The original post: /r/television by /u/rbemr715 on 2025-03-04 11:34:25.

Spoiler Alert: This contains spoilers for Episode 3.

In Episode 3, former President and Prosecutor Merlin interrogates a terror suspect—a veteran of the Middle East war. During the interrogation, Merlin confesses his past. The following is their dialogue:

Merlin : You had an interpreter from Herat, Isar.

I had one, too, from Vietnam. Name was Nguyen. I never met a more loyal guy. Saved my ass more than once. And all he wanted was for me to bring him back to the States. I guess that’s where you and I are different. Because when my time was up I shook Nguyen’s hand. thanked him for his service. jumped on a chopper, went home, never saw him again.

Suspect: Yeah that’s fucked up,

Merlin: Yeah, It’s war.

So far, the show has portrayed Merlin as a virtuous character—not a ruthless villain who stops at nothing to achieve his goals. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have cared. But here, he’s respected by everyone, framed as a righteous former president doing the right thing.

Yet, his actions toward his interpreter make him seem like a terrible person, and I don’t understand what the writers were trying to convey. The interpreter, who saved his life multiple times, had one simple wish—to be taken to the U.S. But Merlin abandoned him. Why? The show never explains. All he says is, “That’s war.” But the war was over. Why didn’t he help a loyal friend? If he couldn’t, fine—but that’s never addressed.

Looking into it, many Vietnamese interpreters were brought to the U.S. after the war with the help of American officers. Those left behind were often tortured or executed.

I don’t even see a strategic purpose for this scene. It wasn’t about building rapport. Immediately after, Merlin blackmails the suspect by threatening his son and killing his father by cutting off medical aid, and that’s what actually gets results. This conversation adds nothing.

It feels like the writers wanted to reveal something about Merlin’s character, but all it did was make him seem heartless. He abandoned a good friend without a second thought—why should I root for him saving the world? Every time he showed warmth to others afterward, I couldn’t stop thinking about Nguyen. It just felt wrong.

What were the writers going for here? If anyone else has watched this, I’d love to hear their thoughts.