Scythe (Indonesian Execution Scythe)

A long-handled agricultural scythe — a wooden haft tipped with a curved steel blade — described only in dialogue rather than shown. Donna names the implement as the crude tool used to behead suspected 'sorcerers' in parts of Indonesia; the verbal image falls like a physical object into Josh's office, silencing staff and provoking visible shock, grim calculation, and a sudden shift from logistical planning to moral alarm among Josh, Toby, Leo, and C.J.

2 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S1E7 · The State Dinner

Donna's Warning: Indonesia's Brutal Practice Ups the Stakes

The scythe is invoked as a horrific image when Donna describes the beheadings; it exists only in dialogue but functions as the visceral narrative object that transforms a protocol task into a moral and security alarm.

Before: Not present physically; referenced in external reporting Donna has read.

After: Remains a rhetorical image lodged in staff minds, heightening the stakes of the incoming Indonesian deputy's visit.

View full event

S1E7 · The State Dinner

Triage and Turf: Storms, State Dinner, and a Power Struggle

Referenced by Donna as the crude implement used in Indonesian summary beheadings; the scythe functions symbolically to jolt the room out of procedural planning and insert a sudden moral horror into the logistical conversation.

Before: Not present physically; exists as a reported artifact in Donna's research and vocabulary.

After: Remains a referenced object — its image lingers in staff reactions and shifts the room's emotional register.

View full event