'Treadstone' Episode 5: The spy show may reveal China's involvement in the global conspiracy with SoYun and Nira headed there

The show’s story, so far, has been set in many parts of the world -- Pyongyang, Versailles, London, Moscow, Alaska and Florida, New Delhi, Dharamshala, and Washington D.C. But so far, nothing has indicated a Chinese connection. Is this a new direction the show is headed towards?

The plot thickened in USA Network’s ‘Treadstone’ in the fourth episode of the show in SoYun’s (Han Hyo-Joo) story arc. In the episode, after being accosted by the enemies of Colonel Shin, SoYun goes on a rampage. It ends with a confrontation with the mysterious North Korean Colonel who tells her that she needed to be loyal to her in return for her family’s safety.

She receives instructions to visit a person who would tell her what to do. Once there, she is told that she has to go to China. But what awaits her in China?

The show’s story, so far, has been set in many parts of the world -- Pyongyang, Versailles, London, Moscow, Alaska and Florida, New Delhi, Dharamshala, and Washington D.C. But so far, nothing has indicated a Chinese connection. Is this a new direction the show is headed towards? A trip to China would indicate the show has more power brokers to unveil. 

But there is more. In episode three on ‘Treadstone’, we had seen the introduction of yet another sleeper agent, Nira Patel (Shruti Haasan), who takes out Johan Lang. A 25-year-old heir to a large German pharmaceutical company, she was seen receiving a message that asked her to fly to China. In a promo trailer for the show, there is a sequence where SoYun fights Nira. One can only assume that something big is about to go down in China. 

But the sequences raises another important question. With sleeper agents fighting one another, it is apparent that Operation Treadstone goes beyond a CIA black operation where soldiers were hypnotized and trained to be superhuman spies. We’ve already seen a North Korean military man using one of the operatives, SoYun, for his nefarious purposes. And from what has transpired in the show so far, one can assume that Nira is under the control of a powerful political entity in the U.S.

Perhaps we shall finally see the two nations clash, albeit covertly, and that too in China.

The next episode of 'Treadstone' will air on USA Network at 10 pm ET on Tuesday. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Peacock’s ‘The Good Daughter’ finale answers questions about the school shooting, Huck’s past and the buried secrets dividing Sam and Charlie’s family.
2026-11-12T16:29:59.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ star Taylor Kinney shares the date for the franchise’s next crossover, which will bring all three NBC dramas together
2026-11-12T08:52:55.000Z
James Reynolds reveals his Parkinson’s diagnosis and explains why ‘Days of Our Lives’ is bringing it into Abe Carver’s storyline
2026-11-12T08:23:38.000Z
Charlie Vickers and his ‘The Rings of Power’ co-stars hint at Sauron’s next move and the Season 3 moments that left even the cast struggling for words
2026-11-12T07:50:09.000Z
Nearly three decades after their 1997 horror film, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Ryan Phillippe are sharing the screen again, this time in the ‘9-1-1’ franchise
2026-11-12T06:55:17.000Z
The Hulu spinoff follows nine MomTok creators in California, with Jen Affleck as the lone original star
2026-11-12T05:10:11.000Z
FX’s comedy series ‘Adults’ follows five friends sharing a home in Queens as they navigate adulthood
2026-11-12T04:36:21.000Z
‘Chicago Fire’ Season 15 Episode 6 introduces Violet’s estranged mother, whose unexpected return comes with devastating news
2026-11-12T04:24:26.000Z
A leadership change at DC Studios left the status of the Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre series in question
2026-11-12T04:05:49.000Z
'Chicago Med' Season 12 Episode 6, titled 'Lessons in Chemistry,' sees Freddy return to sign Margaret's estate papers alongside Charles
2026-11-12T03:18:28.000Z