Episode 1 of "The House of the Spirits" begins with a young woman walking towards an old mansion. She begins to narrate how her grandmother, Clara, had foretold her future and told her that she could get through anything. The young woman is currently facing a difficult time and feels dejected. Suddenly, she sees her grandmother's ghost, which leads her to a locked trunk in the attic. There, she discovers her grandmother's diaries, which she realizes were written as a source of guidance so that they wouldn't repeat the old mistakes and survive.
We circle back to the past and meet Clara, the young woman's grandmother. From the moment she was born, Clara has always been special. She possesses the power of foretelling. Although her whole family loves her, she is closer to her elder sister, Rosa, the only person who truly understands her.
One random Sunday, Clara asks to stay home instead of going to church. She claims that she wants to be there to welcome her uncle Marcos from his long trip. Uncle Marcos is just like her, and she is excited to see him. Her parents insist on taking her to church. While there, she sees her Uncle Marcos' ghost and realizes he has died. He comforts her and says they will now be able to see each other more often. Marcos goes on to question the priest's teachings.
The members of the congregation worry that Clara is talking to herself. She takes things a notch higher and asks the priest if he is sure hell exists. The priest is flustered and accuses her of being bewitched. Most of the congregants assume that Clara is just an inquisitive child and laugh off the incident.
After the service, her dad worries that Clara has just ended his political career even before it began. Nivea, his wife, reminds him that family comes first before his ambitions. They head home and find Marcos's coffin and belongings waiting for them. The family is heartbroken, but Clara cheers up a bit when she finds a puppy among her uncle's belongings. She names the dog Barrabas.
Later, Rosa shows Clara all the diaries that Marcos kept and suggests that she do the same as well.In the meantime, Clara's father, convinced of the need to secure his seat in the Senate, breaks his promise to his wife and resorts to bribing a few officials. He sacrifices his integrity and paves his way into the Senate.
Meanwhile, we learn about Estaban, the man who courts Rosa. From the moment he saw her at the market, Estaban fell deeply in love with her. Determined to be worthy of her love, he left his home to seek his fortune in the mines. Occasionally, he writes letters to Rosa, and the siblings take turns reading them to her. They all dream of finding a love like theirs.
As time passes, Barrabs grows into a big dog, and Severo becomes a senator. To celebrate this double joy, they hold a grand party at the family home. Unfortunately, Clara gets a sign that someone from her family will die. She warns her mom and starts to worry that Severo might be the one to die. Nivea and Severo, along with Rosa, try to her and ask her to stop worrying. The party goes off without a hitch, and Severo receives many gifts from his constituents.
The next day, Rosa wakes up feeling sick, and the doctor tells her it's just a minor case of the flu. Severo suggests giving Rosa some of the brandy he received at the party. On the other hand, Esteban finally strikes gold and is overjoyed.
That night, Rosa's condition worsens, and she dies. Clara takes her death hard and blames herself. The doctor realizes that Rosa might have been poisoned. He asks to check the brandy and confirms that it was laced with poison. Although Nivea asks them not to do a postmortem, Severo secretly has it done in the kitchen. After the autopsy, the doctor confirms their worst fear: that their daughter was murdered.
Clara slips out into the night, only to stumble upon one of the doctor's assistants attempting to defile her sister's lifeless body. With a wave of her power, she causes a glass to drop and shatter, startling the man into halting his nefarious deeds as he begins to clean up the mess. Rosa's head seems to turn, as if to express gratitude towards Clara.
The shock of witnessing Rosa's death and the post-mortem incident leaves Clara silenced, her world turned upside down. Unfortunately, the police are unable to identify Rosa's killer, and Severo vows to abandon politics, praying that no member of his family ever considers a career in politics. Tragically, according to the narrator, Rosa's death is merely the first in a series of misfortunes that plague the family.
News of Rosa's passing reaches Esteban, and he rushes back for the funeral. Clara insists on accompanying the men to the funeral and climbs into Severo's car. Inside, she meets Esteban but remains silent when he asks about her age. Instead, she takes his hand, feeling an instant connection between them. She realizes that their destinies are irrevocably linked.
