Forever, “Hitler on the Half Shell,” was written by Sarah Nicole Jones and was directed by David Warren. This episode does what only a show that has a real link to history can do. It reminds us of the things we need to remember. This show is wonderfully written so that each week we see the theme play out on several levels, and this week the theme is atonement and legacy – the legacy we receive as children and as a society.
This particular episode is timely due to the 70th anniversary marking the Holocaust. The theme of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is keeping the memory alive. It’s a shame that the episode didn’t air last week on January 27 which is Holocaust Memorial Day. The central case revolves around the Nazi practice of stealing all of the great art of Europe – much of which has never been recovered. I really like that the show raises awareness of this issue, and thereby contributes to keeping the memory alive. We also learn that Adam (Burn Gorman) and Abe’s (Judd Hirsch) past intersected during the Holocaust, and reminds us of the pain and suffering caused by physical abuse and the splintering of families.
The voice overs are always important touchstones for this show. At the beginning of the episode we are told, “The average person is said to apologize 12 times a day. Often it’s to atone for a past wrong, an attempt to heal an old wound. But there are some wounds that can never be healed.” Certainly, slavery and the Holocaust both fall into the category of wounds that can never be healed. The flashbacks then deal with Henry (Ioan Gruffudd) learning that his father (Daniel Gerroll) has turned to the slave trade due to financial ruin. Likewise, Eric (Patrick Woodall) is devastated to learn that his family were Nazis, but he’s also hurt that Karl (Brian Corrigan) was returning all the stolen art when he could barely pay his rent. Karl is trying to atone for the wrong committed by the Nazi’s by stealing the art in the first place. Adam also tries to atone for some of his wrongs and we see that he himself was wounded by none other than Joseph Mengele (Gabriel Furman).
There is no way to make up for the loss of Abe’s parents. We see that he has spent a great deal of time trying to track them down. It’s a testament to Henry and Abe’s relationship that Henry not only supports Abe’s quest for knowledge, he’s tried to facilitate it. All of Karl’s attempts to atone for his father having stolen the art, however, are only so successful. Abe wisely points out that he “hid out in his apartment and had a crappy relationship with his kid. He couldn’t escape” the sins of his father. In fact, Henry in the past is leaving for the New World to escape the sins of his own father. His father dies before they can be reconciled – the same as Karl and Erik. Is it possible that Henry’s immortality is in some way tied to atonement? Henry tells Abe that he is blessed with a sin-free father, but is Henry truly sin-free? Certainly Abe believes we need only carry our own sins in this world.
The final voice over tells us, “Atonement can take many forms. A heartfelt apology. A grand gesture. A silent prayer. Or something more complex. More difficult to decipher. And while it’s true that no amount of atonement can ever change the past, it does have the power to heal us, to restore relationships and connections we thought were lost forever.” I loved that this one ended with the word “forever” because the show is all about finding connections and relationships, through the past, through the case of the week, and through the relationships of our characters.
We see where Henry’s watch came from – it connects him to all of his ancestors as it’s been passed down from father to son. It’s Henry’s knowledge of watches that also provides a break in the case. I had to wonder if the watch is also somehow related to Henry’s immortality. After all, it is a time piece, and he never seems to lose it when he’s reborn – how does that work?
Another family heirloom also plays a big part in this episode as Adam leaves a tea tray that once belonged to Henry’s family at the antique shop as a calling card and a peace offering – a means of atonement. The scene with Abe in the shop is an excellent one as we see Adam recognize the exact meaning of Abe’s tattoo – not only the broad significance that the insurance nurse saw, but the fact that Abe was at Auschwitz, creating a nice parallel between the scenes as Abe’s connection to Auschwitz ensures that he is safe from harm from Adam.
One of the best scenes in the episode is the one between Adam and Henry, fittingly in a graveyard. Both Gorman and Gruffudd are terrific in this scene. We get to see Henry in fierce father-mode as he threatened Adam if he ever hurt Abe. Of course, Adam points out that it’s not as if Henry can have any permanent effect on him, and Mengele ensured that nothing could be worse than that. We know that Henry would never be able to go to those lengths. Adam admits that he was “over-zealous” the last time he saw Henry. It’s not quite an apology, however. Henry is appalled when he finds out about Adam’s experience with Mengele and says he’s sorry for it, but he’s still not ready to be friends with Adam. Adam asks him for a favor, however. He’s looking for a roman dagger from 44BC. It sounds like it might be a family heirloom like Henry’s watch, and the Nazi’s took it from Adam. Adam offers to give Henry something in return, but Henry insists there’s nothing that Adam has that he wants.
The timeline is not completely clear, but it would seem that Adam has already killed and tortured Julian (Stephen Barker Turner) at this point, so Adam has the ledger from Auschwitz and would know that Julian didn’t have the dagger. However, it certainly looks like Julian was tortured with some kind of knife. In fact, Henry is able to determine who killed both men by how the bodies were left because that was a reflection of the relationship of the killer to the victim. It’s clear that someone cared about Karl because they posed the body and shut his eyes whereas Julian was killed by someone who hated him.
In the end, Henry does do Adam a favor by covering up the DNA evidence. For his own part, Adam continues to try to atone by leaving not only the tray with Abe but also the ledger book that leads Abe to his parents. Abe calls him an angel before he learns that it was Adam. Henry maintains that the gestures don’t make up for what Adam did to him – forcing him to kill. Abe agrees that it might not make up for it, but it does mean something. Abe is the one to point out that Adam has been a victim too.
The final scene with Henry escorting Abe to the Museum of Jewish Heritage is a great one. I loved how nervous Abe is and Henry is just there for respectful support. It would be easy for Henry to feel he was losing something, having to share Abe in some way, but it’s clear that he is simply happy for Abe to finally have this closure. Apparently, the picture is actually Hirsch’s parents. Both Hirsch and Gruffudd are fantastic in this scene.
There were also some great lighter moments in this episode. We get to meet Hanson’s (Donnie Keshawarz) brother Anthony (John Lavelle). They need help from him to find the container because he works on the docks. Following the theme of atonement, Anthony insists that Hanson apologize for wrongs that he’s committed – like sleeping with his prom date! So Hanson was a rogue and a player!
I also loved Lucas (Joel David Moore) declaring, “Max Brenner is a zombie Nazi hunter!”
Henry’s face is priceless. It’s also hilarious when Henry doesn’t know who Indiana Jones is. Abe telling Henry that he has a problem with Henry’s scarves and that Henry needs “to butch up!” is also a funny moment. We don’t get much of Jo (Alana De La Garza) in this episode, but I did like her complaining to Henry that “You kinda take the fun out of these reveals!” And of course, the scene in which Henry covers for Adam is hilarious as Jo and Hanson both think that Henry is simply messing with them when he tells them he has no theory.
Once again this episode is tightly written and well-acted with a mix of serious themes woven throughout the episode with great humor to break the tension. What did you think of the episode? Do you think Adam deserves a second chance? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Don’t forget to join the campaign to help the show get renewed for a second season – you can find information on how you can help
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About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Forever, Defiance, Bitten, Glee, and a few others! Highlights of this past year include covering San Diego Comic Con as press and a set visit to Bitten. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
