Series / Le Bureau des Légendes

Le Bureau des Légendes (The Bureau in English-speaking markets) is an espionage thriller from French premium channel Canal+. It explores the workings of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), France's foreign intelligence agency, corresponding to the USA's Central Intelligence Agency and the UK's MI6, for example. The focus is on the titular Le Bureau des Légendes, the department responsible for clandestine operatives in foreign countries, including creating their "légendes", fictional backstories and cover identities.

While settings include North Africa, the Middle East, and Russia, much of the "action" takes place in the Paris offices of the DGSE. Think more le Carré than Bond.

Five critically-acclaimed series of ten episodes each were broadcast from 2015 to 2020.

Note that agents not only use multiple identities, but all the clandestines, present or former, also have code names. Examples may use any of these. DGSE targets are also given code names.

DGSE agents with long term aliases or code names:

• Guillaume Debailly (Mathieu Kassovitz) aka Paul Lefebvre, DGSE code name Malotru (lout), CIA code name Pain in the Ass, Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) code name Petrossian
• Marina Loiseau, code name Phénomène (phenomenon), later Rocambole
• Henri Duflot, code name Socrate
• Colonel Marc Lauré, code name MAG (moule à gaufres - waffle iron)
• Marie-Jeanne Duthilleul aka Amelie Merle
• César aka Sylvain Ellenstein (who is another actual DGSE employee), DGSE code name Pacemaker, FSB code name Bugsy Malone
• Andrea aka Antonio, code name Mille Sabords (a thousand portholes)
• Esrin Gunei, code name Escogriffe (beanpole)
• Rachid ben Afra, code name Cyclone

This show contains examples of:

• Abusive Parents: Malotru's interactions with his father, both real and imaginary, hint at this, and Malotru tells Karlov that his father beat him when he was young.
• Artificial Limbs: Raymond's prosthetic is seen a few times. At one point, he mentions that he may need a new prosthetic if the current one continues to cause circulation problems.
• Bluff the Eavesdropper: After the discovery of the bug in Dr. Balmes's office, she and Malotru conduct a legitimate therapy session for the benefit of listeners.
• Broken Pedestal: The exposure of Malotru, an agent respected and admired by all, as a double agent, sends shock waves through the DGSE.
• Captured on Purpose
  • Marina voluntarily returns to Russia, knowing she will be arrested at the border for espionage, in order to bolster Malotru's cover story.
  • Malotru deliberately exposes himself to the FSB after arriving in Moscow.
• Catapult Nightmare, also Guilt-Induced Nightmare: Malotru awakens this way from the nightmare of the dinner party where all the attendees are those whose deaths he directly or indirectly caused.
• Checkpoint Bluff: The Russian Mole attempts this when spiriting Malotru out of ISIS-controlled territory. It almost works, but ultimately fails.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Celine is a prominent character in series two and three, but is nowhere to be found, and never mentioned, in series four or five.
• Classified Information: Characters repeatedly tell each other, if you don't know, you're not supposed to know. Various documentation is marked classified. Just try to work out exactly who knows what.
• Code Name: Reportedly, the clandestine agents' code names are based on expletives used by comic series Adventures of Tintin character Captain Haddock. When Malotru returns to Paris, Henri leaves a note addressed to Malotru propped between a wine bottle and a Captain Haddock figurine.
  • Marina rejects the potential code name Pachyderme.
• Cyanide Pill: Actual cyanide pills are no longer available, but Sylvain is able to obtain a neurotoxic cocktail, maybe on the Dark Web, maybe not, for Henri to bring on his mission to meet Cochise. For Henri, it's primarily a good luck talisman, not something he expects to use.
• Dead Drop: A physical dead drop is used when spying on hackers, who presumably would be able to uncover any virtual communication.
• Deep Cover Agent: The "clandestines", for whom the legends of the title are created, are expected to spend years under their assumed identity in locations strategically important to France.
• Double Agent: Numerous, including some who might be considered triple agents:
  • Malotru
    • First, becomes a mole for the CIA while working for the DGSE.
    • Then, works for the FSB, eventually becoming a mole for the DGSE.
    • Finally, returns to the FSB but is coaxed into forcing his handler to work for the DGSE.
  • Dr. Laurene Balmes, hired by the DGSE, is already working for the CIA.
  • Cochise, informed for the DGSE while an Iraqi official, after becoming an ISIS officer, he reaches out to the DGSE and is eventually exfiltrated and debriefed after rescuing Malotru.
  • Marina Loiseau, quits the DGSE, is recruited by a Mossad agent pretending to be from the DGSE, and works for Mossad while reporting back to the DGSE.
  • Pacemaker, infiltrates the FSB as a DGSE mole
• Downer Ending: After enduring a Trauma Conga Line, Malotru is finally back in France and reunited with his daughter and with his lover, Nadia. After celebrating his birthday with both, Nadia is shot to death upon her return to Paris by an agent hired by the late Karlov.
• Fake Defector: Malotru and Pacemaker are fake defectors to the FSB.
• Faking and Entering: Mossad, Israel's national intelligence agency, arranges a burglary at Marina's supervisor's home so that she will use her office desktop instead of her laptop.
• Flashback Cut: When Mille Sabords mentions Chevalier to Raymond, we see a fleeting flashback of Chevalier amputating Raymond's foot.
• Framing Device:
  • Malotru tells the story of series one while hooked up to a lie detector.
  • Malotru comments on the actions of series two in diary entries.
• The Handler: The clandestines regularly contact their Paris-based handlers.
  • Unresolved Sexual Tension: Esrin and Raymond have this, but do not act on it as sexual relationships between agents and handlers are not allowed.
• Honey Trap: Jonas's girlfriend, Vicky, in series five, is this.
• I Know You're Watching Me
  • Malotru and Marie-Jeanne look directly at the camera observing the music studio during their first meeting after his return from Moscow, indirectly addressing the observer.
  • Pacemaker turns the tables on his FSB handlers, who are observing him via webcam, by flipping the camera view so they see themselves instead.
  • Malotru is aware his Moscow apartment is bugged.
• Incredibly Obvious Tail: Mossad tailing Marina.
• The Infiltration:
  • The CIA infiltrates Dr. Balmes into the DGSE.
  • The DGSE infiltrates Pacemaker into the FSB.
• Killed to Uphold the Masquerade: The Russian Mole must kill his fellow ISIS interrogator when Malotru exposes The Mole during an interrogation session.
• Leave No Witnesses: Malotru tells The Russian Mole that he will continue to expose him to every ISIS soldier unless The Mole helps Malotru escape.
• Manly Tears: Raymond displays these when Cyclone is rescued.
• Meaningful Echo:
  • In 1.1, Malotru reads a note from Nadia regarding their affair (per English subtitles):
  It wasn't easy. It wasn't rational. It wasn't moral. It had no future. But I'll cherish these moments for the rest of my days.
  • In 2.10, he leaves a note for her (per English subtitles):
  It wasn't comfortable. It wasn't reasonable. It wasn't moral. It had no future. But I'll treasure our relationship for the rest of my life.
  • In 5.4, Nadia receives a package containing a newspaper with the phrase "for the rest of my life" written on it in Arabic. She then knows it's from Malotru.
• Mission Control: Each active mission is led from a crisis room, with a team of agents.
  • And Mission Control Rejoiced: When Cyclone is rescued, the room erupts with cheers, applause and some tears.
• The Mole: Including a character titled The Russian Mole (La taupe Russe).
  • Dr. Lauren Balmes is a mole planted in the DGSE by the CIA.
  • Pacemaker is a mole planted in the FSB by the DGSE.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Mille Sabords's actions after discovering who "Pain in the Ass" is are predicated on this.
• Multiple Identity IDs: Not only do the clandestine agents have aliases and code names, anytime a DGSE agent interacts with people outside the agency, they use aliases.
• Office Romance: At one point, a character states it's pointless to date outside the office, it never works.
  • Handler Marie-Jeanne Duthilleul has an on/off relationship with Clement from the Iran bureau that eventually fizzles out.
  • Handler Raymond Sisteron successfully puts the moves on no fewer than three coworkers, and has affairs with two of them, Celine from the Syria bureau and Liz Bernstein from D Sec (internal security service within the DGSE).
• Prisoner Exchange: Often including the classic scene of participants crossing over in an arranged meeting place.
  • An exchange of Sabrina Boumaza (code name Mother Teresa) with Raymond Sisteron is quickly arranged after his kidnapping.
  • The CIA offers to exchange an Iranian agent for Marina after she is imprisoned in Iran. However, for political reasons, a faction of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (Pasdaran) arranges for her assassination instead. It becomes moot once she escapes and is rescued.
  • Ukraine agrees to exchange imprisoned Russian agents for Marina, imprisoned once again, this time in Russia.
• Phantom Limb Pain: Raymond mentions to Henri that he experiences this, which leads to Henri's last words being "That's crazy."
• Publicly Discussing the Secret: A lot of surprisingly candid conversations take place in the staff cafeteria.
• Scars Are Forever:
  • Malotru has some subtle scars from both his torture by ISIS and his escape, but most notable are the burn scars on his back from the end of series four.
  • Raymond's left foot was amputated by ISIS.
  • Jean-Jacques Angel's back is scarred, presumably from when he was imprisoned in Russia. Note other characters refer to him as JJA, an homage to famously paranoid CIA chief of counterintelligence James Jesus Angleton.
• Scar Survey: Mille Sabords and Marina compare scars from various imprisonments. Not credible considering viewers have seen both Marina's arrests and know that she was not physically tortured.
• A Scar to Remember: French ISIS commander Chevalier decides to amputate Raymond's foot as a message to his country of origin.
• The Schlub Pub Seduction Deduction: Jonas feels this is why he was targeted by Vicky, who is probably an FSB agent.
• Sinister Surveillance: The FSB Fourth Directorate (internal security for the FSB) appears to have the entire city of Moscow covered with surveillance cameras and is able to use face recognition to identify everyone caught on camera. In addition, they track Malotru's location with a GPS device.
• Spies In a Van: Jean-Paul, along with a Turkish team, stakes out the terrorist codenamed Iode1 in a white surveillence van.
• Spy Speak: It's an espionage show, so it's saturated with this.
• The Spymaster: The Director of Le Bureau des Légendes is this.
• Stoic Woobie: Malotru, and how. The man takes an unbelievable number of hits, and keeps on going.
• Super Wrist-Gadget: Nadia's bracelet contains a GPS tracker.
• Tracking Device: Too many to list, GPS trackers have been installed in hotel key cards, underwear, shoes...
• Trauma Conga Line: Malotru starts the show being separated from Nadia, the love of his life. His relationship with his daughter has been strained by his six-year absence while undercover. And it only gets worse.
  Malotru: Remember when you said I run from punishment?
  Marie-Jeanne: Yes.
  Malotru: I've had my share, haven't I?
  Marie-Jeanne: Yes.
  Malotru: And there's more to come.
• Treachery Cover Up: Much of the plot starting in series two comes from Malotru's attempts to cover up his working with the CIA.
• Tricked-Out Shoes: Both examples of implanted GPS trackers end badly:
  • In series one, the DGSE blackmails General Lefkir's secretary, asking her to switch the general's shoes. She's discovered, and in her last scene is led off, presumably to her death.
  • In series two, The GPS in Raymond's boot allows the DGSE to track his location, but its discovery leads to his foot being amputated by ISIS commander Toufik Boumaza aka Chevalier (His DGSE code name; his ISIS name is Deep Blue, referencing his love of chess.).
• Underside Ride: Malotru is strapped to the underside of the truck The Russian Mole is using to get out of ISIS-controlled territory.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: In the first episode, Malotru decides to make one phone call...and the negative effects ripple through the remainder of the series.
• Wham Shot: The Kennedy doll on JJA's desk at the end of 5.3.
• Wham Line: "Almost" ("Presque" - English subtitles translate this as "More or less", which doesn't have the same impact) in 2.6 just before Chevalier severs Raymond's foot.
• Wild Goose Chase:
  • Malotru temporarily shakes the Syrians by leaving a GPS-enabled hotel key card in a taxi.
  • With other agents' assistance, Malotru ducks out of a building via a passing garbage truck, leaving the watching Russians behind.