Former double agent Naveed Jamali has explained the “believable” spy elements fromRobert Downey Jr.’s 2024, Emmy-nominated TV series. There have been a plethora of spy movies and shows throughout the decades that have ranged from grounded, down-to-earth depictions, to more wildly romanticized versions of the trade. Popular renditions include theJames Bondmovies, which mix realism with wild events and stuntwork, and the TV show24, which takes elements of spy thrillers to craft a more grounded story inspired by real-world espionage. However, fiction still often embellishes upon reality.
Although, in recent years,there have been more renditions of spies on TV, some of whom stick to more believable stories than others. While this includes miniseries like 2016’sThe Night Manageror 2018’sThe Little Drummer Girl, it also includes highly dramatized versions like2023’sThe Night AgentorCitadel. The more lavish imaginings of spies throughout cinematic history make it difficult to find something that’s more accurate to reality. However, Downey Jr.’s HBO miniseries manages to provide an accurate portrayal of spycraft at a particularly tumultuous point in American history.
Robert Downey Jr.’s The Sympathizer Gets A High Accuracy Score From An Expert
The Show Contains Realistic Depictions Of Spies During The 1970s
Downey Jr.’s TV showThe Sympathizergarnered high praise from Jamalifor having believable spy elements in the series. The HBO show follows the story of the Captain (Hoa Xuande), a North Vietnamese spy working undercover in South Vietnam’s army, forced to flee to the United States after the end of the Vietnam War. While he continues to report to the Viet Cong, he is torn between two different lives, including one under the tutelage of CIA agent Claude (Downey Jr.). Downey Jr. also plays a number of other villain roles onThe Sympathizer’s cast.
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Speaking withInsideron their seriesHow Real Is It?,Jamali stated thatThe Sympathizer’s portrayal of spies using personalized, secret codes to communicate was highly realistic. Starting at 13:07, the former double agent explains how he’d use coded messages sent through Craigslist to meet Russians. The same goes for divulging important secrets in public locales, with Jamali discussing state secrets in places like Hooters. Coercion is also portrayed realistically as the Captain gets unmasked, with the former spy giving the show a nine out of 10 for accuracy. Check out Jamali’s comments below:
Their portrayal of tradecraft, I think, is spot-on. So, first of all, it’s important to understand that the spy is most likely going to be working in hostile territory, whereas his or her case officer may not be. So you have to find another manner to communicate, to both pass intelligence or pass messages, but also to receive directions. The intelligence service may tell you how they do it, but part of it is also just, again, how you want to do it. So the selection of the book that he liked, that he felt the most comfortable with, it makes sense. Even in my case, which is probably outdated now, I communicated with the Russians by posting something on Craigslist. So we had agreed upon a city, and I would post a message, a predetermined message, that didn’t require them to respond.
You want to avoid detection. So completely plausible in “The Sympathizer” they’d be meeting in a bar to essentially discuss. Both the FBI and the Russians met with me both in public, and then in private to have much more intense debriefings. But insofar as the Russians, they had a penchant for taking me to Hooters, which was so uncomfortable. The comments that Oleg would make about the waitresses. It was just weird. It was like being with a gross uncle. We were, like, trading state secrets over s****y chicken wings. It absolutely does happen.
So much of that is believable. I mean, what you’re watching here is the Captain essentially admitting that, first of all, disclosing how he’s passing communications back to Hanoi. And then secondly, getting essentially unmasked by the CIA. Those are both very believable things in terms of the tradecraft. You see coercion used here. But the goal of coercion is to get him to confess. It’s not to sort of flip him, necessarily. So to use coercion in that manner is absolutely an appropriate use of the tool. I’m going to give this a nine. I feel like everything about this is believable. The tradecraft, the approach, the motivation, it all tracks.
Our Take On The Accurate Portrayal Of Spies In The Sympathizer
It Helps The Show Stand Out From Other Espionage Series
AlthoughThe Sympathizerdoesn’t have the same popularity as more well-known spy TV shows,its accurate portrayal of double agents makes it a memorable series for 2024. Because of the high score Jamali gave it, the series seems like a unique entry toRobert Downey Jr.’s career, with plenty of historical accuracy in its spy stints. Since the show was often overlooked while airing earlier this year, it makes it the perfect selling point for those seeking out a more realistic depiction of spies throughout history.
The Sympathizeris based on the 2015 novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
The Sympathizer
Cast
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.
