welcome back to Overanalysing Tiny Details: Alex’s Costume Edition
so here’s what julie wears the first time we see her. she has this snapback pulled down over her face, which demonstrates her insecurity and the state of lost identity she’s still in after her mom’s death.
here’s how alex wears his snapback:
his face isn’t covered at all. obviously this is partly cheesy 90s fashion, but in contrast to julie it shows us that he isn’t hiding who he is at all. he’s confident in his sense of identity and self, and he doesn’t feel he has anything to hide. despite his anxious nature, he doesn’t really shy away from himself.
another thing: alex’s signature colour is pink.
that might not seem like a particularly big deal, especially to younger viewers, but the connotations of a queer character wearing pink are huge. for so long it was considered emasculating for a man to wear pink. i’m only eighteen, and i remember HATING the colour pink as a kid because i didn’t want to be associated with anything traditionally girly (hello, internalised misogyny & internalised homophobia!). colours like pink or purple, as ‘feminine’ colours, have a long and complex history when it comes to lgbt+ people (see the lavender scare or pink triangles as examples).
remember that kenny ortega has been working for forever on things like high school musical or descendants, which are CRAZY queercoded, especially in the costumes (a post for another time but WOW kenny ortega has like. the gay midas touch).
alex is such a strong role model in this show because these little details normalise being confident and self actualised as a queer teen/kid.
he’s not just a character who happens to be gay. there’s actually a fair bit you’d have to change if you were to make alex a straight character, some of his costume details included. moments like him dancing with dirty candy are played for comedy, but not because you’re making fun of alex: you’re having fun with him. he’s just a gay teenager who loves pop music and being a little extra, and it’s an integral part of his character without being othering.
tldr his costume is a crucial aspect of how he’s presented as a gay character and it makes me so dang happy.
Why Julie and the Phantoms is a masterpiece of a show. Part 1 of 3
· NOTE: if somehow you happen to like my gifs, please, feel free to use them. But, please, don’t crop or change.
· NOTE 2: This meta has been flourishing in my mind for quite a long time, but it was @catty-words meta on Perfect Harmony that inspired me to actually put it all on paper
· NOTE 3: I planned two parts of this, but ended up with far more gifs than a post allows. I dunno. Not sure if anyone will actually be interested in this rumbling. Probably it won’t even be a new and outstanding thinking. I’ll see how it goes.
What sets a good show apart? I’ll tell you exactly this: the pilot and the finale.
Whether it’s a season finale or a grand finale, it doesn’t matter for a scenario. People tend to forget the middle, that’s why all we remember about LOST is this weird full of dead people church that simply left the fans heartbroken. But frankly speaking, LOST ended so much better then most modern shows. And honestly I get why it’s so hard to keep track on things after 6 years and such a long row of characters. That’s why making a season in one take is so much better, when writers do not depend on what the fans think or like or ship. They simply do their job.
Do I need to say that our brain clearly remembers everything we throw at it? We think we forget, but that’s not quite true. That’s also the reason how we distinguish what we like and dislike – we remember all the small things and foreshadowing. Also that’s why we keep re-watching the shows we love: we simply acknowledge what our brain already knows. We simply find that thread that links everything together.
And they can be simple things. But first on what made this script a masterpiece for me: first and last scenes in the studio (+some things from 0102 band circle scene of 0109).
1. The Studio Intro
In 0101 Julie hesitates to go in the garage. She was reluctant to go in the first place. It signifies everything she’s lost: mother, music, voice. She inhales deeply, steadying herself. She can do this.
In 0109 it’s quite the opposite. She wanted to go there even though she knew the guys had already crossed over. Now this place signifies everything she gained back and more: music, voice, friends and, of course, a way back to her mother. She did it.
And this is a perfect visual explanation of the line “It’s not what you lost, it’s what you gain raising your voice to the rain”
2. The Band Intro
Can you see it the way I see it? It’s not a coincidence, it’s been done on purpose. Julie is mortified both times but for completely different reasons. In 0101 she is scared OF them. In 0109 she is scared FOR them. It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful it even hurts.
3. Personal space
In 0101 Julie and Luke are both scared of each other. See that extra step she did to push him away? Or the way he acts as if Julie is really a witch that could curse him? And who needs any personal space in 0109? These scenes show their journey in the best way possible.
4. You have to leave
In 0101 after accepting the fact that she was sane enough and these three ghosts really existed Julie is simply annoyed. She orders them to leave. She doesn’t what them to exist in her life. She has no time to deal with these dead cute boys. She wants them gone.
In 0109 after acknowledging that their plan has failed she also wants them gone. She orders them to leave again. But she wants to save them and for now that’s the only way she can think of. It’s better than not existing at all, even if it means not existing in her life.
And just look at the directing. The shots are almost twins! Julie mimics the scene from 0101 almost entirely, although it hits on a different level. I don't exactly know why it makes me so excited, probably I'm just very tired of mediocre scripts.
5. Maybe she’s a witch
I’m sure she is at least to some extent. It’s such a wonderful foreshadowing. I hope in season 2 we'll find out more but I think the perception on this in "Feels like I’ve opened my eyes again" by @pink-flame is very close if not almost entirely accurate to what I thought about season 2 and all this magic thing. Such a masterpiece of a fanfiction btw, I wish I found the show sooner and was reading it chapter by chapter. One of the best things I've read so far in any fandom.
6. Attached to our souls & 7. She's warming up to us
Do I need to say much? That’s the magic Julie has: her love for these boys. They are attached to her soul.
8. We had nowhere else to go
To think about it, they didn’t need Julie’s permission to stay in the first place. Like… How on earth would she even get rid of them? But that’s what defined these friendship from the start. They asked for permission in 0101 and in 0109 Luke’s words are almost apologetic that they ended up in her garage again.
9. I'm sorry we came into your life
Again, look at how both episodes have been shot. 0101 they stand apart, not knowing anything about each other yet. They both are not very comfortable with the whole situation and Luke voices what Julie might be thinking: why me? In 0109 Julie answers her past self that it was a blessing and a miracle. They are the closest they've ever got to be and the most sincere.
10. I have space for only one more gif and I'm simply fond of this parallel. We need a Witch!Julie AU)))))
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Due to the pics limit I have to stop here. But there is so much more to say. So stay tuned to see Parts two and three if you liked this one. God, I hope you did
a particular scene from wake up caught my eye and i started thinking
when julie starts playing the piano, she’s obviously very reserved & a little scared - could even go as far as to say she’s a little rusty. she’s been avoiding music for so long it’s like that part of her froze up. it’s cold and not as flexible; her fingers and her body aren’t as in sync as they used to be.
i see this in the way they choose to portray the opening scene of the song: a dark studio, shrouded in cold tones with barely any warm light coming in - the only colour currently being used in this shot is blue: it’s a cold colour that reflects the way julie is still...well, cold.
a minute in, this starts to change when we see julie really getting into the song. her fingers start to get more nimble, her movements loosening up a little - and this happens while the room slowly starts to warm up, the yellow of the sun peeks out behind julie as it starts to rise and seep into every corner of the room. her body and her soul are warming up just as the sun starts to enter the shot.
as the room gets brighter, as it gets warmer, the blue hues are being chased away andas a result julie’s movements get much more dynamic- her singing more powerful and passionate as she carries on. even her piano playing looks more natural, more effortless- she’s not relying on the piece of paper in front of her, she’s not having to keep an eye on her fingers because they’re gotten reacquainted with the keys they know so well. they’ve warmed up and now they’re flowing over the keys playing so seamlessly
and then we get to my favourite bit
the part where the sun has fully risen, where it has chased away every single blue hue that was suffocating the room at the start of this scene. the cold tones are gone, only to be replaced by warmth and sunlight
and clearly this change has fully affected julie- she stands up and she stretches out her arms - she’s soaking in the warmth and, just like it did to the room, the sun (see: music) has chased away the cold that had settled deep within her the moment her mother passed away
she’s like a flower in this scene - at the beginning she’s closed off, like a flower that hasn’t been getting the right sunlight for a long time, but as the sun rises and the rays hit her just right, the flower starts to open up, finally soaking up the sun’s rays and blooming just like it was always meant to
with the right song, making the conscious decision to let music back into her life, julie is flourishing, all the cold and doubt and grief slowly melting away
I’ve talked at length about the locker scene and why I love it so much, but I haven’t focused on the fact that’s it’s awkward. They’re flirting, yeah, but it’s very tentative. Luke is still seventeen, even if he was in that dark room for twenty-five years. He was frozen in time and didn’t mature at all, hence all the stuttering when he realises he can’t just stop mid-conversation and save himself from potential embarrassment or rejection.
This dude is petrified of being rejected, as seen by his constant desire to connect with people via music and the trauma he went through with his parents.
So, here he goes to the girl he likes and struggles his way through a conversation that would otherwise go so easy for him,
One, ‘cause he’s smitten.
Two, ‘cause he can’t hide behind the one thing that makes him feel confident and in control: music. There’s no guitar to riff with, no song to put all that charisma and power in. It’s just him, with no gimmicks. It’s scary.
And I love that he’s scared. It’s normal! Every teenager gets nervous when they talk to their crush, but we so often see smooth-talkers on screen, never once fumbling, that we’ve forgotten this is what teenagers are.
They do strike gold, with that beautiful “I think you make me better writer.” - “I think we make each other better.”
You can see the second she says that, ADMITS THAT, it’s a confirmation for the both of them that they’re not just seeing things. This is real. Whatever they have, is real. That freaks him out - ‘cause he’s a seventeen year old ghost - and turns back to music, the only thing he can talk about without fumbling.
Then it’s fine again and we get the glorious mirroring scene of Luke and Julie which we’ve all gone crazy about, but the HESITANCE in the moment prior is gold to me. Julie is so ready to keep the topic on music, trying to protect herself, and it’s Luke that throws them in the deep end. I love it so much.
It honestly felt like they were going down the first drop of a rollercoaster and I can’t get over it. I will never get over this scene.
*overthinks and over analyzes everything Julie And The Phantoms*
Thinking about how Carrie was the only one wearing a planet necklace and white crop top and silver shorts that didn’t match her jacket in All Eyes On Me and the only one wearing shoes that matched her outfit instead of silver shoes with white soles and (I’m pretty sure she’s the only one) not wearing the shark tooth looking necklace in Wow.
It’s obviously the best way to stand out as the leader and get attention on her, but also a good way to show she might have an influence on her that’s not an influence on the rest of the girls.
Thinking once again about Julie’s Carrie Pink sneakers in Bright and Flying Solo and the Saturn patch on the jumpsuit.
Thinking about Flynn’s Carrie Pink school dance dress and planet dress.
Thinking once again about Carries Julie Purple scribble hoodie that looks like Julie’s doodles.
Thinking about the three of them still loving and missing each other and wanting to be friends again and wearing things reminiscent of each others’ styles maybe being symbolism of that.
Watching through JATP again has made me realize a few things, especially with Caleb and Julie. They’re both generally colored purple (there was a really good post that elaborated on that but I can’t find it rn!!), but there’s more than just that similarity.
Right here, in The Other Side of Hollywood, Caleb is giving his introduction to the song. He’s warming up the audience, getting them prepared for what’s sure to be a great show. And then, as the song becomes more upbeat/louder, he makes the rest of his performers enter and become visible. With a flash, they’re there.
Remind you of anything?
Let’s take Edge of Great for example. Julie’s leading them. She has a shorter intro in this song, but it’s still there. And with the drum line, the music picks up and the guys appear with a flash behind her. In a very similar way to how it happened in the HGC. The exact same flash of light. (It’s the way that ghosts teleport in, which is why it’s the same, but still. it's more than just the flash that makes it similar)
(and can I also add that the audience has the same reaction? even if they know what's coming - which isn't always the case - they're shocked. shocked and obviously enjoying it)
So now we’ve got the intro and how the rest of the group appears behind the lead, what next?
Well, let’s look at Julie. At each song that she performs with the band, there’s a point where her voice changes and she enters into what I like to call her ‘Rockstar Zone,’ (where her voice is in a higher range, just think of the moment in Stand Tall where she first goes “Whatever happens, even if I’m the last standing” that’s her Rockstar zone). Right then is usually when the rest of the band joins in (the only exception in Stand Tall, which is why it stands to reason that they were supposed to come in at “Whatever happens, even if I’m the last standing” but that’s for a different time).
And though it’s not as drastic of a change, Caleb’s voice does the same thing. (llliiIIIFFE IS GOOD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HOLLYWOOD.) He’s in that higher range throughout the song (sure, in some parts he’s back in the more moderate area, but Julie has that in a lot of the songs, too)
So what’s different? What’s the difference between them? They both give intros to their songs, they both stand in front as the rest of their group appears behind them, their voices shift and get into that higher register throughout the song. What separates them?
Caleb never shares the spotlight.
Time after time, for most all of Julie and the Phantom’s performances, Julie takes a step back and lets Luke have a solo. Or, even in Stand Tall, they all have solos. (In Flying Solo, that’s not the case, but that song is a bit of an outlier in the songs that the band performs.) Julie always takes a step back and lets the others shine.
Sometimes she’s stepping back completely (shown above), other times, she’s sharing the spotlight directly with others (especially Luke) like in Finally Free.
And it’s so easy for her! It’s just like second nature, to let others show their greatness. It’s not even a second thought for her to let Luke take a solo and play with Reggie or Alex. She does it automatically on their first performance together. It’s just natural!
But Caleb doesn’t do that. He’s always at the front. He’s always leading his entire band. No one else gets to shine like he does! Not even when he’s trying to convince the guys to join his band. He’s forcing them to the stage, and giving them their moments of glory, but he’s not stepping aside to let them have it, either. He’s bringing them on, introducing them to the crowd. He’s letting them have their moments, he’s letting them shine, but it’s not at all the way Julie does it. And this:
When Caleb says, “How do you like my new band?” as he stands (even just slightly) in front of them, he’s taking all the credit for himself.
They played the solos, they performed for the crowd, but according to that line, they belong to Caleb, and so does all the credit that they should get. Caleb doesn’t share, like Julie does. He keeps all the credit and fame for himself.
*gets off my little soapbox* thank u for listening
A timeline for Season 1 of Julie and the Phantoms. Click for better resolution!
The first image is just the events, and the second sorts them into which episode they happened in.
A Few Notes and Image Description under the cut.
The events of Week 1 (Ep.1 to Ep. 3) could’ve happened over any three school days (instead of Tuesday to Thursday, it could’ve been Monday to Wednesday or Wednesday to Friday). I just started on Tuesday to make things easier for myself.
There could be anywhere from a couple days to a week between Ep. 3 (”Flying Solo”) and Ep. 4 (”I Got the Music”). Nothing in the show says they happened right after one another (or didn’t). I say a couple days to a week because it’s a long enough time for Julie and the boys to get used to each other a little, rehearse and write some songs while being short enough that Luke hadn’t gotten around to talking about their Sunset Curve songs yet.
Technically, both the LF School Dance and the boys visit to the Hollywood Ghost Club begin in Ep. 4, but the majority of both take place in the next episode (Ep. 5, “The Other Side of Hollywood”).
The Orpheum performance definitely takes place on a Thursday, shown by this screenshot of Carrie’s laptop [~6:10] while she’s watching a video of the garden party with her dad at the beginning of Ep. 9 (Stand Tall).
Julie and Nick’s dance performance definitely takes place on a Friday, which anchors the rest of the events from episodes 4 to 7.
The writers forgot a weekend between Ep 7. and Ep. 8.
I’ll explain the last two points more in a reblog.
Image Description: A photoset with two graphics. The first is titled “JatP Season 1 Timeline” at the top in white text on a dark purple background. There are three rows of seven boxes, some with black text against a light purple background. The rows are divided into Week “1”, “2” and “3”. Each column has the title of a day of a week, from left to right: Sat/Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thurs, Fri. The first box with text, in Week 1 under Tues, says “Julie runs out of music class, Julie plays the Sunset Curve CD and summons the boys, Julie meets Luke, Alex and Reggie.” The next box, in Week 1 under Wed, says “Julie sings ‘Wake Up,’ Julie can’t rejoin the music program, the boys sing ‘This Band is Back’, Luke gives Julie ‘Bright’.” The Week 1, Thurs box reads “LF Spirit Assembly, Julie and the boys perform ‘Bright’, Julie and Flynn argue, Alex meets Willie, The band performs ‘Flying Solo’.” After row one, white text against a dark purple background reads “Optional Week In-Between.”
The week 2, Sat/Sun box reads “Julie and Luke spend the weekend writing songs.” The following box, week 2 Mon, says “Julie performs ‘I Got the Music,’ Alex and Willie Museum Date, The boys find out about Bobby/Trevor, LF School Dance, The boys visit the Hollywood Ghost Club”. The week 2, Tue box says “Julie oversleeps and misses class, the lacrosse team joins dance class, Luke’s birthday, The band performs ‘Finally Free’, Reggie scares Tia.” The next filled box, Fri, says “Ray comes up with idea for house party, Julie and Nick’s dance performance (‘Perfect Harmony’), The band performs ‘Edge of Great,’ Willie explains what Caleb did.”
The third row, Week 3 box Sat/Sun says “The writers forgot this weekend.” Week 3, box Mon reads “Alex and WIliie talk in the Orpheum, Nick asks Julie out at school, Julie visits the Pattersons (‘Unsaid Emily’), Luke tells Julie the truth.” The Thurs box reads “Willie hijacks the tour bus, Carlos finds out about the boys, Caleb kidnaps the boys, The band performs at the Orpheum (‘Stand Tall’). The last filled box, Fri, says “Nick stops by the Molina house to give Julie flowers.”
The second graphic is the same as the first, except the events are highlighted with different colors. “Julie runs out of music class” to “Julie sings ‘Wake Up’” is highlighted in red, with the words Ep. 1 written above the box in red. The events “Julie can’t rejoin the music program” to “Julie and the boys perform ‘Bright’” are highlighted in orange, with Ep. 2 written in orange below the Week 1, Wed box. “Julie and Flynn argue” to “The band performs ‘Flying Solo’” is highlighted in yellow, with Ep. 3 written in yellow below the Week 1, Fri box.
Below “Julie and Luke spend the weekend writing songs” in Week 2, Box Sat/Sun, “(mentioned in Ep. 4)” is written in bright green. The events “Julie performs ‘I Got the Music” to “The boys find out about Bobby/Trevor” are highlighted in bright green, with Ep. 4 written above in bright green. “LF School Dance” and “The boys visit the Hollywood Ghost Club” are highlighted in light blue, with Ep. 5 written below in the same color. “Julie oversleeps and misses class” to “The band performs ‘Finally Free’” are highlighted in indigo, with Ep. 6 written in the same color above. “Reggie scares Tia” to “Willie explains what Caleb did” are highlighted in purple, with Ep. 7 written below the Week 2, Tue box and above the Week 2, Fri box.
“Alex and Willie talk at the Orpheum” to “Luke tells Julie the truth” are highlighted in bright magenta, with Ep. 8 written below in the same color. “Willie hijacks the tour bus” to “Nick visits the Molina house to give Julie flowers” are highlighted in pink, with Ep. 9 written above.
In Wow, the lyrics consistently use “we” instead of “I” or “me”, referring not only to Carrie but also to the rest of her band. At this point in the show, Carrie is still together with Nick, and her band is regarded as the best in the school. She’s probably in line to play the school dance at this point (which we know ultimately becomes JatP’s gig). She’s centre-stage, her band is thriving, everyone loves her and she really does have a good thing going that she’s worked hard for. She’s not only elevating herself, but the other members of Dirty Candi, who play a more active role in this song too - Carrie is more involved in their choreography, they touch her, they seem very much like a group.
But by Dirty Candi’s other song, All Eyes On Me, there are a few changes to note, the first being the different circumstances that Carrie is under. Nick has broken up with her (and it’s suggested that she invited him to watch anyway when she tells Julie he didn’t come), Dirty Candi is now hotly contested by Julie and the Phantoms, they lost what probably would have been their show at the dance to JatP, and Carrie is most definitely feeling threatened. With her reputation on the line, she’s anxious to prove herself, which greatly affects her performance. The pronouns change from “we” to only “I” and “me” as Carrie begins to single herself out, drawing attention to her as the star of the show, boasting about how talented and famous she is rather than DC as a collective. She is also more removed from the other members of the band, often dancing differently to them, constantly being the centre of attention, and never once touching them, all in an effort to paint herself as the main attraction and prove to everyone that she is still talented, still worth paying attention to, still performing to the best of her ability. In addition, the way she singles herself out illustrates how isolated she must be feeling right now: her boyfriend broke up with her, people at school who were essentially her fans are now rooting for JatP, and the two girls who used to be her best friends have suddenly got a new group and are overshadowing her completely. That’s going to leave Carrie mourning everything she’s lost, feeling hated and alone.
Not only would this stem from her obviously being threatened by Julie - her ex-best friend, which has to make it worse in many ways - and wanting to remain top-dog, but she’s not used to being second best. She never had any competition before. But it’s not as if she didn’t work hard to get where she is; we see that Carrie values hard work above anything else when she tells Nick “I worked hard on that routine” and “I earned my chair” and she has such an open, vulnerable expression. Suddenly, with the rise of Julie and the Phantoms, it probably feels to her like all her hard work (which was beginning to pay off) is insufficient and worth next to nothing. She’s probably anxious to keep her reputation, prove to be just as talented as her father who is a literal rockstar, and prove to herself that she deserves to be where she is.
And no, none of that’s an excuse for the way she treats Julie and Flynn when she feels threatened or jealous, but when you consider the kind of stress she’s under you really have to feel for her.
