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The Stefanakovi / Karlovi family
Stefan Stefanakov
A businessman and member of the parliament, from an unknown party but it's stated he's a democrat. Teo's father.Svetlana Stefanakova (nee Karlova)
Teo's mother, a journalist heading her own political talk show, Blue Box.Teodor Stefanakov Jr.
- Hot-Blooded: Theo's a teenager and it shows. Jumping to attack Maya's ex at the first taunt? Check. Stealing his grandfather's handgun to ambush and interrogate said ex at gunpoint when he suspects him of harming her? Check. Sneaking off to New York City to look for her without thinking at all about the consequences? Check.
Luka Karlov
Teo's maternal grandfather and a former State Security general.- Catchphrase: "Whatever".
- Retired Monster: He isn't ashamed in the slightest of the repressions he carried out and gloats in the face of anyone who calls out the former State Sec. He also uses his old methods. That said, he isn't interested in organized crime or corruption and stays out of any activities his former colleagues engage in.
- Secret Police: Served as a general in the Bulgarian one up until its disbanding.
Teodor Stefanakov Sr.
Teo's late paternal grandfather who was a political inmate during the communist regime.Vasil Nikolov
Another political inmate who met Teodor Sr. in prison and now lives with his son's family as their chauffeur. Tanya Stoeva's family, relatives and associates
Tanya Stoeva
A judge from the Constitutional Court (the highest instance of court in Bulgaria) with ties to the crime world.- Defrosting Ice Queen: Towards Ivan Ivanov in the first season.
- Mama Bear: She is ready to do anything to protect her daughter.
- Manipulative Bitch: At least she tries. Having two prostitutes get her best friend's son drunk and drugged so that a gay fitness instructor can rape him as a revenge for allegedly raping her daughter positively counts.
Maya Stoeva
Tanya's daughter.Orlin Gonchev
Tanya's assistant, an attourney.- Bodyguard Crush: on Tanya.
- Broke His Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: At the end of the first season, he fires on Miloto. Unfortunately for him, his target does not die.
- Meaningful Name: His surname comes from the word for "hound". He's not very competent, but he is loyal.
Judicial court
Prosecutor Ivan Ivanov
The new prosecutor on the investigation of Miloto's illegal construction in a nature park.- Naïve Newcomer: To the corrupt court.
- Repetitive Name: Ivan Ivanov. note
- Trauma Conga Line: First finds out about Tanya's gambit that crushes his idealistic vision of her after they start dating, then is kidnapped by a psychopath, almost killed and inhaled with fluoric acid, briefly losing the ability to speak. It helps him to get rid of his idealism.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Starts out as such. By the start of season two he dons the Jade-Colored Glasses.
Prosecutor Ivan Nedelchev
The previous prosecutor on Miloto's real estate investigation. He got attacked and beaten unconscious at the start of the series.
- The Atoner: He wanted this investigation to be his Last Dance as compensation for his previous corrupt ways.
- The Cynic: He was about to let Miloto go because bribe had been offered and accepted at a higher, ministerial level. Nedelchev then changed his mind and decided to expose everything so that everyone, including the minister, would burn.
Miloto's family and gang
Mihail "The Darling" Mihaylov
A wealthy crime lord.- Alliterative Nickname: In the original, his nickname is Miloto, translating to "The Darling".
- Abusive Parent
- Bad Boss: He likes to degrade and assault his subordinates whenever they're being incompetent or just happen to be near him when he gets some bad news.
- Bald of Evil:
- Chewing the Scenery: Only when no enemies are around.
- Cloudcuckoolander: He has an exhuberant, larger-than-life, wacky personality and an absurd sense of humor, almost to the level of The Joker, even when serious or angry.
- Cigar Chomper
- Deadpan Snarker
- Foot Focus: Much is made of his shoe fetish and even many of his threats ("I'll make shoes out of your skin") and taunts (or taunts which offend him, such as "first generation with shoes") are centered around that.
- Large Ham: He carries himself in a very flamboyant way.
- Laughably Evil: When he gets angry, his first reaction is to crack some joke and act over-the-top like he's having a blast.
- A Man of Wealth and Taste: He flaunts his good taste and being a Self-Made Man who rose from the slums. In reality, he was helped along by a State Sec agent and later became a crime boss.
- Third-Person Person: He sometimes snarks about "the darling dear", i. e. himself.
- Wicked Cultured: A crime boss who quotes Baudelaire.
Radoslav 'Roki' Mihaylov
Miloto's son.- The Atoner: To Maya, for the way he treated her during the beginning of season one.
- Bad Boy: Definitely cultivates that image. Though not really a bad person.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Sometimes he looks for his father's approval, and mostly gets laughed off.
Slavcho Kărtev
Miloto's attourney.- Meaningful Name: Kărtev comes from the word for "mole".
- The Mole: He's Miloto's agent in court, passing him some insider info.
- Prefoessional Butt Kisser: Literally, because of Miloto's shoe fetish. He lets himself get degraded by his boss and sucks up to him.
Simeon Simeonov
Miloto's other attourney.- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: He tries to rein his boss in when he loses his temper.
Bulgarians and friends in New York
Boyan Stoev
Tania's little brother, owner of a bar named Izbata ("The Cellar"). Tanya sends her daughter to live with him after her assault.Yunal
An elderly Bulgarian Turk running a Bulgarian-themed deli.- The Backwards Я: His deli is named "Horemag" note , but the R is in Cyrillic, making the sign read HOPEMAG.
- Cool Old Guy: He's the mentor figure to any Bulgarian in need that happens to be around.
- Second Love: To Agurig, her first one being Vasil.
Agurig
Yunal's girlfriend who helps him run the deli.- Love Triangle: She gets into one with Yunal, who's just proposed to her, and Vasil, who she meets by chance after they have been separated when illegally crossing the border 30 years ago. She chooses Vasil.
Paul Stankoff
A lawyer and an acquaintance of Boyan- Naturalized Name: His real name is Pavel Stankov.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: He's Maya's biological father.
Rossitza "Nina Rossi" Nikolova
Boyan's girlfriend and an aspiring singer.Tsveta Genova
A woman working at Izbata as a barmaid.- Betty and Veronica: She's the simple, honest Girl Next Door to Nina's pretentious, greedy Veronica, and eventually gets with Boyan.
- Only Sane W Oman: When Boyan spirals into depression and Nina gets lured into a Russian gangster's schemes, Tsveta remains the only one at the bar with a clear head.
Rosen "Pepper"
A scoundrel who lives close to Yuan and Agurig's deli.- Get-Rich-Quick Scheme: He hatches those fairly often, such as importing napkins that he wants to scent with local rose oil and sell as "authentic Bulgarian accessory".
Ivan Chris
An Americanized Bulgarian who used to be friends with Boyan.- Foreign Culture Fetish: He idolizes all things American, especially Ronald Reagan.
- Naturalized Name:
- Pronouncing My Name for You: He insists on his name being pronounced as EYE-vun, not Y-VANN as Bulgarians do.
Seif
A Pakistani cricket instructor turned cab driver who knows the Bulgarian community and helps Teo out.Maggie
A fitness instructor who houses Teo after he gets lost in New York.- Genki Girl: She's very sporty and cheery.
Russian gangsters
Yevgeniy Mikhailovich "Rasputin" Yudayev
A Russian mob boss who has a vested interest in taking over Izbata.- Cloudcuckoolander: He has some off mannerisms and has an interest in the occult.
- Creepy Monotone: Rasputin never yells, he always speaks in a quiet voice, especially when he's being threatening.
Alesya
An associate of Rasputin's. Others
