Glenn informs Rita that she will be leaving home to attend a private school London, much to her disapproval, resulting in her to act aggressively. Marilyn sends Glenn and Kristina away for the night so that she can spend time with Rita. That evening, Marilyn follows Rita to Jo's house where she watches in secret as the two discuss the recent events and discovers that Jo caused the accidents so that Rita could seek revenge. When Jo tells Rita that their power will extend to a new community, Rita becomes upset as she believes that she will no longer be different and unique if others were to be like her. In the disagreement, the two begin to chant, and with her new powerful strength, Rita forces Jo to the ground. Back at home, Marilyn confronts Rita and begins to chant which violently forces Rita to be thrown around the room, while Marilyn tells her that it is over and if Rita insists on hurting her father and sister that she will destroy her. It is revealed that Marilyn also has power as Rita tries to retaliate and the two begin to constantly chant until Marilyn overpowers Rita, bring it all to an end. Marilyn comforts a sobbing Rita telling her that it is all over. "The Spell" went into production stages in the mid 1970s, when writer Brian Taggert developed the script and pitched it to Columbia Pictures, where he intended the film to receive a theatrical release. Columbia was impressed with Taggert's writing and his take on the theme of telekinesis. However, the film was slow to get off the ground and during the pre-production process, Brian De Palma's similarly themed "Carrie" became acclaimed and widely successful, which resulted in the film being converted into a teleplay for a network television Movie of the Week. Taggert claimed that he completed his script for the film while Stephen King was writing "Carrie". Both films open with a similar scene in which the character, Rita, in "The Spell", is teased and picked on by her classmates, which is how "Carrie" opened. As "The Spell" premiered on NBC three months following the release of "Carrie", it was seen as an imitation. "The Spell" was broadcast on NBC on February 20, 1977 at 8:00 pm. The film has received mixed reviews from critics. In an early review from Harriet Van Horne from New York Magazine, she said that "you will shudder at "The Spell", giggle in the wrong places, and, NBC hopes, and stay tuned in to learn all about telekinesis."