In Transatlantic, Mary Jayne strikes up a mutually beneficial relationship with Margaux but soon realizes that Margaux would only help her if it benefits her operation. Rafaela Nicolay plays the role of Margaux.
When Germany invades France, Varian Fry, Mary Jayne Gold, and the rest of the American Emergency Rescue Committee (ERC) in Marseille help artists and intellectuals, who are targeted by the Nazis, escape France.
They are not the only ones who are trying to help people escape. Britain is at war with the Nazis, and the damages are mounting with every passing day. In a state like this, a woman who goes by the name of Margaux approaches Fry and Mary Jayne.
What does Margaux need?
Margaux works for British intelligence; she is a special operations executive. She first approaches Fry when she hears that the ERC has found a way out of France without being noticed by the authorities.
It has been five months since British soldiers were captured at Dunkirk. They are trapped in France and need to escape. The British need allies in France who can operate freely, and Margaux knows that Fry does not support American neutrality, so she seeks his help.
However, Fry is American, and if he helps British POWs when his own country has chosen to be neutral in the war, he would be committing treason. Due to this, he refuses to get involved with Margaux.
Margaux has connections, and she makes it clear by informing Fry that the commander of the Marseille police is going to raid Splendid in a few minutes. She then leaves Fry to do damage control.
While Fry is the face of the ERC, Mary Jayne funds it. Her father cuts her off when she refuses to go home to Chicago. Mary Jayne no longer has the money to fund ERC, but she does not want to disappoint Fry.
Fry’s old friend and lover, Thomas, contacts him after five years. Fry thought that Thomas was dead, but he is alive and in Marseille. Thomas allows the ERC to operate from his Villa Air-Bel.
When Mary Jayne tells him about the lack of funds, he takes her to meet Margaux. It turns out that Thomas has been working for her all this time. Margaux promises to fund ERC’s operations if Mary Jayne agrees to work as a spy for them.
Mary Jayne does not think that she can do it, but Margaux is very convincing. She makes her understand that she has been training for this role for years because as a woman, she has already been doing all the things that spies need to do.
Mary Jayne’s mission
Mary Jayne has to meet the British POWs in prison and take their pictures because Margaux needs to get their passports made. She also gives them the message to escape and come to the villa.
The POWs break out of prison and meet her in the middle of the night. Mary Jayne tells them how to get out of France and provides them with the things they will need. However, the mission goes wrong, as they are captured while fleeing France and sent back to prison.
Margaux meets Mary Jayne and tells her that the prisoners will talk about her if they are forced to give a name to the authorities since they have only seen her. If that happens, Margaux and Thomas will not be able to protect her.
Thomas will deny knowing anything about Mary Jayne’s involvement and will be safe. Mary Jayne is the one in danger and must get them out without Margaux or Thomas’ help. At this point, Mary Jayne realizes that she is dispensable to Margaux.
Mary Jayne seeks Paul and Albert’s help because she cannot do this alone. Paul will help her if she introduces him to Margaux, and Mary Jayne agrees. Much to her relief, they manage to help the POWs break out of prison once more.
Margaux and Paul’s deal
Margaux is also looking to fund resistance cells in France, and Paul wants to form a cell of his own. Since he helped Mary Jayne, she arranges for him to meet Margaux.
Margaux is siding with the British because they are on the right side, while Paul, whose country has been colonized by France, wishes to fight his way to freedom from the inside. He believes that once Europe is freed, the colonies will also get freedom.
Paul wants to form a resistance cell and disrupt the Nazi logistical apparatus that relies on the railway. The south of France is not under the control of the Germans yet, but it can happen.
To prevent that from happening, Paul wants to target the main railway lines that connect the south to the Gestapo in Dijon. Margaux is ready to provide weapons and intelligence to aid him.
However, Paul gets arrested for breaking the POWs out of prison. His younger brother, Petit, receives Paul’s message and knows where he is being kept. He, along with Thomas, asks Margaux to give them weapons to help Paul escape before he gets deported.
Since Petit has no experience, Margaux does not think he will be able to help Paul. She refuses to get involved and jeopardize the British operation. Thomas tries to convince her, but she is quick to remind him what is at stake here.
Margaux had earlier left Mary Jayne to fend for herself when things had gone south, and she does the same with Paul. As she is on the side of the British, for her, the war is more important than anything else, even the people who risk their lives to help her cause.