'The Sympathizer' Episode 5 Ending Explained: General's mission leaves Captain scratching his head
Contains spoilers for 'The Sympathizer'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: After deviating from the central storyline, 'The Sympathizer' gets back on track in Episode 5 with Captain (Hoa Xuande) refocusing on his duties as a spy.
In the recent episode, Captain undergoes a whirlwind of events. He lands in hospital after an accident on the movie set, bargains for compensation, and gets ditched by Sofia Mori (Sandra Oh).
However, the most significant development is his discovery of General's (Toan Le) mission to reclaim their homeland.
How does Captain betray General in 'The Sympathizer' Episode 5?
Towards the end of 'The Sympathizer' Episode 5, Captain returns to his role as a spy after a failed Hollywood career as a consultant. He steals the required information about the General's mission and sends it to the Viet Cong.
Meanwhile, he photographs the General's roadmap in secrecy and sends them to Sonny Tran (Alan Trong), the investigative journalist.
Subsequently, Sonny publishes a narrative criticizing the General's mission, portraying it as inconsequential and falsely raising the expectations of refugees.
Sonny also suggests that the General is misappropriating public donations for personal gain.
Why is Captain shocked in 'The Sympathizer' Episode 5 climax?
Captain, in his communication to Viet Cong, calls General's mission a 'fool’s errand'. He even expresses his concern to General, indicating that he believes they are not adequately prepared to launch an attack on North Vietnam.
However, shock sets in when the General takes Captain to the outskirts of LA and reveals that he is building a new private army for his mission.
Captain witnesses approximately fifty men being trained by Bon in military uniform. This discovery agitates Captain, not because he believes the General can achieve success in his plan, but because his good friend Bon (Fred Nguyen Khan) is involved in this mission and might end up getting killed for nothing.
The conclusion of Episode 5 sets the stage for an intriguing upcoming episode, highlighting Captain's ongoing emotional turmoil.
He is already grappling with the guilt of killing Major (Phanxinê) and now faces the distress of seeing his childhood friend Bon joining on a mission that seems destined for disaster.
'The Sympathizer' is available to stream on HBO Max.