Episode 1 of "The Serpent" kicks off with a poignant query posed to Charles Sobhraj - are you a menacing figure? Charles dismisses the allegations with a casual shrug, proclaiming his innocence as a free man. The narrative then rewinds to the fateful night of November 27, 1975, in Bangkok, where Charles finds himself amidst the bustling festivities at Kanit House.
As thunderous roars echo overhead, Charles sneaks into the kitchen, where his accomplice, Marie-Andrée Leclerc, is already at work. Together, they clandestinely crush pills and surreptitiously slip them into various drinks, a devious ruse to enable Charles to pilfer their passports and fabricate documents.
Their scheme succeeds, and soon, the duo traverses to Hong Kong for shady transactions. Marie and Charles flaunt lavish diamonds and swap funds, gradually gaining a sinister reputation. Outside, Charles, under the alias of Alain, comes across a man named Willem. That evening, they also encounter Lena, Willem's companion. The quartet encourages each other to stay in Bangkok, and as they dance the night away, an ominous aura descends upon the party.
Willem and Helena embark on their journey to Bangkok, where they are greeted by Ajay, a man who serves Alain (Charles). He dissuades them from visiting the Santa Cruz Hotel, insisting that their trip would be futile. Instead, he chauffeurs them to Kanit House.
The narrative skips ahead two months. We are back in Bangkok, but this time, the scene shifts to the Dutch Embassy. Herman Knippenberg is investigating the disappearance of Willem and Lena. Though pressed for time and missing a meeting, he decides to make his way there on foot. He arrives at the Athletics Club, apologizing to the Ambassador for his tardiness. He seeks to discuss the mysterious disappearance of the two young Dutch backpackers, but the Ambassador dismisses it as a police matter.
Herman sat patiently, ears pricked, as his secretary dialed the police. But their indifferent response merely instructed him to call back after the holidays, a mere three days away. This unhelpful response ultimately propelled Herman's encounter with Paul Siemons, who proved more resourceful, offering Knippenberg crucial leads - including the confirmation of letters for Willem and Helena's arrival and their check-in at the airport.
Embarking on his investigation, Herman headed to the Santa Cruz Hotel, yet the two elusive backpackers never materialized. It was then that Angela intervened, picking him up from the hotel. Together, they resolved to confront the Eastern Division. However, the timeline suddenly shifted, rewinding four months, placing us two months before the initial events of this episodic tale.
Back in time, Teresa was coaxed to share a room with Celia. As they embarked on a journey to Nepal to pay their respects at the temple, Teresa declined to join Celia in smoking. Later, they encountered Ajay, who allured them to join a party. Initially resistant, Teresa took Celia aside, revealing her intention to visit a Buddhist Monastery instead. Yet, temptation eventually prevailed, and they relented. Teresa set a 7 am alarm for herself as she got to know a French man named Dominique. Charles appeared, proposing she assist him in gemstone trading, but she declined. Despite her refusal, he personally escorted her in his car.
They arrived at a strip club, and Teresa realized she had been drugged. It was too late; in a drugged state, she was bundled into a car and taken away. Ajay accompanied her, and they stole all her money, driving deeper into the mountains. Charles egged Ajay on to bundle the girl into the sea and let her drown.
Fast-forwarding four months, Knippenberg encountered Laver at a hotel. Laver's boisterous and opinionated nature was evident. Knippenberg learned from Laver that the two bodies initially identified as Australian were, in fact, not Australian at all. They were burned and seemingly unrecognizable.
The situation took an even stranger turn when the aforementioned Australian couple unexpectedly showed up. If they were there, then who did these burned bodies belong to?
Flashing back two months, Willem was persuaded by Alain to help sell some of his gems. The conversation was uneasy, especially when Willem initially refused. Lena also declined, leading to the pair crushing pills and feeding them to Lena in her wine. She vomited across the table, while Charles looked on disapprovingly.
The following morning, Lena awoke feeling violently ill. Willem too started to feel sick. Lena tried to speak to Marie-Andrée, but she was unsympathetic. As we soon discovered - and as Knippenberg learned - the two burned bodies were indeed the missing travelers, Lena and Willem.
