HBO’s new limited series The Sympathizer is set to run through April and May 2024. The celebrated new series has debuted at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, solidifying itself as one of the most celebrated new miniseries of 2024. Robert Downey Jr. stars as several characters in the critically acclaimed new limited series which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name written by Viet Thanh Nguyen. The Sympathizer’s cast also features performances from Sandra Oh, Toan Le, and Fred Nguyen Khan.
The Sympathizer episode 1 dives into the final days of the Vietnam War before the real-life Fall of Saigon. Downey Jr. plays Claude, a fierce and manipulative member of the CIA who works with the General of the South Vietnamese Army to help him flee the country to the safety of the United States. While Downey plays several major roles in The Sympathizer, the series’ protagonist, who is simply called The Captain (Hoa Xuande), is the true star of the series, playing both sides of the Vietnam conflict and finding himself stuck in the middle.
Related
The Sympathizer EPs On Robert Downey Jr’s “Brave” Multiple Roles & Meta Storytelling
The Sympathizer EPs Susan Downey and Niv Fichman break down Robert Downey Jr.’s “brave” multiple roles and the meta storytelling of the show.
The Sympathizer’s Finale Releases Sunday, May 26, 2024
New episodes of The Sympathizer will be available exclusively on MAX and HBO every Sunday until May 26, 2024. For both MAX and HBO subscribers, each new episode will be released at 9 PM ET/PT, meaning that viewers in the Pacific time zone will have to wait until 9 PM to watch new episodes of The Sympathizer. A new episode of the celebrated Robert Downey Jr. series will air every Sunday on HBO and MAX starting on April 14. 2024 and ending with its series finale on May 26, 2024.
The Sympathizer Has 7 Episodes In Total
The Sympathizer is a relatively short limited series that only has a total of 7 episodes. Each episode is expected to be roughly an hour long. Episode 1 “Death Wish” was a total of 58 minutes, and the rest of The Sympathizer episodes should be right around that standard length. Robert Downey Jr.’s other characters will appear over the course of the rest of the season. As of the time of writing, the episode titles of the last three episodes have yet to be announced.
The Sympathizer’s Full Episode Release Schedule
The Sympathizer continues on April 21, 2024 with episode 2 titled “Good Little Asian” before advancing to episode 3 “Love It or Leave It” on April 28, 2024 and episode 4 “Give Us Some Good Lines” on May 5, 2024. A complete release schedule for The Sympathizer can be seen below.
Episode No. | Episode Title | Written By | Directed By | Release Date | Release Time (HBO & MAX) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | “Death Wish” | Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar | Park Chan-wook | April 14, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
2 | “Good Little Asian” | Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, and Naomi Iizuka | Park Chan-wook | April 21, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
3 | “Love It or Leave It” | Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, and Mark Richard | Park Chan-wook | April 28, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
4 | “Give Us Some Good Lines” | Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar | Fernando Meirelles | May 5, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
5 | TBA | Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, and Maegan Houang | Marc Munden | May 12, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
6 | TBA | Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar, and Anchuli Felicia King | Marc Munden | May 19, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
7 | TBA | Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar | Marc Munden | May 26, 2024 | 9 PM ET/PT |
The Sympathizer
Based on the novel by Viet Thanh Nuyen, The Sympathizer explores the last days of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a half-Vietnamese, half-French spy serving for the communist regime. The TV series adaptation is set-up as a mini-series and will likely still be framed as a confession from the protagonist as they make their way through the war. Photo is of the original novel cover.
- Cast
-
Robert Downey Jr.
, Kieu Chinh
, VyVy Nguyen
, Kayli Tran
, Evan Shafran
, Sandra Oh - Seasons
-
1
- Writers
-
Don McKellar
, Viet Thanh Nguyen - Main Genre
-
Drama
- Website
-
Based on the novel by Viet Thanh Nuyen, The Sympathizer explores the last days of the Vietnam War through the eyes of a half-Vietnamese, half-French spy serving for the communist regime. The TV adaptation is set-up as a mini-series and will likely still be framed as a confession from the protagonist as they make their way through the war. Photo is of the original novel cover.
- Production Company
-
A24, Rhombus Media, Team Downey, Moho Film, Cinetic Media
