The Flying Crown

"The Flying Crown" is the twenty-seventh episode of the Disney Junior series Sofia the First, which aired on April 11th, 2014.

Plot
In the flying derby, Sofia and James are racing against two other riders and holding last place. Sofia instructs James to give her a wing blast. James drops back giving the chance for her to fly ahead and takes the lead. Soon both Sofia and James are in the lead but the rival teams are catching up. Sofia suggests James races ahead while she holds them off by blocking their way. James with a huge lead crosses the finish first with Sofia second winning for Royal Prep.

The audience cheers for Sofia and James' victory except Prince Hugo who is sulking beside his older brother. Everyone is delighted that Sofia and James are now in the championship and the next race will be for the Flying Crown against riders of the Junior Knights Academy. James believes they can win and starts to imagine what they will do until he trips on a rock and sprains his wrist. Since James can't fly in the championship, Sir Gillium brings in Prince Hugo to take his place as Sofia's teammate much to the prince's delight. Sofia wants to give Hugo a chance, and she hopes they can put aside what happened in the try-out race and work well together. But Hugo has other plans; he states that they don't need team plays to win.

The next day, Sofia and Minimus meet up with Hugo and his flying horse Electra, whom Minimus is nervous about while Sofia is more nervous about Hugo. Sir Gillium shows up with James as an assistant coach and tells Sofia and Hugo a few things about the riders of Junior Knights Academy. They are known to be the toughest opponents Royal Prep has ever competed against. If Sofia and Hugo are going to win the Flying Crown, they have to practice their team plays. Sofia asks Sir Gillium about a new team play she wants to try with Hugo called the flying slingshot, a very difficult play in flying derby where in mid-air the riders have to line up side by side, reach across their horses and grab hands, spin in a circle and then the biggest rider has to sling the smallest rider at just the right moment. Sofia hopes she and Hugo could practice that play, but Hugo just abandons her and proudly rides off to practice alone. Working with Hugo is harder than Sofia expected.

Later in the day after school, Sofia heads for the stables, but Amber notices something's bothering her sister. Sofia tells her friends Hugo doesn't want to practice with her and she doesn't know what to do, but she knows she can't give up on this. Amber is furious about Hugo's attitude and tells Sofia not to let Hugo ruin the school's chance of winning the Flying Crown.

Just then the two riders Vaughan and Vance from Junior Knights arrive at Royal Prep a day early to practice on the course. When Hugo meets the riders, he challenges Vaughan to a small race around the school and is easily beaten. He's upset over losing again, and he still doesn't want to practice with Sofia. She tries to cheer him up by singing the cheer, but it only makes him feel bad, and he walks away. Electra explains to the princess that everyone in Hugo's family have been cheered for winning the flying derby except him. Sofia begins to understand that Hugo is feeling left out and wants to have the same experience. She manages to reason with him, telling him that she knows his father was on the flying derby team when he was at Royal Prep. Hugo also says that his brother, uncle, and grandfather were also on the team when they were each at Royal Prep, and Sofia knows that none of them have won the championship race or the Flying Crown. She tells him that they have a chance to do that. If they do the flying slingshot, not only will they win the championship race, but Hugo will be the first in his family to win the Flying Crown and the school will cheer for him. Thinking about this, Hugo finally agrees to try the flying slingshot with Sofia. Since it's getting late, the prince and princess agree to practice early in the morning before the race.

Meanwhile James is given a new job to groom the flying horses and gives Minimus and Electra a scrub down only to end up making a mess in the stables. Sir Gillium finally comes up with the perfect job for James; dress up as Royal Prep's mascot.

The next day Sofia and Hugo are ready to do some last minute practice on the course. Since Hugo is bigger and stronger than Sofia, she'll need him to sling her. However, Hugo points out that it'll result in Sofia crossing the finish line first, and Sofia says only one of them has to cross for the team to win and that it doesn't matter to her if Hugo crosses first. Hugo manages to take advantage of this by having Sofia sling him. The first try doesn't go well and it turns out Sofia is only strong enough to fling Hugo off his saddle and into the haystacks. Again and again no matter how many times, Sofia keeps accidentally flinging Hugo off his horse, causing him to crash into the haystacks. After crashing into the fountain and having his buttons pushed by his brother, Hugo quits by throwing away his team jersey and walks away. A furious Electra tells an upset Sofia and equally furious Minimus that Hugo's biggest problem is that while he's a good rider he doesn't know the first thing about being a good teammate. Sofia sees James dressed as the mascot and making a lot of noise, and she asks her brother to help her inspire Hugo.

It is now time for the flying derby championship and the first team to cross the finish wins the Flying Crown. The defending champions Vaughan and Vance arrive on the course, but Sofia and Hugo don't show up when they are announced. James knows how to get the team to come out. Sofia finds Hugo in the stables. She tries to tell him what he's doing is selfish and she can't race without him but Hugo is too upset to listen. However he does listen when he hears the crowd making a lot of noise. Sofia brings him out to the course, and it turns out that James and the crowd are singing the cheer for Royal Prep's team much to Hugo's surprise. Listening to the lyrics of the song/cheer, Hugo finally understands that it's not all about winning; it's about being part of a team. Understanding what it means to be a true derby champion, Hugo regains the fire in his belly to win the championship race. Electra gives Hugo his jersey back, and he puts it back on and is ready to race with Sofia.

At last, Sofia and Hugo arrive on the course and join Vaughan and Vance, who are disgusted when the prince and princess smile at each other. When Flora, Fauna and Merryweather give the word, the four riders take off with Vaughan and Vance holding an early lead. Sofia and Hugo are unable to pass them as they go under the bridge. Sofia gives Hugo a wing blast allowing him to fly ahead but Vaughan and Vance still hold the lead. After passing the bell tower, Sofia and Hugo are running out of time as they get near the finish. Sofia says they need to try the flying slingshot which Hugo agrees, but only if they do it right: he insists on slinging Sofia since she's too little to sling him, and it's the only way the team can win. Hugo and Sofia line up side by side, reach across their horses and grab each other's hands. With everyone watching in worry, Sofia and Hugo begin to spin in a circle while in mid-air and then at the right moment Hugo successfully slings Sofia and Minimus into the lead, and Royal Prep wins much to the surprise of Vaughan and Vance.

Sofia and Hugo are rewarded with the Flying Crown and the crowd cheers on for them. Amber compliments the team on their success, and Hugo's big brother proudly says that Hugo takes after him. But Hugo reminds his brother that he takes after Sofia, and everybody learns that Sofia has turned him into a better person.

Songs

 * Huzzah! Huzzah!

Cast

 * Ariel Winter as Sofia
 * Darcy Rose Byrnes as Princess Amber
 * Zach Callison as Prince James
 * Coco Grayson as Princess Hildegard
 * Harley Graham as Princess Clio
 * Grayson Hunter Goss as Prince Hugo
 * Colin Ford as Prince Axel
 * Eric Stonestreet as Minimus
 * Travis Willingham as King Roland II
 * Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda
 * Jess Harnell as Sir Gillium
 * Rose Abdoo as Electra
 * Sage Ryan as Vaughan and Vance
 * Keith Ferguson as The Announcer

Trivia

 * This is the second episode where Hugo played a more active role, his first was in "Just One of the Princes" where he was portrayed as a bully to Sofia and James.
 * This is the second time where Sofia teaches good sportsmanship, the first time was in the episode "Tri-Kingdom Picnic".
 * This is the second time that Amber congratulated Sofia won the match, but ignored James' victory, the first time was in "Just One of the Princes".
 * This is the first episode that Prince Hugo's father and older brother Axel is introduced.
 * In Just One of the Princes, Hugo was being sarcastic about having a sister, but this episode reveals that he actually has a brother.
 * The Princesses at Royal Prep Cheerlead in this episode.
 * At the end of the episode, Hugo turned into a better person thanks to Sofia.
 * Princess Vivian, Princess Maya, Princess Mae, Princess Penelope, Princess Arsinoe, Princess Matilda, Princess Hildegard, & Princess Clio make their first re-appearance in the second season.
 * Sofia does not wear her signature gown throughout the whole episode, and James doesn't wear his signature outfit in the episode.
 * This is the second time Sofia doesn't wear a tiara throughout the episode, the first was in "The Buttercups".
 * Colin Ford, who voiced Hugo in season one, also voices his brother Axel.
 * James', Sofia's, and Hugo's team jerseys were different from the ones in "Just One of the Princes".
 * This is the first time we see Prince Hugo in his actual princely form.
 * Prince Hugo mentions his uncle and grandfather in this episode.

Goofs

 * When Sofia and Hugo got off their horses, Hugo was holding the Flying Crown. However, when Amber complimented him and Sofia on how they were in the race, the Crown disappeared, and Hugo had his hands behind his back. But when Axel came up to him, he was holding the Crown again.
 * Hugo was already wearing a jersey before he even knew he was needed on the team.
 * James' and Hugo's blue helmets have buckles, but Sofia's blue helmet doesn't, and neither do the helmets they wear with their practice clothes. All helmets should have buckles. However, Sofia's helmet is actually a recolored version of her original dark purple one with her practice clothes.
 * Axel made a reference to "Just One of the Princes" despite not having appeared in that episode.
 * The voice actor of Hugo and Axel's father is uncredited.
 * Axel stated that his and Hugo's whole family was going to be watching him (Hugo) in the race, but only he and his father were seen at the race.
 * When Hugo emerged from the fountain, he was dripping wet. But when he went up to Axel, he looked perfectly dry, and Axel didn't complain about getting his hands wet when he jabbed Hugo on the shoulders. Hugo's whole body may have looked dry, but his jersey was completely wet when he took it off.