The Serpent
One of Sobhraj’s victims makes a desperate dash for freedom…
SUNDAY 10 January, 9pm BBC1 Drama
Herman Knippenberg finally tracks down the mysterious French woman who accused Charles Sobhraj of murder and her tale is very dark. Nadine and Remi discovered the serial killer’s evil crimes after living next door to him, but will the details Nadine shares with Herman be enough to make the Thai police realise there’s a murderer on the loose?
Herman Knippenberg makes an important breakthrough in his hunt for Charles Sobhraj when he finds someone willing to discuss the serial killer’s secrets.
Nadine and Remi lived next door to Sobhraj and attended many of his parties, yet they became suspicious of the gem dealer after several of his guests mysteriously got ill.
In this week’s episode, the couple tell Herman the story of Dominique, a young Frenchman who feared he’d never escape Sobhraj’s clutches after the fraudster stole his passport and money, making it impossible for him to get home.
‘Sobhraj escaped the authorities for years because he was able to transform papers and change his appearance,’ says Tahar Rahim, who plays the serial killer.
‘He was also so brazen in the risks he took and he was so good at manipulating people!’
Escape route
After helping Dominique get his passport back and forge a new visa, Nadine assists him in escaping from Sobhraj’s house, but she never finds out if her friend managed to leave Thailand.
When Herman and his wife Angela investigate Nadine’s story, they discover someone using Dominique’s passport did leave Bangkok, but they don’t know if it was actually Dominique!
‘Playing Sobhraj was the biggest challenge of my career,’ says Tahar. ‘How do you play someone who has no empathy for others? I realised I needed to imagine him not as a man, but an animal – a serpent!’