The Serpent

Charles Sobhraj is a clever thief and murderer who uses false names, stolen passports, drugs, and charm to trap young travelers. In 1975 and 1976, he moves through Bangkok, Nepal, India, and other stops on the Hippie Trail with Marie-Andrée Leclerc and Ajay Chowdhury. Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg starts looking into the deaths of two travelers and slowly builds a case while his bosses and local officials hold him back. The eight-part drama is dark, tense, and often confusing because it jumps between years and viewpoints. The story gives Charles a small but clear identity thread. He says that his father was Indian, his mother was Vietnamese, and that people in Europe often favored the whitest man for a job. He also calls Western backpacking a form of imperialism and attacks the idea of escaping capitalism, but these lines explain his anger rather than drive a larger activist message. The main focus stays on murder, control, damaged relationships, the failure of officials to act, and Herman’s long fight to bring Charles to justice.