TV Recap: “Phony” Episode 3 — Sonny Cooke Puts His Mom to the Chicken Nummers Test

Sonny Cooke is suspended from school in Episode 3 of Hulu’s Phony, which traps him at home for a full day with the woman he believes replaced his mother. Private investigator Sharla urges Sonny to play the dutiful son, so he sets a trap involving his mom’s secret soup recipe, and Ellen’s actions make him even more suspicious. Mysterious phone calls, a bank withdrawal, and a cash handoff behind a bar suggest Ellen is hiding something, even if it isn’t what Sonny thinks. Here’s everything that happens in “Reverse Cuckoo Situation.”

Episode 3: “Reverse Cuckoo Situation" - Written by Michelle Badillo

The chatter around Delby High School is all about just two things: The body that Shovel allegedly saw in the woods, and Sonny’s freakout. 

Sonny (Sam Nivola) wakes up to his mom, Ellen (Connie Britton), at his bedside. Or at least it seemed like her for a moment. He’s convinced that his mom has been replaced with an imposter. When she tells him the vice principal suspended him, she decides to stay home with him for a mother/son day.

At his first opportunity, Sonny calls Sharla (Meera Syal) to update the private investigator. “This is starting to feel like a reverse cuckoo situation,” she explains, sharing how cuckoo birds trick another mother into caring for her egg. She suggests that Sonny give this woman what she wants, a son, adding that she might be the only one who knows what happened to his mother.

“This has got to stop,” Sonny hears Ellen saying to someone on the phone as he comes downstairs. She hangs up when he enters and dodges questions about the caller. She went shopping for spring decorations at Costco, using her card from Sonny’s wallet. She gives him a new one in his name, and he realizes he no longer has a conveniently portable picture of his mother. She also got him a new cellphone. When she offers to make him something to eat, Sonny gets an idea. “How about chicken nummers?” he asks, a special soup recipe his mom used to make him. After looking anxious for a moment, Ellen says, “It’s been a long time,” agreeing to try. Sonny thinks he’s got her.

Meanwhile at school, Sonny’s girlfriend Chloe (Mahaela Park) and old crush Mallory (Grace Brennan) ended up grading each other’s math tests, and Mallory agrees to tutor Chloe. When Vogel (Maliq Johnson) hits Chloe up for money and remembers Mallory, Chloe realizes that Mallory knows her boyfriend. Mallory claims they don’t talk anymore. When Vogel explains that Sonny has been suspended, Chloe tries to text him, hoping he will get the message on his laptop.

We see Sonny ignore Chloe’s text on his new phone and text updates to Sharla. Ellen hands Sonny a basket of decorative chickens, and he reminds her they don’t decorate like this. Her phone keeps ringing, and she keeps silencing the calls, seeming agitated. 

After school, Mallory and Weldon (Colter Lee) ask Shovel (Nation Sage Henrikson) for information about the body he reportedly saw. Shovel is more interested in inviting Mallory to the party he’s hosting in the woods with his friends Dylan and Jerm. Chloe interrupts to ask Mallory for her number. When Mallory hands Chloe her phone to enter her number, a text comes through to Mallory from Sonny. “I thought you guys weren’t in touch,” Chloe says, confused.

Sonny gets a flirtatious pic from Chloe, but doesn’t respond because Ellen asks him to help her make the soup. As he examines all the ingredients laid out, he pouts that the secret ingredient isn’t there. Ellen goes to the windowsill, thinks for a moment, and grabs the nutmeg. “Did you think I forgot?” She reminisces about the first time she made it for him after his second serious case of meningitis. 

Ellen’s phone keeps ringing, and she keeps ignoring the calls. Sonny presses her about it as she chops vegetables and accidentally cuts her finger. Sonny runs upstairs to find the first aid kit, which leads him into his mother’s bedroom. On the bed, he finds one of his mom’s old journals opened to a page with the Chicken Nummers recipe. “You’re reading my journal?” she asks when she finds him there. He’s upset that she needed to look at it, but a doorbell interrupts their argument, and Ellen doesn’t want to answer. Sonny rushes down, hoping it’s the mysterious caller, but it turns out to be Chloe.

Later, Sonny overhears Ellen talking to Chloe, asking about Sonny’s behavior. When she gets another call, she claims that she needs to go to urgent care for her finger. She asks Chloe to keep an eye on Sonny and to stay downstairs with him. When Chloe explains this all to Sonny, she thinks the directive was an effort to stop them from having sex.

Sharla follows Ellen, who drives past urgent care and pulls up to Cascade Mountain Savings Bank. She emerges with an envelope of cash, then drives to The Artful Dodger, a bar where she meets a mysterious man in a beanie, gives him an envelope, and he lights a cigarette for her before taking off. Ellen takes a moment to check Sonny’s cellphone location to make sure he’s still home. While lingering, she is seen by guidance counselor Jason Chang (Kelvin Yu), who thinks she finally showed up to the happy hours she’s repeatedly declined. He begs her to come inside for a drink.

In bed with Chloe, Sonny laughs as he tells her about the dolphin vibrator he bought for their first time. Reminiscing about the night of his accident makes him quiet. Chloe, seemingly worried about his feelings for Mallory, asks Sonny to be honest with her if he ever wants to be with someone else. He is confused, insisting that he only wants her and hopes his weirdness doesn’t hurt them. “I like your weirdness,” she says.

Over drinks, Mr. Bingsley (Javier Lacroix) and Sofia (Mellany Barros) discuss the dead body Shovel claims to have seen. Jason thinks it’s just a story, since he observed Shovel goofing off with his friends. Ellen asks the teachers whether Carbone called the police to report the party. She gets up to leave when she learns they have not.

Sonny gets a text from Weldon informing him about the dead body party. Chloe tells him about Shovel’s story, thinking it’s just an excuse for him to throw a party. But when Sonny spontaneously suggests they attend, Chloe is on board. He disables location sharing on his phone before they head out.

In the parking lot, Ellen asks Jason about his talk with Sonny, but he doesn't say much. He asks if she took his advice about seeing his therapist, and Ellen lies, saying her schedule is full. He moves in to kiss her, but she stops him, asking him to keep the cigarette a secret. 

Sonny and Chloe arrive hand in hand at Bucket’s Pond to join the party. 

Ellen arrives home and finds the place empty. When she looks in Sonny’s room, she hears a buzzing from a drawer and opens it to find the burner phone Sharla gave him ringing. She answers. “Sonny, I have something for you,” Sharla says. “Who’s this?” Ellen asks, and Sharla hangs up.

Next episode: “Vibes are Rancid," streaming Tuesday, November 3rd, on Hulu.

Sonny attends a party at Bucket's Pond hoping Shovel might have details about his “real” mom’s fate. But when Ellen shows up at the party, Sonny’s belief that she’s an imposter reaches a breaking point. Meanwhile, Vogel forges a new connection and Mallory grows closer to Shovel.

Songs Featured in This Episode:

• “All Out” by Culture Villains, Kham & MSCMKRS (feat. Big Yae & KJ Carter)
• “Ha Ha” by Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul