Episode 1 of "The Sympathizer" kicks off with a vivid map of Vietnam, cleaved into two halves: North and South. This partitioning is a stark reminder of the intricate backdrop of the Vietnam War, a conflict that pitted the communist-led North, victorious over the French colonialists who had long reigned over the land, against the South, firmly backed by the Americans who had usurped the French's place. The anti-war theme is immediately evident in the profound line, "All wars are fought twice. The first time in the battlefield, the second time in memory."
We are abruptly plunged into a claustrophobic wooden prison cell, where Captain now finds himself. He's ordered by a stern communist soldier to embark on a Sisyphean task: "Start again – Restart, Recollect, Re-educate, Revolution and Rewrite." This scene underscores the soldiers' attempts to indoctrinate him, their distrust of his communist credentials, forcing him to rewrite and retell his story.
It's Winter 1975, and we encounter Captain, anxiously awaiting a CIA agent named Claude outside a cinema screening "Death Wish." Once reunited, they step inside the cinema hall, where an unconventional performance unfolds—not a fictional drama but a real-life interrogation hanging precariously from the ceiling. The focal point is a communist spy accused of obtaining top-secret documents revealing the identities of Vietnam's counterintelligence staff.
Through Captain's narration, we learn that Claude was his gateway to American pop and culture lifestyle. A biracial, bilingual individual who attended university in America, Captain now serves as the Captain of the Vietnamese counterintelligence force and the trusted right-hand man of a high-ranking South Vietnamese general. However, the mole who leaked the documents was none other than Captain himself—a communist mole embedded deep within the Southern counterintelligence police force. Despite his betrayal, his loyal comrade refuses to betray him, even in the midst of her own misery.
On the breezy terrace, Man sternly instructed the Captain to procure a comprehensive roster of the secret police personnel. He emphasized that once the communists reclaim the city, all of them would be subjected to rigorous "reeducation," thus hinting at the looming downfall of Saigon, the former southern capital now renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Despite Man's assurances that the Captain himself wouldn't require such treatment, it seemed inevitable that such fate awaited him at the show's outset.
Driven by this directive, the Captain cunningly broke into the General's drawer, stealing snapshots of the entire staff list. He then slyly posted the film, which was subsequently retrieved by the woman now under intense interrogation. The scene shifted abruptly to the moment when the Captain was informed about the wiretap. In a panic, he contacted Man, a dentist by profession, relaying the urgent news of the impending arrest.
The narrative then leaped to the cinema hall, where the woman faced her interrogator, resolutely refusing to divulge her supplier's identity. When asked, she proudly declared, "My contact? His first name is 'Viet', last name 'Nam'." This emotional outburst of patriotism earned her a solitary tear from the Captain, who was deeply moved by her display of loyalty.
Two months later, the attacks on Saigon commenced, plunging the city into a state of tense anticipation. Amidst this chaos, Claude made a brazen visit to the General's residence, seemingly unaffected by the looming war that threatened everyone else in Vietnam. The General, planning his escape, requested a plane to America, only to be dismayed when Claude offered one with 92 seats. The General exclaimed in horror, "92 seats? My extended family alone numbers 54!" His dismay reflected the特权 mindset of the elite, who even in the face of disaster, could only think of their own comforts, while ordinary citizens were left with nothing to flee with.
They embarked on their preparations for departure, and the Captain faced the daunting task of selecting the officers who would accompany them to America. Deliberately, he chose those who appeared competent but were actually incompetent, hoping to ensure that the truly dangerous ones would be punished once the communists took over Saigon. Additionally, he requested three seats for Bon and his family.
Days later, the trio gathered, snacking and dreaming of their futures in America. Unbeknownst to Bon and his friend, Man and the Captain had secretly planned to stay behind. However, that evening, Man revealed a startling truth to the Captain: he was obligated to accompany the General to America, tasked with keeping the communist government informed from an intelligence perspective. Reluctant but ultimately conceding for the sake of the nation, the Captain agreed.
Finally, the General and his family, along with the selected officers, boarded a bus and made their way through the war-torn city to the US air force base. Upon arrival, they waited anxiously for their buses to take them to the aircraft. The General complained about the limited space for his group, only to be met with a dismissive remark from an American soldier: "Nut to butt," he scoffed, "Vietnamese asses ain't that big anyhow."
As the bus struggled to reach the aircraft, shelling intensified, and the bus was hit, toppling over. People scrambled out, and the Captain, along with Bon's family, desperately tried to reach the aircraft. Tragically, Bon's wife and child were hit and perished, as shouts from the crowd urged them to run towards the plane.
Back in his prison cell, the Captain wept, haunted by the memories of their deaths. Suddenly, a familiar American pop song filled the air, a tune he had grown up with. He crawled over to the small barred window and sang along, his voice mingling with the melody as the episode drew to a close.
