If you love a spy thriller, then this fall has been a great time to be alive. There are currently not one, not two, but three killer new shows set in the world of espionage across the various streaming services. "The Day of the Jackal" has been a huge hit for Peacock, "Black Doves" has been a success for Netflix and people are loving "The Agency" on Paramount Plus with Showtime. All three have already been renewed for a season 2.
And not to undercut the argument I'm about to make here, but you should watch all three if you can. I have to watch these shows for my job, but in this instance, I can safely say that I'd be watching these shows by choice.
But you might not have time to watch all three. You might only have time to watch one. So since I've already done the work of watching at least some of each of these spy thrillers, I can tell you which one you need to be watching right now. Don't worry about spoilers either: you don't need to be a master spy to read this article.
Each of these three shows brings something different to the spy thriller genre
As I already mentioned, the three shows in question are "The Day of the Jackal" on Peacock, "Black Doves" on Netflix and "The Agency" on Paramount Plus with Showtime. All three are spy thrillers and all three have massive stars attached. "The Day of the Jackal" stars Eddie Redmayne as a world-class assassin and Lashanna Lynch as the MI6 agent hot on his trail. "Black Doves" stars Kiera Knightley and Ben Whishaw as reunited spycraft partners hunting down the murderers of Knightley's lover. And "The Agency" stars Michael Fassbender, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright and Richard Gere in an American remake of the hit French spy thriller "Le Bureau des Légendes."
But all three of these shows bring entirely different things to the table. "The Day of the Jackal" is based on a famous Frederick Forsyth novel. It's methodical, it's calculating and it's mostly about the pure cat-and-mouse game between government agent and villainous assassin. There's some exploration of Redmayne's "The Jackal" as a character but for those who love adaptations of John le Carré novels like "The Night Manager" or the Jason Bourne movies, you'll find a lot to enjoy here.
"Black Doves" is different. It's a bit campy and pulpy, though I mean both as compliments. Fans of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the film adaptations that followed will perhaps love this show the most. There's sex — including a scene involving a completely nude Ben Whishaw — and political intrigue. Kiera Knightley's character is revealed early on to be having an affair with one man while married to her British politician husband of 10 years, who she's also spying on for the independent clandestine services agency known as the Black Doves. There's also something for the "John Wick" fans, including a gun shop masquerading as a music store and a baddie who gets demolished by a shotgun, spraying Knightley's Helen Webb with blood in the process.
Finally, there's "The Agency," and it's different still. As mentioned, this show is based on the acclaimed French spy thriller series "Le Bureau des Légendes" (or "The Bureau") which itself is based on the real Bureau of Legends in the French Directorate-General for External Security, the equivalent of the CIA or MI6. Legends are the identities that deep cover spies build for themselves for long-term missions.
In "The Agency," the French agency is swapped out for the CIA and France is swapped out for London. Michael Fassbender is an agent named Brandon and code named "Martian." At the show's beginning, he's being pulled out of an undercover operation in Africa where he had been operating "under legend" as Paul Lewis for six years. This show is much more focused on the daily lives of its spies than the other two shows and is much slower paced, even plodding at times. But it also makes its characters feel the most human and real, rather than the cold-blooded killers of "The Day of the Jackal" or the pulled from a spy novella assassins of "Black Doves."
Even though each show has its merits, there's a clear winner
Again, all three of these shows are worth watching. Depending on your tastes, you may have a clear preference based on the descriptions I just gave you.
But I'm here to tell you that it's "The Day of the Jackal" you need to be watching. It's brilliantly executed — the show is mostly well-paced, often keeping you on the edge of your seat or forgetting about your phone while you watch. Redmayne and Lynch are also putting on better performances than their counterparts, though that's a much more subjective assessment.
And the soundtrack is brilliant. If you are someone that loves a prestige TV show, it's the clear choice of the three, especially since frankly "Black Doves" is going for more general entertainment (not a bad thing at all). "The Agency" is also aiming to be a prestige show, but so far for me it's been a bit of a slow burn in a way that "The Day of the Jackal" wasn't.
Plus, Peacock's show sort of gives you the best of all three shows. There's incredible physicality and gunplay in the show, like in "Black Doves." And the show does delve into the personal lives of Redmayne and Lynch's characters and their difficulties balancing their work with their life outside of work, like "The Agency."
So if you're only watching one of these shows. Make sure it's "The Day of the Jackal." Once you're done, check out my interview with the show's executive producers where we discuss the season 1 finale, season 2 and more.
More from Tom's Guide
