The Perfect Spell

Synopsis:

On a fateful Beltane Eve, a coven of four experienced magickal practitioners assembles to perform a prosperity working that cannot fail – a spell to win the current lottery jackpot of $217 million.

Afterwards, they relax in the afterglow of the ritual. The motley group includes two enchanting sisters of contrasting attitude and appearance, a middle-aged history professor of Irish extraction, and their mentor, a mysterious elderly gentleman whose harmless appearance belies his abilities and experiences. During the course of their conversation, each of the first three reveals the character flaws which will be their undoing – and redoing.

Some days later, as the lottery numbers are being drawn, the three younger members reassemble to enjoy their triumph. The fourth member of their little cabal, however, does not make an appearance. When they try to contact him by telephone they make the disconcerting discovery that his telephone number has been cancelled.

The three make an impromptu visit to their mentor's house, finding it abandoned except for a set of strange gifts apparently intended for each of them. They make a narrow escape from the police officers who arrive in response to an alarm triggered by their B and E.

Insulted by their shabby gifts and chagrined to discover that the lottery has indeed been won, they vow to track down their former compatriot. In subsequent episodes, their attempts at pursuit and retribution, while they do not fail completely, end up having unfortunate and decidedly unpleasant consequences for the trio which only increase in severity as time goes on.

Pilot Summary:

Opening Scene:

Strange blue lights glimmer from the atrium of a single-story dwelling in a California suburb. Chanting voices echo from the space, and we see flashing scenes of candles, hands joined together, a scrying bowl with characters which might be numbers appearing in the depths. Four figures arise with hands raised high and chant in unison "So mote it be!"

The scene shifts to a suburban living room. Eleanor, a tall and slender blonde, prowls like a wildcat on the hunt, pawing through shelved books and rearranging the bric-a-brac. Her sister, Tara, a green-eyed redhead, watches from the corner like an owl, her wide gaze taking in everything. She contrasts with her sibling in her generally reserved and quiet nature, which only lasts until she is provoked. Martin, the evening's host, hops back and forth frog-like from his culinary duties to the ongoing conversation. He is middle-aged and of slight build, with a somewhat unkempt haircut. Perched in a large armchair like a venerable raven is Albert, an elderly, gray-haired gentleman in a tweed jacket. He suddenly announces he has a previous engagement and rises to take his leave, assuring the group that he will handle the purchase of the lottery ticket.

After the door closes, Martin remarks that it is strange for Albert to leave so abruptly after such a powerful working. He is reprimanded harshly by Eleanor for questioning Albert's character. She is immediately joined in her tirade by her sister. Martin tries to defend himself - it's just that Albert usually stays to chat - and then resorts to uncorking a bottle of his most pricey wine to change the subject. The conversation turns to all of the ways in which Albert has helped them in the past - magical workings that have resulted in Martin's current teaching position, Eleanor's successful stock portfolio and Tara's thriving nursery business. Appropriately chastened, Martin thanks them for coming and they agree to reconvene on the night the lottery numbers are drawn. Tara volunteers to contact Albert.

Next Scene:

The two woman arrive at Martin's house with appropriate banter. Albert is conspicuous in his absence. Tara has not been able to contact him. When the numbers are drawn the three companions are surprised to learn that they cannot seem to recall the ones they selected with any precision. Have they won? They attempt to call Albert's phone and discover to their shock that his number is now invalid. "The number you have dialed has not been recognized." Has Tara been blocked? Or is the phone number permanently canceled? Matin again expresses his doubts about Albert’s honesty and is again shouted down. What if something has happened to him? Has he had an accident and missed paying his phone bill? How can Martin be so insensitive? They decide to pay him an unannounced visit.

Scene change:

Albert's house is completely dark and looks unoccupied. Tara happens to have a key. Temporarily postponing questions but not raised eyebrows, they make their way to the back door. Is there an alarm system? Martin wants to know. It won't sound for us, Tara assures them. They go inside to find that the power has been shut off. By the light of their cell phones, they can see that the place has been emptied. They try the bedroom (Tara seems to know where it is for some reason) and then descend to the basement where Albert kept his secret ritual room. Again, no furniture except a TV tray on which they discover three objects, each hastily labelled. A torn fishing net for Martin, a plastic toy boat for Eleanor with an image of snake-haired Medusa printed on the sail, and for Tara, a thin rod of wood. Is it a child's fishing pole? Martin wants to know, but Tara recognizes it as a rose cane. It looks dead, but properly tended it can grow into a healthy rose bush. Albert has given her many in the past. Why this one now? The three are angry and disappointed. Is this supposed to make up for the fortune they have lost? They are sure now that Albert has betrayed them and used their divinatory powers to enrich himself. The discovery of some travel magazines about sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, which were apparently left accidentally in an otherwise empty book shelf, only confirm their suspicions.

Police sirens drift in from outside. Perhaps they have triggered the alarm after all. The three beat a hasty retreat. They hear officers knocking on the front door and in response the baying of a pack of dogs - a terrifying and unearthly sound. This is odd because, as they know very well, Albert only owned an aged St Bernard. The three exit out the back door and look for a way over the fence and into a neighbor's yard. At some point, Eleanor and Tara realize that Martin has not kept up with them. He shows up drenching wet, having decided to use his net in the fishpond in Albert's backyard. Naturally, he fell in and destroyed his phone, but he made interesting discoveries. Albert must have given him the net intending that he use it in the pond, he decides. There is no time to discuss these issues any further. Into the neighbor's yard and then out onto the street. The only casualty aside from the phone are Martin's trousers, which now have a dog mouth sized hole chewed out of them as well as being wet and muddy.

When we get our money back from that bastard, vows Eleanor, I'll buy you a new suit from Brioni!

In Future Episodes:

The trio will discover that the payoff from the lottery has gone to the officers of a mysterious charity. Some of the officers have connections to Albert and some are actually relatives. As they pursue these and other clues they find out things about their erstwhile friend that they could never have imagined.

Nevertheless, they are determined to confront him and exact their retribution. Unfortunately, all of their magical workings seem to backfire and affect each of them in inexplicably negative ways. Martin is arrested on trumped-up immigration charges and loses his teaching job to a rival. Eleanor's stock portfolio tanks and her beautiful beachfront home is destroyed by a freak storm. Tara is forced to reveal her deepest secrets - she is in love with Albert and has been secretly working to undermine the efforts of the other two in order to help him. In the end, they realize that Albert has arranged the entire scenario to bring them to a deeper level of initiation in which they become aware that their relationships with him and with each other extend far beyond a single lifetime into lives completed and lives not yet begun.

"Death is not the end of anything. It is the gateway to future unanticipated existences."