An upcoming historical black comedy-drama TV show called The Sympathizer is based on Viet Thanh Nguyen‘s 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar came up with the idea for the show, and Park also directed it.
The show is based on the true story of Captain, a North Vietnamese person who joined the South Vietnamese army. Near the end of the Vietnam War, he and his general had to run away to the United States. With its release date coming up soon, fans can’t wait to get lost in this cinematic gem.
The Sympathizer Season 1: When It Will Be Released?
On April 14, at 9 p.m. ET, HBO will air the first episode of The Sympathizer. The first teaser video came out in April 2023, over a year ago. And now this. Like all of HBO’s top shows, the show will air every week on Sundays. It will have seven episodes, with the last one airing on May 26.
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The Sympathizer Season 1: What Will Be the Storyline?
The Sympathizer is a story told from the point of view of a communist spy who is half-Vietnamese and half-French. He works as a North Vietnamese mole but feels conflicted because he supports the South Vietnamese forces. He is called “The Captain,” and he runs away to America after Saigon falls and a massacre happens in which many people he knows die.
Much of the story is about how The Captain is two different people simultaneously, and that only gets more complicated when he moves to America. He keeps working as a spy for the North Vietnamese and meets a lot of interesting people. He also starts having a few affairs. He also agrees to be a counselor on an American movie about the Vietnam War that makes fun of Apocalypse Now and Platoon. However, he thinks the movie is too romanticized, and he almost dies while making it.
The formal summary of the show says the following:
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, THE SYMPATHIZER is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over.
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The Sympathizer Season 1: Who Could Be in It?
Jennifer Venditti, who is in charge of casting, put out a worldwide call for suitable actors of Vietnamese descent, so most of the core Vietnamese cast of The Sympathizer is unknown.
- Hoa Xuande as the Captain
- Fred Nguyen Khan as Bon
- Toan Le as the General
- Duy Nguyễn as Man
- Vy Le as Lana
Where to Watch the Sympathizer Season?
On the Max streaming service, you will be able to watch The Sympathizer. HBO and Max have a lot of exciting shows coming out in 2024, like True Detective: Night Country, Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12, The Regime, House of the Dragon Season 2, The Penguin, Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes’ The Franchise, the animated DCU show Creature Commandos, Season 3 of Hacks, and the Dune prequel show Dune: Prophecy. The Sympathizer will be joining these shows.
Summary
“The Sympathizer” is a highly anticipated TV adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Co-showrunners Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar bring to life the story of a conflicted communist spy during the Vietnam War. Premiering on HBO on April 14, 9 p.m. ET, the show promises intrigue and satire over seven episodes.
