Flying Solo

Flying Solo is the third episode of season one of the Netflix series Julie and the Phantoms. It was written by Sean W. Cunningham and Marc Dworkin and directed by Kenny Ortega.

Premise
Julie’s performance makes a big splash, and the guys try to convince her to join Sunset Curve — but she’ll have to come clean to Flynn first.

Plot
The episode starts from where the previous episode left off, with Julie standing on stage after the band mysteriously disappeared. The audience looks to her for answers on where her band went. Kalya asks with interest if the band were holograms, to Carrie’s anger, and Julie agrees, visibly relieved that there is a plausible explanation to her impossible situation (she continues to use the hologram reason throughout the season). The audience cheers while the guys freak out in the crowd, realising that once their performance ends, they cannot be seen anymore.

Julie is then accepted back into the music program by Principal Lessa. Flynn then questions Julie about her band. Julie attempts to lie but Flynn sees right through her. Hurt that her best friend is lying to her and keeping secrets, she storms off. Throughout the rest of the day, a guilty Julie tries to make up with Flynn, who continues to ignore her.

After school, Julie comes home to find her dad buried in pamphlets about music programs offered by schools all around the world. Ray refuses to give up on his daughter’s musical talent, and is excited and relieved when she lets him know that she has been accepted back into the music program at her school.

In the studio, Alex jumpily explains that he does not handle change well, and change is happening quickly right now. Luke and Reggie think that this is their second chance; that, with Julie, they can be the band they never got to be.

Overwhelmed, Alex goes for a walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to clear his head. When a skateboarder collides into Alex, they realise that they are both ghosts. Willie, the skater, observes that Alex is new to being a ghost and provides answers to Alex’s questions. They start talking, revealing to each other how they died: Willie rode his skateboard in traffic, and Alex explains he passed with his bandmates from consuming tainted hotdogs. Alex is shown to be smitten with Willie.

Back at the house, Luke and Reggie found a poem in Julie’s room, which they take to make a melody. Julie walks into the garage and they invite her into Sunset Curve, but she cannot think of anything other than Flynn. At first, she is furious that the boys went through her personal items — something she had repeatedly told them not to do — but after Luke sings a snippet of the poem she had written for Flynn in gratitude for helping her cope with her mother’s passing, Julie decides to perform the song to her best friend as an apology.

She later finds Flynn about to egg her window, and tells her the truth about the boys beings ghosts. At first, Flynn does not believe her, but when Julie performs “Flying Solo” with the band, the trio become visible again. Julie and Flynn then reconcile. Again, Luke asks Julie to join Sunset Curve, and Flynn responds that they will be joining her band, something the three happily agree to.

Cast

 * Madison Reyes as Julie Molina
 * Charlie Gillespie as Luke Patterson
 * Owen Patrick Joyner as Alex
 * Jeremy Shada as Reggie
 * Jadah Marie as Flynn
 * Sacha Carlson as Nick
 * Savannah Lee May as Carrie Wilson
 * Carlos Ponce as Ray Molina
 * Booboo Stewart as Willie
 * Victoria Caro as Kayla
 * Marci T. House as Mrs. Harrison
 * Denise Jones as Principal Lessa
 * Jaron Scot Melanson as AV student
 * Callum Gow as Rocker student
 * James Hibbard as Janitor #1
 * Ryan Avery as Letterman Jacket Guy
 * Landon Jackle as Alex’s stunt double
 * Adam George as Willie’s skateboard double

Trivia

 * Julie’s camo jumpsuit pays homage to Madison Reyes’s mother, Sergent Reyes, who has been serving in the Army Reserve for 19 years.
 * With Flynn in on the knowledge that the boys are ghosts, she is the second lifer after Julie to learn this secret.
 * Alex ironically says “I’m busted” because the two pedestrians on his path are dressed as Ghost Busters.
 * Alex and Willie collide in front of Dave Hoge's Hollywood Star. Dave Hoge is one of the two creators of the show.
 * The cast reacts to the performance of “Flying Solo”, which was difficult to shoot for many reasons.

Songs
“Flying Solo” — Performed by Julie & Sunset Curve (not yet called Julie and the Phantoms)