Character Relationship Map: The Assignment

Characters

• Annibal Ramirez / Carlos (played by Aidan Quinn) — protagonist

  A US naval officer mistakenly identified as the notorious terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Recruited by the CIA to impersonate Carlos, he undergoes intense psychological and behavioral training to infiltr...

• Jack Shaw / Henry Fields (played by Donald Sutherland) — protagonist

  A veteran CIA operative who recruits Annibal Ramirez to impersonate Carlos the Jackal. He orchestrates the entire disinformation operation, oversees training, and ultimately stages Ramirez's death to...

• Amos (played by Ben Kingsley) — supporting

  A Mossad commander who initially interrogates Ramirez in Jerusalem and later co-leads his training in Canada. He is killed during a shootout with a KGB assassin at Heathrow Airport.

• Carla (played by Céline Bonnier) — supporting

  One of Carlos the Jackal's former mistresses, recruited to train Ramirez in mimicking Carlos's sexual and intimate behaviors to ensure his cover remains convincing within Carlos's inner circle.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Carla → Annibal Ramirez / Carlos (Professional Behavioral Trainer) — Carla teaches Ramirez an intimate aspect of Carlos's identity.

  Carla trains Ramirez in how to have sex like Carlos so that his disguise will remain convincing.

• Jack Shaw / Henry Fields → Annibal Ramirez / Carlos (Professional Recruiter) — Shaw recruits Ramirez for the impersonation operation.

  Jack Shaw visits Ramirez and tries to recruit him to impersonate Carlos. He later persists until Ramirez accepts the assignment.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Amos → Annibal Ramirez / Carlos (Conflict Pursuer) — Amos is part of the counter-terrorism pursuit surrounding Carlos.

  Amos participates in the effort to expose and replace Carlos, and later dies fighting the assassin sent because the impersonation is discovered.

• Jack Shaw / Henry Fields → Annibal Ramirez / Carlos (Conflict Strategic Adversary) — Shaw directs a long-term deception against Carlos.

  Shaw designs a plan to make the KGB believe that Carlos is selling information to the CIA and later waits to intercept him in Berlin.

• Amos → Jack Shaw / Henry Fields (Alliance Training Partner) — They collaborate on the operational training program.

  Amos and Shaw train Ramirez together in Canada, focusing on Carlos's behavior and history.

• Annibal Ramirez / Carlos → Amos (Conflict Interrogation Subject) — Amos initially treats Ramirez as a suspected terrorist.

  Amos brutally interrogates Ramirez in Jerusalem after he is mistaken for Carlos.

Story Analysis

A naval officer is transformed into a terrorist's double and must survive the psychological and political consequences of the deception.

Plot Progression

1. The Terrorist and His Double — Carlos conducts spectacular attacks while Henry Fields fails to assassinate him. A mistaken arrest reveals that Annibal Ramirez looks exactly like Carlos.
2. Recruiting the Replacement — Fields, now operating as Jack Shaw, recruits Ramirez for an unprecedented impersonation mission. The hospital visit forces Ramirez to confront the human cost of Carlos's violence.
3. Learning Carlos's Life — Shaw and Amos train Ramirez in Carlos's history, instincts, and personal behavior. Carla supplies intimate knowledge needed to make the disguise convincing.
4. The Cover Begins to Collapse — Ramirez's contact with Agnieska leads to a deadly encounter with French agents. At Heathrow, an assassin recognizes the deception, and Amos dies during the resulting struggle.
5. The River and the Disappearance — Ramirez's assumed identity damages his family life and pushes him into conflict with Shaw. The Berlin trap succeeds, but Shaw accidentally shoots Ramirez before staging his death to protect the family...