The praise is limited but concrete around how the series treats global politics and non-American operatives.

Faith is usually praised as sincere, welcoming, and naturally woven into modern family life rather than preachy. A vocal minority rejects the inclusive Christian portrayal as inauthentic or overly progressive.

Several critics admire the grounded approach to spy work, especially its emphasis on bureaucracy, consequences, and believable office tension. A few plot developments are called contrived or outrageous, but realism remains a repeated strength.

Grief, divorce, parenting, and faith usually feel messy, relatable, and emotionally honest. Negative responses question the pastoral behavior, consequences, and volume of issues packed into the story.

The drama works best when personal loyalty, institutional duty, and emotional cost collide. Reviews describe it as adult, satisfying, and thoughtful, though not always as propulsive as more action-forward thrillers.

The series balances grief, romance, parenting, and faith with warmth and meaningful stakes. Its quieter, earnest style can feel too sappy or subdued for viewers wanting sharper drama.

Spy-thriller fans are the clearest audience: critics call the season adult, smart, believable, and highly satisfying within the genre. It is less suited to viewers who expect nonstop spectacle or simple action thrills.

It is widely seen as a welcome revival of warm multigenerational family drama, combining comfort-viewing appeal with contemporary emotional complications.

Suspense is a core strength, with critics praising interrogations, paranoia, mole hunts, and ordinary conversations that simmer with unease. Even reviews that question the season’s focus acknowledge strong moments of tension.

Unpredictable choices and unanswered relationship questions keep viewers wondering what will happen next, supporting continued interest without turning the show into a thriller.

Bingeability is a major plus: multiple critics say the all-at-once release makes the season hard to stop watching. The show is addictive for attentive viewers, though its density may make it a demanding binge.

Several viewers finished the season in two days or said they could not stop watching. Even a more critical response still watched the full run in hopes of a stronger payoff.

Reviewers repeatedly point to the show’s deeper ideas about loyalty, identity, sacrifice, and the psychological cost of undercover life. The theme work gives the season more weight than a simple mission-of-the-week spy thriller.

Grief, faith, divorce, addiction, parenting, and second chances are explored with compassion and few easy answers. Some viewers found the sheer number of issues excessive.

Individual episodes often work as tense, dialogue-heavy chess matches, but not every hour lands equally smoothly. Some reviewers found the first stretch slow or overloaded before the payoffs arrived.

The premiere moves confidently for some viewers, but others felt it races through exposition and romance before the relationships have enough time to settle.

The season is dense, but its mysteries are generally described as followable when viewers pay attention. It is not positioned as effortless casual viewing, and one review stresses that it demands focus.

The large ensemble is introduced clearly, while David's motives and parts of the marital history remain underexplained.

The spy world feels broad and interconnected, stretching across London, Iran, Sudan, Ukraine, Africa, and rival agencies. Critics like the global scope most when it feeds character pressure instead of becoming exposition.

The interconnected households, church, school, and neighborhood feel fully formed quickly, making it easy to settle into the characters' shared lives.

The season’s visual style is described as moody, stylish, and polished, especially in how it distinguishes offices from global field locations. It supports the adult thriller tone without becoming the main attraction.

Clean imagery and thoughtful framing support the emotional tone, including a restrained apparition device that keeps Jenny's absence visually present.

Critics think the show deserves more attention than it has received, especially from viewers who like prestige spy drama. Its appeal is narrower for casual audiences because it favors dense, adult suspense over easy spectacle.

Its warm, accessible style reaches beyond a strictly faith-based audience and resonates especially with families and viewers who have experienced grief or divorce.

The supporting ensemble is a major selling point, with Wright, Gere, Magaro, Waterston, Lightfoot-Leon, Razia, and others repeatedly singled out. Some critics still feel certain characters, especially Samia or some villains, are underused or underwritten.

The younger cast often earns standout praise for warmth, realism, and emotional range, particularly Cary Christopher and Caleb Baumann. One hostile response disliked how the children were presented.

The acting is one of the safest bets here: critics repeatedly call the cast superb, impeccable, magnetic, or phenomenal. Even when story complaints appear, reviewers often say the performers keep the material engaging.

The cast is one of the clearest strengths, with customers repeatedly praising believable performances. A small minority found the acting poor or disliked specific casting choices.

Fassbender receives repeated praise for anchoring Martian with intensity, control, vulnerability, and danger. Even mixed reviews tend to treat his performance as one of the season’s most valuable assets.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes earn especially strong praise for vulnerability, warmth, and emotional clarity. One critic tired of Foley repeating the same tearful expression.

Entertainment value is generally strong, especially for viewers who enjoy tense, intelligent spy drama. One more lukewarm review still finds it entertaining enough, while the most positive critics call it must-watch television.

The broad response is highly positive, with many calling it refreshing, comforting, and easy to enjoy. The harshest critics found it unrealistic, overstuffed, or not worth finishing.

Conflict resolution is usually presented as compassionate and constructive, but the drunk-driving crash drew sharp criticism for lacking police consequences or meaningful intervention.

Most viewers value the wholesome tone, limited profanity, restrained sexual content, and focus on family. Mature themes and a few moral objections mean it is not universally suitable for children.

Light banter, awkward family moments, and Foley's easy humor keep the grief-heavy story from becoming oppressive without turning it into a broad comedy.

Profanity is minimal and generally viewed as refreshingly restrained, although faith-focused guides still note occasional swearing as a content caveat.

The girls' wrestling storyline may feel contemporary and inclusive to some viewers, but it was also criticized as propaganda.

The opening episode is repeatedly described as charming, compelling, and an excellent start, even when its exposition feels compressed.

The eight-episode order frustrates viewers in opposite ways: one critic thinks the middle is padded, while another believes the season is far too short.

Sex is discussed or implied without graphic depiction, and several viewers praise the restraint. More conservative responses still object to dating and intimacy outside marriage.

The limited violence is generally appreciated, with only school wrestling and bullying flagged as mild concerns rather than dominant content.

The restrained presentation suits many families with teens, but grief, self-harm, addiction, divorce, and other mature themes make it a questionable choice for younger children.

Strong critical notices reinforce the show's appeal beyond its enthusiastic customer audience.

Parents appreciated the way the show encourages conversations about difficult issues, and one older viewer found its parenting lessons personally revealing.

Included Prime access makes the series feel like an excellent value and worthwhile use of time. Its initial add-on placement was harder to justify for less enthusiastic viewers.

The overall production is described as polished and well made, reinforcing the sense that this is a higher-quality entry in faith-oriented television.