Episode 1 of "The Assassin" unfolds in Bulgaria, the year 1994. A figure emerges from the bathroom, setting a timer on their wristwatch with a decisive click. With purposeful strides, they venture into a building, confronting a contingent of guards. One by one, the guards fall to their silent assailant's precision, until the moment of reckoning arrives: face-to-face with their ultimate target.
The leader, sensing defeat, attempts to sway the killer with a bulging sack of money. But the shooter, unmoved, pulls the trigger, leaving the lifeless form behind as they exit with cold indifference. Removing the mask, the shooter reveals herself to be a youthful Julie. A call from Damien interrupts her moment of reflection, and Julie coolly informs him that the mission is accomplished. As the timer expires, she reaches into her pocket, extracting a pregnancy test. With a curse under her breath, Julie learns her fate: the test confirms her pregnancy.
Thirty-one years leap forward in time, bringing us to the sun-drenched shores of Greece. Julie awakens on a beach, her eyes groggily adjusting to the daylight. She nudges a discarded bottle of whisky aside, grabs her chair, and strides off with a determined gait. A game of beach football intrudes upon her solitude as a wayward ball smacks her in the head. With a scowl, Julie retaliates by sending the ball soaring into the azure sea.
Meanwhile, across the island, Edward, Julie's son, dashes through the airport terminal, racing against time to board his plane. Reluctance lingers in his steps, but with the aircraft doors about to close, he steels himself and boards.
Back on the beach, Julie encounters a bustling butcher's shop. She cuts through the line, places her order with brisk efficiency, and dashes out to collect Edward. Together, they set off on her bike, weaving through the Greek countryside with a sense of purpose and unspoken bond.
Edward clings to Julie for balance, fearing he might plummet, but she gently urges him to relax, reminding him that childhood fears of toppling off things are long behind them. When they arrive at her house, Edward's vegan declaration catches her mother off guard as she ponders over preparing a juicy steak for him. Julie's phone buzzes, and her eyes widen in surprise upon seeing Damian's name flashing on the screen. He propositions her with a job, but she promptly declines, citing her retirement. Edward, eavesdropping on their conversation, prompts Julie to clarify, to which she casually replies that it was just a call from her boyfriend.
Across the globe, in Libya, a Dutch inmate finds himself the focus of other prisoners' aggression until a protective fellow inmate steps in. He guides the Dutchman to meet with a gang leader who promises safety in exchange for computer assistance.
Back in Greece, the tranquil air between Julie and Edward is shattered by a heated discussion about his father. Edward reveals receiving a letter on his 30th birthday, appointing him as a trustee of Anvil Assets and bestowing upon him a considerable sum of money. He suspects this might be from his father, pressing Julie for the truth. She reluctantly admits that his father was far from commendable and urges him to move on.
Julie's phone rings again, Damian's persistence echoing through the line. He pushes her to reconsider the job, his desperation evident as he triples the offer. Convinced, Julie agrees and requests the job details. Arming herself with her guns, Julie informs Edward she's off to meet her boyfriend, setting a trap with meticulous precision.
But as Julie catches sight of her target, something feels amiss. A quick call to Damian reveals a chilling truth: the voice on the other end is not Damian's but a woman's, disguised by a voice modifier. Instead of pulling the trigger, Julie ABORTS the mission and speeds back home. She embarks on a desperate quest to trace Damian, querying her former colleagues, but to no avail. Damian, the man she once knew to be trustworthy, has vanished without a trace.
Kayla, the target in question, finds herself aboard a luxurious yacht alongside Ezra. She casually mentions her employment with a benevolent charity, while Ezra reveals that he commands a substantial salary working under their father, Aaron Cross. Intrigued, Kayla inquires about Chantaine, a name that visibly unsettles Ezra. He warns her that Chantaine is a topic best left unexplored before abruptly excusing himself.
In the confines of a prison, Jasper, a Dutch inmate, overhears a conspiracy among his gang leader and an accomplice to assassinate another leader and seize control of their criminal enterprise. Fearful for his life, Jasper informs a guard of the plot, pleading for a transfer to another facility. Simultaneously, Edward and Julie attend a peculiar wedding ceremony in a remote village. Edward shocks Julie by announcing his impending marriage—to a woman.
The serene celebration is shattered by gunfire. The victim, seated directly behind Julie, makes it abundantly clear to her that the assailant had come for her. Julie quickly restrains Edward and, after counting five shots, deduces that the shooter is reloading. She urges Edward to flee while she distracts the gunman.
Exploiting this pattern, where the shooter reloads every five shots, Edward hides as Julie speeds away from the wedding in a stolen car. She deliberately crashes the vehicle, feigning unconsciousness. As the shooter approaches to finish the job, Julie strikes from behind, eliminating the threat. She promptly calls Edward to inform him of the killer's demise.
Back in prison, Jasper anxiously awaits news on his transfer request. His dread deepens when he catches sight of the guard conversing with the gang leader, hinting at Jasper's betrayal. He retreats to his cell and uses a concealed phone to contact Aaron Cross, conveying a single, urgent word through an intermediary: "Chantaine." Jasper demands Aaron's intervention to extricate him from prison before it's too late, threatening to expose damaging secrets otherwise.
Elsewhere, more men descend upon the wedding venue, inquiring about Julie. When their questioning arouses suspicion among the villagers, the men resort to violence, leaving a trail of death in their wake. An elderly villager, before meeting his fate at the hands of Alfonso, reveals Julie's hideaway in a cottage atop a hill. Alfonso brutally murders the old man and speeds away, while Luka, the local butcher, narrowly escapes the slaughter.
Returning to the yacht, Kayla persists in her questions about Chantaine, to which Ezra stubbornly claims ignorance. As Kayla walks away, Ezra makes a discreet call, expressing frustration that a certain matter has yet to be resolved. He emphasizes that Kayla is oblivious to crucial information, a burden too great for him to bear. He instructs the recipient of the call to rectify the situation immediately.
Meanwhile, Edward and Julie finally made it back to their house, their breaths ragged with urgency. Edward peppered Julie with questions, seeking answers with an insistent fervor. But Julie, her voice steeled with resolve, declared that she would sooner perish than divulge to Edward whatever it was he believed he needed to know, her maternal instincts locking horns with his relentless curiosity.
Julie hastily instructed Edward to gather his belongings, their every movement imbued with a desperate haste. Just as they were about to depart, Alfonso and his henchmen burst into their house like a storm. With quick thinking, Julie used a video to divert their attention, creating a window of opportunity for them to flee on her motorcycle. She instructed Edward to cling to her as if he were ten years old again, the weight of their predicament pressing down upon them.
Alfonso and his men gave chase, their footsteps echoing ominously through the narrow streets, forcing them to abandon their vehicles and hunt on foot. As Edward and Julie raced towards the harbour, their hearts pounding in unison, Julie urged Edward into the water without hesitation. Luka, loyal to the end, followed suit, plunging into the depths beside them.
By the episode's conclusion, they had all managed to scramble onto Kayla's opulent yacht, a beacon of safety amidst the chaos. Julie's eyes widened in disbelief as she realized that Kayla, the owner of this luxurious refuge, was none other than Edward's fiancée. The revelation hung in the air, thick with unspoken surprises and uncharted territories.
