Omen

Omen is the first episode of Netflix's 2020 fantasy television series Luna Nera.

Synopsis
Teenage Ade has a dark premonition while helping her grandmother deliver a baby. The two are accused of witchcraft, and one is sentenced to death.

Plot summary
In the woods at night, a woman called Tebe says an incantation in Latin while she’s hunched over the cadaver of a deer. Three other women stand at a small distance while she takes out its heart and notices that it’s still beating. One of the others, Leptis, nervously tells her that the horses are getting restless. The other two, Janara and Persepolis, inform her that there are twelve other dead deer in the forest. This fact in combination with the waning moon lead Tebe to believe that something terrible is about to happen. She then tells Janara it’s time they return to their ancient dwelling, as the moment they’ve been waiting for is almost there.

The next day, a midwife, Natalia and her granddaughter Ade are tending to a woman in labour. Suddenly, Ade claims the baby is dying, scaring the pregnant lady who calls her a witch and demands that Ade would go away. Natalia and Ade leave the scene in a hurry.

Meanwhile in Rome, a professor teaches his students to make a clear distinction between magic and science by letting them determine the true cause of death of a man said to have been killed by an evil spell. After Pietro establishes the man died of syphilis, the professor lectures his students further that they should use scientific knowledge to oppose the belief in witchcraft.

In Serra however, the baby’s death is immediately suspected to be the work of a witch. Sante, a friend of the baby’s father, promises to hunt this witch down with his group of so-called Benandanti. Back home, after they tend to her sick brother Valente, a confused Ade tells her grandmother she saw the baby’s soul soaring from his body. Natalia tries to reassure her that she didn’t cause his death, but simply saw what was about to happen. She explains that some women preserve an ancient wisdom that is feared by others, but Ade should defend it. Realising she doesn’t have much time before the Benandanti arrive, she makes Ade promise she will always take care of her brother Valente, and stay together. She then hides a book under some loose floorboards and protects it with a spell, much to Ades surprise, who hardly recognises her grandmother anymore. Natalia gives Ade a necklace, and describes that in case she doesn’t return, Ade needs to look deep in the woods for a viper’s nest, where she’ll find the Lost Cities. Without further explanation, she says “the sign” is strong, which means “they” will be back there. She urges Ade to take the book with her when she goes there, stating it is very important and “they” will explain why. Ade begs her grandmother not to leave her and take the blame for something she did. But a determined Natalia tells Ade to stay put while she goes outside to face the Benandanti.

After her grandmother is taken, everyone Ade used to know avoids her, refuses to talk to her and refuses to give her food in spite of her pleas for help. Several people make the sign of the cross as to protect themselves against her. Frustrated, Ade starts to throw things around but quickly pulls herself together when she notices her brother Valente staring at her.

Spirto pays a visit to Rome to inform Pietro that his mother is very ill. He claims she got worse since the midwife came to town. Pietro tells him he will get home as soon as possible, he will find the cause of his mother’s disease and that there’s no woman involved. On his way home, he meets Ade while she’s crossing a river. Because she doesn’t tell him her name, he decides to call her “half-skirt” as she his holding up her skirt to keep it dry. He offers to help her cross but winds up falling in the water himself while trying to get to her. Ade laughingly says goodbye to him.

In the village, Pietro surprises Cesaria, and after happily hugging each other, she takes him to his sick mother. When Cesaria leaves, his mother explains to him they can’t sleep in the same room anymore, as they are no longer children and Cesaria is not his sister (although Pietro called her just that moments before). Pietro then gives his mother some medicine which in his opinion will cure her. She informs  him his father is convinced she got worse because of the witch that allegedly also killed Giambattista’s son. Pietro replies that a wrong cure is the only thing that made her worse. His mother nods, indicating she agrees with him.

Ade meanwhile, is still desperate for food and tries to obtain some in Serra in exchange for a basket. And although she attempts to hide her face, she is soon recognised as the midwife’s granddaughter. When an angry mob surrounds her, Pietro intervenes and rebukes the crowd for attacking a starving young girl. Ade runs off towards the church, seeking answers from father Tosco, who ignores her. She reads the announcement he just put up and realising it contains her grandmothers death sentence, she starts banging at the door, yelling they’re condemning an innocent woman. She is interrupted by Persepolis, who witnessed the previous scene as well. She warns Ade it’s better to go away, unless she wants to be burned at the stake as well. Back home, Ade finds the same notice at her front door. A distraught Valente asks if it’s true their grandmother is sentenced to death and insists that they have to go tell everyone that the accusations against her are untrue. Ade however says they can’t do anything about it.

Pietro confronts his father Sante about not telling him his mother was ill. His father replies there was nothing to say, since he is dealing with it. Pietro disapprovingly retorts that burning a poor old woman won’t help. Sante shoots back that she’s not a poor old woman, that she killed a baby and put a curse on their house. His son insists however that there’s always an explanation, even for obscure and painful events. Offended, Sante tells him he didn’t send his son to Rome to disobey his father or to make him feel more powerful than the devil or God Almighty. Pietro asks him once more not to burn her, because he is not a murderer. His father replies that unlike him, he knows what it’s like to fight a war.

In a flashback, Ade remembers her mother leaving. Showing signs of labor pains, she tells a young Ade to trust the next person who comes through the door, who’ll also bring her little brother with her. Persepolis pays a visit to Spirto and asks him if he knows where the witch is being kept. The two of them are obviously close. They are interrupted by Pietro, who is looking for Spirto’s assistance so he can determine the true cause of death of the baby. He finds out the infant died of suffocation from the umbilical cord.

The next day, Ade returns to the church begging to see her grandmother. She tries to hug her before they take her to the stake, but a Benandante pulls her away. Natalia sees Tebe, Janara and Leptis in the crowd and seems to recognise them. Pietro makes a final attempt to stop the burning, by providing prove that the baby died of natural causes. Father Tosco however, states he merely explains how the witch, through the devils work, strangulated the baby in his mothers womb. The crowd agrees with him and demands her death. As the order to lit the fire is given, Leptis reaches for her sword, but is stopped in time by Tebe. While the fire is burning, Tebe says a spell in Latin. Natalia notices this, along with Tebe looking at the sky, then repeats the same words. Dark clouds appear, followed by heavy rain, extinguishing the fire. To make sure the witch would die, Sante takes his sword and stabs her in the chest. At that very moment Valente arrives and screams as his grandmother is killed. Pietro helps Ade and a half-conscious Valente get away from there. Ade thanks him and says farewell to him because it is no longer safe for them to stay. Pietro tells her he’ll wait for her at a fountain in the forest and will colour the water to indicate he’s there.

Sante reports back to Giambattista, the father of the deceased baby, that they were unable to burn the witch, but she’s dead all the same. At the same time, Giambattistas wife regains consciousness and reveals to him and Sante that it was the young girl, Ade, who was responsible and not her grandmother. Meanwhile, Ade finds the viper’s nest in the forest her grandmother was talking about before she got captured. Valente points out a pattern to her in which the necklace their grandmother gave her fits perfectly. When doing so, the stone wall opens up for them. Ade carries her brother inside towards a house where four women (Tebe, Janara, Leptis and Persepolis) are waiting for them. Tebe tells her they were expecting her.

Cast and characters
Starring:
 * Antonia Fotaras as Ade Bruno
 * Giorgio Belli as Pietro
 * Manuela Mandracchia as Tebe

Guest-starring:
 * Federica Fracassi as Janara
 * Lucrezia Guidone as Leptis
 * Adalgisa Manfrida as Persepolis
 * Giada Gagliardi as Valente
 * Giandomenico Cupaiuolo as Sante
 * Gloria Carovana as Cesaria
 * Filippo Scotti as Spirto
 * Sonia Gessner as Natalia Bruno
 * Barbara Ronchi as Antalia Bruno
 * Aliosha Massine as Benedetto
 * Gianmarco Vettori as Nicola
 * Daniele Amendola as Giambattista
 * Marilena Anniballi as Agnese
 * Nathan Macchioni as Adriano
 * Gaetano Aronica as Father Tosco
 * Mario Pirrello as the Roman professor

Quotes
"Animula vagula, blandula, hospes comesque corporis quae nunc abibis in loca pallidula rigida, nudula, nec, ut soles, dabis iocos" (Tebe, opening lines of the first episode)

"Vedi, vagi, vacueface" (Natalia's spell to hide the book)

“There’s a barrier between the living and the dead. Women keep it closed, but if it were opened, an army of furious dead would populate the Earth. At first, it would wipe out these women and then it would impose its power on the world.” (Natalia to Ade)

“Your pelts or your life boy!” – “I thought studying in Rome would have made you serious. But you’re still the same idiot!” (Pietro and Cesaria)

“There are no such things as curses father, only illnesses.” (Pietro to Sante)

“Don’t cry my love. Your tears won’t save you. Only your strength can save you. You know that we posses a very strong inner power. And that’s what they’re afraid of. Our strength. That’s why they want to make us weak. But we are stronger. Never forget that.” (Antalia to a young Ade)

“You have to ask yourself if you respect the people whose respect you are seeking.” (Persepolis to Spirto)

“How powerful man would be if only he trusted his intellect.” (Pietro to Spirto)

“Nebulae nimbi, nubes” (Tebe, repeated by Natalia)

“Come Ade. We’ve been waiting for you.” (Tebe to Ade)