This article contains spoilers for the ending of Transatlantic Season 1, particularly the events depicted in Transatlantic Season 1 Episode 7, “Fire in the Snow”.
Inspired by Julie Orringer’s book The Flight Portfolio, itself based on the exploits of the Emergency Rescue Committee during World War II, Transatlantic is a seven-part Netflix period drama that uses its factual basis for a somewhat soapy tale of romance and derring-do in Nazi-occupied France during 1940.
The ERC, led by American journalist Varian Fry, busied itself with spiriting away various artists, philosophers, and otherwise anti-Nazi thinkers. Many move into a villa in Marseille with Fry, his lover Thomas, and moneyed American ex-pat Mary Jayne while working on a scheme to evade capture by the Germans and self-serving American and French officials.
Here’s how things culminate at the end of the series.
Transatlantic Season 1 Ending Explained
Do Thomas and Fry end up together?
One of the most compelling subplots in Transatlantic is the relationship between Varian Fry and his ERC associate Thomas.
Fry is married, but he’s a closeted homosexual. This was a feature in the original novel and was accused of being salacious speculation at the time, but Fry’s son confirmed its veracity in a letter to The New York Times.
The secrecy of this relationship is a factor all throughout. The two men obviously love each other and are very passionate, but while Thomas implores Fry to leave his wife and run away with him, Fry, who has continuously operated in official circles where he knows his true nature will never be accepted, at least not in his lifetime, has difficulty with the decision.
Ultimately, in finessing an escape for artist Marc Chagall and his wife in a stolen diplomat’s car, Fry decides to leave with them. He makes it out of France but leaves Thomas behind.
Do Mary Jayne and Albert end up together?
Another crucial romance in the series is between Mary Jayne and Albert, one of the refugees that she helps.
Mary Jayne is a rich American who continues to help the resistance even after her funding is cut off by her family. She’s forced to often use her femininity and attractiveness to do things that demean her, but she’s a staunch supporter of the cause.
READ: Where was Transatlantic on Netflix filmed?
Her relationship with Albert is very genuine, though. Like Fry and Thomas, however, they’re doomed to not be together. Despite having plans to abscond to the U.S. together and even marry, they’re persistently pulled apart by circumstance.
Mary Jayne secures passage out of Marseille to Lisbon on the plane she sold to a bureaucrat. Albert goes to rescue Paul, whose brother, Petit, is killed in the escape. After burying him he returns to Mary Jayne before she leaves, however, he decides not to leave with her and instead remains behind and continues to fight against the Nazis in France.
How does Paul escape captivity?
Paul is arrested for his activity with the resistance after Patterson rats him out to Commissaire Frot.
Paul is imprisoned at Fort Saint-Nicolas and is due to be deported. Despite his work for British intelligence, Margaux refuses to help, so the resistance takes matters into their own hands after Mary Jayne tells them where to acquire a stockpile of British weaponry.
Paul’s brother Petit is killed in the escape. After burying him, Paul decides to continue working with the resistance.
You can stream Transatlantic Season 1 Episode 7, “Fire in the Snow” exclusively on Netflix. Do you have any thoughts on the ending of Transatlantic Season 1? Let us know in the comments.
Additional reading:
- Will there be a Season 2 of Transatlantic on Netflix?
- Is Transatlantic on Netflix based on a true story?
