The Fosters: Things Unknown

Season Two premiere!

Let's just take a look at my favorite family-friendly couple:

I don't want to get on their bad side. Their nervous/disapproving looks are enough to make me mend my ways!

I might not have been watching closely enough, but I couldn't figure out how much time is supposed to have passed since the first season's finale. Obviously a good bit because legal maneuvers have occurred and various relationships have evolved (Callie and Wyatt seem pretty serious!) or re-settled and injuries have had some time to heal and fetuses have incubated (I'm sure that is not the correct medical term) and hair has grown. Quite a bit. And some of it's gone blond. (Oh, Mariana.)

Oh and she's dancin' now! With the cool kids.

And leave it to The Fosters to make a teenage girl dyeing her hair blond into a social issue. Stef was opposed to the dyeing, which is easy for her to say being that she naturally looks like a Barbie doll, and Lena defended it making it into an issue about beauty standards being based on a white "norm" in society. And don't get me wrong, this is a totally valid and real thing! But I can't help habitually checking off the long, long list of social issues covered on every episode of this adorable show.

Speaking of adorable...

...Jude's officially their real son! Everybody is all giddy and melty.

Dani has decided she's no longer lusting after her boyfriend's underage son (who I think she statutorily-raped, but I can't make any promises because I'm not sure of his exact age) and wants to be with Mike for good and forever for love.

Stef finds out from Brandon that Mike had fallen off the wagon that one night and turned up with blood on his hands (so remember: does this mean he killed Ana?).

Also, Emma's still too cool for other girls and some other girls at school are being all racist at Mariana. If only the racist girls were the ones Emma's too cool for, I'd find her anti-female attitude way less annoying.

Oh, so guess what the Adams-Fosters did? They let their license to foster expire. The Fosters can't be fosters! Did anyone tell them what their name is? Don't let that license expire! That's your whole thing! Anyway, so the social worker comes to scoop up Callie since her adoption was denied (due to the the whole birth father confusion). She goes to live with a fairly supportive but very rigid older lady and makes a lot of sad faces. We're definitely meant to worry that she's going to run away. Again. Because Callie. But somehow Stef magically sweet-talks somebody into letting her take Callie home, and she arrives just in time to hear Jude's way-too-poignant essay about his forever family being his new anchor.

He's, of course, more articulate than most adults despite his overuse of metaphor. And simile, really.

Brandon almost tells Mike about sleeping with Dani (and as much as I'm not a fan of that mouth-breather, I do feel a little sorry for him here since he clearly thinks he betrayed his father horribly rather than realizing a predator took advantage of him).

He also doesn't think he'll ever be able to play piano again because of his hand injury (due to that mean Vico).

Stef speaks to a witness who saw Mike arguing with Ana the night she disappeared. D'oh!

A man shows up as a customer at the fast food join where Callie works, and it's pretty clear that he's Callie's birth father because he gives her a bunch of significant looks and has a daughter who is Callie's doppelganger. Also because he's played by Kerr Smith, formerly (and mostly?) known as Jack McPhee from Dawson's Creek. And with that, an entire generation just felt like they aged 20 years overnight. Ouch!

That's the one!

There's not a whole lot to really critique or analyze about the episode because it felt very much like it was just introducing some major story arcs for the season. But I'm so glad it's back and so grateful it's got a summer season! I needed a new primetime distraction. (And I can only rewatch Season Two of Orange Is The New Black so many times before it gets unhealthy.) (Speaking of OitNB, the next time Lena's mother comes to visit the family on The Fosters, will I be the only one screaming, "RUN, KIDS, RUN, YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S COMING!!!"?)

So what did you guys think? Promising? Too schmaltzy? Better paced? I confess I actually rewound and replayed the opening credits because even my somewhat chilly heart is warmed by how damn sweet the opening is.

Comments

[Melissa]

I have a lot of thoughts on how I'm shocked to find myself feeling sorry for Brandon, and Gia from Full House is the COMPLETE WORST, and Callie has the luck of Job, and Jude is so adorable, and Mariana has somehow become one of my favorites, and Cameron says "bitch, please" to Stef and Lena ever letting their foster licence expire and Jesus...exists and Stef and Lena are THE CUTEST.

But. I'm totally stuck on the Kerr Smith thing. Because you hit on it, Louise, I am feeling super old right now. So thanks for that, Show!

[Louise]

Wait, who is from Full House? Who was Gia?

[Melissa]

Oh, sorry! Marla Sokoloff, who plays Dani, also played Stephanie's Bad Influence friend a hundred years ago on Full House.

See? She's trouble.

[Louise]

Ha! I love it. (And now I feel even older!!!)

[Ziyal]

I am *so* thrilled that this show and your recaps are back! Wiiiiiii!
I am so looking forward to Kerr Smith, and at least he doesn't seem like he's a loser, so yay, for Callie for once! Although I'm sure he will bring a lot of drama.
Callie's new foster lady was nice, but locking her up(?!), that was harsh. Are foster families even allowed to do that? The whole Callie having to leave the family was absolutely heartbreaking.
I am hoping that Mariana's wish to fit the standard norm will turn into a nice arc.
I am somewhat ambivalent about Emma because I do not really get her but at the same time I don't think I've ever watched a character like hers before so it's something new to watch. I thought her reaction to Jesus' choice to quit the team was communicated rather harshly, but I liked what she meant and how she decided to talk to the guys. Development and intelligence! As much as I love Mariana, Emma seems to be in a much healthier place self-esteem-wise so it's nice to see those kind of female characters as well.

[Ziyal]

Also, as for how much time has gone by....they avoided it all throughout the episode, until the end, when Teri Polo went looking for Ana and was questioning the guy about the man who was seen arguing with Ana "a few months ago". So I think that when they shot this episode, they were not exactly sure how long they wanted the break to be and since there's a pregnancy in the mix they figured it was best to remain ambiguous...?!

[Louise]

Ziyal, yes, I do like that Emma seems to have a healthy head on her shoulders, I just hate that it's yet another "'cause she's so laid-back and one of the guys!" archetypes, instead of her actually being comfortable being a girl (who's into sports!) and being around other girls. Just a pet peeve of mine. "Cool chick" syndrome, who always has to be better than all girls, because girls suck. YOu know?