As the episode begins, we’re taken to Paris, France in 1973 where we see a young man leave his family for Australia because he is going to work on a yacht. Once the plane takes off, we jump ahead two years to Chiang Mai, Thailand and the young man is writing a letter to his parents. He says the yachts were amazing but he spent every day with the sort of people he has known his whole life. Charles (Tahar Rahim) watches the man, Dominique Renelleau (Fabien Frankel), from a distance. Dominique tells his parents that he will come home soon but he wants to have some new experiences first. Charles walks over and asks him for a light before striking up a conversation. After the intro, we’re taken to March 8, 1976 in Bangkok, Thailand. Angela (Ellie Bamber) watches as Herman (Billy Howle) arrives with Paul (Tim McInnerny), Nadine Gires (Mathilde Warnier), and Remi Gires.
Herman tells Nadine that he was given the diary at the British Embassy as well as a note with Nadine’s address on it. He goes on to say he believes the diary belonged to Willem Bloem (Armand Rosbak). She claims she never saw Willem and Helena Dekker (Ellie de Lange), but she believes they were there. Herman gets upset so he shows the couple the picture of Willem after his murder. Angela apologizes for his behavior but explains that the discovery of the two bodies has been awful for Herman. Remi says what happened to them is the same thing that happened to all of them, but admitting that there are more. Herman tries to figure out how many exactly but Remi doesn’t have an exact figure for him. Next, we jump back nine months and Charles talks to Dominique about his wishes. Dom says he is looking for something different and that is why he hasn’t gone home yet.
Charles encourages Dom to jump into the water below with him. Before too long, Dominique has been drugged by Charles. As he transports him, Charles says he has always known boys like him. He says he was bullied and had forgotten his Vietnamese by the time his mother returned for him. Nadine and Marie (Jenna Coleman) watch as Charles helps Dom out of the vehicle. Once Dom is settled in, Nadine asks if they should take him to the hospital, but Charles says hospitals are there are death traps. Dominique gets up and joins them. They offer him medicine and Charles wants to make sure Marie gets the correct amount. He takes the medicine and is moved to another room. He thanks Alain when he receives the keys and is asked to help Monique. After that, we jump back to Herman and Nadine who notices something in the pictures and Remi does too.
She points out the radio sitting on the desk and says Alain gave it to her as a gift, but Remi says it was a reward. They get into an argument with Remi saying they wouldn’t be in this mess if she had listened to him in the first place. Remi steps outside before Nadine confesses she brought clients to Charles. She used to introduce Charles to people at parties. Nadine tells Remi that she couldn’t have known and that they were neighbors. She was lonely and she thinks Charles looked for weaknesses in people. He would fix their problems and make it feel like the sun had shone on them. Dominique continues taking the medication and getting sick. He tells Charles he needs a doctor because he is dying, but Charles tells him he doesn’t need a doctor. He wants to call his parents but Charles doesn’t recommend that since they’ll worry about him. The poisoning continues. Then, Dom is introduced to Ajay (Amesh Edireweera).
The partying continues. One night, Dominique encounters Teresa (Alice Englert). After that, Dom has to add a hole to his belt because he is losing so much weight. Dominique tries to take more of the medication, but Coco ends up drinking most of it. Dom climbs into bed and notices the alarm clock next to him while Coco gets sick and collapses to the ground. Dominique finds its body seconds later and wonders what is wrong. He brings it up with the others. Marie scolds him and Ajay denies that they would do this to him. Dom tells Alain he wants to stop taking the medication to see how he feels and Alain pretends he is okay with that. He also asks for his passport back and Alain retrieves it. Dominique tells them he wants to go home. Charles turns around and says he did something bad for his business. Dom opens the passport and finds that Charles put his picture in it instead.
Charles promises to change it back but says Dom’s tourist visa has expired because he was too sick to renew it. He claims his friends at the French embassy owe him a few favors and will fix it. We jump back forward and Herman tries to get more information from Nadine. The couple tells Herman and Paul about Charles, Ajay, and Gautier. They admit they haven’t seen Gautier since Christmas and don’t know where he is. Paul believes they’re wasting their time. Herman doesn’t and thinks they should take the couple to the police station immediately. Angela believes it is a good idea too. Paul wants Herman to follow him to his vehicle. He wants to grab his gun and shoot their suspect through the mouth. Herman says they can’t do that and he will find something to collaborate Nadine’s evidence.
Paul insults Herman before Angela gets involved and tells him how much Herman has already achieved. The parents will now be able to bury their children thanks to Herman’s efforts. Paul apologizes and leaves, but Herman goes after him because he believes they need him. Herman tells him they need to protect the witnesses and Paul believes murder is the only way to do that. When Paul leaves, Herman says Nadine and Remi think he has saved them but he is worried that Gautier will return. Angela encourages him to follow through with it and write a report. We jump back four months and Dom wonders if he should talk to the police himself. Alain doesn’t like that idea. Dominique watches from the car as Charles goes into the jewelry store and kisses Suda. He meets with two officers and points out the car to them. Charles returns to Dom and says he is going to take Colonel Romyen and Suda home.
He gives Dominique money and tells him to get a ride home. He says he knows the authorities and how to deal with them. Romyen knows he is there illegally, but Charles says he can vouch for him. Dom promises to say nothing about Monique and Suda. Back at the party, Nadine hangs out with Dominique and she asks him why he is so unhappy. Ajay asks Dom to go out with him but he doesn’t want to go. Ajay calls him a bad name before Marie steps in and takes up for Dominique. Remi joins them before another man falls and causes a scene. The man is sick and Dom watches as Charles and Marie help him upstairs. Later that night, Dom finds Ajay and Charles taking the man to the car. When Monique steps outside, Dominique asks her where they’re taking him. She claims they’re going to the hospital because he is very sick. The following day, Ajay scares Dom who has been in charge while Charles and Marie are away.
He tells Dominique they can go out tonight. When Ajay leaves, Dominique hides the knife in his pillow and tries to come to grips with what is going on. He looks at Teresa’s alarm clock once again. He begins searching through a bag and finds the passport picture of the man from the previous night. Monique and Charles arrive outside so he puts everything back. Back in the present, Angela and Herman continue questioning Nadine about her relationship with Gautier. She tells them about Dominique because he is the one who changed her mind. She calls Dominique her friend, but they aren’t sure where he is right now. Again, we jump back four months and Dominique hears Ajay and Charles dealing with another victim. When he asks Monique, she claims the woman is a lover of the Turk. He asks her about the guy who got sick at the party before she calls them junkies and says they’re not worth his concern.
Then, he asks why everyone is getting sick when they come here. She doesn’t answer and shuts the door. The next day, Dom calls his father and tells him about being sick in Bangkok. He claims he can’t come back because it is too expensive. He hangs up as his parents plead with him to come home. That night, someone tries to open his door, but it is blocked by a door. Ajay calls for him so Dom rushes to get the knife, but can’t find it. He opens the door before Ajay says Alain wants to see him. Dominique walks past a sick woman before sitting down a seeing a newspaper article about a European girl who has been murdered. Alain enters and reminds Dominique that he has been good to him so he can’t understand why he would want to leave. Alain has the knife and Ajay says he doesn’t want to go home.
Charles tells Dominique that he can never go back because he has been away for too long and has seen too much. He tells Dom that he is his brother and he belongs here. He isn’t going to help him fix the passport for that reason. Later that night, Dom hears them taking the female victim Steph to the vehicle. She tries to run away from them but Charles carries her back to the car. In the present, Herman tries to find out if Monique is directly involved in the murder. Nadine believes she was scared of Marie. Back in the past, Monique prepares to leave and wonders what Charles intends to do with their dog since it can’t go on the airplane. Nadine finds out that they’re traveling to Hong Kong because Monique needs a holiday. Charles tells Dom he has asked the colonel to stop by from time to time to check on him. Charles gives Nadine the radio before they leave. Nadine invites Dom to dinner but he ignores her and goes in.
Nadine and Remi check on him later and he asks her if he can trust her. He isn’t sure since she helps him make money. He lefts them in and show them the newspaper article about the murdered European girl and says she was here. She came looking for the Turkish guy who got sick and Charles and Ajay took her away as well. Then, he shows her an article about the Dutch couple who were killed and burnt. He saw them in bed next to the clock left behind by the American girl. He knows Alain was poisoning him but he doesn’t understand why they’re keeping him around so long. They offer to help him with money so he can leave. Nadine promises to find a solution. Remi goes out and returns with a ticket. Then, they replace Charles’s picture on the passport. Nadine looks in a drawer and finds the diary belonging to Willem.
They turn their attention to getting a visa and Nadine finds one that belongs to the girl in the newspaper. Dom leaves for the airport and Nadine goes to the authorities to report the possible embassies. She admits nobody would help her. They set up a plan for Dom to contact them but they haven’t received anything from them. She intends to check her mailbox again today. Herman decides to check to see if he left the country so he goes to the airport with Angela. They find an exit stamp for Dominique Renelleau so someone left under his name but they wonder if it was Gauthier. They check for exit stamps for the Dutch couple and find two for them as well. Herman concludes that the man left as Willem and the girl as Helena. Angela wonders if Dominique made it out alive before we jump back as he arrives at the airport. His flight is delayed so he has to wait in the lobby.
Finally, he tries to board the plane and checks his documents once again. As he waits, he sees a man who looks like Alain. He moves forward and gives the receptionist his documents to check. He passes through and boards the plane before it takes off. Three months later, Nadine goes to the post and telegraph office to check her mail. She finds a letter from Dominique and money for the ticket. He tries to explain why he didn’t write sooner while we see his parents pick him up at the airport. Charles appears behind Nadine and says hello to her. Monique and Ajay are there as well. She tells them she hasn’t heard anything from Dominique before they ask about Remi. They offer to take her home before the group leaves the office.
She gets in with them as Herman and Angela return. They tell Remi about everything they’ve found and learn that Nadine went to check her mailbox and should’ve been home by now. Nadine rides with Charles and the others as the episode ends.
The Serpent Review
Now we’re talking. This episode of The Serpent was fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat at times. It almost felt like a mini-movie. It focused mainly on Dominique’s time with Charles and Marie and how he managed to escape them. I can’t imagine how insanely crazy it would’ve been to have gotten caught up in something like that and it is a miracle that he survived.
Herman and Angela are zoning in on their primary suspect, but Nadine is in trouble. Do Marie and Charles know what she has been up to? I am so eager to start the next episode that I can’t contain my excitement. If the show can maintain this level of quality from here on out, it could be one of the best shows of this year. The episode was fantastic and easily scores an 8.5 out of 10. Check out Reel Mockery’s past recaps of The Serpent before you go! Please forgive any small typos above because I don’t have time to reread and fix them tonight.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.
