When a birthday party in suburban San Jose turns deadly, 18-year-old identical twins are arrested for suspected murder. One brother spends nearly two years in jail before the truth comes out: authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime he didn’t commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga of Shakespearean proportions, following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice. Launching widely with two episodes on March 12
March 12. Episode 1: Shakespeare in San Jose
After a drunken fight at a birthday party turns deadly, police narrow in on two suspects — identical twin brothers, Trung and Anh. But when an eye witness mistakes the brothers for each other in a lineup, one brother must make a heartbreaking sacrifice.
March 12. Episode 2: Star-Crossed Brothers
From the time they were small boys growing up in Vietnam, Trung has always followed Anh, his braver, stronger brother. But when the twins’ lives are uprooted by a move to California, both brothers struggle to find their footing. They begin to lead double lives–both as literal Boy Scouts and as drug dealers and burglars. Then Anh finds a new kind of brotherhood when he’s jumped
into a Southeast-Asian street gang. Desperate to catch up to his brother, Trung attaches himself to a charismatic–and dangerous–mentor.
March 19- Episode 3: Fortune’s Fool
When most of Anh’s gang is locked up, he attaches himself to the one person he has left: Trung. Suddenly, it’s Anh following his brother into a world of organized crime that is far more insidious and violent than either brother had imagined. A shocking attack by Bobby’s crew shows the twins just how vulnerable they are. Soon there’s a hit on their backs, and they begin to realize that they’re caught–between the demands of the lifestyle and their allegiance to each other.
March 26. Episode 4: A Plague on Both Your Houses
We’ve reached the night of the party and the aftermath that lands Anh in county jail on a murder charge for a crime he did not commit. As the months pass, Anh wrestles with his decision to stay silent. He begins to question his own actions at the party; maybe he does bear some responsibility. But he’s also questioning his brother: what if Trung abandons him? Meanwhile, another case of mistaken identity–which leads to the death of a close friend– forces Trung to confront his choices. Will he finally tell the truth and set his brother free?
April 2. Episode 5: Readiness is All
Trung finally turns himself in. He and Anh switch places and eventually he receives a seven-year prison sentence. Determined to make amends, he joins a prison Shakespeare troupe. But it soon becomes clear that his efforts toward rehabilitation may only be an act. On the outside, Anh struggles to rebuild his life after nearly two years in jail. He becomes the co-owner of an underground club–a job that forces him to confront the people who tried to have him and his brother killed. In a stunning moment, Anh summons all his bravery and the result changes everything.
April 9. Episode 6: Speak What We Feel
After a painful emotional reckoning, Trung is released early from prison. He begins to chart a new path as a therapist, hoping to heal wounds in his community. Anh becomes a father and embarks on a new career. But the twins have never spoken honestly about what happened between them. Finally, after years of avoiding the truth, Trung and Anh finally sit down for a raw conversation, hoping to bridge the gulf between them.
About the Host
Jen Miller is the writer, reporter and a co-producer of Blood Will Tell, a limited series podcast from Audible/Campside Media. She is also the author of five books: Rising Class (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2023), Mr. Nice Guy (St. Martins, 2018); The Heart You Carry Home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015); The Year of the Gadfly (HMH, 2012); and Inheriting the Holy Land (Ballantine, 2005). Her journalism appears in the New York Times, the Washington Post and many other publications. For the last decade, Jen has run the Senior Media Fellows Program at the American Immigration Council, where she and her team have helped over 1,000 people publish powerful immigration-themed essays and op-eds. Find her at byjennifermiller.com.
