The serpent

[the80sweregreat]

Anyone going to watch this?
I've never heard of this person before.

Pootle (love your username, Flumps!)

There is a podcast called Bad People which has an episode about Sobraj.

@BaconAndAvocado

Pootle (love your username, Flumps!)

There is a podcast called Bad People which has an episode about Sobraj.

This is very good. About half way through. The lead actor is charismatic at all. I wouldn’t have gone near him. Too creepy as is his friend Ajay. I’ve no words for the girlfriend.

I know people use the word ‘spoilers’ but is anyone else finding it a bit distasteful as this is a real story about real murders. I don’t know I can’t think of a better word either but spoilers just seems so wrong. Disrespectful in fact. Wonder if it’s just me being sensitive.

The Sobhraj actor, Tahir Rahmin, was excellent in The Looming Tower miniseries. He played a very different role.

@bigbluesea I have to say that as someone with lots of French family I thought Jenna's accent was not at all unconvincing. It was a pretty amazing achievement if what pp said is true and she's never spoken French before but it was clearly an English person speaking French- she did get a lot of the intonation and speed aspects right. But it wasn't convincing enough and was one of the things that grated most - Charles, nadine and juliette were all native French speakers - I thought it was a shame that they chose Jenna over a québécois actress.
I thought the Herman actor was convincing though although have had more limited exposure to Dutch speakers

Convincing not unconvincing!

I'm watching in real time. Really tense tonight. Dominique storyline gripping - heart was in my mouth towards the end.
I must admit I don't find Alain/ Charles remotely convincing. He is not charismatic IMHO - just creepy.

Great Sunday night drama.

It’s so creepy. I was so relieved for Dominique getting on the plane.

Oh my god, Dominique at the airport! So gripping and tense. The actor played the part brilliantly to have us all rooting for him. I cried when he was reunited with his parents.

I cried when he was reunited with his parents

Me too!

I too found the two months earlier, six months later stuff annoying but have just watched ep 3 and was totally gripped, my god Dominique. And the 70s feel is done really well. I met naive spiritual seekers like the girl who was about the join the monastery, when I was backpacking, and I found that story heartbreaking.

One small mistake, in the scene where Sobhraj was shown meeting the Thai jeweller girlfriend, he was on the street kissing her - that wouldn't happen, Thai people don't show physical affection in public.

I heard an interview with someone on the radio, can't remember if it was the director or writer, and they said that they really didn't want to be exploitative of the victims so they took time to tell the victims' stories so that they were real humans not just victims. They were very aware of the families.

Watched 2 episodes. It’s okay but I am struggling with the fact that it’s true crime. It feels distasteful somehow.

I’m also distracted by the appalling Dutch accent as demonstrated by Billy Howle. The speech pattern & intonation is entirely unconvincing. They’re also seemingly making up their own version of Dutch because a lot of what they say simply doesn’t make any sense!

I’m now worried about Nadine! Why did she get in the car with them and not just say oh I’ve still got shopping to do or whatever.

I was wondering the same thing, @sashagabadon. Nadine knew by then that there's something deeply amiss. I couldnt figure out either what she did with the money and letter before getting into the car? (desperately trying not to binge...)

Sorry to barge in but I've not watched this and am interested. Would you recommend I catch up?

@Clymene: I didn't like it at first. I watched the first two episodes twice and now I'm hooked. I'm still finding it a bit hard to follow.

@Clymene

Sorry to barge in but I've not watched this and am interested. Would you recommend I catch up?

Yes it’s only on episode 3 on the telly. I’m watching it like that not binging . Episode 4 next Sunday 9pm

When Dominique got home to France why didnt he raise the alarm? Was it that the world was so different then it would have been impossible for him to give evidence etc from France about people in Thailand ? Suppose he had no concrete evidence

That’s a good point BLT! In fact why didn’t his parents?! I’m pretty sure I would. Unless he didn’t tell them?
Also why didn’t he go to the french embassy and tell them he had lost his passport?
Maybe you don’t think of stuff like that when you are young plus he was sick too

I absolutely loved this and finished it last night, glad I've found a thread on it.

I too cried at the updates at the end, especially the bit about the travellers. I actually felt sorry for Monique/Marie at the end. My feelings went from disgust at her for assisting Charles in his behaviour to pity.
She was a young woman taken in by his charm and manipulated and worn down by him. He made people (her/dominique/ajay) believe they needed him.
Having been in an abusive relationship I can see how she got sucked in and was too far in before she realised, she wasted her whole life on him.
I couldn't believe the arrogance of him going back to Nepal smug as anything believing they won't have anything on him.
It has haunted me a little bit as I've not stopped thinking about it all day, great series.

I think Dominique may have been put off by the thai authorities and their reputation at the time. I would like to think i would report it but they probably didnt know who to tell?

I think Dominique acted the way he did because Charles/Alain had totally got into his head and convinced him that he would be arrested and locked up if he didn't do what he was told. So by going to the embassy or the police he was convinced he'd be in trouble. The same could be said for Monique and by the time she realised what was happening she was in too deep.

I listened to the Bad People podcast episode: I thought most of it was very simplistic and added nothing. The presenters seemed to have very limited knowledge of the psychology they were referencing.

But.... the comments from the chap who worked on the program were interesting- they worked hard at not making Sobraji too glamorous, and I think that’s why he ended up as just coming across as creepy in the program. They did not want to overly glamorise what he did. They also refused to speak to him to get his side, as they felt nothing would be gained by doing so

I watched episode 3 last night, I hadn’t seen the first two episodes. I thought it was fantastic (and did my french good too!). I need to go back and see the first two episodes.