The Pilot picks up more than a year after the events of American Satan. "On the Rox" in LA, a crew of Paparazzi follow Lily, Vic, and Leo outside the club and badger them with questions about what The Relentless have been up to recently. A Loony Fan approaches Lily, who sends her off smiling.
After a TMZ-style tabloid entertainment report brings us up to date on what happened to the band, we catch up with Johnny and Gretchen. Johnny has been a recluse, not wanting to return to the rock'n'roll life that nearly killed him and put him in jail "for a long fucking time." Surprisingly Realistic Outcome when Gretchen points out that they're behind on their bills, and Johnny appeases her by sending out an announcement that The Relentless will be playing a show in the next week.
Elias receives a call from Maya, the booking agent, who tells him every venue in town is booked solid.During an interview, Johnny reveals his shameful participation in Vivian's defloration, much to the annoyance of the rest of the band. Vivian and her mother (neither of whom had names in the film) are at home and Lizzie reminds Vivian that they are completely broke, and tries to press her to contact Johnny and reveal that he fathered a child he doesn't know about. Vivian boards a bus to LA, where she meets Gabriel.
Tropes appearing in the episode include:
- Broke Episode: Downplayed. While Natalie takes care of Simon, she finds out that Oliver no longer has any obligation to pay for his education.
- Calling Parents by Their Name: Gretchen calls her mother "Lizzie." Simon calls his mother "Natalie" when he is angry with her for day drinking.
- Disappeared Dad: Oliver to Simon.
- Empty Promise: Johnny promises not to play any new songs, because Elias warns him that fans will record and stream it. They go ahead and play a new song anyway.
- Foreshadowing: In some of the questions the reporter asks.
- Good Girls Avoid Abortion: Oliver offered Natalie money and a career boost and she told him to go fuck himself.
- Intrepid Reporter: Both from the Paparazzi and the Hit Parader newscaster.
- Law of Inverse Fertility:
- Not on the List: A bouncer turns Elias away at the door.
- Percussive Therapy: After he's told that CDs don't sell anymore, Elias takes out his frustration on a warehouse full of money-sucking, useless discs.
- Practical Voice-Over: Provides quick exposition and covers the time between events of the film and the pilot.
- Putting the Band Back Together: In several short scenes, including an intern screwing up Dylan's flight back to the US.
- Shed the Family Name: Simon complains that some online jerks claim he can only book shows because of his father's name. He wants nothing to do with Oliver, and the feeling is mutual.
- Shout-Out: The name of the fertility clinic is "Sowing The Seeds Of Love," the name of a song by Tears for Fears.
- After Johnny reveals that the band has set aside their "Satanic" leanings, Natalie tells Simon about Jimmy Page 's dalliances with the occult. Page bought a home that belonged to Aleister Crowley and claimed it was haunted.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Johnny's attorney, only known as Damien's father, died in the intervening months.
