Line #60 Series/ZTheBeginningOfEverything


1	[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/6a01b8d1fbcbaa970c01bb0971e0c6970d_800wi.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:333:''"I love her and she is the beginning of everything."'']]
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4	''Z: The Beginning of Everything'' is a 2017 period drama series. It is headlined by Creator/ChristinaRicci, who also acted as an Executive Producer. It is based on a book of the same name by Therese Anne Fowler.
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6	The series begins in Montgomery, Alabama in 1918. World War I is waging and a young debutante named Zelda Sayre is eager to find her place in the world. She's a constant source of frustration to her parents, as she has little care for the conservative sense of propriety in the south. She loves to go to dances unchaperoned, wear shorter dresses, flirt shamelessly with young boys and dream of a better life in somewhere like New York.
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8	Zelda soon meets a like-minded young man serving in the War (Creator/DavidHoflin). He charms her with his PurpleProse and love of art - in stark contrast to the men of Montgomery, who only care about money and motorcars. The man's name is Creator/FScottFitzgerald and he dreams of writing the MediaNotes/GreatAmericanNovel. Zelda promises to marry him when he publishes his first book. He succeeds after the war is over - but only after he's borrowed some passages from her letters.
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10	The series was broadcast on Creator/PrimeVideo and, despite a second season being announced, ran for a single season.
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12	!!Tropes:
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14	* AffectionateNickname: Ludlow Fowler, Scott's best friend, is nicknamed 'Luddy' by Zelda.
15	* TheAlcoholic: Scott is already one when the story starts. Zelda becomes one too sadly.
16	* {{Arcadia}}: Subverted with the beautiful Westport home Zelda and Scott move into by the sea. Zelda quickly becomes bored with it, longing for her old city life.
17	* {{Ballet}}: Zelda was a trained ballerina in real life and performs a dance from ''{{Theatre/Giselle}}'' at a function - which is how Scott first meets her.
18	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Zelda wants desperately to escape the town of Montgomery and head for somewhere like New York. She discovers that it's not what she had imagined.
19	* BehindEveryGreatMan: Scott's book doesn't get published until he borrows from Zelda's letters.
20	* {{Biopic}}: The first one of the couple to be told from Zelda's point of view.
21	* BrokenPedestal: When he returns to his alma mater, Scott encounters a young student called Laurence who is a fan of his writing. Laurence then loses all respect for Scott after witnessing his drunken antics.
22	* CityMouse: Scott is one of these, and Zelda desperately wants to be one.
23	* TheCityVsTheCountry: Plot A. Zelda wishes to escape her dreary small town and live in somewhere like New York. Of course once she gets there she finds herself out of place among the prim and proper socialites. This veers into Plot B towards the end of the first season, where Zelda and Scott move to a beach-side house in Westport, and Zelda becomes bored out of her mind.
24	* TheCobblersChildrenHaveNoShoes: Judge Sayre has a rebellious daughter he can't control. In reality the fact that her father was a judge allowed Zelda to get away with some of her loose behaviour in Montgomery.
25	* CultureClash: Between the lavish and rowdy north, and the conservative and quiet south - once Zelda moves to New York.
26	* DanceOfRomance: Scott and Zelda meet at a party, so of course this happens.
27	* DatingWhatDaddyHates: Judge Sayre doesn't believe writing is a real profession and disapproves of Scott's lack of propriety.
28	* EngagementChallenge: Zelda promises to marry Scott as soon as he publishes a book. When ''This Side of Paradise'' is published, she travels to New York for the wedding.
29	* EstablishingCharacterMoment: Zelda's introduction is flashing her friends before she goes for a swim. In reality she did this just to troll her neighbours into thinking she swims in the nude.
30	* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: Scott's hair becomes slightly longer around the time his book sells. He also doesn't wear it slicked back.
31	* FanServicePack: Naturally as Zelda adopts the look of the Roaring Twenties.
32	* TheFlapper: Scott referred to Zelda as 'The First American Flapper', so naturally she embodies this spirit even before the 20s have even started.
33	* {{Foreshadowing}}: When Scott carves their initials into a pillar, Zelda notes that he carved his bigger than hers.
34	* FranchiseOriginalSin: In-universe example. The first time Zelda discovers that Scott has used some of her writing in his book, she's flattered that he made her a part of his work.
35	* GenteelInterbellumSetting: The initial episodes in Montgomery. Once Zelda gets to New York, she's mocked by the women for her fashion sense. One even says "could she be more interbellum?"
36	* GoneHorriblyRight: Scott shows his publisher Max some of Zelda's journals in order to deter him from asking questions about why he hasn't written more. Max ends up wanting to publish the journals as a book on its own - irritating Scott, who was hoping to use some of Zelda's writing in his novel.
37	* GoodBadGirl: Zelda loves the idea of free love and, although her family are scandalized, she's portrayed sympathetically.
38	* GoodTimesMontage: Set to Cole Porter's "Let's Misbehave" as Scott and Zelda make their way through various speakeasies.
39	* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Zelda loves to go to dances and drink a lot.
40	* HistoricalDomainCharacter: Creator/TallulahBankhead, an old friend of Zelda's, features as a character.
41	* IWillWaitForYou: As Scott is about to be shipped off to France, Zelda refuses to marry him then, but says she will when he's published his book.
42	* ImportantHaircut: After an exhausting lunch with the Bankheads and deciding she's tired of trying to conform to their standards, Zelda opts to get a TwentiesBobHaircut.
43	* LargeHam: Creator/DavidHoflin is very hammy as F Scott Fitzgerald, though he does have the excuse of being drunk in every other scene.
44	* LastNameBasis: Zelda insists on calling the young private she dances with in the first episode by his last name - Landon - because it suits him better.
45	* LethalChef: Zelda when she has to cook for herself. It gets to the point where she's unfazed by a grease fire in the frying pan.
46	* TheMakeover: Scott tries to enforce one on Zelda to fit in with the New York ladies. She responds by going HotterAndSexier to wear a flapper dress.
47	* MostWritersAreWriters: The two protagonists are writers, though of course the narrative focuses more on their personal lives.
48	* MuseAbuse: TruthInTelevision. Scott lifted several passages from Zelda's letters and journals to use in his own work.
49	* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Zelda resents being seen as just Scott's wife since she's a talented ballerina and writer herself.
50	* OddNameOut: Zelda's two sisters are named Tootsie and Tilde, both T names. Coincidentally she happens to be the BlackSheep of her family.
51	* RefugeInAudacity: When meeting one of Scott's stuffy old professors, Zelda makes a show of pretending to be Scott's mistress and excuses them because "I feel the need to copulate".
52	* RichesToRags: Scott's book sales plateau and he can't keep up with Zelda's spending, resulting in them being kicked out of their hotel.
53	* RomanticFalseLead: The third episode shows Zelda being courted by a young man. As Scott publishes his book at the end of the episode, this means Zelda will honour her agreement to marry him.
54	* SouthernBelle: Zelda rejects these customs in favour of becoming a flapper instead.
55	* TheTalk: Tootsie tries to give it to Zelda before her wedding, not knowing that her sister has already done it.
56	* TheTease: Zelda is a bit of a tease to the men in town in her teen years.
57	* TheirFirstTime: Scott and Zelda do it in the park in the second episode.
58	* TimeSkip: Episode 3 skips to a year after the war has ended.
59	* WeddingEpisode: Episode 4 covers Zelda and Scott's wedding in New York. Due to the rushed nature of it, they have to start the ceremony before Zelda's sister Tilde arrives.
60	* WHAMShot: In Episode 5, Zelda stops the party by opening her bedroom door and revealing herself completely naked.

Context Series / ZTheBeginningOfEverything