Please Allow ‘The Sympathizer’ to Take Over Your Sunday Nights

a man with his hand on his chin
‘The Sympathizer’ Will Take Over Your Sunday NightCourtesy of HBO.

The Sympathizer is almost here, people. The series—which marks Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the small screen—is finally ready to launch on HBO, where audiences will follow the exploits of a North Vietnamese spy during the Vietnam War.

The Sympathizer is a dark comedy adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s debut novel of the same name. In 2016, it received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and now literature lovers and espionage fans can watch the story play out onscreen. Just prepare to spot four Downeys, as well as excellent performances from his costars Hoa Xuande, Fred Nguyen Khan, Ky Duyen, Toan Le, and Sandra Oh.

Ahead of the series premiere, Xuande spoke with Esquire about working with Downey. When they met, Downey said, “Brother, we’re going to screw this thing up together. Don’t worry about it.” Xuande was grateful for his kind words. “He could see how nervous I was, and I appreciated that,” he said. Well, we highly doubt that either actor screwed up The Sympathizer, judging by its stellar trailer.

Ready to check it out for yourself? The series debuts on HBO this Sunday, April 14. Then The Sympathizer will roll out weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. until the finale on May 26, 2024. Here’s the full release schedule:

Episode 1: “Death Wish” — April 14, 2024

Episode 2: “Good Little Asian” — April 21, 2024

Episode 3: TBA — April 28, 2024

Episode 4: TBA — May 5, 2024

Episode 5: TBA — May 12, 2024

Episode 6: TBA — May 19, 2024

Episode 7: TBA — May 26, 2024

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