Bev is the sophisticated proprietor of Bev's Wine Bar — or is she Galyna, a high-ranking member of a shadowy Eastern European terrorist organization living in the United States with the mission of purchasing and exporting explosives using the bar as a front?
Synopsis
As a child in her home country, Galyna witnessed brutal violence when a civil war turned brother against brother, Russian loyalists locked in a vicious battle against Sarkhazian separatist. She learned survival is about more than just courage. It’s about cunning, disguise, deception.
Years later, Galyna has become Bev. She’s settled down on the East Coast with a loving girlfriend, a gorgeous loft apartment, and a wine bar that, if not thriving, is well-reviewed. She learns a host of new skills — instead of cleaning guns and disarming mines, she’s breaking up fights between two pregnant bar backs, pairing malbecs with filet mignon, and trying to discourage people from doing coke in the bathroom.
But Bev's ties to her country are far from gone. In fact, rather than abandoning her old life, she’s carefully constructed a new one around it, building a business that functions as a discreet satellite operation of Syla Drakona, the mysterious organization fighting to liberate Sarkhazia — designated a terrorist organization by the State Department but viewed as freedom fighters by many in their country.
But exporting wine bottles full of PLX and casks full of C4 while keeping the brunch crowd from overdoing the mimosas presents its own set of challenges. Can Bev maintain her relationship, wrangle her rambunctious staff, and serve her cause all at once? How long before her grapes are thrown into the great winepress of the U.S. Government’s wrath?
Tone & Style
Like red blend, Terroir’s charm is in the seamless mixing of two genres — an espionage thriller and a workplace comedy. The tension and stakes of Bev’s criminal life complement petty service industry drama, each acting as a respite from the other when things get too messy. The magic, though, happens when the two worlds collide. Sommeliers rub shoulders with terrorists, bar backs unwittingly stock shelves of liquid explosives, and Bev constantly fights to keep her employees from getting wise.
Drawing from Terroir’s thriller roots, each episode should feature at least one choreographed action sequence, whether it’s a car chase, a shootout, or hand-to-hand combat. Drawing from its comedy roots, there should be no shortage of punchlines and visual gags. The tone of the show is fluid, easily slipping between drama and comedy as the plot, stakes, and characters change.
Special care should be taken in Terroir’s wardrobe to establish the believability of its characters and world. The wine bar staff have a variety of uniforms ranging from suits for the sommeliers to crisp white shirts and vests for the bartenders to black slacks and button downs for the waiters. Off the clock, their wardrobes are eclectic, reflecting their diverse interests and personalities. The members of Syla Drakona dress in a style almost (but not quite) parodying Eastern European mob stereotypes, with Adidas track suits, fur and leather jackets, and dark sunglasses. Many wear eye-catching jewelry and all have heavily symbolic tattoos. Henchmen tend to dress the flashiest while leadership wears more luxurious and understated clothes.
Setting
The Wine Bar
Bev’s Wine Bar is a posh spot in a gentrifying neighborhood. The building is a converted warehouse with high ceilings, exposed brick, rustic hardwood floors, and factory-style windows. Inside, the bar is dim and candlelit, jazz music playing from a record player and abstract art on the walls. The bar is ornate and elaborate with a large mirror behind it. Wooden stairs lead down to the cellar, a cozy space with antique wine advertisements on the walls and racks containing hundreds of bottles of wine. In one corner of the cellar is a walk-in fridge, and in the other corner, a locked storeroom where Bev stores weapons and explosives.
Bev’s menu consists of a very extensive (and often expensive) wine list and a few basic bread and cheese appetizers. There are rarely more than a few people in the bar but its regulars are very loyal. The patrons are diverse but include the archetypes you’d expect — lonely old rich people, obnoxious writers, and alcoholic professionals.
Bev’s Apartment
Bev lives in a loft apartment close to the bar — a small but upscale place with bookshelves, tsteful art, a fireplace, and a balcony overlooking the city. Kyla has decorated the place with a few sentimental photos and knick-knacks but Bev has yet to decorate the place with anything remotely personal.
The Safehouse
Syla Drakona has a safehouse near the docks where operatives meet in secret, product is store and exchanged, and people go to hide out. The building is a decrepit warehouse infested with rats and smattered with graffiti. The first floor is an open space with storerooms in the back containing cash and weapons caches. Upstairs is a dingy apartment with a pullout couch, an old TV, and smoke-stained pictures from the old country.
Syla Drakona
Syla Drakona is a separatist organization based in a fictional Eastern European country called Sarkhasia. Their primary goal is to create a new nation for their people, independent from Russia. Syla Drakona has been designated a terrorist organization by the State Department, NATO, and the media, but they have significant support from the Sarkhasian people and some financial support from shadowy elements of the intelligence community interested in undermining Russia’s power. They frequently execute terrorist attacks in Russia and Sarkhasia, but their operations in the United States are focused on securing funds and weapons. The group is loosely based on Babbar Khalsa.
Characters
GALYNA MOROZ AKA BEV HARRISON (43)
Owner of Bev's Wine Bar. Manicured, chic, and distinguished. Able to blend in with high society types while chatting comfortably with the janitor. Charming but reserved. Never trusts a soul, not even her wife. Haunted look indicating a dark past. Secretly a high-ranking member of Syla Drakona. Capable of extreme violence when necessary. Photographic memory and encyclopedic knowledge of both wine and heavy weaponry.
Owner of Bev's Wine Bar. Manicured, chic, and distinguished. Able to blend in with high society types while chatting comfortably with the janitor. Charming but reserved. Never trusts a soul, not even her wife. Haunted look indicating a dark past. Secretly a high-ranking member of Syla Drakona. Capable of extreme violence when necessary. Photographic memory and encyclopedic knowledge of both wine and heavy weaponry.
BOHDAN SHULGA AKA MR. MOORE (65)
Middle management of Syla Drakona on the East Coast and Bev’s handler/liaison to Syla Drakona headquarters. Often wears a fake beard, dark sunglasses, and hat but is unable to lose his thick accent. Played an important role in the Sarkhasian civil war leaving him a legend in his home country. Serious and wistful man. Often speaks in riddles, parables, and roundtabout stories. Cold-blooded killer at heart.
Middle management of Syla Drakona on the East Coast and Bev’s handler/liaison to Syla Drakona headquarters. Often wears a fake beard, dark sunglasses, and hat but is unable to lose his thick accent. Played an important role in the Sarkhasian civil war leaving him a legend in his home country. Serious and wistful man. Often speaks in riddles, parables, and roundtabout stories. Cold-blooded killer at heart.
ABDINASIR OMAR (35)
Bartender at Bev's Wine Bar. Confident, Bev’s right-hand-man. Kind and innocent with a caustic sense of humor that comes out when he’s comfortable. Good rapport with the rest of the staff. Stays above the drama. Refugee who moved to the United States as a teenager and has witness horrific violence. Familiar with conflict and war. Stumbles upon Bev’s secret and is drawn into the plot against his will.
Bartender at Bev's Wine Bar. Confident, Bev’s right-hand-man. Kind and innocent with a caustic sense of humor that comes out when he’s comfortable. Good rapport with the rest of the staff. Stays above the drama. Refugee who moved to the United States as a teenager and has witness horrific violence. Familiar with conflict and war. Stumbles upon Bev’s secret and is drawn into the plot against his will.
KYLA CALLAGHAN (47)
Bev's wife who works as an EMT. Sporty and enthusiastic personality. Thoughtful, attentive, and supportive when it comes to Bev. Likes to stay home, drink beer, and watch Netflix when she’s not working. Comes from a wealthy family with connections to law enforcement and local government. At heart kind of a spoiled kid. Completely oblivious to Bev's true identity and misses the many clues in front of her.
Bev's wife who works as an EMT. Sporty and enthusiastic personality. Thoughtful, attentive, and supportive when it comes to Bev. Likes to stay home, drink beer, and watch Netflix when she’s not working. Comes from a wealthy family with connections to law enforcement and local government. At heart kind of a spoiled kid. Completely oblivious to Bev's true identity and misses the many clues in front of her.
Comps
Season Arc
At the end of the pilot, a few key things happen that point toward the rest of the season:
Bev nearly tells Kyla about her true identity but decides to keep it hidden. In future episodes, keeping this information from Kyla proves increasingly difficult — partially because Bev’s activities become more visible and partially because Bev recognizes the caring and selfless nature of her wife. Or is it because Kyla may be a useful asset?
Charles and Arlene (Bev’s Wine Bar regulars) tell Bev their son has been named County Commissioner. In future episodes, Bev attempts to get close to their son through seduction, developing a secret relationship with him that — while strictly business — throws a wrench in Bev’s relationship with Kyla.
James (a Bev’s Wine Bar regular) reveals that he works at the Chamber of Commerce and complains about a shipment went out without proper inspection. In future episodes,
Bev uses James as a pawn for her political agenda, taking advantage of both his trust and drinking problem to pull one over on the City. Bev takes Jancis hostage and hides her in the secret storage room containing the explosives. In future episodes, Bodhan commands that Bev eliminate Jancis. Bev refuses, claiming she can flip her and use her for the cause. Whether this is a forward-thinking move or one indicating Bev’s weakening stomach remains to be seen.
A shipment of AK-47s and ammunition arrives in Sarkhasia accompanied by an enormous albino crocodile. The crocodile escapes into the bay and the workers find a nest of eggs in the shipping container. In future episodes, the crocodile haunts Syla Drakona, becoming an urban legend amongst the organization. They raise the baby crocodiles with the goal of using them as weapons. On the American end, Syla Drakona’s reptile shipping scheme grows increasingly hazardous and suspect.
