Episode 5 of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" opens in May 1944, as air raid sirens wail, and the officers hurriedly begin searching the bunks for inmates who have seemingly vanished into thin air. Gita whispers to Lali, a sense of urgency and hope in her voice, believing that the end is nigh and freedom is just a breath away.
We are then transported to Auschwitz II-Birkenau in September 1944, where Lali and Baretzki stroll side by side, but Lali seems lost in a hazy stupor. He continues his grisly duty, tattooing new inmates, but the guards sense an underlying tension. Suddenly, a bold Jewish prisoner snaps, lunging at the guards with a tattoo pen in a futile attempt at resistance. The guards quickly overpower him, and it's Baretzki who delivers the final blow, choking the life out of him with his boot.
This brutal moment serves as a stark reminder of how perilously close Lali once stood to a similar fate, when Stefan Baretzki choked him unconscious mere episodes ago. The guilt-ridden memories haunt Lali, weighing heavily on his conscience. He was paid by the SS for his services, and he's tormented by the knowledge that he obediently did the guards' bidding, all while secretly meeting with Gita, with Baretzki's connivance.
In the women's bunks, Gita discovers a bombshell of news: one of the women in the textile department, Esther, is pregnant. She's been concealing her secret for months, now seven or eight months along. Unfortunately, the guards are aware of her condition, and the only way to keep her safe is to sweet-talk her into silence with the promise of contraband. Gita approaches her in the dead of night, offering her a stash of forbidden items. Esther agrees to stay quiet, despite the risk of a fatal bullet to the head, and she's allowed to remain in the camp rather than being sent to the infirmary. But she must stay hidden and out of sight.
For a while, it seems like the ruse might work. But soon, the time for labor arrives, and the inmates rally together, led by Gita, to help Esther give birth to her precious child. She names her Mimi, and as Lali speaks, he reveals that the little girl lived to become a grandmother in the present day. Gita always believed in the inherent goodness of people, like Lali did... but there's a cloud hovering over their hopes. During the delivery, one of the guards calls out Esther's number. Realizing she can't hide her absence any longer, one of Gita's brave friends steps forward to take her place, fully aware of the grisly fate that awaits her.
Meanwhile, Lali learns that one of the inmates who escaped months ago has returned to the camp. In a moment of confidence, the inmate reveals that they managed to reach Slovakia, where nobody believed their harrowing tales of the camps. They were forced to repeat their stories constantly until, finally, they were told that their testimonies would be sent to the Allies. But for now, there's no sign of help on the horizon.
The man's arrest in Bratislava, shrouded in deceit as he cloaked himself in a false name, weighed heavily on Lali's conscience. Yet, he held no regrets for the bravery that had saved countless lives. Over the faded numeral, unseen to the world's eyes, he inscribed a rose, a symbol of rebirth and hope, ensuring the man's survival until old age.
Lali pondered deeply, wondering if his experiences were worthy of immortality in a tome. Doubts clouded his mind, casting shadows on his every thought. It was Heather's steely resolve that broke the silence, reminding him that the world needed to hear his story. Despite his wavering faith, they pledged unwavering support for each other.
Inside the camps, the end was drawing near with a sinister urgency. The women were forced to consign all documents to the flames in blazing barrels outside the administration building. Plans were afoot to evacuate and relocate the camps, fleeing the relentless advance of the Allies. Cilka and Gita were privy to these whispers, and Baretzki too was instructed to depart. Lali offered him words of wisdom, urging him never to surrender.
Panic gripped the camps, its ugly reality captured in a sweeping aerial shot. Some inmates were being transferred to other camps, and among them, Gita. From the other side of the electrified fences, Lali's gaze locked with hers. They spoke across the divide, with Lali urging her to seek out his old manager in Bratislava. He promised to find her, his voice carrying across the divide before Gita was ushered back into line and led away, leaving the men to watch helplessly.
That night, Baretzki and Lali sat in solemn companionship, discussing the tenuous nature of faith. The officer confessed that Lali was like a brother to him, extending his hand in a gesture of camaraderie. Yet, Lali hesitated, refusing to shake it. Instead, a wry smile played across his lips, and he muttered a rueful, "You're a lucky shit," acknowledging their shared travail.
We proceed with a poignant revelation. In 2003, Lali recounted his harrowing tale, revealing that he had been whisked away to Mauthausen for several weeks, only to be shuffled to yet another camp, and so the cycle of captivity continued. Sadly, he never laid eyes on Leon again, as fate intervened one fateful day in the woods. Spotting an opportunity amidst the dense foliage, Lali made a daring decision - to flee. For the first time in three long years, Lali found himself free, with no guards in pursuit and none to hunt him down. Instead, he found himself in Austria as March 1945 dawned.
Wandering aimlessly, Lali stumbled upon a group of military personnel. With a trembling voice, he recounted his ordeal in the camps, pleading for a morsel of food. His plea was answered, but to his surprise, these men were part of the Red Army - Russians. The Russians, guns drawn, ushered Lali inside, offering him food and water. It was evident that Lali had lost a considerable amount of weight. As he greedily devoured the food, silent tears streamed down his cheeks.
Meanwhile, our gaze shifts back to Poland in January 1945. Gita and the other inmates trudged onward, doing their utmost to keep their comrades alive, fighting against the relentless onslaught of exhaustion and hunger. Each day was a grueling struggle to survive in the biting cold. They huddled together for warmth, but each morning, they were forced to rise and continue their march.
Unfortunately, Ivana's spirit succumbed to the harsh conditions during the night. With heavy hearts, Gita took her shoes, and they were forced to leave her lifeless body, lying forlornly in the snow, as they pressed onward. Seizing an opportunity, Gita made a dash for Hanna. Although the guards did not pursue them, they fired shots at the fleeing pair, but they managed to escape unscathed.
