'The Sympathizer' Episode 4 Takeaway: Captain's journey as spy turns bizarre following a Hollywood offer
Contains spoilers for 'The Sympathizer'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO's 'The Sympathizer' centers on Captain (Hoa Xuande), a communist spy for North Vietnam working as a secret police Captain in South Vietnam.
After the fall of Saigon, Captain is forced to flee the country with the South Vietnamese General (Toan Le) to Los Angeles while continuing his job as a spy.
All's been well until Episode 4, where the plot takes a detour, leaving viewers puzzled.
Captain takes up a freelance job in 'The Sympathizer' Episode 4
Episode 3 ended with Captain meeting all of Robert Downey Jr.'s characters where one of them named Niko Damianos somehow convinces Captain to shift his direction.
In no time, Captain is hired as a cultural consultant for Niko's upcoming film 'The Hamlet'. While Niko has everything in place to make a super hit movie, he is missing “the perspective of the Vietnamese people" and that's where Captain steps in.
He convinces General and Sofia Mori, his boss/girlfriend (Sandra Oh) to take a 17-week break to pursue his Hollywood project.
From helping the Vietnamese side actors get some "good lines" to pointing out the wrong casting of a Chinese woman playing a Vietnamese character, he assists Niko until an argument gets him fired.
What's next for Captain in 'The Sympathizer'?
After being fired from his job as a consultant and the wrap of the film's shoot, Captain will return to Los Angeles and resume his association with General.
Earlier when Captain sought permission to take up the Hollywood project, General briefly mentioned his mission to reclaim their homeland.
When Captain mentioned that he could let go of the opportunity, General granted him the permission and said that he would tell about his mission once he returns.
In 'The Sympathizer' Episode 5, Captain is most likely to learn General's plan and report it to the Viet Cong. Meanwhile, intrigue remains intact about his fate as a prisoner in North Vietnam.
'The Sympathizer' is available to stream on HBO Max