# Phony (spoilers as it is released) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, disney-hulu\ **Created:** [October 20, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013 "2026-10-20T19:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/21 "2026-11-13T20:45:42Z")
Maybe, but it seems too early in the season for a big reveal. I think it’s a misdirect, or at least there’s still more than just that going on. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/22 "2026-11-13T20:52:34Z")
Not _that_ early in the season. This was episode five of eight. And if the show is typical, one of the remaining episodes will be a flashback episode, perhaps to the night when Tracy killed Ellen (assuming Ellen is dead) and Tracy took Ellen’s identity. Or they might even have a flashback to them earlier in life, showing the rivalry between the two, and how unstable Tracy was. Can you tell I’ve watched too many television shows and movies? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/23 "2026-11-13T21:31:07Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Spoiler-boxed follow-up to my previous post based on the events in episode five. > [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > Maybe, but it seems too early in the season for a big reveal. I think it’s a misdirect, or at least there’s still more than just that going on. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Not _that_ early in the season. This was episode five of eight. And if the show is typical We just watched ep.5 last night. I think Dewey\_Finn is right on about an evil twin. I agree that it’s not that early for such a reveal; I think it’s kind of a show-burn mystery, where as Dewey also says, they’ll probably do some flashback story filler stuff to show how things got to the point where the mom was _ **so** _ estranged from her sister, her twin no less, that the son wasn’t even aware of her. If there’s any misdirect, it may be that the body that Shovel saw at the swamp that later got moved and buried, which we’re clearly meant to think is the kid’s murdered mom, may actually turn out to be someone else, and maybe the mom turns out to be held captive but is OK. It seems too lighthearted of a show to end with a murdered mom reveal. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/24 "2026-11-13T21:34:56Z")
I suspect you’re correct that Ellen isn’t dead. As you said, that’s a pretty dark place to go. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/25 "2026-11-13T21:35:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > This was episode five of eight. That’s exactly when they usually set up the fake plot resolution! They have you lulled into a sense that the story has reached its climactic reveals and then they pull the rug out from under you. Feel free to gloat if I am wrong! I think you might be on to something with what will happen in the story but my guess is it’s going to not be related to the Big Mystery. We don’t know the explanation for the bodies. Seems like actually killing the kid’s mother would be kinda dark for the tone of the show. If there is a sister I don’t think she has actually been swapped. It will be unrelated to Sonny’s suspicions. My prediction is something is up with Chloe, we don’t know much about her. She told the weird random story about watching a cow get its head cut off and a strange offhand comment about her parents…I doubt she killed the mother or anything but I think she is not just the sweet, supportive girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/26 "2026-11-13T21:39:49Z")
Pssst, Hey @Nicest_of_the_Damned , your spoiler blur tags ain’t blurring. At least, not for me. Not sure why-- the tags look properly constructed. Maybe the tags don’t work across multiple paragraphs? ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/27 "2026-11-13T21:41:54Z")
Thanks, I tried to edit but yeah, it’s not working. I will try your suggestion. Sorry for anyone who got spoiled. Edit: yup, seems the paragraphs were the problem, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2026, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/28 "2026-11-13T21:48:23Z")
If you highlight the text you want to spoiler-blur, even multiple paragraphs, then click the ‘+’ at the far right of the text edit menu, and choose ‘Blur spoiler’ it works for both paragraphs, but is only adding one open and closed spoiler tag to the whole area. Weird. I just tried it: Test paragraph one. Test paragraph two. This is what the edit window shows to me: [spoiler] Test paragraph one. Test paragraph two. [/spoiler] Oh and RE: this: > [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > My prediction is something is up with Chloe, we don’t know much about her. She told the weird random story about watching a cow get its head cut off and a strange offhand comment about her parents…I doubt she killed the mother or anything but I think she is not just the sweet, supportive girlfriend. That hadn’t been on my radar at all, but you may be on to something. They’re setting up a love triangle thingy between the new girlfriend (that’s Chloe, right?) and the old one, who he’s getting very chummy with again. I was getting plot hints that old girlfriend, or OG, is the one he’s really meant to be with, and an easy way to plot-engineer their reunion is to have a reveal that there’s something wrong or sinister with NG. ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013/29 "2026-11-14T00:02:26Z")
So what clues do we have so far? The son was triggered by noticing his mother looked different (after he sustained a head injury). No one else thinks she looks different and the pictures the viewers got did not look significantly different to me. There is a body. At one point we saw the hand with some wispy stuff on it similar to Body Snatchers. Later someone was burying the body. The beaver may have been an accomplice. We see the mother transferring money and hear her have a conversation saying she had promised to try to keep Sonny away from someone or something (my memory of that conversation isn’t clear on what exactly she said). There was circumstantial evidence the mother may have had to look up an old favorite recipe. Then there is the mysterious Tracy person mentioned in her journal as having a close relationship with the mother’s father. The PI also found that name connected to the mother’s car, was it? What am I missing? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phony-spoilers-as-it-is-released/1034013.md?page=1)