Who is Viktor Sams in Death and Other Details? Here Are the 3 Likely Suspects

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Posted:
Violett Beane as Imogene, Sunil from Death and other details

Death and Other Details introduced a larger-than-life villain named Viktor Sams whose real identity is still unknown and is at the center of the killings in Hulu's murder mystery series. 

After Episode 1 showcased the murder of Keith Trubitsky (who is later revealed to be the assistant of renowned detective Rufus Cotesworth played by Mandy Patinkin), tensions rose aboard the SS Varuna since everyone is deemed as a suspect. 

As the series progressed, Death and Other Details peeled back on the real conspiracy that renowned detective Rufus Cotesworth has been trying to unpack for 18 years: the real identity of Viktor Sams, aka the man responsible for the death of Imogene's mother, and several murders.

[Death and Other Details Hulu Cast, Characters & Actors (Photos)]

Death and Other Details: Who Is Viktor Sams?

Hilde

Linda Edmond as Hilde
Linda Edmond

Hilde (played by Linda Edmond) is an Interpol agent who arrives at the SS Varuna to investigate the death of Keith Trubitsky. She is also Rufus Cotesworth's rival. 

After her arrival on the ship, Hilde did not waste time in cracking the case, and her methods proved quite useful since she was able to find a suspect for Keith's killer.

After arresting presumed murderer Winnie Goh, Hilde went on to relax since she was confident that she already solved the case. 

Some have theorized that something is off with Hilde, with her potentially using her position as an Interpol agent as a front. 

All along, audiences have assumed that Viktor Sams is a he, but Death and Other Details could trick viewers and reveal that the person pulling the strings is female. 

Cotesworth also mentioned that Sams has been up to no good for 18 years. 

Given that Hilde is older and has vast experience in the world of espionage and playing tricks from the old playbook, it would make sense that she's the suspect that Cotesworth has been trying to find all these years.

Verdict: Likely (but it's too obvious if it's her)

Jules

Hugo Diego Garcia as Jules
Hugo Diego Garcia

Hugo Diego Garcia's Jules is another prime suspect who could end up being the infamous Viktor Sams in Death and Other Details.

The SS Varuna's head of security was at the center of the investigation after Hilde found out that Jules was not his real name, he was wanted in three countries, and he had been using several passports to cross countries. 

While the red flags were there, Episode 4 revealed that he is somewhat of an honorable man since he took the job to transport a Ukrainian family out of the border. 

Jules even got himself caught so that the refugees could escape with the help of Violett Beane's Imogene and Rahul Kohli's Sunil. 

Still, some wondered if Jules could end up being Viktor Sams since his official profile for the show may have unpacked his true identity (if you look at the details that is). 

According to Reddit user DarkSnowFalling, the first letters of Jules' notes section spell out VIKTOA when unscrambled, which is close to Viktor, you guessed it, Sams.

This may be a long shot and the fact that he was already the prime suspect-turned-good guy in the series sounds as if it is a cheap fakeout if he is indeed the culprit.

Viktor Sams was also active 20 years ago, specifically during Imogene's childhood. Jules being on the younger side further cast doubt on this theory. 

Unless Viktor Sams is simply an alias or the name of the organization, Jules is not a suspect at this point. 

Verdict: Unlikely

Sunil

Rahul Kohli as Sunil
Rahul Kohli

Sunil (played by Rahul Kohli) is the owner of the SS Varuna and Imogene's current romantic interest. 

While Sunil has been helping both Imogene and Rufus Cotesworth to solve the murders of his ship, Episode 5 unveiled several red flags which led to viewers suspecting that he could be Viktor Sams. 

The fact that Sunil seemingly seduced and swayed Imogene to his side suggests that he wanted to eliminate himself as the suspect and there was no better way to do it than to convince one of the investigators that he is innocent. 

Death and Other Details Episode 5 also unveiled that Sunil had tons of connections when he and Imogene were in Malta to spend the night. 

From managing to grab a hotel room in an instant to being friends with the best forensic accountant in the world (self-proclaimed), Sunil appeared to be more than just a captain of the ship. Instead, he was a man who seemed capable of achieving anything by pulling the strings from behind. 

When Imogene and Sunil were flirting in Caravaggio's The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, Sunil openly compared himself to the artist since he saw himself as a worthy man trying to absolve himself from murder by creating something so magnificent that people would just dismiss his bad actions (something is fishy!). 

The final straw was when Rufus Cotesworth, Teddy Goh, and Leila found a secret room in the SS Varuna filled with tech and pathways that strongly suggest that the ship is part of Viktor Sams' entire operation. 

This could be the reason why Cotesworth couldn't track Sams' operation in one place, mainly because the signal is coming from different parts of the world since it is moving.

Whatever the case, it is either Sunil is naive about the fact that Viktor Sams is operating on his ship or he could be playing tricks to get ahead of everyone.

Verdict: Very likely. 


Death and Other Details is streaming on Hulu. 

Read more about Death and Other Details below:

Who Is Pardis Saremi? 4 Things to Know About Death and Other Details Actress

Who Is Angela Zhou? 5 Things to Know About Death and Other Details Actress

- In This Article: Death and Other Details
Release Date
January 16, 2024
Platform
Actors
Lauren Patten
Linda Emond
Violett Beane
Genres
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.