The Kurc family reunites and faces new challenges in this week’s episode of We Were the Lucky Ones on Hulu. The eight-part drama, inspired by true events, follows a Jewish family through World War II and the Holocaust.
Earlier in the series, mother-of-one Mila Kurc (Hadas Yaron) seeks refuge for her daughter Felicia and boards a truck to take them to Palestine.
The vehicle gets raided and the passengers are held at gunpoint while being ordered to dig trenches. Mila encourages her daughter to run to a woman who’s chatting with a soldier and pretend that she’s her mother.
Mila and Felicia emerge from the deadly interrogation by the skin of their teeth, and Mila gets a deeper understanding of the danger her daughter is in.
Episode 7, “Monte Cassino,” sees Mila struggling with being separated from Felicia, who’s now living at a monastery. The episode shifts the pain from Mila to the young girl as she’s given the fake name Barbara and forced to dye her hair blonde to hide her Jewish identity.
Mila arrives to visit Felicia — as she does once a month — and the young girl is solemn. When Mila gifts her a piece of candy, she refuses to eat it. “You can have it now, Fefe,” Mila says, using her nickname for her daughter.
“My name is Barbara,” the young girl parrots back.
Mila walks out with a nun and begins to question her daughter’s behavior. “Do you think she may be ill? She grows quieter and quieter every time I see her,” the mother says. “If she hasn’t been eating, maybe I can bring her something.”
The nun suggests that Mila should visit Felicia less often, “Perhaps it’s time to lessen your visits. Each time it takes Barbara weeks before she can readjust. I think it’s best to behave more appropriately as a ‘family friend’ to not confuse her.”
As the episode continues, the situation in Warsaw, where Mila is staying with her sister Halina (Joey King) and brother-in-law Adam (Sam Woolf), worsens. The Nazi party has launched multiple attacks and bombardments on the city. While planning their escape, the Kurcs reunite with family members Jakob (Amit Rahav) and Bella (Eva Feiler).
They quickly realize that the monastery is at the center of the attacks, and Adam and Mila rush to rescue Felicia. The young girl is found in the ruins of the building, huddled in a basement with the surviving children and nuns. “We need to find a doctor,” Mila proclaims as she holds her daughter in her arms.
Meanwhile, Halina has been arrested while trying to obtain money for their escape. She pleads with the guards that she isn’t Jewish, but they refuse to listen.
With this week’s episode of We Were the Lucky Ones ending on a devasting note and only one episode left in the series, tough times lay ahead for the Kurcs.
We Were the Lucky Ones is streaming on Hulu.