Hulu's comedy mystery series Phony stars Connie Britton and Sam Nivola as a mother-son duo, Ellen and Sonny. The pilot episode sets the tone for exactly what audiences can expect throughout this 8-episode show, and the first episode didn't waste any time getting right into the mystery.
Here's what happened in Phony season 1, episode 1 on Hulu.
Offering a bit of a hook into the mystery Sonny finds himself in, the first episode kicks off with Sonny narrating how close he and his mom have become over the years as a family of two. We immediately see that Sonny was in some kind of car accident (more on that later), and we learn that the story we're hearing as narration is actually what Sonny is telling a hired investigator about his mother, who he believes has gone missing.
As Sonny talks with his mom (who's also the principal of his high school) about his new girlfriend, we learn that he and his mom have a secret code where they squeeze each other's arms as a silent way of saying "I love you." School is where Sonny seems to shine. He's well-known as the principal's son, but he seems to be liked by most of the student body. Sonny tries to convince his friend Vogel to be the school's mascot to get him more involved, and Sonny also seeks out a new student to help him with his locker.
The only real conflict between Ellen and Sonny seems to be centered around Sonny's relationship with his new girlfriend, Chloe. Ellen thinks the pair is moving too quickly and that Sonny is being reckless, which results in a fight and Sonny driving off to Chloe's house. But shortly after leaving the house, Sonny swerves into the woods to avoid hitting a fallen tree, and he wakes up in the hospital about a week later.
Sonny's convinced his mom is an imposter
After being driven home from the hospital, Sonny is quick to tell Chloe and Vogel that his mom looks like a completely different person. Not only is her face different, but Sonny can tell that her nose and teeth are also changed. Sonny is understandably nervous around Ellen, but what bothers him even more is that no one else in his life can tell there's been a change.
Sonny even compares his mom's Costco card photo from before the accident to the photos of his "new" mom at the school, and he can clearly see that they are two different women. He flees the school as he has a panic attack, and his friends try to convince him that nothing has changed. And he almost believes that he's the one who's wrong — but a clip of an old home video gives him an idea for how to put this mom to the test.
Ellen fails Sonny's hug test
With the idea to test Ellen about whether she'll know their secret arm squeeze, Sonny runs into the school dance and throws himself into his mom's arms. He tries to act as though he just wanted to see her, but when he wraps his arms around her and squeezes her arm three times, he's anxiously waiting to see if she'll squeeze back. But she doesn't. Whoever this woman is doesn't know their secret signal.
We see Sonny talk more with the investigator about his findings, but the biggest twist in the ending of the pilot is seeing a mystery person drag what looks like a dead body wrapped in a tarp from the woods near the accident site and throw it into the back of a jeep. Phony quickly sets the tone for more twists to come, and clearly Sonny has strong evidence that makes us want to root for him in the quest to find the "real" Ellen.
The second episode of Phony is already available to stream, with additional new episodes dropping Tuesdays on Hulu and Disney+.
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