SPOILER ALERT: This publish incorporates spoilers from “Midnight Feast,” the sixth episode of HBO’s “The Regime,” now streaming on Max.

For Herbert Zubak, it solely took public humiliation, imprisonment, homicide and a psychological breakdown to deliver him some readability.

Initially of Episode 4 of HBO’s “The Regime,” the tortured soldier (performed by Matthias Schoenaerts) is sleep-deprived and barely holding on in jail. Day by day, Zubak is compelled to take heed to a day by day tackle by Chancellor Elena (Kate Winslet), who turned on her loyal right-hand man in final week’s episode by making him the ridicule of the nation in the course of the lavish Hero’s Banquet, calling him a “butcher” and cruelly teasing him sexually till he misplaced his cool and almost killed her.

Now a prisoner, Zubak is refusing to sleep in order to not dream of the lady to whom he has devoted his life. However all of a sudden, he’s confronted with the reality when he learns he’s sharing this jail with the disgraced former chancellor Edward Keplinger (visitor star Hugh Grant), whom Elena defeated in an election seven years prior after which jailed — regardless of telling the nation he’s off dwelling an extravagant life on the taxpayers’ dime. Over just a few meals of contraband meals and alcohol, Keplinger begins to shatter the facade of Elena’s world for Zubak, telling him of the lengths to which she goes to carry onto energy, together with dragging him to a mountain home to “movie just a little fiction” of his so-called glamorous life that she will be able to dispense to the lots and preserve public sentiment in her favor.

Initially resistant to those revelations, Zubak begins to query his allegiance to Elena, if solely till Keplinger tries to recruit Zubak to hitch his deliberate coup of her authorities. In a closing confrontation, Keplinger feels Zubak slipping again beneath Elena’s affect, and degrades him to the purpose that Zubak kills him.

“To really feel, once more, that he was going to undergo some kind of emotional and mental abuse by another person is simply an excessive amount of in that second,” Schoenaerts tells Selection. “He simply lets his feelings get the most effective of him, and he finishes the job.”

After studying that Zubak has killed the charismatic former occupant of her throne, Elena summons him again to the palace the place they consummate their attraction — and energy dynamic — proper in entrance of the employees, in addition to her horrified husband, Nicky (Guillaume Gallienne).

With solely two episodes left for “The Regime,” Schoenaerts talked to Selection concerning the dying and rebirth of Zubak in jail, whether or not Keplinger’s ever had an opportunity at swaying him — and whether or not the risky Elena may be trusted. Schoenaerts’ reply to that final one is easy: “Hell no!”

Elena tore Zubak down in each approach final week. She calls him “Butcher,” and permits him to be humiliated on the Hero’s Banquet. Why does she put him in his place at that time of their relationship?

I can’t communicate for her motives, however I feel it comes along with her pure want for energy, and constructing somebody up simply to destroy them is sort of the final word factor to do as a power-hungry particular person. And it completely destroys him, as a result of when he results in jail, he’s within the darkest place he has ever been. It’s all-time low.

However what’s stunning on this episode is that we see Keplinger attempt to get beneath his pores and skin and disrupt his loyalty to her, however it doesn’t occur. I discover that an especially stunning attribute of Zubak’s, to remain loyal to a love, although that love is what drags you all the way down to the bottom place of your life. It’s profound.

What was this episode’s change of surroundings like for you? As a result of this cramped, dungeon-like jail is way from the pleasures and daylight of Elena’s palace.

It’s actually the darkest place for him, but additionally a spot the place he can truly be reborn by some means. It’s sort of the dying of Zubak, and this rebirth. I actually interpreted it as such. It was good to have a change of surroundings for positive, however I’m somebody who likes recent air and large areas. To be locked up, so to talk, it gave me some nervousness. However you then let your self be fueled by that, and use it for the character. I actually love Episode 4 and taking pictures it. Actually all the episodes have their very own DNA, narratively, and a face of their very own.

Zubak will get a distinct sparring associate throughout his jail sentence, in Elena’s former opponent Keplinger. What was it like working with Hugh Grant?

I liked it. I used to be excited to work with Hugh. He got here in like week 9 or 10 of taking pictures, and I can think about it’s not simple to leap right into a workforce that has already developed its personal language and rhythm, as a result of you need to discover that proper pitch for your self. However proper from the primary rehearsal, he was locked in with us. We simply had a blast collectively. I actually loved it, and he’s actually humorous in an odd approach. And he’s a very beneficiant scene associate. It was lots of enjoyable.

Do you suppose that Keplinger’s try to show Zubak in opposition to Elena ever works, even for a second?

Yeah, I feel the damage and the confusion he’s struggling, it makes him very susceptible. It permits your psyche to rewrite and recode somebody’s thoughts. However fortunately, Zubak reconnects and stays on observe along with his true conviction for Elena. He doesn’t lose that battle.

However he does present Keplinger some compassion after Elena has him crushed up. Zubak relinquishes a few of that aggression towards him, although he finally activates him.

It’s as a result of he realizes the intention is just not honest. We might argue that Zubak’s emotional intelligence is definitely strongly developed and, along with Agnes [Andrea Riseborough], they’re probably the most regular folks within the present.

Think about these two being probably the most regular folks within the present? What sort of present is that!

When Zubak kills Keplinger on the finish, do you suppose he did that for himself, or did he do it for Elena?

To some extent, there is likely to be an altruistic element to it. However I feel it was the quantity of damage he has already suffered from Elena, after which right here he’s experiencing the identical once more from somebody he doesn’t care as strongly about. That’s what sends him over the sting. As Zubak stated, “I’d love you, however I don’t.” To really feel, once more, that he was going to undergo some kind of emotional and mental abuse by another person is simply an excessive amount of in that second. He simply lets his feelings get the most effective of him, and he finishes the job.

The ultimate scene of the episode finds Zubak being delivered to Elena and, with out saying a phrase, they begin to rip one another’s garments off on this nearly animalistic show of ardour in entrance of everybody.

Which is nearly like a meta scene. Is that this actually taking place, or is it in Zubak’s head after he lastly obtained some sleep?

It’s a very surreal second, and one that may be a direct response to the tip of final week’s episode the place she taunts him by saying, “You dream of getting intercourse with me.” It has echoed in his head this complete episode and now it’s taking place.

And I really like that dynamic as a result of we are inclined to all the time sexualize ladies, and right here now we have a reversal. She actually tries to set off that animalism in him, which is sensible as a result of he loves her and he in all probability does wish to have intercourse along with her. However that’s undoubtedly not his essential drive in any respect. I like the truth that now we have this girl who is continually making an attempt to push that button, and finally he surrenders to it. However not as a result of he actually needs that. He suspects her to essentially need that. It’s reverse psychology, in a approach. He provides her what she needs.

The dynamic between Zubak and Elena goes to vary after consummating their relationship. What does that imply for the remainder of the season?

It opens up a can of worms, for positive. But it surely additionally opens up a distinct interplay between them, and a distinct power. Rapidly, that animalism has been incarnated. That opens the chance for characters to disclose their true nature. The intimacy and sexuality simply prompts a distinct a part of the psyche, and it propels them into one other set of mad occasions.

Can Zubak ever actually belief Elena? She has confirmed she has the capability to deeply wound him for her personal achieve.

That’s an enormous a part of the tragedy inside him. He undoubtedly needs to belief her, and he does belief her. However deep down, there may be that little pink buzzer that messes with him, and conflicts him and hurts him. Can he actually belief her? Hell no! However he does love her, and what he does for that love in these subsequent episodes, that’s what made me love him. To me, it’s what makes him the emotional compass of the collection.

This interview has been edited and condensed.