Episode 1 of "A Small Light" opens with Margot Frank, Anne's elder sister, receiving an official letter summoning her to Germany for work. Otto, the head of the household, senses a looming calamity and hastens his plan to conceal his wife Edith and their daughters. Margot's departure is urgent.
With the anxious teenager in need of a discreet escort to the hiding place, Miep steps forward to guide her. The young women pedal their bicycles beneath a bridge, past walls plastered with Swastika posters. Margot's coat, embroidered with a yellow star bearing the word "Jew," is hastily discarded.
Margot's panic mounts as she fears capture. Miep firmly counsels her to conceal her identity and feign forgetting her identification as they near a Nazi security checkpoint. Margot's nerves fray as they approach the officer.
The narrative flashes back to 1933, revealing Miep's past before the tense encounter. Jobless and residing with her foster parents who took her in as a child, she now lives in Amsterdam. One evening, over dinner, her parents suggest she marry one of her siblings, Cas, a prospect Miep firmly rejects.
Fate intervenes, and Miep secures employment at Opekta, a pectin business owned by Otto Frank, a recent German immigrant. Otto is reserved, while Miep is blunt, yet they strike a chord, and she soon finds herself working as his secretary.
Over lunch, Otto and Miep share their stories. He reveals fleeing Germany due to Hitler's reign and that his entire family is on the way to the Netherlands. Miep confesses that as a ten-year-old, her biological mother couldn't feed her, leading to her adoption by a new family who gave her a chance at a better life.
One night, Miep encounters Jan in a bar but finds him unremarkable. Their second meeting is different; they hit it off, and their chemistry leads to a kiss outside his building. As time passes, Miep and Jan draw closer, increasingly intertwined in the Franks' lives.
Miep arrives at the Franks' home for Shabbat dinner, accompanied by Jan. The evening's conversation turns serious as Otto and his fellow emigrants debate the looming threat of Hitler's invasion of Holland. Miep, however, dismisses these fears, naively believing that Holland's neutrality will protect them. This earns her a label of naivety from the Germans present.
In 1940, the Dutch surrender brings a sense of foreboding to Otto. He reveals to Miep that an American contact had offered to sponsor his family's relocation, but their visa application has been denied. With no other options, the Franks are forced into hiding. When Otto asks for her help, Miep agrees, understanding that she will be their only link to the outside world. She will be responsible for smuggling medical supplies and food into their hideout.
Miep's inability to share her plans with Jan causes a rift between them. Their relationship is strained, but eventually, they reconcile and reach an understanding.
The scene shifts to the episode's opening. Miep asks Margot to ride alongside her as they navigate through the crowd and approach the Nazi officer. With a casual air, Miep explains that they are running late for work and her bike is acting up. After a moment of confusion, the officer grudgingly allows them to pass.
As they ride to Opekta, Miep briefs Margot on the routine of the employees, emphasizing that they will be constantly entering and exiting the building. She warns Margot to remain silent until after work hours, when it will be safer to speak. Once they arrive, Miep slips away to the washroom, where she breaks down in sobs. Jan arrives unexpectedly, and her tears flow freely as he wraps his arms around her in a comforting hug.
