It’s been nearly six years since Julie and the Phantoms premiered, and I’m still at the restaurant. I know I’m not alone there because the show was on so many people’s minds when Charlie Gillespie joined Heated Rivalry Season 2 as Troy Barret. I wasn’t the only one thinking that maybe, possibly, this kind of momentum could mean good things for a show we all loved and lost after one, nine-episode season.
Of course, the obvious answer is that Julie and the Phantoms has been canceled. It may have taken a ridiculously long time to get that answer, leaving fans like me hoping the show would continue. Still, it was canceled, and any rumors about a second season immediately after or a revival years later have stayed just that. Five years since its cancellation, it’s a difficult reality to accept when Julie and the Phantoms had such narrative longevity, critical success, and a loyal fanbase. It also doesn’t help that Julie and the Phantoms Season 1 ends on a cliffhanger that changes everything.
The musical dramedy series won three Daytime Emmy Awards for its debut season. One of which was for Outstanding Original Song for “Unsaid Emily.” Strangely enough, that song is exactly where my mind went when the casting news dropped about Gillespie. Even in the afterlife, Luke Patterson is charming – I still think about when he sings “Edge of Great” to Reggie.
MORE: The Troy & Harris Heated Rivalry Casting Brings With It Lots of Questions
Gillespie has chemistry with everyone in that show, mainly Madison Reyes, who plays Julie Molina. She’s the only person who can see Luke, Reggie, and Alex when they aren’t playing music as the band Sunset Curve. Not to circle back to “Edge of Great” (the whole soundtrack is excellent), but there’s a reason why Gillespie’s improvised guitar riff during that performance stands out.
It’s the way Luke plays it to complement Julie’s voice – there’s even chemistry in the music he makes with Julie. Needless to say, I don’t doubt that Gillespie can play a romantic lead. Even his supporting performance in Sidelined 2: Intercepted had me questioning if the movie should stick with its obvious endgame.
All that said, it’s the nuance of “Unsaid Emily” that I instantly thought of when the Heated Rivalry news dropped. Friends warned me that there was a heart-dropping moment coming when I watched the show for the first time. I didn’t heed their warnings enough and ended up crying at “Unsaid Emily” on my lunch break at work. It knocked the wind out of me to see Gillespie sing through this chapter of Luke’s life, to sing about this strained relationship with his mother that can never be properly resolved. It’s still heartbreaking to me!
That charismatic, light-hearted Sunset Curve frontman is still there, but Gillespie’s performance also allowed this heartbroken, vulnerable side of Luke to see the light. In just nine episodes, we got to see all these lights and shades of Luke. Gillespie brought this character – a literal ghost – to life. He endeared him to people for years to come – it’s why I’m even writing this. It’s why I leapt up at the news that he’d be joining one of the biggest shows, like, ever. Like so many Julie and the Phantoms fans, I knew then that this cast was full of stars.
MORE: YA Series Canceled Too Early: 9 Beloved Shows We Miss
It’s exciting to know Gillespie will be in another popular TV show where he can play another beloved character, one with a built-in arc and fanbase of his own. I can only imagine how Gillespie will show up as and for Troy in Heated Rivalry Season 2 – how he will honor the character and his romance with Harris. There’s a rich redemption arc there with Troy, waiting for him.
In Julie and the Phantoms, Gillespie proves that he has the range (that has only grown since 2020) to actualize all those nuances. He can dig into those thorny moments and make the emotional beats sing. There’s still some time before we see that, though, and I will be one of the many impatiently waiting for any crumb the Heated Rivalry team wants to deliver in the meantime. But I also hope that Heated Rivalry fans will take a chance on Julie and the Phantoms while they wait for Charlie Gillespie to lace up Troy Barrett’s skates. It’s a heartfelt, well-made show that deserves a second life. Even Charlie Gillespie thinks so!
Julie and the Phantoms fans will know that the cast has been vocal about their interest in continuing the story. So, it’s not surprising that Gillespie took to TikTok after the Heated Rivalry news to interact with fans of both shows and like some videos about what this all may mean for Julie and the Phantoms. The reality is that this lovable show will always be a one-season wonder but it has an endurance and relevance of one that ran for much longer. I hope that the love around it only grows when Heated Rivalry watch. Ultimately, I have a good feeling that Luke will make everyone more excited to meet Troy.
MORE: Take Our Money! ‘Heated Rivalry’ Getting a Physical Release
—
