Stand By Me

*Series: A Girl Named Jo*

"**Stand By Me**" is the fifth episode in the first season of *A Girl Named Jo*, and the fifth episode overall. It aired on July 31, 2018.

## Synopsis

*Allen comes clean to Jo and Cathy as the investigation plows ahead.*

## Plot

Allen wakes up after hearing a loud shotgun noice, he meditates on the carpet by lighting two candles, then gets ready for school. He comes downstairs, makes himself breakfast and a coffee for his dad, then he notices a bunch of letters on the table and looks through them. Lenny wakes up calling Allen's name, and thanks him for the coffee, but Allen didn't listen, he just took his backpack and left for school.

Jo walks to the kitchen to get her lunch and sees uncle Bobby looking at the photos from the 1950 fire incident she had in her room. Bobby asks why she has them and that though she was just doing a school project, Jo says that the woman in one of the pictures is her mother Frances and has been trying to find evidence that she might still be alive. Bobby says that she isn't alive and believes that it is clearly unlikely because she never reached out to them afterwards, then tells her not to dig into the incident and says that there is an explanation for all of it. But Jo begs to diver and is disappointed that her uncle wouldn't believe her, then leaves the room and goes to school with Junior.

Ray is at home sick in bed with a fever. Meanwhile at school, Jo arrives late while Cathy is announcing the plans for the Phoenix Fest. Then Alice accuses Cathy of stuffing the ballot box so she would be elected, Cathy says that Ms. Jenkins is telling them herself and to fill their ballots out in her office by the library asking if she even knows what that is. Then at the diner, Thomas notices that Bobby gave the wrong orders to the wrong tables and goes to fix it himself. He says that Bobby does the exact opposite of what he's told, but Bobby knows he's not talking about the orders and it's really about his kids. Thomas says that they are all he has left so he's trying to teach them especially Junior to be responsible, and Bobby says that he should be out doing what he loves to do. He feels like Thomas won't forgive him for leaving.

in the cafeteria, Jo confesses to Cathy that Uncle Bobby saw the photo of her mother and had a xerox in her bag. Then Allen comes and joins them and asks what they were talking about, Jo says nothing while Cathy says Phoenix Fest. Allen says that they can tell him because he has something to tell them as well, they agree to tell him their plan and tell him that he can't tell anyone else, he promises not to tell anyone else and they tell him the story.

Ray sneaks out of his room and goes into Cathy's, finding Jo's dress and smelling it. He then finds a Madame Bovary book assuming it belongs to Jo and finds a letter inside. Meanwhile, Alice is plotting a plan to get everyone to vote for her by bribing them in hopes she will become Phoenix Fest Queen. Allen shows Jo and Cathy a cheque that came in the mail in the morning, Cathy notices that its a personal cheque containing $500.00 from Russell Fitzroy to Allen Alvarez and wonders how Allen got it. He confesses that he is the son of Lenny and his name is Allen Alvarez. Jo is then infuriated, knowing the boy who likes her is the son of the man who killed her mother. Allen says that he's innocent and that the photo can prove it, so Cathy tells Jo to hear him out and that she can't blame him for what his father did. Jo gets mad at Cathy for taking Allen's side, she tells her that she has never dealt with anything in her life and that she could pay her way out of her problems. Cathy insulted, she criticizes her dad for his job, Jo makes a comeback saying that she's spoiled and needs others to tell her what to do and storms off.

In class, Mrs. Jenkins announces the Phoenix court names over the PA, who are Baird Snider, Melanie McLaughlin, Alice Hargrove, Lawrence DuPont III, Thomas Jr. Chambers, and Cathy Fitzroy, then says that the king and queen will be announced at Phoenix Fest. Junior is at basketball practice shooting hoops, who is impressed by Mr. Richards. Taking a break on the bench, he can't help but listen to Lawrence and Alice talk bad about his sister Jo. Junior confronts them and Lawrence taunts him, about to start a fight, Mr. Richards breaks them up and Junior leaves.

Allen arrives back home with Cathy, they go in the family room where Lenny is sleeping and he shows her a detective board of all the clues he's found about the 1950 fire incident. Meanwhile, Jo is at the diner sitting, then hears someone come through the door assuming its Bobby, she says that Allen is Lenny's son and showed him the picture of her mother Frances, but it turns out it was her dad that was listening instead. Jo tries to explain herself but Thomas stops her and explains himself instead, saying that Bobby told him that they were trying to find information about the fire in 1950. Thomas explains and says that Frances died in the fire, that she made it outside but went back in to save another woman who was trapped in the factory. He says his mistake was not talking about it with her, that there are things that he doesn't know how to do and that he's sorry.

Allen and Cathy are visualizing the clues on the board, they look at the photo of Frances and notices the woman next to her is wearing a ring which looks exactly like Jane Hovac's ring, the woman in the other picture. Allen says that Jane was the other woman who died in the fire with Frances, but the old woman in the photo is her mother, Fiona Hovac. Cathy wonders if she's still alive, so Allen decides to check the "Telephone Directory" book and try to find the number to see if she is.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Jules LeBlanc as Jo Chambers
* Addison Riecke as Cathy Fitzroy
* Reid Miller as Allen Alvarez
* Tanner Fontana as Junior Chambers
* Bella Shepard as Alice Hargrave
* Joseph John Schirle as Lawrence DuPont

### Recurring Cast

* Wes Armstrong as Bobby Atkins
* Jake Getman as Ray Fitzroy
* JF Davis as Thomas Chambers
* Christie Lynn Smith as Virginia Fitzroy
* Bruno Oliver as Mr. Richards
* Rebecca Klingler as Ms. Gardener
* Bonnie Hellman as Mrs. Jenkins
* Tom Kiesche as Russell Fitzroy
* Gabbie Woodworth as Betty