Onwards/Season 1

The **first season** of *Onwards* was released in the Fall of 2020. It consists of five episodes and is subtitled **"The Quest to the West"**.

## Plot

*Having lost her entire family, young Cassie Richards decides to undertake an epic journey west to spread her father's ashes on the Pacific coast. Meanwhile, bohemian squatter Tommy Garcia confronts racism and the law as he deals with his strange powers. When their lives cross, the resulting adventure will leave them both forever changed.*

## Synopsis

### 'The Trek'

In Spring 2019, following her father's funeral, Cassie Richards has him cremated and places his ashes in a wooden box. She packs up photographs of the other deceased members of her family, including her mother and brother, into a backpack. She also packs a tent and camping supplies before looking over a map that plots a vague route from her home in Fort Kent, Maine to Santa Barbara, California, where her father wished his ashes to be spread on the beach where he met Cassie's mother. Saying goodbye to her home, Cassie begins her long journey.

Meanwhile, Tommy Garcia wakes up in an abandoned house having partied hard the night before. He takes a sip of bear only to spit it out upon finding that it is warm and flat. He gets dressed in a cheap, flashy, dirty suit and leaves the house to wander the streets of Orange, Connecticut.

Over the course of two weeks, Cassie makes her way from Maine to Connecticut, mapping out a different route after discovering she only has $200 left for the entire journey. At a library computer she updates her "Miss Wild" blog, searching for job possibilites at several points on her route. She has further flashbacks of her life with her family. She finally makes it to Orange, Connecticut but decides to camp outside the town rather than waste money on a hotel or hostel.

During this time, Tommy corners another hobo, demanding money for some weed he sold him. Tommy says he just wants what he is owed and says to the hobo "you known *exactly* what I can do". The hobo hands over the cash and Tommy hands him some water, wishing him luck with a smile. As he counts the cash, he suddenly becomes more alert of something and rushes off quickly.

In the middle of the night, Cassie wakes up due to discomfort and goes for a walk on some nearby train tracks. She decides to do something her younger brother Sebastian used to do as a kid, and lays down across the tracks. As she has more flashbacks, she accidentally falls asleep. She is awoken by heavy vibrations and sees a train coming down the tracks. She tries to stand but realizes her foot has become stuck. She tries to get free but cannot do so in time, and closes her eyes as the train approaches. Suddenly, Tommy rushes onto the tracks and holds out his hand, stopping the train in place. He calls out to Cassie to get off the track, and in her panic she manages to wrestle herself free and rush off the track. Tommy steps off the track, still holding thee train in place, before letting go.

As the train barrels past them, Tommy demands to know what Cassie was doing, while she demands to know how he stopped the train. Tommy bluntly replies that he stopped the train with his mind and he has telekinetic powers. He once again demands to know what the hell Cassie was thinking. She replies that she was just resting, and Tommy angrily shouts that that is a good way to get killed. He follows her back to her tent, giving her frustrated lectures about safety before asking if Cassie even knows what she is doing. Cassie shouts back that she does and wants to be left alone, at which point Tommy relents and wishes her goodnight. As he walks away, he offers condolences for the death of Cassie's father. In shock, Cassie orders him back, demanding to know how he knew that. Tommy answers that he can read minds - "not completely, just snippits" - and asks where she is going. Still confused, Cassie states she is heading for Santa Barbara, California to spread her father's ashes on the spot where he met Cassie's mother, right on the Pacific coast. Tommy acknowleges that Cassie's journey is a personal one but also he now feels some kind of responsibility for her, before telling her he went west once - "as far as Colorado" - and offers to travel with her and show her the ropes; he presses that he would only accompany her for as long as she wants, and all he asks in return is a six-pack of beer for his efforts. Reluctantly, Cassie accepts and the two shake hands, introducing themselves.

## Trivia

* By the end of "*The Faith*", Cassie and Tommy have covered nearly a third of their 3800-mile journey to Santa Barbara.