Hiding Hand Principle – As the first episode of Transatlantic begins, a news report says the Nazis command the English Channel, the Atlantic coast, and the north of France. As a result, multitudes are fleeing Paris from the unoccupied zone in the south. The last free port of Marseille teems with refugees from all over Europe desperately seeking travel visas and funds to depart for the new world. Mary Jayne Gold (Gillian Jacobs) receives a letter from her father demanding that she come home to Chicago. He even bought her a ticket for tomorrow night. Mary isn’t eager to rush home because she is there for work. She reminds Graham Patterson (Corey Stoll) that these are some of Europe’s finest minds.

America would be lucky to have them all. Graham recommends sending money from Chicago if she wants to help that badly. Mary follows a woman and asks her if she is trying to get out of Marseille. Mary tells the woman that she can get her on the MS Rex tomorrow to New York. If she goes at 6 AM, they will be loading cargo in the back of the ship. She can talk to Lionel who will be able to get her on. The woman says she is traveling with her brother. Mary offers to pay Lionel for both of them. Mary tells the woman where she can reach her before revealing she is working for the Emergency Rescue Committee at the Hotel Splendide. If she cleans herself up, she can go on the deck once the ship sets sail.

Later, Mary goes to the motel and says hello to Paul (Ralph Amoussou). She says him if he can get this to Lionel by tomorrow morning because she has two more for the boat. Mary knocks on the doors and hands out packages. Varian Fry (Cory Michael Smith) meets Graham Patterson to talk about Mary and his rescue operation. Varian asks why he is stonewalling Mr. Benjamin’s visa request. Graham reminds him that the United States has taken a neutral position in this war. They are in wartime France at the pleasure of the French authorities. Patterson questions what he is really doing there and whether he is bored at home. Varian says people’s lives are being ruined and they’re being wrongfully incarcerated.

Some are being killed while two more people on Fry’s list committed suicide. These refugees need help and no one else is lifting a finger. Graham offers to figure out Benjamin’s visa if Fry behaves himself in Marseille. Mary Jane visits Walter Benjamin (Moritz Bleibtreu) to tell him the MS Rex is in the harbor ready to take him to New York. He tells her that she is lucky because she can go back home. Albert and Ursula Hirschman are invited over by a man who asks them about being Jews. They confirm they’re Jews, but their parents left that all behind. The man’s daughter is waiting in New York after she wants him to leave Germany with her two years ago.

When Mary visits Varian, he tells her to find the 200 people on the list approved by the State Department. Mary complains that the American government is hoarding all the visas. She reveals that Benjamin is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Varian is working on him while the Museum of Modern Art is working on Ernst and Breton. Mary reminds him that he only managed to officially rescue 11 people from the official list. Varian knows he hasn’t helped enough people and his wife is already demanding that he come home. He explains they have to concentrate their limited resources including her money and his time. In the morning, Albert, Ursula, and their new friend meet Lionel who says Mary only paid for two.

The man tries to cover the price of his admission. Lionel (Romeo Mariani) tells them to take the dinghy and hurry to the stern side of the boat. Their men will tell them where to hide. When police try to stop them, they decide to jump into the water and swim. They worry about their new friend because he goes under and doesn’t come back up. Ursula (Morgane Ferru) gets locked up with a woman who asked if she tried to swim to America. She says it’d be easier than getting an exit visa. She mentions that an old man drowned trying. When Ursula says an American tried to help, she is told they have to help themselves. Varian assures Benjamin that they’re going to get him out of there. When Mary enters, she learns about the police round-up on the MS Rex.

Mary pays a lot of money bailing out Ursula and her brother. However, they find out that Albert was taken aside as they were coming out. Ursula speaks to the other prisoner who says she found an unguarded path over the mountains. Mary comes over and learns about the unguarded pass. She thinks she can make sure Albert is right behind them. Albert is questioned why his last name is spelled differently on all his passports. He tells the guard that he served on the French immigrant infantry division. General Georges gave him the French passport himself. After telling the guard what he did with the passports, he is asked which identity is real. Albert says the Nazis would say none because they don’t think he deserves an identity.

The man tells him about the American paying his bail. He kept him for falsifying his documents, but he sees nothing false about him. Once he is released, Mary Jayne tells him that there is a lot she has to explain to him. She worries they’re so late that he isn’t going to make it. Mary agrees to drive him there. On the way, Albert tells her that he is 25. He trained as an economist. Since he has been running from the Nazis for so long, he considers himself a professional refugee and a Jew. Albert confesses that being Jewish never really meant anything to him. As for Mary, she says she does what she can. She reveals she is missing her plane to Chicago to drive him to the border of Spain.

Moments later, they run into a roadblock. They manage to play it cool and get through quickly. At the motel, Varian learns from Paul that there has been no news yet. Varian receives another letter from his wife. Paul says he isn’t married. It is just him and Petit and their mother back home in Ouidah. Petit (Birane Ba) says he is saving all his money to go home. When Varian notices a letter with no postage, he is told a man called himself an old friend hand-delivered it this morning. Varian looks at it and asks for a map of the local area. Once Mary and Albert arrive, she checks the map and says they can’t be that far away. Albert thinks whoever is waiting for her in Chicago will be very disappointed tomorrow.

He thanks her and runs off. Varian meets Thomas Lovegrove (Amit Rahav) who welcomes him to the Villa Air-Bel. He reveals the house belongs to a distant relative and he just got there. Thomas says he sent a letter to his home in New Jersey. His wife wrote back saying he was saving the European brain trust from the Nazis. Varian says he needs to get back to work since he is doing something truly important maybe for the first time in his life. Thomas thinks he could help him, but Varian suggests he would disappear again for five years. He thought Thomas had been captured. Varian knows he can’t let him distract him. They end up making out. Albert tries to catch up with Ursula and the others.

Police come out and rush towards Ursula and the others while asking for their papers. They’re told that they cannot approach the border without a French exit stamp. Albert comes over and belittles them for leaving their posts. He manages to convince the guards to leave the group alone. Ursula isn’t happy when she learns that Albert wants to stay and help people in Marseille. As the bus drives away, Albert tells Ursula that he’ll catch up with her in Lisbon. He yells for her to send word of her location to Splendide. A news report says no passenger ships bound for points west will dock in Marseille or in France until further notice. Varian and Mary Jayne learn about it. They’ve also begun enforcing Article 19 meaning all refugees on French soil must be surrendered on demand to the German Reich.

Although Varian said they wouldn’t crack down like this, he admits he was wrong. Mary is shocked when Albert and Lisa (Deleila Piasko) enter. Lisa tells them that five people are now on their way to safety in Lisbon. Graham speaks to Philippe Frot outside. Philippe wants to make sure that Graham understands Article 19. He says Marseille is crawling with refugees from all over Europe. It is his job to clean up the city and Graham is the American consul. It is his job to make sure no American people make trouble for Philippe. Graham is asked about the American Emergency Rescue Committee. Philippe says he issued a visa for German writer Walter Benjamin. Graham will be held accountable if he leaves Marseille on his watch.

Graham says he is likely still shacked up at the Splendide. Meanwhile, Varian and the others discuss the possibility of moving people through the same path Ursula just escape. Although Mary says this is their chance, Varian worries the French police will come after him and shut this down. Albert offers to deal with the forgeries while Mary says she has the money. Paul comes in with a telegram for Mary Jayne. When she opens it, her dad says she is on her own if she is not coming home. She doesn’t say anything to the others.

 

Transatlantic Review

The opening episode of Transatlantic set up the main story pretty well and loosely introduced the characters. The series looks great enough and everything seems to match the time period. The performances were solid so that shouldn’t be an issue going forward. Unfortunately, the story feels a little dry at this point because there really isn’t anything hooking viewers in or making them sincerely care about what is happening.

For the subject matter, Transatlantic should be grittier and more emotionally gripping than it was. Of course, there is still time for the series to take a darker turn. After the first episode, I am at least intrigued to see where Transatlantic goes, but I am not blown away at this point. A few more episodes are likely needed to determine whether this is worth a full binge.

The opening episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Transatlantic are available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Find out more about advertising with Reel Mockery here.