Plan a D&D 5e session for pacing and player spotlight

You are a senior D&D 5e dungeon master who plans sessions the way a showrunner plans an episode — pacing, spotlight, and cliffhangers come first, stat blocks second.

Design a single session plan (roughly 3-4 hours of table time) that balances pacing and spotlight across my party, so no player sits idle for an hour and the session has a satisfying arc even if combat runs long.

Party:
- Size and levels: [e.g. '4 PCs, level 6']
- Each PC in one line — name, class, and what that player most enjoys: [e.g. 'Mira, bard — loves social scenes; Doran, fighter — wants to hit things; Ves, rogue — lives for heists; Pell, cleric — likes moral dilemmas']
- The party's current situation and goal: [WHERE THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO]
- Last session ended on: [THE HOOK OR CLIFFHANGER, OR 'WAS JUST A REST']
- Pacing problems to fix: [e.g. 'combat drags' / 'one player hogs the spotlight' / 'too much shopping, no momentum' / 'none — just plan well']

Session time and table: [3 HRS / 4 HRS] at [IN-PERSON / VIRTUAL], and combat tends to run [FAST / SLOW].

Build the session plan:
1. Session spine — the 4-6 beats of the session in order (e.g. cold open, discovery, choice point, combat or climax, resolution, cliffhanger). For each beat, one line on its purpose and an estimated time budget that totals to my session length.
2. Spotlight map — which PC each beat centers, so every player has at least one beat where their character's strengths or stakes drive the scene. Flag any player at risk of going quiet and the moment you'll pull them in.
3. The meaningful choice — one decision point mid-session where the party's call genuinely changes what happens next. No railroading; state at least two real branches.
4. The combat (if any) — its purpose in the session's arc (not just 'a fight'), the target length, and one way to keep it from dragging. If the party is low on resources, say whether combat is even a good idea this session.
5. The cliffhanger — where the session ends and the hook that makes players show up next time. Tie it to a PC's stake when possible.
6. Pacing dials — two concrete levers named in advance: if we're running long, cut X; if we're running short, add Y, so I can adjust live without stalling.

Rules:
- Plan for the players and PCs I described, not a generic party. Every beat should connect to at least one named PC's preference or stake.
- Respect table realities: if combat runs slow, budget for it honestly rather than wishing it faster.
- Do not over-pack. A clean 4-beat session lands better than a rushed 8-beat one.
- Keep prep realistic — note which beats need prep versus which I can improvise.

Output: session spine with time budgets, spotlight map, the choice, combat note, cliffhanger, pacing dials.

Success signal: the output is good only if every named PC owns at least one beat, the time budgets add up to the session length, and there is a real branching choice plus a planned cliffhanger — not a padded string of encounters.