Episode 1 of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" opens in Melbourne, 2003, where an elderly man, Lali Sokolov, shuffles through his apartment, his past memories flickering like a haunting nightmare. These memories are of his time in the Holocaust camps, a period he can never quite shake off. As he turns, his eyes fall upon a figure dressed in striped pyjamas, smiling sadly, and tears well up in his eyes. The memories flood back, of himself being led to the gas chambers, past the sobbing women and children, including a woman who later emerges as a crucial figure in the story, but remains a mystery for now.
In 2003, Lali Sokolov hires a woman named Heather to chronicle his life story. She is immediately questioned by Lali, who learns that she is not Jewish. "I don't have long," Lali says, referring to his dwindling time on Earth. Heather laughs nervously as they settle in to embark on this journey.
And what emerges is a love story, surprising in its genesis. It begins in Slovakia, 1942, where Lali strolls the streets with a local girl, witnessing a pair of soldiers brutally beating a child. This is part of the new restrictions imposed against Jews, tearing apart the fabric of the community he calls home. As Jews lose their jobs and are forced to wear identifying stars, they are beaten in the streets for minor infractions like missing curfews.
Lali's girlfriend becomes one of the casualties of this brutality, failing to appear at an appointed time. Left alone, Lali ponders the might-have-beens of their lives. The situation worsens when the Slovakian government demands that one person from each Jewish household register for "work duty." Lali, determined to protect his family, volunteers in place of his older brother, who has a wife and children. He manufactures an excuse, claiming that city life has softened him and that this is a chance for him to toughen up. But both he and his family are well aware of the grim reality of this "work duty." Rumors swirl, but Lali keeps them to himself, resigned to the fact that he is leaving to spare his loved ones from further harm.
As he bid farewell to everyone at the station, Lali tenderly kissed each one goodbye. Standing in the present, an older Lali wistfully wished he could rewind to this moment and rewrite the course of history. However, amidst his regrets, we heard him make a solemn promise to his mother - to find love.
Just before boarding the train, Boris, one of the officers, unexpectedly appeared and interrogated Lali about his intentions. Boris knew exactly what awaited them, and his expression darkened, a look of fear clouding his eyes. He urgently begged Lali to flee, but Lali, determined, refused.
Instead, a crowd of Jewish men and women were forcibly confined into cramped carriages, packed tightly like sardines. As the train finally came to a halt after what seemed like an eternity, Lali's heart filled with trepidation. Suitcases and belongings were carelessly shoved aside as they were herded into the labor camp. Above the iron gates, the chilling words "Arbeit macht frei" were clearly visible, a sickening omen that translated roughly to "Work sets you free." Given that they were now in Auschwitz, this was a particularly nauseating foreshadowing.
The men and women were separated, and the men were forcibly stripped. Lali stepped forward, determined to save the life of a hesitant young boy. After being branded with his number, they were loaded onto trucks and taken away from the processing plant.
At the camps, the men were crammed into their narrow bunks, but Lali found no rest. Instead, he ventured out at night and witnessed a harrowing scene - three Jewish men, sitting innocently on a bench, were brutally shot dead by an SS officer who passed by without any remorse or hesitation.
This officer, Stefan Baretzki, was a chilling figure who showed no compassion for his actions. As the season unfolded, he would become a pivotal character in Lali's narrative, a constant reminder of the horrors they faced.
Lali's memories of the morning drill are indelibly etched in his mind, vivid images of being compelled to strip off their caps and engage in relentless, exhausting labor that taxed their backs to the breaking point. The gruesome truth was that they were essentially constructing their own prison camp, a vast and sprawling complex that would house countless Jewish men and women, destined to toil and ultimately perish.
As Lali assisted a contracted builder on the rooftop, he witnessed a chilling sight. Endless trucks, loaded with lifeless bodies, rolled out into the distance, their gruesome cargo heading to an unknown fate. The overpowering stench was nauseating, and Lali realized the grim reality - the bodies were being disposed of at a pace that far exceeded the capacity to burn them. His stomach turned in disgust, and he retched over the side of the building.
Illness here was a certain death sentence, but thankfully, some of the men managed to create a diversion, allowing Lali to escape the relentless gaze of the guards. He was ushered into the bunks and granted the precious gift of sleep. Miraculously, this seemed to be the turning point, and his health gradually improved.
Pepan, the tattooist from earlier, appeared and offered Lali a chance to survive this hellish place. He proposed that Lali assist him in tattooing other prisoners, anticipating the influx of new arrivals in the future. Initially, Lali hesitated, having witnessed the horrors of Auschwitz firsthand and understanding that survival here was a brutal game of survival of the fittest. Yet, in the end, he made the difficult decision to accept the offer.
Lali is abruptly removed from the main camp and ushered into quarters of significantly better conditions. While it's certainly not an ideal situation, given his newfound allegiance to the SS, every ounce of protection he can muster is crucial. Imagine his surprise when he discovers his commanding officer is none other than Stefan Baretzki.
It doesn't take long before the tables turn, and Lali is coerced into tattooing other inmates. The reward? A decent meal that sustains him through the horrors. Pepan, a steadfast friend, watches over him, and Lali sneaks back to his former barracks, sharing whatever morsels he can spare with his comrades. Tragically, Aaron—the boy whose life Lali spared by cutting ahead in the tattoo line—is whisked away in the afternoon, destined for the gas chamber.
Despite initially denying Heather the truth, the reality is stark: Aaron was chosen instead of Lali because Lali had usurped his number during processing. In a bizarre twist, Lali has convinced himself that he doesn't remember the reason, burying the truth deep within his psyche.
Remember the haunting opening scene of the episode? We return to it now, as Lali is led by Stefan into the gas chambers to inspect the tattoos of inmates who have perished. He's the one who inked those tattoos, and now he must scrutinize the numbers—a 3 and an 8—relaying them to Stefan before exiting. The officer mocks him, jesting that he's the only Jewish man to have walked into the gas chambers and emerged unscathed, a tale worth telling.
Lali's promise to his mother seems to be fulfilling, as he crosses paths with a fateful character who will become a pivotal figure in the series. This woman, Gita, sits down as Lali tattoos, locking eyes with him deeply. There's an undeniable spark between them, and Lali is taken aback by her unexpected humor—a beacon of light in an otherwise bleak and nightmarish existence.
