Episodes 1-28 of School shown on Channel One prior to the commencement of the Vancouver Olympics in February, set up all of the various plot lines: the broken home of Korolev, Epifanov’s dying mother, the capriciousness of Budilova, and many others. The second half of the show, shown upon completion of the Olympic Games, took a significantly darker turn and engaged in occasionally excellent storytelling, the likes of which have rarely been associated with youth drama since the advent of television.
Source : kinokultura.com