Netflix’s new historical drama, Transatlantic, is based on the true story of the Emergency Rescue Committee, which was formed by Varian Fry, Mary Jayne Gold, and Albert Hirschman in 1940 after France was invaded by Germany. 

The ERC successfully brought 2,000 people to safety in America through the risky ports of Marseille in 1940. Julie Orringer’s 2019 novel, The Flight Portfolio, also inspired the show. 

Transatlantic tells the story of Fry, played by Cory Michael Smith, an American journalist who tries to get various Europeans who are on the run from the Nazis onto a safe passage toward the United States. He is supported by Gold, played by Gillian Jacobs, and many other characters. 

The show depicts the lengths the ERC goes to in order to protect the vulnerable, while corruption, greed, and a general lack of humanity make it increasingly difficult for them to operate.

The series features great cinematography and portrays the city of Marseille with grace. It also gives viewers a glimpse of the 1940s with costumes and hair, and it provides a lot of information for those who find joy in history. 

The show fails to capture the depth of  Gold and Fry’s actions, though. Instead of focusing solely on their work, the series spends too much time dramatizing love affairs and side plots. 

There are also too many characters who confuse the plot in the first few episodes, and not enough time is given for viewers to understand the impact of Fry and Gold’s work. The show also doesn’t accurately display the true scope of the operation and erases too many important figures from the past.