‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ Recap: ‘Episode 1’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ -- Episode 101 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jonas Nay as Nazi Officer Stefan Baretzki & Jonah Hauer-King as Lali Sokolovin in Auschwitz -- (Photo by: Martin Mlaka/Sky UK)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’.
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Imagine if you will, your life changing for the worst, overnight. Where one day, you’re going about your day, your interests, and joys and the next… you’re being told you can no longer do those things, you can no longer live where you live. You must, with others similar to you, congregate at a new designated location outlined by the government. Where you will be forgotten really and live in fear with minimal food and health care surrounding you and where those in charge, stare at you with hate in their eyes and their hearts and speak of you as though you’re less than human. It’s a scary thought, isn’t it? One that we don’t think could or would ever happen to us or anyone else… but that’s the problem… it already has.

For in the late 1930s and early 1940s in Europe, that was the life of Jewish individuals in Europe. Who watched their respective countries fall under the control of the Nazi regime, and then found themselves herded akin to cattle to concentration camps around Europe where they were abused, tortured, and murdered with impunity because a tiny man with a big ego and a stupid mustache, deemed them to be ‘imperfect’, and those who fell for his promises of prosperity went along with it. And this led to the death of six million Jewish people, and became known as the Holocaust, and sadly, it is a heinous act that is being forgotten and its existence is being challenged by fools and those who wish to wipe its truth away to let hate reign again. Which is why we must be reminded of this horror, and that’s why the new Peacock series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, is so important.

For this is a story that is told through the lens of a man named Lali Sokolov, who in his old age, is eager to speak of his experiences in Auschwitz to a woman named Heather Morris so all will know his story since he fears he is in his final years, and well, the series premiere of this harrowing tale… wastes little time in exploring… what it was like to be in that time and live in a concentration camp. Since Lali speaks to how he volunteered to go to a ‘work camp’ only to discover that this his godforsaken final destination embraces torture and suffering and well, that leads to some shocking moments in this story. Wherein we see… cold blooded murder over something as simple as someone asking a question or even while minding their business. Alongside the indignity that everyone in this camp experienced at the hands of the Nazi war machine. 

Courtesy of unwelcome moments where food is scarce, where sickness is a death sentence and where every single day, Lali must face the fact that every person in this camp means nothing to their superiors, and that brings forth a bleak opening chapter to this story. One that is hopeless in nature and devastating through and through. Because those atrocities are all put on display in a raw and honest manner, that is rarely portrayed in these stories. Which truly gives us perspective on this disgusting act and reminds us why we must keep its memory alive. Yet, while just a chronicling of Lali’s time in Auschwitz, and the struggles he faced in tattooing those infamous numbers on his fellow ‘inmates’, would easily carry the six episodes present in this limited series, it does offer more. It does offer a measure of hope and reminder that the human spirit can and will endure.

After all, an older Lali tells Heather years down the line, that this story, is a love story. Which seems shocking since one must ask, how can love be present in a place where suffering is everywhere, and this story seems keen to explore that as it continues along. Since we do see a mysterious woman catch Lali’s eye and clearly, she shares in that glimmer and that will be interesting to explore for certain. But in this moment, we must recognize the raw power of this opening chapter. For it is indeed a harrowing look at how so many found their way to the worst possible place in the world, and it is a terrifying look at the cruelty mankind is capable of when our worst tendencies are given agency and are fueled by hate and fear. And of course… it is a heartbreaking reminder that we cannot let this happen ever again, and that hate must never win the day and keeping stories like this alive, does indeed help with that. Until next time.

Watch ‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ on Peacock.

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