THE GENESIS PROJECT SYNOPSIS

Currently running for re-election, the mayor of Covenant, Texas, Kate Henderson, engages in a televised debate with her challenger, Mitchell Adams. Nick Walker watches the debate from Walker Brothers restaurant, the restaurant started by his parents and managed by his fiancée Bella Hernandez. Nick and Bella recall how his older brother Frank had dated Kate, who dumped him before becoming mayor.

Hoping to distract Frank from the debate, the eldest Walker brother Michael, a former Navy Seal, takes him to the gym. During their workout, Michael explains to Frank his concept for the new spiritual wellness center he plans to open with his wife Tina, who works with Bella at the restaurant.

To deal with declining revenue, Tina and Bella propose reimagining the restaurant under the new name Heirloom. When they share their plans with the Walker brothers, the three men approve it, and the women immediately get to work on the renovations.

When Kate’s computer system is hacked, she believes the culprit to be Mitchell, her political opponent. She immediately calls upon her cybersecurity chief Peter Janus, a cousin of the Walker family, to fix the problem and identify the hacker.

At the same time, Ted Mason, Bella’s ex-boyfriend, reaches out to Nick to apologize for all the terrible things he did in the past. He insists he’s been reformed since completing a program designed to address his substance abuse and family issues. Believing Ted to be sincere, Nick accepts his apology and agrees they can be friends.

When Bella asks Frank to assist with the city paperwork required to begin the restaurant renovation, he discovers a problem. He meets with Kate and points out that all of the city-approved construction companies required for use under a new ordinance have ties to donors funding her campaign. In fact, two of the companies on the list are co-owned by his cousin Peter, who works for her. He encourages Kate to do the right thing and change her unethical practices for the sake of the city, but she declines.

Believing that his discovery is only one of Kate’s acts of corruption, Frank begins to dig deeper into her business deals. Eventually, he discovers that she’s involved with something called “The Genesis Project.”

Meanwhile, when Bella tells Nick that she feels like they are just ships passing in the night because he spends all his time studying for law school, he promises to be a better fiancé. One night, he shows up at the restaurant and surprises her with a gift: two beautiful candlesticks that her parents received on their wedding day. He explains they are family heirlooms and fit the new theme of the restaurant.

As the first episode draws to a close, Frank is knocked unconscious by a mysterious stranger when getting into his car. After closing the restaurant for the night, Bella is scared by the appearance of Ted, who insists they need to talk. When Tina screams out and awakens from a terrible nightmare, Michael and Nick try to comfort her. They ask what the nightmare was about and she simply replies, “Frank.” Finally, as he regains consciousness, Frank finds himself gagged and bound to a chair in a dark room at the mercy of his captor.