Follow TV Tropes

Following

Recap / Revolution Z Season 1 Episode 1

Go To

On the eve of the schoolyear start, 9th-graders Konstantin "Tino" Krumov and Boyan "Bobby" Vălchev are returning from the seaside. Tino is enthusiastic about starting a rock band, while Bobby is more preoccupied with his new hookup. Tino drives the truck home and it's revealed it belongs to the neighbor, from whom he must hide.

The next morning, physics teacher Nikola Savov awakes groggy after his night stand and rushes off to the opening ceremony. However, the PE teacher, Desislava Marinova, stops by and they have sex instead of attending, to the annoyance of principal Bogomil Tsekov, who wants to have a flawless first day. Having just arrived at the scene, Tino and Bobby witness local bullies Genadi "Ghetto2Nite" and his crew trying to mug the class nerd, Filip "Fipo" Stoychev and his friend Ana "Ani" Mateeva. Tino rushes to help, getting himself and Bobby in trouble for ruining the ceremony. The corrupt principal punishes them (Tino more harshly) instead of the bullies, without listening to their protestations.

Later that day, Tino and Bobby run into Ani and Filip. While an instant spark forms between Tino and Ani, Tino is deterred and Bobby gets the chance to talk to Ani first, prompting Tino to stop himself from making a move. The two enter physics class where Savov antagonizes them about the brawl. The classes start, with Savov having to take the kids out to the park, while Marinova is harassed by Tsekov who hits on her under the pretense of discussing improvements to the PE gym.

At the park, Savov chats with the kids and taunts the dream of Tino (and Bobby) about making a rock band, based in his own past. Tino only gets more motivated. When he returns to the school, Tsekov angrily confronts him, telling him to comply if he doesn't want to get fired. The frustrated Savov goes to the toilet, where he finds Ghetto and his friend smoking, gets a cigarette from them and vents. Ghetto immediately snitches to Tsekov to make a deal with him, and the principal tasks him with spying on both Savov and Tino.

Later, Tino and Bobby start looking for a drummer, with Tino focused on more immediate tasks while Bobby is thinking about grandiose things such as getting a cameraman and fangirls. After school they randomly hear a wicked drum solo from some apartment and decide to ask who it is. Tino then goes home to find his mother depressed from a breakup with her obnoxious boyfriend and decides not to touble her with his problems at school. His sister Lily warns him to behave.

The next day, Tino and Bobby have trouble finding a drummer. Bobby strikes a deal to sing on the school choir so secure the drums from the music teacher, Dorothea Kostova, for auditions. The two later attend a concert where Bobby tries to talk to Ani who snubs him to try to catch Tino's eye, but he ignores her on purpose out of solidarity with Bobby. Filip approaches Bobby about the drummer offer, but Bobby brushes him off. When they arrive to the gym where the auditions are to take place, they find it occupied by Ghetto's gang who have made a deal with the principal. Tsekov shoos the boys away when they confront him about it.

Meanwhile, Marinova has a date with Savov at the school's swimming pool, but Tsekov finds her there and she has to wait for him to leave as he's being increasingly pushy and inappropriate, lingering while being overprotective and thinking that he has to protect her from Savov. Once he leaves, Savov reveals himself in the female shower room and he and Marinova have passionate sex.

In the evening, Tino and Bobby come back to the school to do auditions but everyone flakes. Then they sneak into Tsekov's office to vandalize it for revenge. Bobby finds a stash of Tsekov's luxury cigars and lights one, only to set the school on fire after throwing it away in a hasty escape. The two boys run away from the school and worry about getting expelled when the security camera footage is seen, but it's revealed that a mysterious hand removed the hard drive while the guard was drunkenly asleep...

You can watch the episode with English subtitles here.


This episodes features the following tropes:

  • Acceptable Breaks from Reality: For the sake of pacing, classes take place on the opening day. That doesn't happen in real Bulgarian schools, despite it being called "the first school day" (literally "the first studying day").
  • Bicep-Polishing Gesture: Tino shows it to Ghetto whose gang was taunting him and Bobby about failing to find a drummer.
  • Brick Joke: Savov takes the coat of his one-night stand's husband so he could look semi-formal on the opening ceremony. Later she alerts him that the husband noticed and is on his way to the school, so Savov leaves the coat and takes the kids out for an "outdoors lesson". The principal goes on a surprise visit, finds the coat, tries it on, and gets knocked out by the cuckold who mistakes him for the "quantum guy".
  • Brief Accent Imitation: When he and Bobby infiltrate Tsekov's office, Tino sits in the principal's chair, kicks his legs up, lights up a cigar and does an impression of a smug Tsekov.
  • The Bro Code: Bobby is the first to make clear he likes Ani (because Tino got interrupted before he could talk to her) and Tino feels forced to not interfere.
    Bobby: Bro, is that Ani "ThatAni"note ? She's turned into such a bombshell over the summer!
    Tino: Why, you like her?
    Bobby: What do you mean do I like her, she's dating me but she doesn't know it yet.
  • Establishing Character Moment: The episode serves as this for most characters:
    • Tino as a rebellious teen who wants to be a rock musician and also isn't afraid to do what's right, even when faced with punishment.
    • Bobby as a womanizer who wants fame and fangirls.
    • Savov, also a womanizer who doesn't care much about teaching and has it in for corrupt authorities, but has grown bitter and cynical.
    • Tsekov as an uptight, narcissistic leader.
    • Ghetto as a bully heading a gang, as well as Tino and Bobby's rival.
  • Flowers of Romance: Lit teacher Sofia Dimitrova sends a small pot of garden flowers to Savov's desk. He only rolls his eyes at it.
  • Freud Was Right: Tsekov, who's lusting after Marinova, comes to her to talk about how he purchased more balls for the school gym and how they always need more balls.
  • Godwin's Law: The school fence has some graffiti saying "Tsekov is a fascist", which he gives to Tino and Bobby to clean as a punishment. Bobby also draws a Hitler mustache and comb-over on his portrait.
  • Held Gaze: Between Tino and Ani when they see each other for the first time after the brawl.
  • Hypocritical Humor:
    (Bobby's phone rings loudly)
    Savov: Boyan, your phone has a button that switches the ringtone off. We all use it here and I'll ask you to join our humble group.
    (Savov's own phone rings loudly)
  • Jerk Jock:
    • Ghetto, who sells drugs, mugs people and snitches to the principal who allows him to skip classes.
    • Bobby doesn't care if Ghetto is bullying someone because "it's just Fipo". He's also rude to anyone unpopular that happens to annoy him.
  • Moment Killer: Tino and Ani meet, lock eyes, draw closer... and then the lit teacher just has to ask Tino for a favor.
  • She Is All Grown Up: Ani over the summer, according to Bobby.

Top