Up Up & Away

## Episode guide

"**Up Up & Away**" is the first episode of the second season of *Maddox* and the fifteenth episode of the series overall. It premiered in 2023.

## Synopsis

Ehsan and Dallas seek a fresh start in a new sport. Andrea has an uncomfortable run-in with a familiar face.

## Plot

Dallas drives Hakeem, Mars, Ehsan and Ehsan’s younger brother, Zaid, to school on the first day of the new year. As Hakeem and Mars question an uninterested Zaid about his plans for the new year, Ehsan asks Dallas if he plans to stay on the basketball team this year. Dallas is undecided; Ehsan suggests the two join a different sport together.

Andrea, Kelsey and Jaz are chatting and applying makeup in the bathroom when Ellie enters. Andrea recognizes her as an old student at McCormick School and greets her as a former friend of her older sister’s. Though initially confused, Ellie eventually recognizes Andrea, but does not respect her identity. Andrea, Kelsey and Jaz disrupt Ellie’s attempts to deadname and misgender Andrea. Before entering a stall, Ellie comments that her “girl costume” is impressive. Jaz and Kelsey lead a shocked Andrea out of the bathroom.

Per Zaid’s recommendation, Dallas and Ehsan try the cross country team later that week. While Dallas struggles to keep his pace, Ehsan and freshman Ezra Blumenthal perform especially well, and Coach Tamko personally recommends that the two stay on the team because they both the potential to make varsity with more training. Dallas cheers Ehsan on. Ezra introduces himself to them and Zaid.

The head of the art club, Holly Ishii, gives the group their first assignment, which is to brainstorm Ancient Greece-themed art pieces in the lead-up to the upcoming student council elections. Andrea is dismayed to find that Ellie has joined the school’s art club and confides in Mars about how Ellie’s behavior reminds her of her worst moments at McCormick School. Mars admits that they don’t know what to do about the situation but stomach it.

Mars and Ehsan meet up with Hakeem after their separate extracurriculars with Andrea and Dallas and Zaid in tow, respectively. They go to The Cool Down at Hakeem’s suggestion to celebrate Ehsan’s cross country performance. Dallas admits to Andrea that cross country doesn't seem like a good fit for him and advises Andrea to kill Ellie with kindness, an idea Andrea seems unsatisfied with.

The next day, Holly catches up to Andrea and Mars and shares a report she received from a member of Canvas & Camera about Andrea making that student uncomfortable. Guessing that Ellie is the person who submitted the complaint, Andrea explains that Ellie is merely uncomfortable with her being trans. Holly is immediately apologetic and promises to follow up with Ellie. Mars tells Andrea to buckle up and get ready for a full year of this back-and-forth.

## Credits

### Cast

#### Starring

* Allison Bourne as Ellie Vanderjagt
* Wesley Carter as Hakeem Franklin
* Julia Chee as Andrea Salazar
* Samir Devani as Ehsan Patel
* Emily Leung as Kelsey Ma
* Teanna Mathers as Jaz Miller
* T. J. Shapiro as Dallas Cowan
* Tanner Paige Wise as Mars Maddox

#### Recurring

* Alice Hiramatsu as Holly Ishii
* Karan Joshi as Zaid Patel
* Aaron Seidman as Ezra Blumenthal
* Paul Youmbi as Coach Tamko

## Trivia

* This episode takes its name from the song "Up Up & Away" by Kid Cudi.
* This episode marks the first appearances of Allison Bourne as Ellie Vanderjagt, Alice Hiramatsu as Holly Ishii, Karan Joshi as Zaid Patel, Aaron Seidman as Ezra Blumenthal and Paul Youmbi as Coach Tamko.
* This is the first episode in which Brandon Whitehead does not appear as Boogie Forman.