# The Spy

The Spy is a 2018 English-language French espionage streaming television miniseries about the life and career of Israeli deep-cover agent Eli Cohen.
    Directed by Gideon Raff. Teleplay by Raff and Max Perry, based on the book L'espion qui venait d'Israël (English: The Spy Who Came From Israel) by Uri Dan and Yeshayahu Ben-Porat.

### The Immigrant [1.1]

    [Jacob Shimoni has come out of the Israeli Prime Minister's office after a Syrian strike on a kibbutz]
    Dan Peleg: Jacob, this can't continue like this.
    Jacob Shimoni: It cannot! Bring me a solution! We need to send someone there as soon as possible.
    Dan: It doesn't work that way.
    Jacob : Then make it work that way. We have no one in there to tell us what's going on. We're completely blind and deaf.
    Dan: I understand, but what you're talking about takes time.
    Jacob: How long?
    Dan: Syria's not like Egypt. They're paranoid, suspicious. To build a reliable cover, train... Uh... We're talking at least two years.
    Jacob: You have six months, not a day more.
    Dan: Impossible.
    Jacob: [gestures to the Prime Minister's Office] You wanna go in there and tell him that right now? I'll walk with you. Come on. [when Dan refuses] Let me know the moment you identify an asset.

### What's New, Buenos Aires? [1.2]

    [Eli's case officer in Buenos Aires, Julia Schneider, briefs him about his next mission at the Syrian Embassy, but notices some papers on his desk]
    Julia Schneider: What is this?
    Eli Cohen: Oh, that's nothing.
    Julia: No, this is not nothing. What is this? Who are you writing? Who is "N"?
    Eli: It's nothing. It's stupid... Nadia. I sometimes write them just to pass the...
    Julia: Who is Nadia? Who is Nadia?
    Eli: It's the name of my wife.
    Julia: I thought you were not married.
    Eli: Ah, okay. Kamel is not married. Eli is married...
    Julia: There is no Eli.
    Eli: It just sometimes helps me feel a bit less lonely.
    Julia: Kamel doesn't get lonely.
    Eli: Okay, fine, so I won't write them anymore.
    Julia: Them? There are more? Where?
    Eli: Eh, listen... I'm not doing anything with them. I just thought maybe...
    Julia: Ugh.
    Eli: It's stupid. I thought maybe one day when this is all over, maybe I could bring them back and you know, show... [sees Julia activating fireplace to burn the letters] No, no, no, no, no!
    Julia: [slams him to the door] No. No, you don't do that! This is not a game, Kamel. This is not a role that you are playing. You are either him or you are dead!
    Eli: I understand.
    Julia: I don't think that you do. Give it to me. [Eli presents other letters for her to burn] I'm gonna have to report this.
    Eli: She's never going to read them, I promise.
    Julia: Who will never read them?
    Eli: I understand, Julia! Come on!
    Julia: What if the police came here? What if someone other than me found these? Huh? Eli doesn't exist. Nadia doesn't exist.
    Eli: I understand, Julia.
    Julia: Say it. Eli doesn't exist. Say it. Say it!
    Eli: Nadia doesn't... [Julia glares at him] exist.

### Alone in Damascus [1.3]

    [Eli, as Kamel Amin Thaabeth, is accompanying Sheikh Majid al-Ard to get into Syria, and have successfully passed the border checks]
    Sheikh Majid al-Ard: Since you're risking my neck as well as yours, I think I deserve to know... why didn't you want them looking through your things?
    Kamel Amin Thaabeth: I'm a single man, and I have needs, and I have some... [pointedly] extremely graphic pornography in my suitcase.
    Majid: [snickers] You're a naughty man. You're a naughty man, Kamel! [they drive off laughing]
    [Kamel visits a furniture shop]
    Furniture shop owner: You have taste.
    Kamel Amin Thaabeth: They are the finest quality.
    Furniture shop owner: The finest. And for you, an excellent price. Two for 150. [sees Kamel enter back area] No, no, no, no! Those are not... ready yet. Two for 140.
    Kamel: I'll give you 60 for each table.
    Furniture shop owner: Sixty? Get the hell out of my shop [in Arabic] You donkey!
    Kamel: No, 60 for each, for all of them.
    Furniture shop owner: What do you mean "all of them"?
    Kamel: [gestures to all items in the storage and in the main store area] I mean, I want them all. Every one out there and every one being made in the back. And I'll be needing more. In fact, I need whatever you have. Now, tell me... [shows a big pile of cash] do you happen to have a truck?

### The Odd Couples [1.4]

    [Tova notices Nadia stressed out from motherhood and getting to work on time]
    Tova: You'll get sick like that.
    Nadia Cohen: I'm sorry I'm late.
    Tova: For the fourth time this week.
    Nadia: I can stay late. I'll finish the work.
    Tova: Nadia, I'm worried about you.
    Nadia: I'm just a little tired. That's all.
    Tova: You've been crying. You have dark circles under your eyes. You're not sleeping.
    Nadia: I can't make her stop crying. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
    Tova: You're not doing anything wrong. You're just doing it alone. You need help.
    Nadia: Eli's mother takes Sophie all the time. His family helps a lot, really.
    Tova: You didn't make these babies alone, and you shouldn't raise them on your own.
    Nadia: Tova, I know you're trying to help...
    Tova: When's the last time you saw Eli?
    Nadia: Eleven months ago. He was here for a few weeks and had to go back to Europe. He never even saw the baby. He's making a big sacrifice for our future and... I can't be ungrateful.
    Tova: Yes, you can. Nadia, I want you to go home. [Nadia seems to think she was just let go] I'm not firing you. I'm sending you home to rest. Instead of falling asleep here in front of my fan, sleep in your bed.

### Fish Gotta Swim [1.5]

    [at a party after the coup, George Seif and company look at an upset Kamel, and he explains why]
    Kamel: No, it's not that at all. It's because of the people. They don't understand our purpose. I speak to them on the street, you know, those who were my friends, my business partners, vendors. They think this is just another shift in the balance of power. They don't know Al-Hafez like I do. He cares about Syria, about our children, about making this a proud, independent Arab nation again. They're afraid of change, but there's no progress without change. What they do not realize is that the Ba'ath is the future, and that the president is actually saving Syria.
    [President Amin al-Hafez has asked Kamel to wait at the terrace after dinner. A man in white suit and black robe comes up to him]
    Man: Enjoying the view?
    Kamel: Magnificent.
    Man: [offers hand] Mohammed bin Laden.
    Kamel: [shakes hand] Ah. Kamel Amin Tha...
    Bin Laden: I know. I know. Al-Hafez tells me you have a big import-export business.
    Kamel: Well, it's adequate. Mainly furniture and textiles.
    Bin Laden: And these shipments of furniture, what European ports do you use?
    Kamel: A variety. Gent, Narvik, Marseille, Split.
    Bin Laden: We need to get something into the country. A few things, actually. We've been having a hard time doing it discreetly, you know. These are things we don't want other governments to know about. So if we use the regular channels, no doubt the information will leak out.
    Kamel: So what exactly are we talking about?
    Bin Laden: Nothing that would get you into trouble. Not arms or anything of the sort, I can assure you of that. Just a few... pieces of machinery that I'm missing.
    Kamel: Missing from what? I do not even know what line of business you are in.
    Bin Laden: We'll just say, um... agro project, Yugoslavia. [sees boy emerge] Osama, I told you to stay inside. Go to the kitchen, I'll be back soon. [kisses Osama and the boy leaves] Yalla. Yalla. Now, in terms of the boat schedule, what would be...
    Kamel: Uh, hold on. You are asking me to risk my business. I deserve to know what you would use it for.
    Bin Laden: I apologize, but that's not how this will work. I will tell Al-Hafez this isn't for you. We'll find someone else. [walks away]
    Kamel: [before Bin Laden goes away] Wait.

### Home [1.6]

    [Eli calls up Mossad headquarters after discovering his brother Maurice processes his evening transmissions]
    Eli Cohen: Maurice, my brother, he knows.
    Dan Peleg: Eli. Eli, slow down. What happened?
    Eli: Maurice, my brother, knows. He was put onto my line by accident. Somebody in the office replaced an analyst with my brother. How could you be so fucking incompetent? I'm out there, risking everything, and...
    Dan: Did he tell anyone?
    Eli: That's not the point. We need to be sure he didn't.
    Dan: Let me take care of it.
    Eli: Do you think I need this added pressure? Do you? Can't you people do your fucking job??!
    Dan: I'll take care of it, Eli, I promise you. You need to rest. You... sound on edge. You should...
    Eli: Just fix it!!! [hangs up]
    [General Suidani and his men have taken down Eli while he is transmitting, and now has him at his transmitter at gunpoint]
    BG Ahmed Suidani: You are going to send a message to your friends. Tell them... the game is over.

## Cast

* Sacha Baron Cohen - Eli Cohen / Kamel Amin Thaabet
* Hadar Ratzon-Rotem - Nadia Cohen, Eli's wife
* Noah Emmerich - Dan Peleg
* Moni Moshonov - Jacob Shimoni
* Waleed Zuaiter - Colonel (and later President) Amin al-Hafiz
* Alexander Siddig - Ahmed Suidani
* Yael Eitan - Maya
* Nassim Si Ahmed - Ma'azi Zaher al-Din
* Alona Tal - Julia Schneider
* Mourad Zaoui - Benny
* Marc Maurille - IDF sergeant
* Arié Elmaleh - Michel Aflaq
* Hassam Ghancy - Colonel Salim Hatum
* Uri Gavriel - sheikh Majid al-Ard
* Tim Seyfi - Mohammed bin Laden

## External links

* The Spy quotes at the Internet Movie Database