"Spirit Receivers" is the fourth episode of Season One of the Archive 81 Netflix TV series and the fourth episode of the show overall. It first aired on January 14, 2022.
Summary[]
In the woods, Dan encounters the unexpected. In the tapes, Melody learns about the cult and makes contact during a shocking séance.
Plot[]
Dan found Melody in the woods and both of them are confused as to how she had gotten there.
Dan washes his face as he remembers Cassandra telling him to stay out and grabbing him by the throat in his dream. He takes his medications and walks to the basement, where he tries guessing the code to a door. He tries breaking the glass, but to no avail. He tries calling Mark and tells him that he cannot get into the basement, so he wants him to find someone who could hack it. As he walks back to the house, he stumbles upon Melody, who calls him; he is confused, and she is as well, not knowing how she had gotten there.
However, Dan is called by Bobbi, who asks him if everything is alright. He is told that it was night now and was just standing in the woods. He makes it back to the house and is called by Virgil, who tells him that the best part about having a paper route is the routine and comments that he had not sent them anything that day. Dan tells him that he had lost track of time and is asked if he wants a doctor. However, Dan tells him that he would get back to it.
Dan goes to the basement and works on the next tape in which Melody tries to comfort Jess, who says she is fine. Jess says that she would stick to her exercises, but Melody says that one of her exercises is watching Secret of NIMH. Jess says that she has homework and talks about a comet which would be visible in a few weeks. She tells Melody that Samuel got her a new telescope so that they could watch the comet together. Anabelle knocks and tells Mel that they have an interview, so they visit Cassandra.
Melody and Anabelle visited Cassandra, who told them about her sister Eleanor and the Spirit Receivers.
Cassandra tells them that she had moved there with her sister Eleanor in 1974 because she thought it was spiritual, which Anabelle finds funny. She also tells Anabelle that most of the objects in her house were irreplaceable and she only sells them when the need arises. Melody finds the cabinet that was in the community room, which Dan catches as well. Melody tries to open it and is told by Cassandra that it was one of a kind and Estonian - inside was a sculpture, but she misplaced the key. Melody asks what Cassandra finds spiritual about the Visser or if any other tenants found it spiritual like the group that meets in the community room. Cassandra tells her that she is asking about the cult, but is interrupted by Anabelle, who asks about a painting - a portrait of Cassandra.
Cassandra explains that her sister belonged to a group of artists who called themselves Spirit Receivers, who believed that mysterious beings spoke through them to manifest art, beauty and truth. Cassandra says that some people called them a cult, which is probably what Melody was referring to, but Mel says that that was not what she meant. Cassandra tells Anabelle and Melody that watching Eleanor paint was beautiful since they had no idea who she was communicating with. Melody notices a pendant in the drawing, which Cassandra had on her as well. She says it is Kharonite, which is very rare and said to have come from a comet. Cassandra grabs a jar and gives it to Anabelle, saying that Eleanor would want her to have it. After that, Anabelle asks Cassandra for Julia Bennett, but she says that her memory is not what it used to be and invites her to a dinner party, since a lot of old neighbors would be there and one of them might know Julia.
Samuel acted surprised when Anabelle asked him about the ritual he had done with the other tenants the night before.
On the elevator, Melody tells Anabelle that Cassandra was not over her sister's death, but Anabelle tells her that they were obviously lovers and Eleanor drowned herself in the Hudson. They find Samuel knocking on Mel's door, who asks if she had seen Jess. Melody says that she had and took her some stuff, thanking Samuel for what he had done. Samuel wonders if she still has the key, which she goes inside to get for him. In the hallway, Samuel greets Anabelle, who asks him about the "after-hours Satanic choir practice", but Samuel does not understand the question until he finally admits that Tamara had not thought that her performance had gone very well, so she tried out some new material. Anabelle does not believe him, but Samuel simply says that she was his ex and gets handed the key. Melody says that it does not matter, but he says it does and apologizes.
Dan feels as if he is being watched and remembers when as a kid his sister would play the ominous tune. She tells him that their father says that ghosts are real and she sees them all the time. She describes them as lost and don't know where to go.
Dan and Melody had a talk where she realized he is Dr. Turner's son.
Dan gets up from bed and walks through the house as he hears rustling and whooshing. He sees Melody waiting for him and she asks if he had written those notebooks. He tells her that he had not and does not know who. He asks her what she is doing there and grabs a wooden box, which she says was there on the bed. However, he says that that is impossible, as he had not left his room and tells her that it is a tape that his father had made for him and given to him for his birthday. In the end, he smashed it with a baseball bat since he had found out he was not who he thought he was. Melody grabs her necklace and says that the ring was the only thing she had left of her mother was that. Dan tells Melody that she knows his father and she is shocked by that because she knew that her doctor's son was young. She also recalls him saying that he is dead; lights starts flickering and the bulb shatters, so they both call for one another, but are unable to see each other.
Dan grabs notebooks from a closet which are all signed T. Bellows and sees a bunch of numbers until one is circled. He walks downstairs and enters the code, which happens to be the right one and walks into the room. Inside, he finds a file on his father which has a study on paranormal perception in non-schizophrenic adults.
Mark finds Dan's father's studies weird and says that that might have gotten him in trouble with the department. Dan says that he found a bunch of stuff from the Visser apartments such as clothes, pictures, and books, also finding Melody's ring and journal. Dan says that the man writing the journals must have been working there as well. Mark asks him if he is okay, but Dan says that he does not want to talk.
Virgil approached Mark and wanted to know more about Dan.
When they hang up, Mark is approached by Virgil, who tells him Mystery Signals has a great space and a real sense of history. Mark says that the building is not for sale, but Virgil says that everything is for sale and introduces himself. He tells Mark that he thinks that both he and Dan make a strange pair, but Mark wants to know why he would need to get anything out of their relationship. Virgil tells him that he is worried about Dan and knows that they are in touch so he wants to get some perspective on his mental health since he knew that Dan had spent 8 weeks in Vermont thanks to Mark's father. Mark says that the breakdown did not happen because of Jill, but because it triggered a bunch of old family memories and realizes that all Virgil wants is a spy, so he tells him to fuck himself. As Virgil leaves, Mark asks him what is so important about Melody and her tapes, wanting to know what he wanted to find, but Virgil says that it is confidential. He hands Mark a card and tells him to call anytime.
Anabelle paints and likes the black color, feeling that she was travelling to Eleanor's soul. She wonder's who Melody is seeing in her dreams and she describes them as conversations. Melody walks up to Cassandra's and sees Jess, who says she is there because Cassandra wanted some young energy there. Melody tells her that her necklace looks good on her. Cassandra notices that Melody had brought her camera and wonders where Anabelle is. Melody tells her that she would be there later and the dinner party begins.
Jess introduces Melody to Patricia, who she says would not mind being interviewed. The interview starts and Patricia says that she had been there since 1962. She says that she records stories mostly and feels as if someone has a message for her, but she should not say who. Melody asks if she remembers Julia Bennett, but she remembers incorrectly.
After that, Melody interviews Helen, who lives in 5A and designs masks, like for Tamara's opera. Melody asks if she is part of the historical society that meets in the community room, but Helen leaves to go mingle.
Cassandra told Evie that there was a way for her to talk to her dead father.
Jess wonders if Patricia told Melody about her tapes, which surprises her. Samuel brings a guest named Evie Crest who was outside and says she forgot the code. Cassandra introduces her to everyone as Dan wonders what she is doing there. Evie says that she had always been fascinated by Eleanor's work, as Samuel apologizes for sitting next to Melody. He explains that Cassandra rarely lets men stay, so he could not refuse, but Melody says it is fine. Cassandra tells them that Evie is William Crest's daughter. They say that he filmed The Circle, which was lost and inspired by a snuff film, which was about some sort of ritual sacrifice, which Cassandra is very interested in seeing and getting information on. Tamara interrupts and says that William died because of suicide, which provokes a lot of tension, which Evie admits to be true, but she does not want to accept that he had abandoned them. Cassandra tells her that there may be a way to speak to him from beyond since Beatriz is a very talented medium. After they both accept, they start making room as Melody grabs a pick and heads towards the cabinet.
When she reaches the cabinet, she starts picking the lock and is approached by Samuel, who asks her if she made that a habit, showing her the key and opening the cabinet. Inside, they see the figure, which was a self-portrait, as Cassandra described it.
Beatriz cried after helping Evie, refusing to go again when she lost connection.
Beatriz calls for the spirits and asks for the dead to be with them, calling for William. The candles start flickering and Beatriz starts shuddering. Evie asks if William is there, but Tamara tells her to ask him something only he would know. Evie asks about her sixth birthday and William recalls, so Evie is shocked. Cassandra tells her to ask him about the film, which confuses Evie, but she does as is asked and William says that the party was Peter Crawford's. Cassandra wants to know if they ever found a copy, so Evie asks, but William asks them to stay away and grows desperate as a demonic voice takes over Beatriz's voice. Once they lose connection to William, Cassandra tells her to try again, but Beatriz refuses, as Melody comforts Evie.
As she gets up, Melody is asked by Cassandra if there is somebody she would like to contact, but she says she does not, since she was not dead. However, Cassandra says that she does not know that for sure, so she sits down and hands Beatriz Julia Bennett's ring. Beatriz calls Julia, but the lights do not flicker and Beatriz apologizes, saying that she could not find her presence among the dead, which makes Melody feel relieved. However, as they touch hands, Beatriz feels someone else.
Melody was left in shock when Dan told her she was dead.
Dan is surprised as Melody appears behind him, asking who that was and asking what he is watching. He says that he is just working on some tapes by restoring them. Melody looks at the video and says that she knows or knew the person there, who was Beatriz. Dan asks if she remembers his name, which she does and says that he lives at the Visser, but he says that he does not and has never been there. However, she tells him that they met at the community room, which he says is impossible because he lives there, and is unsure where they met. Melody says that she is supposed to ask him for help, but she does not know what kind of help, since everything in her head is jumbled up. She asks Dan what the notebook on his desk is and recognizes it as her notebook, which is damaged. Dan says he found it like that; inside, was Melody's ring, so she asks if he had stolen it, which she does not understand. She asks him what is going on and Dan remembers his sister telling him about ghosts. Dan looks at her and tells her that she is dead, having died at the fire in the Visser 25 years ago. She asks if he is crazy, and he tells her that the footage he is working on is hers, wanting to understand what happened to her, how she knew his father, what caused the fire and wants to know if she ever found her mother. Melody asks him what is wrong with him, but he says that he is trying to help like she asked. However, Melody screams that she is not dead and causes a temporary power outage, disappearing after that.
Dan and Melody were left in shock as Beatriz started repeating their conversation word for word.
Dan keeps watching the tape and sees as Beatriz's eyes get white. She looks at Melody and says that she can get out of her way. She tells Melody that she knows she is a good person and that she cares about people. Beatriz thanks the other person and says she does not understand as Melody asks what is going on. Dan realizes that Beatriz is repeating the conversation he just had with Melody and she gets confused as well, saying that Beatriz could not know what was going on in her dreams and in her head. Casandra stops Beatriz, but she finishes what she was saying and starts scratching her face so hard, she starts bleeding. Tamara and Samuel get up, stopping her from scratching herself and tell the rest to call an ambulance.
Dan realizes that Melody was real and calls Mark, saying that he could save her since there was still time. Mark does not know what he is talking about and Dan explains, but Mark looks at the card Virgil sent him.
When the ambulance gets to the Visser, Melody asks how it was even possible for Beatriz to see what was going on in her dreams, but she is pushed away by the EMTs and the ambulance leaves with Beatriz.
Melody walked up and was shocked to see Anabelle painting obsessively.
Melody goes back up to her apartment and asks Anabelle where she had been al night only to find she had been painting nonstop since she had left. She asks what she is doing, but Anabelle does not respond until she asks what the paintings are. Anabelle turns around and tells her that there is someone in there. As the camera keeps recording, demonic hissing starts taking over.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Dan Turner - Mamoudou Athie
- Melody Pendras - Dina Shihabi
- Samuel - Evan Jonigkeit
- Anabelle - Julia Chan
- Jess - Ariana Neal
- Mark Higgins - Matt McGorry
- Virgil Davenport - Martin Donovan
- Cassandra Wall - Kristin Griffith
- Bobbi - Jacqueline Antaramian
- Tamara Stefano - Kate Eastman
- Beatriz Reyes - Sol Miranda
Additional cast[]
- Evie Crest - Michelle Federer
- Helen Yung - Emy Coligado
- Patricia Marston
- EMT - Jake Andolina
- Emily Turner - Jaxon Rose Moore
- Young Dan Turner - Trayce Malachi
- Visser Tenant - Daniel Johnson
- EMT - Robert Kwiatkowski