Phony Review

Lately, I’ve found myself complaining that new TV shows aren’t offering original storytelling – case in point, my recent review of the very derivative Nocturne. Well, I’m happy to report that Phony, the new mystery comedy from Hulu, actually has a pretty original story to tell. Okay, it’s not wholly original, but it manages to take a solid base story – “I think my mom has been replaced by a doppelganger” – and builds on it with some intrigue, interesting characters, and smart writing. And while it still might fumble things before it crosses the goal line – I’ve only seen the first four episodes – I’m hopeful that it will keep up the pace and quality throughout the rest of the season.

Sonny Cooke (Sam Nivola from White Lotus) is a pretty happy high schooler. He is known around campus for being a cheerful and helpful kid, he’s got a new girlfriend, Chloe (Mahaela Park), who he’s thinking about going all the way with, and he’s got a great relationship with his mom, Ellen (Connie Britton), who also happens to be the high school principal. Things are going great. Until he gets into a gnarly car accident (on his way to Chloe’s house after a fight with his mom) and when he wakes up a week later, he is convinced that his mom is a different person. And to us, the audience, it certainly appears he’s right – Ellen’s facial features are just changed enough (through prosthetics that augment Britton’s well-known facial features) that we can also tell things aren’t the same. The problem is, no one else thinks anything is amiss. Oh, and while Sonny was in the hospital, someone tried to break into his house – might that have been the moment his mom was replaced with her slightly-off double?

The show then becomes a story of Sonny trying to convinced those around him – friends, a potentially helpful supernatural investigator of sorts outside of town, other teachers – that something is off with his mom. With that as the premise, much of the show rests on Nivola’s shoulders – we have to trust Sonny, we have to believe that he’s telling the truth (although we’re shown just enough information to back up his claims – plus we’ve seen the change with our own eyes), but we also have to have that sliver of doubt that he might be suffering from the after effects of the accident. Maybe he saw his mom one way before and now sees her a different way as a result of head trauma? Maybe that old picture he has of her is just him trying to believe one thing when it’s really not right? We also get just enough clues from Britton’s performance that it’s possible she’s still the same person – albeit a mom who is suddenly really confused as to why her son no longer seems to care about her the same way.

Of course, I’m fully on team Sonny, despite the feints toward the idea that Ellen remains the same person and Sonny is confused – and I suspect most viewers will be the same once they dive into the series. After all, the show would be pretty dull if it turned out there wasn’t something weird going on. But no matter which side you fall on, there’s a lot to enjoy in Phony outside of the central mystery. Nivola is a great lead here, charming, frazzled, empathetic – he’s the guy you would have liked to have been friends with when you were in high school. And Britton is great walking the line between dangerous and innocent – offering just enough to keep us suspicious without potentially giving away the game completely. The host of young actors who surround Nivola are also pretty impressive, especially Colter Lee as the awkward nerd Walton who immediately believes Sonny’s tale and offers to help. And, with episodes that clock in around a half hour, this is a quick watch. If you’re looking for an interesting mystery series with a great sense of humor, Phony is well worth a look.

Phony is currently airing on Hulu. Four episodes were provided for review.