A Small Light – Season 1 Episode 4 Recap & Review

The Butterfly

A frightening situation takes place in the hiding place when episode 4 of A Small Light begins. Miep cannot find any of the Jewish families hiding in the office space, including the Franks as well as the additional families. Additionally, items are littered, giving the impression that Nazis might’ve entered the place to find out if anybody is hiding.

Fortunately, Miep discovers them hidden in the attic. The entrance to the hiding place is a concern for Miep and other dependable employees like Kulgar and Kleiman, so they come up with a plan to cover the doorway with a bookshelf, which could additionally serve as an entrance door.

Jan says he has to visit his brother and refuses to enjoy his holiday with Miep. Miep decides to follow Jan when she sees that he is heading in the opposite direction, and she sees Jan walk into a church. She feels deceived by the fact that her nonreligious partner chose to prioritize spending time with Jesus over her, so Miep vents her feelings to Tess, her close friend.

Tess sees nothing wrong with Jan attending church. On the contrary, she sees it as a positive sign. Thereafter, Tess tells Miep that her mom has cancer and is dying. She continues by saying that only her partner is capable of saving her mom by funding her treatment. As a result, Miep feels sorry for her.

Tess informs Miep that she plans on throwing an ice skating party, and she extends an invitation to Miep. Due to her role in hiding the Franks and the other Jewish families, Miep understands she wasn’t able to give her friend sufficient time. Miep agrees to attend the party and makes a promise to join Tess, which puts a smile on her face.

Christmas and Hanukkah are on the very same day. Because they lacked food and other essentials to enjoy the festivities, the Franks and the other Jewish families in hiding start to get frustrated. Meanwhile, given the fact that he was unable to see his kid and his loving spouse, Lotte, Dr. Pfeffer too was growing impatient.

Lotte arrives at the office complex with a basket filled with snacks for her partner. Lotte requests Miep hand over the basket of goods to Pfeffer once she visits. Miep then assures her that she will, so she asks Pfeffer to stand near a vent to ensure he can hear his wife speak. Pfeffer’s heart melts when he hears Lotte express her love and devotion for Pfeffer, prompting him to express gratitude to Miep.

Miep feels bad about attending Tess’ party given the fact that Jews are unable to celebrate Hanukkah. Edith and Van Pel’s partner try to make themselves happy by dressing Miep up, pushing her into donning a beautiful cape and gown.

Miep attends Tess’ party along with her partner, and in doing so Jan notices Tess’s boyfriend wearing the Nazi batch. He informs his partner and asks her to leave the event as quickly as possible.

After discovering that Tess’s boyfriend is a Nazi, Miep loses her composure, but Jan intervenes. He takes his wife out of the house and tells Miep that she needs to be careful. He goes on to say that she shouldn’t publicly vent her anger towards the Nazis.

Miep and Jan leave the party and head to the secret location to celebrate Hanukkah, joining the Franks as well as the other Jewish families. Whilst there, Otto notices the necklace that Miep has received as a gift from Tess. When Otto inquires about it, Miep tells him that her friend gave it to her. As it turns out the jewelry—a Jewish necklace—had been stolen by the Nazis.

The thought that her closest companion is with a Nazi infuriates Miep but Jan assures her that Tess is undoubtedly aware of the origins of the necklace. Miep goes on to tell Jan that she can’t trust him either. Jan reassures her that he didn’t attend church, and admits that he followed her lead. Without going into details, Jan informs Miep that he and other regular people were fighting against the Nazis too.

In church, Jan comes across a priest who served in the resistance. The Jewish family, whose son Jan had previously helped, is protected by the priest. The Jewish parents are anxious and wish to see their son. Jan understands that the situation of the innocent Jews is getting worse by the minute, and he concludes that the opposing movement ought to step up.

Jan voices his concerns and talks about the situation with Willem. Willem shows him how they weren’t just helping Jews go into hiding, but also preparing for battle, given their arsenal of various weapons.

The Episode Review

A Small Light is skillfully and gradually setting the mood as the plot unfolds. The dialogue throughout the entirety of this series has been brilliantly written. The conversations are intriguing without being excessively dramatic, striking the perfect balance.

Additionally, the actors draw in the viewers attention with their compelling performances, producing an excellent show with a solid historical viewpoint up to this point.