By Will Barber Taylor

Four months after the events of the first series, Malotru (Mathieu Kassovitz) is promoted to Deputy Director of the DSGE. His mission; to take down a French jihadist who had recently become the top ISIS executioner.

Nadia (Zineb Triski) is imprisoned in Syria and her fate worsens every day as the local political situation deteriorates. To save Nadia, Malotru makes a deal with the CIA.

As for Marina, she begins her covert mission in Tehran where she connects with a wealthy young Iranian in order to recruit a valuable asset, Marina and Malotru’s missions will collide and both will face great danger.

The Bureau Series One was an excellent introduction to the world of Malotru, the DSE’s top agent and the second series of The Bureau follows up with more dramatic dealings in the world of international terrorism. Following the dramatic conclusion to the first series, Series 2 sees Malotru reformed and in a position of authority and respect he was lacking in the previous series. However, though he has been promoted Malotru’s ambition to rid France of international terrorism is still as intense as it was before and this serves as the backbone of the series. Malotru’s interactions with the Iranians and his continued relationship with Nadia offers the series something unique – rather than being a simple retreading of previous spy series, The Bureau offered a complex look at the ways modern intelligence tackles international terrorism whilst keeping a strong human element by making us care about our central characters. They are not merely spys in the field – they are real people who we want to succeed in their mission.

This is most palpable during the scene in Episode Two when Malotru learns of Nadia’s capture and reflects on his life with her and his experiences as an agent. The raw emotion present in the scene and beautifully portrayed by Mathieu Kassovitz helps make the series seem real – it isn’t simply a diverting fiction; it gives us an insight into the lives of the men and women who put their lives on the line for us daily. Kassovitz’s excellent performance is the highlight of the show and without his portrayal of the central character, the series would not be as engaging as it is. He gives Malotru depth that lesser actors would be unable to.

In conclusion, the new series of The Bureau is as engaging, heart breaking and thought provoking as the first and serves to illustrate the dangers that real secret service personal put themselves through each day to ensure our protection. A must have for any fan of action adventure drama or fans of Nordic Noir.

With thanks to Nordic Noir and Beyond.