The titular bros (clockwise from top left): Xander, Bryce, Wade, Duncan
The Real Bros of Simi Valley is a mockumentary web series created by Jimmy Tatro and Christian A. Pierce. The first season was released in 2017 on Tatro's personal Youtube channel, Lifeaccordingtojimmy. Since 2018, the series has run on Facebook Watch, where the 2nd and 3rd seasons aired. Real Bros follows the lives of four "bros" living in Simi Valley, California. Jimmy Tatro, Tanner Petulla, Cody Ko, and Nick Colletti star as the "bros", Xander Sanders, Bryce Meyers, Wade Sanders, and Duncan Surf, respectively. Supporting cast members include Peter Gilroy, Colleen Donovan, Monica Joy Sherer, Maddy Whitby, and Monette Moio. The show is a parody of The Real Housewives and Jersey Shore. https://www.facebook.com/therealbrosofsimivalley
The Real Bros of Simi Valley contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Cal intended to do this. In his youth he was wronged by a guy named Duncan so bad that he swore if he ever had a kid, he'd name him Duncan and raise him so poorly that the name 'Duncan' becomes synonymous with 'loser'. Despite this he admits he failed because Duncan still "turned out pretty sick".
- Wade and Xander's parents. First they kick Xander out just for throwing a low-key 1st birthday party for Hawk, and then later they pretend to have gratuitous sex all hours of the day so Wade will move out as well, just so they don't have to say they want him out.
- AcCENT upon the Wrong SylLABle: Most characters, Xander and Wade in particular, put unnecessary stress on quite a few of their words as part of their bro speak, which is a very stereotypical dude-bro, So-Cal thing to do.
- Even this is parodied, as Duncan starts the series by saying everything is 'taw-ght', but nobody can understand him, not even Xander, who does that kind of thing all the time.
- Affably Evil: The guys who kidnap Johnny just come across as regular guys, and Johnny even hugs the leader and says he has a 'big heart'.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Tends to happen to Wade's detriment and to Bryce's advantage.
- Ambiguously Bi: Duncan runs into Yonder during therapy. Yonder informs him that their ex's, Tess and Dani, went to burning man together and he's pretty sure they're hooking up. His solution? We gotta bang, bro!
- Amusing Injuries: Bryce's once-promising skateboard career was cut short when he broke his leg. He then tried to become a finger-boarder and broke his pinky.
- In season 3 he shatters both knees doing an ill-advised acid drop from a scaffolding during a local skatepark qualifying round, for no other reason than to sate his own ego.
- Back to School: It turns out Bryce was 3 credits short of graduating this whole time. He's stoked about it because he fully admits he peaked in high school.
- Bad Liar. when Bryce is touring Simi Valley High School, his recollections stray further and further from being credible to where he reveals the "15 stair" he ollied back in the day is a dinky 5 stair leading directly into a hallway. His defense? "They tore it down, this hallway is brand new".
- Berserk Button:
- Wade gets unreasonably defensive when accused of not burning
- Bryce attempts to fight anyone who throws him a sideways glance, notwithstanding infants
- Best Friend: Figuring out theirs becomes a major plot point for both Xander and Molly when they have to pick their best man and maid-of-honor. It turns out to be Wade and Tessa, respectively.
- Black Dude Dies First: In a way. When the bro-off goes down at Xander & Molly's kickback, Aldis is the first to leave, since he's a lover not a fighter.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: As is the style with reality tv, every character is fully aware they are subjects of a reality show, with all requisite cutaways and references to the cameramen and previous seasons.
- Special note goes to Johnny who wants to be added to the show intro.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Despite his, well, everything, Johnny turns out to be a surprisingly competent manager of Dunc Surf.
- Chick Magnet: All the main characters, but Duncan especially. He gets with both Tessa and Dani twice, and also Chelsie, who was stone-cold sober at the time.
- Also Wade, who constantly gets the wrong girls, but girls none the less.
- Cat Fight: Dani and Tessa in the garage, and the realtors during the open house.
- Celebrity Cameo: Nyjah Houston shows up at the Simi Pro Am to tear it apart, ensuring everybody else is stuck battling for second place.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Johnny, who also surprisingly often qualifies as the Only Sane Man and even Bunny-Ears Lawyer on occasion. He also shits himself because of a simple switch-the-sign prank on the bathroom door and can't figure out which way to open a door because the push/pull sign was reversed. To be fair, he's high most of the time.
- Confession Cam: Frequent cutaway to talking heads provide commentary mid-scene.
- Cool Bike: Xander watches Sons of Anarchy and turns into a biker guy overnight. Not only does he drop his life savings on a hog, but also starts his own gang complete with a do-rag, leather jacket, and a handlebar mustache.
- Cool Car: To Xander anyway. He admits he loves his truck more than Molly and his own son.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Duncan thinks not being this is what drove Tessa away so he makes sure not to leave her alone for a second.Duncan: Dani's been acting kind of distant so the last thing I need to do is give her any kind of space
- Cuddle Bug: Aldis often interacts with others, especially Wade and Johnny, through strange forms of physical contact.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The logo for Dunc Surf, Johnny and Duncan's surf shop.
- Didn't Think This Through: When Johnny and Duncan hatch the idea to open their own surf shop, they decide that two weeks later is the perfect time. They don't even have a location 2 days until the grand opening. Despite that, the shop seems to do well, at least until Duncan's dad keeps sabotaging it.
- After Tessa dumps Duncan, his first plan is to quit his job and apply to a bunch of medical schools because he figures he'll get into at least one. He does not.
- Xander takes Molly to an amateur wrestling show for valentines day with intent to propose, because she once said she loved amateur wrestling. It's only after she angrily rebuffs him and reminds him that he remembers it was her brother, not her, who loves amateur wrestling.
Xander: Now that I think about it, she totally did say it was her brother who loved amateur wrestling. Which makes more sense, because it's not really a Molly thing to like- Speaking of, the previous Valentines day he took her to see The Fast & The Furious
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Everyone. The show is a parody.
- Earthy Barefoot Character: Aldis. Sometimes he opts for sandals if he must wear shoes.
- Easily Forgiven: Everybody all the time about everything. They're just bros, after all.
- Embarrassing Tattoo: Xander gets a tattoo across his back that say 'Zonder' because he insists on pronouncing it that way.
- Everybody Smokes: Except Wade, and he is faced with constant teasing as a result.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: There's a drink in Cabo called 'Lights Out Gringo.' It works as advertised.
- Future Loser: Bryce turned into this. He fully admits that he peaked in high school and that was the best time of his life.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Happens quite frequently as everybody is willing to betray each other for their own gain. But they eventually make up and do right by each other.
- Injured Limb Episode: Bryce in season 2, who flamingo breaks both legs. He gets better.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Yeah his dad may have acted like a petulant douche by constantly sabotaging Dunc Surf, but Duncan does admit that opening a new surf shop just down the street was a dick move.
- Love Triangle: Duncan proposed to Tessa, then Dani got with Duncan after Tessa broke it off, then she broke up with him too. By the end of the 3rd season, he's gotten back with both of them and neither knows yet.
- Loving a Shadow: Duncan thought Tessa then Dani were the loves of his life. Turns out he most likely just loved how well they could roll blunts.
- Manipulative Bastard: Turns out to be Chelsie.
- Only Sane Man: Most characters get this at one time or another, but it's most often Xander or, surprisingly Johnny, who seems to often be the only one to comment on the absurdity of the current going-ons.
- Panacea: CDB is treated as this by the doctor who talks about in a hushed tone like it's a super secret experimental treatment. Bryce manages to fully recover after shattering both knees in what would realistically be not just a career-ending, but crippling for life, injury, just by slathering it on his legs for a few weeks. Although time will tell if he actually skates again.
- Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Hawk, who goes from a fetus, to a 1-year old, to starting kindergarten, to college age in the timespan of less than a year.
- Pronouncing My Name for You: Xander constantly insists his name is pronounced ZON-der, not Zan-der.
- Put on a Bus: Xander and Molly's Kid Hawk, who despite being less than 2 years old, 'goes off to school' and is only mentioned for the entirety of season 3. until the season finale.
- Sam's boyfriend who becomes Bryce's trainer/manager disappears after the back half of the second season.
- The Bus Came Back: Hawk returns at Xander and Molly's wedding and he's inexplicably college-aged.
- Reality Show: Real Bros is a parody of these kinds of shows up to eleven, which means nearly every reality show trope applies here too. Which is ironic, because Real Bros of Simi Valley is not actually a reality show itself: It's a scripted parody made to look like an 'unscripted' reality show.
- Rhyming Names: Xander Sanders
- Rule of Drama: Given the satirical nature, nearly every minor disagreement in the show is treated with utmost gravitas.
- This also seems to be covertly enforced by the in-universe show's producers, who go so far as to introduce Chelsie just to stir up drama all season.
- The Stoner: Everybody burns, (except Wade), but Johnny is pretty much always noticeably high.
- String Theory: Chelsie has one in her apartment.
- Title Drop: usually happens for the episode title, but Xander also title drops the show's name in the season 1 finale.Xander: Which just goes to show. We may have our issues from time to time. But at the end of the day, we're still bros. Real Bros. Real Bros, of Simi Valley.
- Token Minority: Christian A Pierce plays Aldis, the only main cast-member who isn't painfully white.
- The Unfavorite: Johnny, who isn't even part of the bro's group chats, and the group seriously considers leaving him behind when Johnny gets kidnapped in Cabo.
- Vacation Episode: The guys and girls separately embark on their bachelor/ette parties, but ultimately end up at the same resort in Cabo.
- Valley Girl: The entire female cast, including the main character's mothers.
- All the males too, honestly.
- Vanity License Plate: Yonder's "SUCKIT", which leaves Duncan shocked and impressed.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Tends to be the entire group's dynamic. It might take them awhile to figure it out, but they do eventually come through for each other.
- Dani and Lexy in particular though. Even though we constantly see them bickering, they're almost always together.
- Wedding Finale: the end of season 3.
