Summary
The New Look reaches a turning point in another stressful and sometimes wrenchingly sad installment.
Continuing the immediate hot streak of The New Look, Episode 3, “Nothing But Blue Skies”, is a tense and sometimes wrenchingly sad hour that also leaves Season 1 at a crucial turning point. With Paris liberated from the Nazis, but several subplots and character arcs still ongoing, the impressive Apple TV+ drama is far from over but is beginning a process of reinventing itself after its first week.
The New Look Season 1 Episode 3 Recap
Following on from the end of Episode 2, Coco Chanel is back in Paris. With the Allies on the cusp of moving in and liberating the city, Spatz is abandoning ship after already having abandoned Coco in Madrid. But Coco has bigger problems than being jilted by her lover.
Pierre Reverdy calls to let Coco know that, following her recent exploits, she’s about to have her name put on a list of Nazi collaborators. Reverdy has called in all the favors he can to keep her name off that list, but the only thing she can do now is sell someone out to prove her loyalty to France.
Coco tries to offer Spatz to the French Resistance
While Coco is fretting over this, the Baron lets her know that Schellenberg wants to see her in Berlin — and it’s an order, not a request. While it isn’t good form for a suspect collaborator to meet the Nazi Foreign Intelligence Chief, it’s also not a great idea to ignore a direct order from a senior Nazi while the party remains in power. So, she goes to see Schellenberg.
It’s worth mentioning that Schellenberg is played by the young German actor Jannis Niewöhner, who has been fantastic throughout the first two episodes and remains so here in “Nothing But Blue Skies”. High as a kite on drugs, he’s terrifying while dementedly showing Coco the modifications — of his own design! — he has had made for his office, including machine guns in the desk and a soundproof torture chamber behind the bookcase.
Schellenberg makes a pass at Coco and wants her to remain with him in Berlin. He’s jealous of Spatz and outs him for being married and having seduced seven women other than Coco on orders from Schellenberg to infiltrate Parisian high society. He has creepily imagined their entire future together, but Coco, like the rest of us, doesn’t trust that he’d be a particularly attentive spouse. She leaves in disgust and decides to volunteer Spatz to Reverdy.
When Coco finds Spatz, they spend a final night together before he reveals that he is imminently leaving for Paris. He instructs her to pack some belongings and leave with him. Coco takes the opportunity to tip Reverdy and the Resistance off about his location, but by the time they get there, Spatz has already gone. He abandoned Coco again. The mission is a failure and Coco’s name is going on the list.
Christian attempts to buy information about Catherine
Herve thinks that bribing Nazi officials will get them information about the camps, so Christian turns to the wife of the Nazi he met in Episode 1, who tipped him off about Catherine being targeted by the Gestapo. He looks her up in Lucien’s register and discovers her name is Beatrice Schmidt. Her husband, Franz, is a black marketeer. Beatrice says he will help Christian, but he’ll require a substantial payment.
Christian’s first idea is to ask Cristobal for a loan, but he’s broke. The only valuable thing he has remaining is a chunk of Swiss chocolate which the two men share between them in a small but vital scene. Cristobal sheds a tear at the taste of literal freedom, the kind of indulgence that might once again be allowed to Parisians once the city’s church bells ring with liberation.
Unfortunately chocolate won’t mean much to Franz, so Christian decides to rob Maison Lelong of its remaining fabrics. Lucien catches him in the act and, when Christian confesses what he’s doing, he fetches even more valuable fabrics for him to sell (readers, there’s a lump in my throat.) With the promise of payment, Franzs agrees to a meeting which he insists Christian attends alone, but Herve insists on coming along for protection, believing Christian is about to be robbed.
Herve’s presence causes all kinds of tension during the clandestine meeting with Franz, but he does eventually take the fabrics and offer something of value — Catherine was taken to Ravensbruck, a brutal work camp in Berlin with particularly horrific conditions. Christian wants more information, but Franz says it’ll cost him a tremendous amount. However, Herve has used Christian to get the drop on a Nazi. He and his associate execute Franz in front of his screaming wife, leaving Christian once again out of ideas.
It’s Cristobal who comes up with the idea of going to see Coco, who, given she got Andre out of a prisoner-of-war camp, must have Nazi connections that can be utilized.
How does The New Look Season 1 Episode 3 end?
“Nothing But Blue Skies” ends with Christian going to see Coco, though she can’t help him and tells him to focus on self-preservation. Then again, she would say that. We see that she sold the Baron out to Reverdy to get her name off the collaborator list. He’s arrested by the Resistance while waiting for Coco to leave Paris with him.
As the episode comes to a close, we see Catherine — after a brutal processing period, being stripped and shaven — filter into Ravensbruck as the bells in Paris ring out. The city has been liberated. Coco offers the passing soldiers gifts from her boutique, smiling ear-to-ear at the branding opportunity, while Christian privately sobs.
What did you think of The New Look Season 1 Episode 3? Let us know in the comments.
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