Episode 8, Legacy, puts an end to the mini series A Small Light, I really enjoy it, the cast and production was awesome with stars like Liev Schreiber, Ian McElhinney the ones I recognize but Bel Powley doing Miep was the star of the show, she was awesome been funny and such a good friend to the Frank’s, so loyal always giving the extra mile to the point of constantly putting her life on the line for her friends, now days is very rare to see those qualities on a friend.
I’m not going to pretend I know much about World War II or any other war but I have learn a few things from this series, for the most part is a very moving series and Episode 8 in my opinion is the one that will bring some tears out, I cant imagine Mr. Frank’s suffering after loosing everyone and everything, his friends and family who stayed hiding with him for over two years, from the series perspective they were arrested very close to the end of the war between two to six months, but at the time just getting arrested was a death sentence, the Frank’s and friends were all send to different camps, probably lucky for many didn’t have to suffer as long as others that were caught earlier and end up surviving but still that short time was enough to take everything from Mr. Frank, even though it was probably less than a year he lost his entire family, ironically he was the head of the house and did everything he could to keep safe his wife and daughters but end up loosing them and he survive.
Miep stay in front of the business in Mr. Frank absence, so she was not even a good friend but also a loyal employee, she was once told to sell the business, she didn’t owe anything to Mr. Frank but she didn’t and kept pushing, even though there were times when she loose all hope she keep bring it back and kept saying some day they will return home, this episode is mostly about Miep but also is a combination of many people who ran away from the city hiding in the countryside, many who after the ware recognize Jan as the guy who safe them, safe their children and family, he did felt like a hero but he went through rough times too, close to the end of the war the city was in lock down by the remaining German Officers who were taking all Dutch man to work camps so now Miep was the only one going out, she was in charge of bringing food to the table since Jan couldn’t even go out, the worst part of such situation is not knowing when its going to end.
Episode 8 of A Small Light starts with Miep at the German’s HQ, she tries to bribe German Officer Karl Silberbauer after he took the Frank’s but even though he wanted since the moment he arrested them he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it since there were other officers present, there was not much to bribe them all, during those times if he get caught trying to let them go most likely he would get killed and probably on the spot, when Miep confront him another officer probably with higher rank ask him to hurry up the paper work, Officer Kurt, Miep tried to go over Karl but it end up worst for her, Kurt took the money and ask officers to throw her out of the building, at that moment Miep understood there was nothing she could do about it, from that moment she start living just with the hope one day the would come back home alive.
The book is very famous for bringing the memories of Anne Frank, the series brings a more graphic explanation of this, during the entire series Anne kept telling Miep all her dreams and plans she had, goals she wanted to achieve once they war was over and they go out again, for Anne getting caught was never an option, Miep was aware of all this and broke her heart when she went back into the room they were staying and say Anne’s diary all over the floor, she pick up all the remaining sheets and so other books of her, all Anne’s memories, during the war citizens where told to collect letters and safe them as those will be the memories of many who didn’t make it.
Close to the end of the war things got very very tight, there was no food, no money and mostly women and old men were aloud to go out, Germans who remain in the city were taking all Dutch men to working camps, Germans knew they were about to loose the war so they were doing what ever they could to grasp as much as they could, for some who got arrested close to the end they were lucky enough to survive and not suffer for much time, in the case of Jan and Miep they stay together through all this time, that says a lot from both and Miep was now the head of the house, on the series they were always together, had a few arguments but always together during good and bad times, like on this picture they almost had nothing to eat and no wood for the fire, they had to brake a chair to make fire.
Not all heroes wear capes, Jan and Miep became war heroes, not everyone knew but Jan work with the resistance at first to help Miep and the Franks but latter on end up saving a lot of people, sneaking kids out of the city to the country side, when the war was over looks like a good amount of people recognize him on the streets, at least if it was two or three he must have felt very proud same for Miep, what they did for others was an act of heroism, putting their life on the lines for those who didn’t have a voice and could not defend themselves.
The train lines were reactivated and those that were taken as prisoners out of the city start coming back home, some like Mr. Frank lost everything including their houses, at first he still had hope his daughters and wife would come back, visit their apartment now occupied by a young couple, he didn’t ask for his apartment back but only to let his family know he is with Miep in case they come back but one day the answer to his questions arrive, Jan, Miep and the other employees at the office start sending letters and putting up signs looking for the girls and Mrs. Frank until a women who knew them form the working camps arrive and let her know they didn’t make it, this was probably the worst moment of the episode, it was the end of a long wait, not the answer they were looking for but at least their suspense and suffering ended on that moment.
Miep and Jan had a kid called Paul, Mr. Frank stay close to them, he probably move out to another place but they always stay together until his last day alive, Miep lived until she was a hundred years old, Miep was a women who was blessed, she went through all this experiences and had the strength to live for so long, proud, telling her stories of war, how an ordinary secretary did everything she could to safe his friends and family, for Miep nationality or beliefs didn’t mean anything, it was about the quality of the of the person, even when someone was not of her liking she still was fair to everyone, even with German Officer Karl she felt how he knew it was not right what he was doing when he raid Mr. Frank office and arrest them, trust others during the war was hard but she always had this sense to identify those telling the truth and been fair.
I found the Small Light fantastic, not only me but a lot of people seem to like it, an 8.4/10 on IMDB is no joke, I never read the book so I do not know how much it follows the real story but anyone who watch this mini series should know the ending, its very sad how Mr. Frank ends up alone, his daughters and wife died at the camps but at the same time is comforting how they mention that he stay with Miep and Jan, I think Miep could even see him as a father considering that her relationship with her family was very vague after she had to be send out of Germany because of the war and poverty, this series makes you wonder or at least made me ask myself why are humans not this loyal and good to each other, it all comes down to money, fame and power, during those times that I think barely exist, there was no internet, social network, branding clothe I think was not such hype so people concentrate more on each other for who they were and not what they had, I wish I was born prior the 80’s because every time I watch a series from those eras makes me envy and I would trade all the tech we have now to make those times come back, I was born in the 80’s without internet or cellphones, I saw all that tech emerge and how it has devalue society, it will never be the same.
Episode 1: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-pilot-episode
Episode 2: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-welcome-to
Episode 3: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-motherland-episode
Episode 4: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-the-butterfly
Episode 5: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-scheissfeld-season
Episode 6: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-boiling-point
Episode 7: https://peakd.com/hive-121744/@skiptvads/a-small-light-what-can
#skiptvads #tvseries #tvaddicts #tvseriesblog #cinetv #hive #asmalllight #ottofrank #backhome #miep #jangies #worldwarii
