In the third episode of The Sympathizer, Captain, accompanied by Bon, makes a visit to the General to seek his opinion on the looming assassination plot hatched by the two against the Major. The General underscores the importance of delivering results, leaving no room for excuses.
As the Captain makes his way back, he stumbles upon a startling revelation - Bon is not just any ordinary paratrooper; he's a member of a notorious assassination squad. Together, they spy on the Major, with the Captain torn between his duty and his doubts. The Major, innocent and newly blessed with twins, doesn't seem like a worthy target.
Discussing their next move, they identify the parking space as a prime location for the assassination. But their plans are interrupted by the unexpected appearance of the Major's mother. They spend a moment with her, and she invites them to her longevity party, celebrating her 80th birthday. She adds that the Captain should bring a date, a subtle nudge that adds another layer of complexity to their already tangled situation.
Heeding her advice, the Captain asks Ms. Mori to accompany him to the party. There, they encounter Claude, disguised as a homosexual walking his dog. Claude, in his subtle way, presses the Captain to quell the General's paranoia about the loose spy, hinting that he's still of use to the CIA. He underscores the need for secrecy, reminding them that "this is America," where even the smallest whispers can echo loudly.
Driven by these new revelations and pressures, Bon and the Captain continue their surveillance of the Major. They catch him in a shady business deal, but when confronted, the Major reveals his legitimate export business - selling expired American candies back to Vietnam. Despite his seemingly shady dealings, he remains steadfast in his belief in the American Dream, a paradox that further complicates the Captain's already tangled loyalties and moral dilemmas.
At the longevity celebration, the Captain arrived accompanied by Ms. Mori, who was astounded by the lavishness of a refugee gathering. The General's daughter took the stage, clad in a western dress that drew the General's disapproval. The General then pressed the Captain to resume his duties once more.
Not long after, Congressman Ned Godwin arrived as the honored guest. Amidst his patriotic speeches favoring America, he presented the Major's mother with a replica of his prized American blade, which he had wielded in the Vietnam War. His obliviousness and lack of sensitivity towards the Vietnamese culture was exposed when it was revealed that gifting a knife to a Vietnamese person was considered a harbinger of bad luck, symbolizing the severance of relationships. Later, the General introduced the Captain to the congressman, describing him as "mixed race."
Eager to understand the Major's business dealings, the Captain followed him as he showed him the entire operation. They collected recently expired candies, packaged them in boxes, and had a man ship them to Vietnam, disguised as donations of North Korean school supplies. The Major's enthusiasm for the fireworks on the 4th of July sparked an idea in the Captain's mind: assassinate him on that noisy day, when the sound of a gunshot would go unnoticed.
Despite his lingering doubts about killing the Major, the Captain waited outside the Major's house, accompanied by Bon, who offered him advice on how to carry out the hit. The Captain eventually caught the Major and forced him to the parking area at gunpoint. However, the Major was not an easy prey, and Bon had to intervene to assist the Captain. Together, they managed to eliminate him successfully and made their escape. The General was pleased with the outcome and tasked the Captain with preparing the Major's eulogy.
At this juncture, back in the present, the communist officer demanded that the Captain tell him the story of the egg. And so, we traveled back in time, eighteen months earlier. Claude contacted the Captain, seeking information about The Watchman, the mastermind behind the twin bomb attacks. Under Claude's scrutiny, the Captain managed to convince the communist that he was a compatriot. The communist requested boiled eggs for breakfast the next day. He ate them with the shells, choked on them, and perished.
Returning to the present tense, the Captain unfolds the treacherous nature of espionage to the communist officer stationed in the re-education camp. The scene shifts abruptly to the somber atmosphere of the Major's funeral, where the General solemnly delivers his tribute. Suddenly, Claude emerges and whispers to the Captain that they have uncovered a coded conversation hidden within one of the Major's candy boxes. Claude further reveals that it was the Major himself who harbored suspicions of the Captain being a spy.
It is later revealed that it was indeed the Captain who cunningly planted the coded message within the boxes while assisting the Major. Claude escorts him to a hotel, where the Captain crosses paths with the renowned auteur filmmaker, Niko Damianos, who is anything but racist. Niko offers the Captain a role in his upcoming film about the Vietnam War. Among the assembled cast and crew are Professor Hammer and Ned Godwin.
As the Captain peruses the auteur's script, memories flood back. He recalls how, as a child, he never felt accepted by his peers and how his mother comforted him, insisting that he was not just half of a culture, but a blend of two. Later, the Captain's guilt over murdering the Major resurfaces, manifesting as a poignant nostalgia for his homeland and his complex present.
