The episode opens in Slovakia in 1942, with Serena (Henrieta Mickovicova) helping Gita Furmanova (Anna Prochniak) pack. Removing her locket necklace, Serena fastens it around Gita’s neck. Gita voices concern about losing.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau 1942 – Gita admires Serena’s locket necklace. When the guards order them to get moving, she hides it in her lady parts. The female prisoners file out of the barracks. Pepan (Adam Karst) urges young Lali Sokolov (Jonah Hauer King) to store something in his mind that makes him smile because it will be safe there. Stefan Baretzi (Jonas Nay) escorts Lali across the camp to a truckload of new female prisoners. A prisoner slips and falls to the ground. Baretzi shoots her in the head. In the present, old Lali Sokolov (Harvey Keitel) tells Heather Morris (Melanie Lynskey) that after his first meeting with Gita (he still doesn’t know her name), he can think of nothing else. Smiling, he says it was essential to see her again.

In the past, an SS officer sees a female prisoner with an abrasion on her face. Unable to persuade him to let it heal, she is forced to join other ailing prisoners to prepare for the gas chamber. Later, they search through the prisoners’ luggage. Gita shows Ivana a ring. Another prisoner alerts Stiwitz (Alexander Schuster). He takes a look at it and stuffs it in his pocket.

While tattooing a female prisoner, Lali asks if a Slovakian woman shares her barracks. The prisoner declines to answer. Roza (Farina Flebbe) watches them from a short distance away. Later, Gita is working when she spots Lali. She whistles to get his attention. When Baretzi asks, he denies knowing her. Choosing two women from a group of new prisoners, Baretzi asks if they prefer to have sex with him or Lali. One of the women whispers something in the pregnant woman’s (Jana Kvantikova). Baretzi asks Lali what she said. Lali tries to reassure him. The pregnant woman stresses the need to find their husbands. As Beretzi walks away, she calls him a “foul-mouthed pig.” Drawing his gun, he orders Lali to slap her. Lali slaps her hard across the face. Baretzi says someone will take her to maternity and smiles at Lali. As they walk away, Baretzi points out that the concentration camp does not have babies.

Lali tells the men from his old barracks that the female prisoners have good jobs. Tomas (Marcel Sabat) tells him that his wife was four months pregnant when they arrived. Lali denies seeing pregnant women in the camp. Later, Baretzi claims to be able to read Lali’s mind and knows he is thinking of Gita. He offers to deliver a note to Grita if Lali tells him what to say to his girl. Back in the present, Lali denies trusting Baretzi who he believes needed him at the time. He describes Baretzi as “lonely” and “violent.” In the past, Baretzi returns for Lali’s notes. Scanning the paper, he says what if it is only about sex. Lali assures him that romance will almost always guarantee it. A female guard wakes Gita and orders her to go with her. Gita gives her a ring with the promise of more in the future. Accepting the ring, the guard says someone wants to see her. Gita finds Baretzi waiting on her. He compares her number with Lali’s note and asks if she remembers him. She nods. He says Lali remembers her too and drops the note into her hands. Later, Gita shows the note which reads, “Lali Eisenberg, Krompachy” to her friends who warn her against keeping it.

Oswiecim 1942 – Reading Lali’s note, Baretzi stuffs it back in his pocket when Marta (Avital Lvova) approaches. Wearing a new dress, she poses for him and starts to undress but he stops her. He says the dress is a gift. She suggests it would fetch a lot of money. He gives her a glass of apple schnapps. She swallows it in one gulp. Pouring another glass, he tells her to sip it like a lady and asks about her hopes and dreams. She complains about her situation. He shoves her back on the bed and undoes his pants. She tries to touch him but he pushes her hand away. The next day, Baretzi beats Lali because his romance suggestions do not work. Lali apologizes. Baretzi informs him that Gita is in Block 29 and works at the clothing warehouse. Struggling to walk from the beating, Lali thanks him. Back in the present, Lali breaks down when he considers the danger Gita faced.

In the past, Baretzi asks Lali how to cure a headache. Lali asks if he has a hangover. At the administration building, Viktor (Matthias Salamon) slips a candy bar to Bella (Maja Wolska). She refills his bag and hands it back to him without looking. Setting up for tattooing, Lali finds the candy bar in his bag. Baretzi tells him that Gita remembers him. Holding up the tattoo pin, Lali says it would be difficult to forget him. Later, is asking around for a Slovakian woman. Dana warns that he is going to get Gita killed. Cilka (Yali Topol Margalith) refuses to tell him her name. Later, Gita is working when she cuts her arm. She wipes the blood away and pulls down her sleeve. Lali is waiting for her when she emerges from the clothing warehouse. He gives her a note and a piece of chocolate. She savors the chocolate and gives him a ring to exchange for food.

Gita shows Dana and Cilka Lali’s note. Ripping the note into pieces, she utilizes a piece to wipe her bum. Back in the present, old Lali tells Heather that Gita stole jewelry from the prisoners’ luggage to exchange with the Polish workers for essentials. In the past, Gita and Dana are going through the prisoners’ luggage. Gita puts a ring in her mouth. Dana notices the wound on her arm. Gita assures her that it is okay.

Lali bribes a female guard for a visit with Gita. One morning, Tomas is reluctant to get out of bed because it is his wife’s birthday. He tries to flee. The guards subdue him. Tomas is later taken to the gallows. Pepan urges Lali to not look. A noose around his neck, Tomas repeatedly says, “I’m free” before he is hanged. Later, Lali breaks down sobbing and tells Gita about Tomas. She embraces him and they kiss. She gives him Serna’s locket necklace to keep for her. In the present, old Lali envisions Tomas telling him that he wanted to die because he had nothing.

Intoxicated, Baretzi asks Gita if she remembers him. She says he brought her the note which she claims to have destroyed. When he grabs her, he sees the wound on her arm and realizes she has a fever. She tries to assure him that she is okay. He orders her to go to bed. A short time later, a beaten and battered Baretzi wakes up on the ground in front of Lali’s barracks. Lali helps him inside. Baretzi vomits in Lali’s water bucket and says Gita is ill. Lali asks him to get Gita some medicine but he refuses. Baretzi holds him and assures that they will get through it together. The episode ends.

 

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz Review

Lali trades words of romance to get a note to Gita. Baretzi tries to romance Marta but fails. After beating Lali, he gives him where Gita sleeps. Lali meets her outside the clothing warehouse. She gives him a stolen ring from the prisoners’ luggage to trade for food. He continues to bribe a female guard to see her. Gita is injured at work but doesn’t report it. One night Baretzi is inebriated and visits her. He finds the wound on her arm and lets her return to her barracks. Beaten and intoxicated, he goes to Lali’s barracks and tells him about Gita’s sickness. Lali asks him to get her some medicine. Baretzi refuses but promises to never leave Lali.

On his wife’s birthday, Tomas tries to run away. He is relieved to be executed. Lali mourns Tomas’ death and goes to see Gita. She gives him Serena’s locket necklace to keep.

 

Shaved heads make some of the cast extremely difficult to identify. There is little information on the characters. Feel free to correct me if you find any that are wrong.

The episode deserves a 6 out of 10. Get more The Tattooist of Auschwitz recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Learn how advertising with Reel Mockery can build your brand awareness. Join our newly established forum to discuss new TV shows, celebrity happenings, sports, and films.