The sympathizer articles
-
The Sympathizer 1x2
1x2: Good Little AsianAs he adjusts to life in Los Angeles, the Captain is forced to find someone to implicate when the General begins to suspect a mole.Host Philip Nguyen gets into it with the Captain himself, Sympathizer star Hoa Xuande. They talk about leaning into opportunities, navigating multiple cultures as children of Vietnamese refugees and what it was like for Hoa to be in nearly every scene of the show. Philip also sits down with Executive Producer Amanda Burrell to talk about casting...
-
The Sympathizer recap: Guilt is a curse
In lesser hands, The Sympathizer’s third episode, “Love It Or Leave It,” would easily be its weakest: The first half hour is almost languid in its pacing, repetitive in what it shows and tells, and Sandra Oh gets fuck all to do. But after a breakneck opening run, a little stop for breath is appreciated and makes the sudden shifts back to its signature propulsive violence and hammy comedy feel a little more unpredictable. A little more dangerous. I love the interplay between the Captain and the...
-
The Sympathizer recap: The twisted morality of war
The first episode of The Sympathizer felt, in many ways like a prologue. That’s doubled down in episode two, where the plot starts growing tendrils that won’t bloom for another few weeks and our major players are brought more firmly into focus. I said the series premiere had an air of “previously on” about it, and while the pacing of the scenes in episode two remains rapid, “Good Little Asian” lays down the groundwork for the next few hours of storytelling. First things first: Bon’s wife and...