The Fosters: Truth Be Told

With apologies to the eleven of you who get disappointed about such things, I didn't have time to do an in-depth recap of last night's episode of The Fosters. That said, there are clearly some things that must be addressed! Right after we take a moment to enjoy our titular couple:

Okay. Here we go.

#Brallie4Ever

Y'all knew I had to start there, right? I have a general quibble with any show that gives us suggested hashtags in the middle of a scene because (a) it feels like the folks in charge are showing their hand in terms of agenda and (b) it encourages incredibly irritating fan wars and (c) it's a little insulting either to the show or the viewers, depending on how you look at it. I understand its value in terms of marketing efficacy, though. And to be fair, there was definitely a pro-Callie/Wyatt suggested hashtag earlier in the episode and as annoying as shipper wars are to many viewers, they are money in the bank for serialized television. Something about the title of this very website suggests I may need to just shut up and accept such things.

But here's what it boiled down to in this episode: Callie told Wyatt she was ready for sex and they started going at it.

Then she freaked out and couldn't go through with it (he was super-patient and sweet and worried about it, by the way). She later filled Daphne in on the incident and theorized that it might've happened because she's still in love with Brandon.

SHUT UP, CALLIE, YOU'RE NOT IN LOVE WITH YOUR FOSTER BROTHER. (Yeah, yeah, I know she allegedly is for some inexplicable reason but I want it to go away, I want it go away so bad, y'all.)

Later on she thought she saw Liam (her rapist) across the street (and texted a still-mute Jude about it later in a ridiculously sweet sibling moment), so I am hoping against hope that her sexual discomfort with Wyatt wasn't actually about unresolved sibling lust but was actually about the obvious: this is her first sexual situation since she was raped. It seems to me that having spent hours in group therapy together, Daphne would already know about Liam, so it bugged me that Callie didn't confide in her friend there. For better or for worse, though, this show almost always is ultimately going to be about solving things internally -- within the home. But I like Daphne. Talk to Daphne, Callie! And for the love of everything that is holy, do not confide in Brandon!

(Jude's screenname is Judicorn which, of course, but Callie's is CallieAmity. What's that about? The villain of my future-Nobel-winning theatrical masterpiece Beauty Pageant Massacre was named Amity because I am an oft-unsubtle writer, is the thing. But for Callie, I guess that's just teen angst?)

(Additionally, Brandon's first instinct upon being super-messed-up and paranoid and stoned was to call Callie, but thankfully he resisted the impulse and that excellent decision resulted in the best scene he has ever had with Lena.)

Which reminds me...

#DaniIsGross

Okay, they may not have suggested that hashtag, but they should have. Everyone's favorite statutory rapist/Dad's girlfriend said a few nasty things to Brandon about how he used her, so he better not tell Mike what happened because Mike won't ever forgive him. (Note to Brandon: have you met any of your three parents? Have you ever once been in trouble with them for anything ever, no matter what you've done? Have any of your siblings?) 

Her manipulations have mixed results: Brandon doesn't accept her version of who is completely at fault, but he does accept that it needs to be a forever secret (his key points, which I think are fair from his perspective -- yes, I managed to understand Brandon's perspective for once, wonders will never cease! -- are that his father will never see him the same way again, his father might fall off the wagon, and Stef might actually MURDER DANI DIRECTLY IN THE FACE). Eventually the very naughty crowd he's running with (aka his new band) feeds him a pot brownie and he has a total freakout and ends up confessing to Lena. (The best bit was how amused Lena was at a stoned and paranoid Brandon. That said, what do these kids have to do to get punished? Throw a party doing structural house damage while their parents are out of town? Nope. Bribe a woman to commit perjury and get involved in a fake-ID-selling ring? Nope. Smoke pot in the woods? HELL nope.)

Thankfully Lena has not agreed to his request that she keep the secret about Dani. Let's hope she doesn't sit on this one. Bad news bears.

#MarianaIsASheep!

They didn't suggest that one either, but basically the Jesus/Mariana subplot concluded with Jesus yelling at Mariana that she is a sheep. "Sheep" is one of those words that bug me because the plural and singular are the same thing. "You're a sheep!" just sounds weird. Maybe it's because I read too many internet comments sections with people yelling, "You're all sheep!" so often. "WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!" is my favorite, and gets used to argue an opinion about a television show just as often as it does to argue an ostensibly life-or-death political opinion. Oh, internet. Life was so much less silly without you!

That's just a picture of Mariana being adorable, because that's what she is. I think Cierra Ramirez is pretty damn great, and truth be told (see what I did there?), her storyline is one of my favorites on the show right now because it's so very non-soapy and real. I hope she gets a little self-esteem soon and goes back to her dark hair. And shut up, Jesus! She's a great dancer! (Jesus, too, though. Really. Teenage boys are like that. It's not going to bring us swelling music or treacly apologies or melodramatic moments, but it's an honest story. I dig.) 

Comments

[Kate]

About those ridiculous hashtags I really wish the show would stop pandering to us, but I guess I’m expecting too much considering I’m watching a show on ABC Family.

I see they’re not going to drop the Callie/B (#Brallie4Ever really show really) thing like a bad habit, though I still contend that ever happened. And it’s not even that I’m rooting for Callie & Wyatt (though he is so damn cute w/ glorious hair) it’s simply because he doesn’t have the possibility of having the same parents. They can effectively put anyone in Wyatt’s place & I might be okay with it for the simple fact that he won’t be Brandon.

And I too really think, or at least really hope, that the sexual trepidation Callie is having is because the sexual assault (where is Olivia Benson she always makes things right) which is awful in itself rather than still having feelings for her brother (didn't she already refer to Lena & Stef as her Moms some episodes ago?)

Last but not least, I am completely into the Mariana storyline. I couldn't stand her at first, the pink, girly girl things, worrying about high school status and boys, I like my teen drama adolescents to be sullen, sulking, and snarky, however her story is the most real. There’s no weird love triangle, statutory rape (with your father’s girlfriend), long lost father. She just wants to fit in, but not because of clothes, or money for her it’s a race thing as well as is she just being used by her peers because of whom her mother is.

[Ziyal]

The fact that Liam is mentioned in the episode means that that's her real issue re: sex, but she probably doesn't want to believe he still has that kind of hold over her so it's easier to go with the "Maybe I'm still in love with Brandon" reason.

I too love Mariana's storyline, and I like how they're slowly building up towards it. The poor girl is so confused and I do not blame her.

[Louise]

Ziyal, I think you're right, it was just that stupid hashtag that got me worried. To be fair, though, the showrunners/writers are probably not talking to the folks who do the social media PR all that much. So those hashtags might just be marketing that has nothing to do with the writers' agenda. Let's hope!

Yes, Kate, we need Olivia Benson up in here!!

[Lauren]

I agree with Ziyal that her real issue was Liam not Brandon. And even though I am firmly team Brandon&Callie, I also hate the use of these hashtags. What do they add to the viewing experience? I'm sure the tween viewers (or this 27 year old post-grad school fangirl)could come up with Brallie hashtags without this prompting.

That said, seeing the hashtag made me a little happy that the showrunners are still somewhat aboard my ship as this has been a tough season for Brandon and callie fans. And it reminded me that because this is ABC Family, I think we've all known from ep 1 who Callie's real first time will be with. It will be probably be the tag of this season finale or next. Sorry Wyatt, sorry Louise.

I loved the sheep line, love Mariana but I hate this story for the exact reason you love it- it's not dramatic, not soapy etc. And it basically shows that the producers/writers have a tier system with the kids- Brandon & Callie get the A story (they're separate but really always intertwined like this ep where they shared no scenes), Jesus gets the B plot and Mariana gets the C silly story. Cierra Ramirez is better and deserves better. I hope the reemergence of Ana gives her an opportunity to show that.

#Brallie4Ever Couldn't resist ;) thanks for the recap- we couldn't be of more different views with the show (well we agree on Dani) but I always enjoy!

[Ziyal]

Yes, we definitely need Olivia Benson up there.

Also, last episode I thought the whole "sex violates my parole" was made up, but according to Callie's convo with Daphne today, it's actually a thing! I had no idea those kinds of rules existed.

As for CallieAmity -- I didn't get it the first time, but my interpretation of it now is that it's a word play on "calamity". And God knows Jude would reluctantly agree that calamity seems to follow Callie wherever she goes. Also, I heart Judicorn.