The Bureau (TV): Renaissance of the Spy Drama
I recently shared my tribute to the literary superstars responsible for elevating the spy novel genre and inevitably focused on the magnificent John LeCarre. His works also created a new industry. Spy literature inevitably became a magnet for TV and movie producers who saw great creative and economic potential in programming featuring international agents battling each other for global domination. As with most media, the results have been uneven. However, I previously acknowledged the French program, Le Bureau des Legendes as an example of why I have always been fascinated by the world of espionage and the dark arts of intelligence work. I promised a “stand alone” review and there is no time like the present.
The Bureau ran for five seasons with release dates from 2016 to 2020. It is currently streaming on Paramount Plus and Amazon Prime. I successfully watched all five seasons in July, 2025 and assure you that it has aged well. I recommend the series with great enthusiasm. Why do I love the show? What is the source of its appeal? Well, it presses all the right emotional and intellectual buttons. It is complex, authentic, subtle and nuanced. It never insults the viewers’ intelligence. The main characters have psychological depth and the writers gradually seduce you. Their personal narratives become important to you. The topics and subject matter are timely with a focus on contemporary geopolitical conflicts in Iran, Syria, the ISIS controlled Mideast and Russia. The agents in Le Bureau travel far and wide. We are exposed to the latest techno advances; drones, electronic surveillance, facial recognition, cyber attacks and rapidly developing artificial intelligence tools. The cinematography is first class and the overall production values are a tour de force. Le Figaro, a leading French newspaper, proudly asserts “To this day, this series is the BEST EVER made in France.” The New York Times rated the program as “the third best international series of the decade.” Even the London based Guardian, who you would think would be very protective of the British near monopoly on spy thrillers stated “The Bureau is one of the best spy series ever made.” So I stand on the shoulders of giants in my positive response to the show.
The core plot device is DGSE (the French CIA) infiltrating its elite agents into the lion’s den of hostile powers. They commit to the geopolitical long game by placing agents with false identities in key countries for sustained period of time (3-6 years). The agent “go native” and completely suppress their true identities. They are as “deep underground” as possible. The narrative options and choices are endless- and realistic and believable. Dedication to the mission requires ungodly discipline. You master the art of lying- to everyone! The mood can be dark and cynical. Compromises may be inevitable, but an overriding commitment to the mission is paramount. The deceptions must be preserved at all costs. Those who fall short or succumb to temptation are seriously at risk - their own agency considers them traitors. Adversaries and espionage targets are dangerous, threatening, often demonic or purely evil. Unfortunately, they are also competent, dedicated and crusaders for their ideological or religious beliefs. A scary cauldron and a long way from leisurely long lunches at the DGSE headquarters in Paris. Clearly, the job is not well suited for most- requiring abnormal skill sets. The successful infiltrator who establishes relationships that produce hard and actionable intelligence are rare, but valuable. Their missions make for compelling television as their loyalties are tested when professional duty clashes with personal relationships- love actually! Romances are inevitable when you live somewhere for years and these people are FRENCH!
The authenticity of the characters and the quality of the performances puts the program in a special category. The lead agent, Guillaume Debailly (aka Maltotru) is a highly accomplished agent with a glorious 6 year tenure in Syria. Finally, He returns to Paris as a hero and role model, but has trouble re-integrating into the daily rhythms at DGSE headquarters. He is emotionally crippled by the abrupt loss of his love relationship with Nadia El Mansour, a gorgeous Syrian human rights activist. She is integral to the entire program- an anchor- as opportunities for her and Guillaume to reconnect pop up regularly. Without disclosing plot, the series’ has ebbs and flows driven by the personal and professional choices forced on Guillaume because of his love for Nadia. A hint- many of his choices turnout poorly. The episodes are pressure packed, relentless and we witness the enormous psychological toll imposed by a life in “Intelligence.” Guillaume regularly adopts new identities and his life hangs in the balance on multiple occasions. Personal happiness collides with professional obligations and love versus duty is a magnetic paradigm for great television. There is pervasive moral ambiguity (similar to LeCarre’s novels) which casts a dark shadow over everyone eventually. The world is shown to be complex, spies do immoral things and patriotism and national loyalty are often overwhelmed by personal considerations and human weakness. It is all presented in a rather understated manner and the bloodshed, body counts and explosions are thankfully limited, particularly when compared to American productions.
We learn about the “cultures" of competing spy agencies. The American CIA is well resourced with amazing technological capacities. If you need a drone in a crunch, we are your guy. The American are rather brusque and patronising and don’t hesitate to infiltrate their allies as often as their enemies. American engagement invariably complicates DGSE operations. Similar to LeCarre, the Russians are frightfully good at espionage. It has been a specialty for over a century and the intelligence services are highly valued as instruments of power by the leadership. They are brutal, cynical, but the show always emphasises they are human- no silly “commie” caricatures. Collectively, all the intelligence services have smart and decent people who lose their moral compass because of the inevitable compromises and non stop deception at the heart of their job definition. The Bureau doesn’t shy away from personal romances blossoming, but it NEVER romanticises the work itself. The razor like focus on the details of spy craft make the show the “gold standard” for competing productions. It is simply excellent. Sad ending tho- not surprising after 50 episodes living on the edge.
On reflection, The Bureau is actually the tip of the spear when assessing the status of the espionage genre on TV. In the past 20 years, there has been a renaissance in "spy” television with big multi episode and multi year budget commitments to highly marketed shows. At their best, the television productions have dialogue and production values that compare favourably to the best spy novels. Audiences are still in love with Cold War dramas, but the conflicts which plague the contemporary world are magnets for talented writers and producers. Israel, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Russia- the international potential for intrigue is boundless. Interestingly, no great China directed spy stuff yet- must be coming soon! Many of the best programs are not only based in exotic international settings, but are produced abroad as well. This is healthy because the “America First” and “America Only” programming generated here can provide a distorted picture of global reality. It is always good to see how our neighbours morally process the same sets of conflicts. Let’s do a quick “down and dirty” listing of my other spy programming favourites.
1. Prisoners of War: An Israeli production which was the model for Homeland. It is brilliant with a raw intellectual intensity. There is trauma, loss, manipulation, betrayal, retaliation and an unusually graphic psychological honestly. The setting- Israel- is a prime driver in why it works. Israel’s perilous security situation and the dangerous neighbourhood it inhabits produce unique anxieties and a refined instinct for self preservation. Very dramatic and the back stories on the major players are beautifully presented. Writing excellent- performances excellent- a winner! Gideon Raff is the genius behind the show. The only issue here is that I am no longer able to locate the series on any of the major streaming platforms. You will need to do some digging to watch it. Good luck!
2. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: I cheated- this is a 1980 show- not a 21st century production. It recently starred Gary Oldman in a big screen version. That was quality, but the BBC multi episode series from the Reagan era is better. Alec Guinness rules as spymaster George Smiley. The grey cinematography captures the exhausted and declining world of post WWII British intelligence. The Brits are in retreat but they still pride themselves as expert practitioners of the spy game. I believe I saw this program before reading LeCarre’s books. This program was my introduction. Great stuff.
3. Homeland: A huge hit in the United Stats with big audiences and Emmy award recognition. The American CIA in all its glory- or not ! Claire Danes and Damien Lewis as Carrie Matheson and Nicholas Brody are a mesmerising duet. She is a maniac and he may be a brainwashed plant, but their chemistry is awesome. The show vividly captured a post 9/11 paranoid America. There is conflict, tension and tightly drawn narratives. The first two seasons are off the charts, but the series gradually declines in subsequent years as the plots become more silly and contrived and the “realism” quotient drops substantially. Overall, a major step forward for the genre and the new standard for American audiences.
4. The Americans: A married couple planted by the Soviets in suburban America as “ghost” agents. Keri Russell and Matthews Rhys so absorbed themselves in their roles that they married in real life. They are both outstanding. The realism is there- the Soviets did commission such a program. The couple executes some nasty missions against rather clueless American targets. They are quite good and the sex between them is not undermined by the regular assignations with others that is an essential tool in the espionage playbook. They also have 2 kids and juggling parenting and spying is not covered in Spock instructional manuals. Complications arise as the children become irritating American teenagers. Outstanding writing, superb acting and great pacing made this show winner. To their credit, the writers kept the show fresh and the quality stays at an extraordinarily level high to the very last episode. It should be on your bucket list.
Honourable mentions to Deutschland 83 (German), The Night Manger (British), Tehran (Israeli), Slow Horse (British), Occupied (Norwegian), and Spooks (British). Look for them on a platform near you and keep an eye on your rear view mirror. Someone may be following you!!
