The Sympathizer – S01E07 – Endings Are Hard, Aren’t They? – Transcript

The Sympathizer
Season 1 – Episode 7
Episode title: Endings Are Hard, Aren’t They?
Original air date : May 26, 2024

Plot: The Captain (Hoa Xuande) and Bon (Fred Nguyen Khan) are sent to Vietnam after refusing to comply with Claude’s (Robert Downey Jr.) manipulative tactics. Captured and sent to a North Vietnamese re-education camp, the Captain writes a nuanced confession, leading to intense torture and hallucinations. The camp’s commissar, revealed to be Man (Duy Nguyễn), ultimately tests the Captain’s convictions. After passing Man’s final test, the Captain and Bon escape the camp, leaving Vietnam with other refugees as the Captain reflects on his journey.

* * *

(film projector rolling)

(airplane cabin dings)

(“Dynomite” by Bazuka playing)

(indistinct chatter)

Need a taxi, mister?

(chuckles) Wow!

Welcome home, son.

Oh, your sneak attack strategy.

Oh.

Still in top form.

Look at ya! Welcome back, gents.

I know, I know. It ain’t Nam.

But you boys have landed on the cusp,

the mouth, the lips of your motherland.

But nothin’ but a newly red Laos to block your path.

But hot damn, you’re already on the right time zone.

(cheering)

Let’s get down, let’s get down.

Let’s get funky. Come on!

♪ Dynomite ♪

(ambient street noise)

(music stops)

(ominous music playing)

Captain: The next morning,

they trucked us up to the northern border.

But for me,

the fighting began that night in The Hellhole.

(“Keep On Keepin’ On” by Rose Royce playing)

(laughter)

Right from the start,

I could feel where this was going.

♪♪

It was like a farewell party on death row.

♪ Got no place to stay ♪

Holy shit.

(gunshot)

Claude: Have fun tonight, boys.

Uncle Sam, pickin’ up the tab.

(squad thanking Claude)

♪♪

(indistinct chatter)

Captain: Claude knew I could smell the blood in the air.

He wanted me to. He was counting on it.

♪ Means nothin’ to you ♪

American dollar.

♪ And you know what ya have to do ♪

♪ Ya gotta keep on keepin’ on ♪

(laughs)

(gunfire)

(Bon shouts)

♪ The game is survival ♪

♪ And there ain’t no wrong or right ♪

♪ Gotta keep on keepin’ on ♪

♪ Until your day is done ♪

♪ Sometimes you look in the mirror ♪

♪ And say, “I wish I was never born” ♪

So, this mission, it’s not

Its, uh, chance of a success…

it’s not, like, zero, is it?

Nothin’ in the world has a 0% chance.

Of course. Right.

Yeah.

♪♪

(loud boom)

(gunfire)

♪ As you make your way from day to day ♪

Claude: You’re smarter than the rest.

Hey, you keep your head down

and leave the fighting to these schmucks.

You hear me?

(indistinct chatter)

(laughter)

(gunfire)

(panting)

Claude: You wonder if this operation will succeed.

In my experience, success of any classified operation really comes down

to how classified it’s managed to remain.

♪ Got no place to stay ♪

Don’tcha agree?

♪♪

Like how the success of any joke rests on if it’s funny.

Ah, who says the only purpose of a joke is to make you laugh?

Give me that rucksack, will you?

♪ That’s the chance you have to take ♪

♪ ‘Cause that’s the life you choose to lead ♪

♪ The cold, still night means nothin’ to you ♪

♪ ‘Cause your money is enough ♪

♪ And you know what ya have to do ♪

♪ Ya gotta keep on keepin’ on ♪

(Captain takes deep breath)

♪ Ya gotta keep on keepin’ on ♪

(recording plays)

Captain (on recording): I am a communist.

I’ve been an agent for years.

For the revolution.

I infiltrated the Secret Police

and sent intelligence back to Hanoi.

Even now, I report on reactionary activities

and do everything I can to undermine them.

In fact, me handing you these documents now

is part and parcel of my antiantirevolutionary strategy.

Sonny (on recording): You want me to say I’m a communist too?

Captain: I’m being honest for once.

Come on, pal.

What did you expect? This is what we do.

(tense music playing)

Target was Sonny, not you.

Listen, Claude, uh

Drink up.

What is it?

Bacterium is very common in these parts.

For 48 hours, it’ll make you evacuate quite dramatically from both ends.

We’ll blame it on that pork and noodles that you alone ate.

Drink up.

Why would I?

Because I’m giving you a fucking out.

You take yourself outta commission.

It’ll give us a chance to talk at leisure.

And once you’ve confessed all your misadventures,

you’ll find I’m very forgiving about minor transgressions.

God damn it, it’s your one chance.

♪♪

Drink.

(patrons arguing)

(items breaking)

(indistinct shouting)

(“Keep On Keepin’ On” continues)

It’s your funeral, pal.

Uh, wait, wait, wait. Uh, fellas, please, please, please.

We got a big day tomorrow. We don’t want any trouble.

I just ordered this pint, please.

On me, if you would. Haven’t even had a sip.

What the heck are you doin’? Give this guy some respect.

Thank you.

♪♪

(fake gags)

patron: That’s how you drink! See that?

(sighs)

(ominous music playing)

(explosion)

(gunfire)

(baby Duc crying)

(shushing)

(gunfire stops)

(yelling)

(intense music playing)

(grunting)

♪♪

(indistinct shouting)

(shouting)

(indistinct shouting)

(indistinct chatter)

(chain rattling)

(grunts)

(“Brown Eyed Girl” by The Isley Brothers playing)

(grunts)

(cocks gun)

(pauses)

Ahha!

(chuckles)

(tense music playing)

(Commissar coughs)

♪♪

♪♪

(sighs)

(mysterious music playing)

♪♪

♪♪

(bell tolling)

(quiet chatter)

(silence)

(emotional music playing)

Eh…

(chuckles)

(microphone feedback)

(tense music playing)

(grunting)

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

(singing)

(panting)

♪♪

(music fades out)

(Captain speaking)

(Commissar speaking)

(Commissar coughing)

(soul music plays on record player)

(“Hello It’s Me” by The Isley Brothers playing)

(gasps)

(coughs)

(laughs)

(coughing)

♪♪

(footsteps approaching)

(tense music playing)

(door slams open)

(grunting)

(music stops)

(lights buzzing)

(Commandant speaking)

(blows)

(Captain breathing heavily)

(grunts)

(quiet, tense music playing)

(heavy breathing)

♪♪

Welcome. It’s so nice of you to join us.

He hasn’t yet.

Sonny: Oh, but I bet he’ll want to before long.

(Crapulent Major, Sonny laughing)

Captain: I already want to.

(Captain grunting, groaning)

(screws squeaking)

(tense music playing)

(heavy breathing)

(turns up electricity)

(electricity zapping)

(coughs, gasps)

(electricity zapping)

(Captain groaning)

♪♪

(electricity zapping)

(Captain groaning)

The electric eel.

(laughs)

(groaning)

(machine turns off)

(fly buzzing)

(singing)

(pants)

Bon (singing): ♪ Lalalalala, lalalalala ♪

(Commissar speaking)

(coughing)

(door buzzes)

(intense music playing)

(electricity zapping)

(Captain groaning)

(sniffs)

♪♪

(groaning)

(music stops)

(rewinding)

(birds chirping)

(tense music playing)

♪♪

(electricity zapping)

I can bring you as many as you’d like.

You can have as many as you’d like every month.

Every month.

Every month.

If you don’t tell anyone.

If you don’t tell anyone.

Can you do that?

Ned Godwin: Can you do that?

Can you be a big boy?

Can you be a big boy?

And keep a secret?

Claude: Keep a secret?

(groaning)

Priest: Don’t forget me, son.

(electricity zapping)

(Commandant speaking)

(mimics gunshot)

(tense music playing)

Sonny: Uh, your problem is you have bones.

Crapulent Major: Because we don’t.

So, let’s get rid of those bones.

(Crapulent Major chuckles)

♪♪

(bones crunching)

(grunting)

(grunting)

(crunching)

(panting)

Go on. She’s waiting.

♪♪

“She”?

♪♪

(stairs creaking)

(film projector rolling)

(music fades out)

(“The Hamlet” playing)

On your knees! (yells in Vietnamese)

(struggling)

(screaming)

(bottle clatters)

(light, tense music playing)

(Lana screaming)

(communist spy speaking)

♪♪

(quiet laughter)

(guzzling)

(exhales)

(communist spy struggling)

(tense music playing)

It’s not necessary, but it does have to happen.

(laughter)

(communist spy struggling, crying out)

♪♪

(communist spy struggling)

(grunting, yelling)

♪♪

♪♪

(struggling)

♪♪

(breathing heavily)

(choking)

(silence)

(crickets chirping)

Please, don’t pretend you’re above it.

(communist spy crying out)

(solemn music playing)

That’s right.

(Captain speaking)

(music fades out)

(footsteps approaching)

(guards shouting)

(bottles clink)

(pouring beer)

(gasps)

(exhales)

(coughing)

(bangs table)

(coughs, gasps)

(tense music playing)

(scoffs)

♪♪

♪♪

(Man laughing)

♪♪

Nothing is more precious

than independence and freedom.

Nothing is more precious

than independence and freedom.

Nothing is.

Nothing is.

Nothing is.

♪♪

It’s nothing.

The answer is nothing.

Nothing.

(Man crying)

The thing is more precious than independence and freedom,

is nothing.

Yes… of course. What else?

♪♪

(music fades out)

(flies buzzing)

(grunting)

(grunting)

(heavy breathing)

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

(stairs creaking)

(wind blowing)

♪♪

♪♪

(ambient nature sounds)

(ambient nature sounds)

(grunts)

(baby whining)

(baby crying)

(person shushing)

(speaks softly)

(baby crying)

(singing)

(others join in)

(contemplative music playing)

Captain: Destination:

Who knows where?

Away from home, that’s all I know.

Will we make it there?

According to the boatman,

our chances are 50/50.

“Pretty good odds,” says Bon.

Despite everything, in the face of nothing,

I am still a revolutionary.

My reeducation is over,

but I still write every day.

This time for myself, for us.

Rewrite.

Relive.

Restart.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

(music fades out)