xman4802

Really quickly I agree way too much exposition. Callie seems to have exacerbated some of her judgemental and joyless nature to become almost insufferable. She also seems, dare I say it, just not a particularly nice person. Mariana appears to have not grown at all. I have a hard time understanding how 4 years away from home at the competitive MIT would not have allowed her to gain some perspective. I have, for the record always found her characterization a bit off. Most women I know with a knack for STEM oriented academics and the guts to fight through that male dominated world are for lack of a better term more sensible than Mariana has been portrayed. The Brandon-Eliza thing just seems to be setting up all kinds of red flags. I also don't really believe that Brandon would form a relationship, much less marry someone who obviously does not respect where he is coming from. Once again, it seems so off character. As for Jude...unless he is majoring in a hardcore STEM field, getting a 2.0 is hardly that difficult in any college major. You literally have to not go to class and not turn in any assignments to receive below a C. I seem to recall that Donald, his father is an alcoholic right? These things tend to be hereditary. I am wondering if they are going the Jude substance abuse route or if they are just showing a Jude who is partying too much and having too much fun to do well in school. Lastly, as someone familiar with PREP I just want to mention that if Jude were raped he would be on PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) which would be a 30 day course of the same meds that those who are HIV positive take. Since he is on PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is a two drug regimen and not prescribed to those who are HIV +) then I am assuming that he is doing it as a medical precaution. Also he is correct, the CDC does recommend that sexually active gay/bi men not in a monogamous partnership with another HIV negative person take PREP. Given that a lot of teens and parents watch this show, I am going to assume this was the show's attempt at a PSA to bring more awareness to PREP as an additional arsenal to fight HIV. I also found the disappearance of Poppy and Ximena to be interesting. They were such a large part of the universe with the older sister attached to Callie and the younger to Mariana. Of course, relationships change, but one of my complaints about the show is that the women (I guess they were girls at the beginning of the show) characters always seem to be engaged vis a vis their relationships with boys. So seeing some of the female bonding from the final season carry over into this time jump would have been nice especially since it appeared some genuine friendships were occurring. It'll be interesting to see where they are going with this.

OK, so there is just too much going on this episode. I get that kids do drugs and have sex but really you would think these behaviors were the default for American teenagers when study after study shows that they are not. Jude, the only kid apparently not having sex in that household (although perhaps Mariana is also not having sex) is all of a sudden a pot-head? Mariana raids Jesus's ADHD medication again, this time to take them for herself? I keep asking myself, does Jesus not take his medication, because surely he's got to see that pills are missing and wonder what's up. Lena and Stef might lose the house? Mike finds out about Brallie's tryst? Did anyone else understand why all of a sudden he had a problem with AJ and Callie sleeping together in his apartment AFTER he found out about Brallie, never mind that the relationship raises all kinds of red flags given that peripherally AJ is family, although I doubt Mike will adopt him. It just seems like way too much heightened and convoluted drama. We don't get to really enjoy some of the character interaction moments that I think really make the show valuable. I enjoyed the scene between AJ and Callie and was annoyed that their moment had to be overshadowed by Brallie drama (with a dose of Mike thrown in for good measure). I think it was important to show Callie able to have a sexual/romantic relationship with a young man informed by consent and not clouded by despair. That this was cut short in order to basically advance the plotline of Mike finding out that Callie and Brandon slept together was disappointing for me. I would have enjoyed watching Mariana handle the pressure of being (probably one of the few) young Latina women to lead a STEAM competition, but instead the natural tension of that moment and what it might do to her relationships with her brother and good friend were overshadowed by her being on drugs. I thought the interaction between her and Emma was a nice payoff for the storyline though. I am interested in Jesus exploring his "father issues" because this is something a lot of teenage boys (even those with a present father figure in their life) have to negotiate. This is a compelling enough storyline without him shooting a nail in his head. I also think that it might be worth exploring why Mike (who ostensibly was a father figure to Brandon) was not a viable father figure for Jesus...(if I recall he did step into that role for Mariana's quincenara right?). Anyway my rant was basically to say that I enjoy the show for the family dynamics and I get that its basically a melodrama so I expect a level of convoluted plotlines. I am just hoping that the drama doesn't continue to distract from otherwise strong and interesting moments in the show.

First, I'd like to echo the concerns that the show seems to be piling the drama onto the characters in a way that is unrealistic and problematic and seems more contrivance in the service of melodrama rather than actual plot or character development. While I love a good Lifetime style melodrama, I certainly don't want to watch it week in and week out (these things work better as once off movies with clear resolutions after 2 hours) . Also, I feel that the writers/showrunners of the show have gotten themselves into a pickle. I think they imagined a target audience of teens and pre-teens whose parents would also watch but because of the dearth of positive/realistic portrayals of same sex couples raising families actually attracted a far more adult audience. This IMO has caused significant tension in the show that the show either does not want to resolve or is afraid of resolving. Alas, it gets back to the old adage that if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. Does the show want to be a teen melodrama or a more nuanced portrayal of family life that just so happens to be headed by two lesbian women? Often, the show has sacrificed the latter for the former although from episode to episode it has veered wildly in focus from mundane everyday family and school life to having the characters lurch from crisis to crisis. I am not sure what the solution is, but I imagine that if ratings continue to tank the show won't be around much longer to offer a course correction. It is clear to me that the relationship between Callie and Brandon was telegraphed in the pilot hence I suppose if it was going to annoy me, I should probably have not watched the show. That being said, I really thought that they had settled this issue and I think the reason why people are increasingly frustrated with this show is that the storyline continues to be dragged out to the detriment of what could be far more interesting and meaningful plot points. At the very least, I would be more interested in seeing Callie and Brandon explore through therapy why they continue to make such horrible choices. Brandon is the classic child of an alcoholic ready to rescue and take care of, and as someone pointed out upthread, perhaps Callie is re-enacting her own trauma and trying to change the power dynamics by essentially moving from foster brother to foster brother. If there is anyone who watches this show with a teen or pre-teen child, I would also be interested in knowing do you get a sense that they are in support of this disastrous plot line? I'm just wondering if the idea that the "core intended audience" for the show ships Brallie is even true, again assuming that the showrunners/writers even understand their core audience which in fact might be older LGBT people like myself who are putting up with the teen angst and drama so that we can see a same-sex couple raising children and navigating life. As for Jude, the show also doesn't seem to know what they want to do with him. I feel like they moved so quickly from "I don't like labels" to "I'm gay" with his character that didn't allow for the possibility of various forms of sexual fluidity whether pansexual or bisexual queer etc. Nor did it allow for him to just explore his feelings even though I understand that some of that was pressure from Connor to ID as gay or lose the relationship. It seems in this episode though that Jude feels he is being "punished" for his sexuality and that perhaps that means he isn't/wasn't meant to be gay which IMO is different from embodying a fluid sexuality. Both are valid issues to explore, but the distinction between the two (even if embodied in the same character) should not be blurred. Lastly, I had no idea about the supposed drama/fall-out between Gavin and Hayden and or their moms. And since it has been mentioned by several posters I would appreciate a link or something less cryptic about what went on. While I am not sure this is the forum to do so, I would appreciate being directed to a place where this could be discussed. I imagine I am not the only one who was surprised to hear about the backstage drama and what effect if any this might have had on plot/character development.

I agree with a lot of the suggestions that folks are making for this show, but I feel like the premise of the show, that compatibility can be determined by interviews and personality tests (and not by physical attraction/chemistry) is an interesting one and I imagine that the show becomes something completely different if the participants aren't "married at first sight." That being said, I do agree with the idea that people should actually have to live together. While I know the dating scene is enormously challenging, I have to imagine that better vetting wouldn't necessarily have produced better results. I figure if someone is actually emotionally healthy, mature, and "ready for marriage" reasonably attractive, and reasonably financially situated in life, they are most likely already married or at least in a serious long term relationship. While I imagine there might be exceptions to this rule, I have found that in all of the couples of Season 2 and 3 there appeared to be serious unresolved emotional/mental health issues that really did not make any of these folks particularly suitable for marriage. It seems like at the very least all of these folks could have benefited from individual and couples counseling. I say that even as I recognize that for many people, they begin long term relationships (that in some cases lead to marriage) when they are not in the most stable of situations financially, emotionally, etc. I think this is part of what makes the "experiment" interesting to me. Most people don't have it all the way together and in some cases are complete messes, yet despite flaws, insecurities, trauma etc. is it possible to find companionship? Perhaps the show could rename itself "Engaged at First Sight" or something of that nature but I suspect that those who would resort to a show of this nature are probably in many ways not the most ideal candidates for marriage in the first place. Lastly, the show has got to stop with their agendas. It was clear to me in Season 2 that the agenda was interracial/intercultural/ marriages, to see if the experts rubrics could work across cultural/racial difference. In Season 3, the agenda was to have a black man paired with a black woman regardless of the fact that most of the black men who applied for the show were not interested in marrying a black woman. I just wonder if they had gone into the pairings without these agendas if they would have found more success.

I am still of the opinion that the John and Kathryn money woes is such a major contrivance both from the character perspective and from a financial reality perspective. Unless the Kennish's have been blowing through money they should have plenty to spend, given years of multi-million dollar contracts, endorsements and a relatively low cost of living in the KC metro area. John's character seems to be based on George Brett (whose net worth BTW is around 15 million dollars), I still contend that they should have enough liquid investments to pay off taxes/penalties to the IRS or hire a good tax attorney to either get the charges downgraded or have the penalties spread over a number of years. Concerning Daphne's scholarship, as a university professor I can contend that most prestigious university scholarships have a GPA requirement (must maintain a 3.0 or 3.3 to keep the scholarship) and a requirement that the student receive no single grade below a C or a C-. Her D in chemistry (even if she aced her other classes) would definitely put her scholarship in jeopardy at most institutions. However, I have also noted that Daphne behaves unlike any first year pre-med scholarship student that I have ever encountered. It must be nice that she has so much free time on her hands to hang with Mingo and butt into the personal lives of those closest to her. Many of my students can barely keep the head above water with volunteer activities, part time work, and challenging classes.

Last thing....it just occurred to me that the show could totally cop out and have the child not be born with Down's, yet the possibility of the child having Down's will play out as angsty backdrop for much of the pregnancy. I think I'd hate that even more....

I know that the showrunners have teased the development and deepening of the Daphne/Bay sister connection...I do hope that they stick with that kind of storyline bc the rest of the storylines are just awful...where do I begin? First, is the best use that they can think of for Sean Berdy's character at this point in the series to appear in flashbacks, on video chat, and as a figment of Bay's ostensibly traumatized imagination. Uggh! I would rather they drop Berdy to a guest star than to pursue this use of him as a character. Like others have mentioned, I am also disturbed that Bay appears more traumatized by the break-up (although I wonder to what extent the trauma over the break-up is substitution given that she seems to be blaming the break-up partially on her rape) than she does by her trust being violated by someone she thought was a friend. The Kathryn/John money problems are a serious contrivance. Even if John owes millions in back taxes, didn't Kathryn supposedly have a best selling book and an optioned musical? I'd have to imagine that Kathryn's income at this point has gone from 0 financial contribution to the household when the series began to several million a year. While they may have to tighten their belts a bit, I have a hard time imagining (given Kathryn's supposedly successful career) that this tax issue (especially with a good lawyer who could plead malfeasance on the part of a previous accountant/tax attorney) could potentially sink them. As someone mentioned upthread it seems like angst designed to give J/K something to do this season. Once again, I'd like to see J/K and Regina parenting their children (even their now adult children) rather than involved in these ridiculous side stories. Which brings me to Regina. I found her behavior odd in this episode and do not for a second believe that she would not have verified her beau's story before deciding to be an accomplice in a kidnapping. I mean seriously, she's going to take his word that his ex is some kind of strung out irredeemable junkie? I know this is an ABC Family show but I would like to see the female leads go a few months without dating or a romantic interest. Hence, I find the Daphne/Mingo relationship to be wholly uninteresting. Furthermore, I attended an undergraduate institution that sends a disproportionately large number of students to medical school. I would imagine that Daphne would have little time for dating and relationships if my experience with my fellow undergrad pre-med majors was any indication, at least not while she was negotiating her first year and the notoriously difficult core classes. And last but not least, they couldn't just make Lily pregnant, no they had to make her have a baby with Down's. Like others involved I am surprised that a 24 year old woman in a foreign country just beginning her career and with no viable system of support would even consider having a baby Down's syndrome or not. At the very least I would expect her to return to her home country (where I imagine the health care and parental leave policies are more generous) if she has decided that she is going to have this baby. What I would find more interesting than what TPTB seem to be teasing is that Lily and Toby choose not to get back together but work through the difficult and challenging aspect of being co-parents to a child with Down's. But it appears that this pregnancy is going to bring them back together as a couple and frankly I could care less. Lily was such a tertiary character and her scenes concerning her break-up with Toby, her worry over both her pregnancy and the possibility of the child having Down's seem totally unearned. I will lurk around the boards and perhaps catch up with the show in re-runs but it looks like the show runners have burned and crashed their show. I am hoping that Bay will get a happy ending for once and perhaps I'll stick around just a little longer to see where they go with her, but I am pessimistic given the turn that the show has taken this season.

I want to say I have enjoyed everyone's comments and discussions, particularly those who have pointed out that Callie's situation has changed so dramatically since the pilot that the issue of the adoption by Stef/Lena really is not so much of a big deal. She will always be a part of the Fosters through her connection with Jude and Robert is more than happy to parent/adopt her (as contrived as that situation is/was). It seems like making the adoption end game is not such a big deal and thus those of use who are anti- Brallie for the reasons that it prevents her adoption/forever family probably do not have a strong of a case. That being said, I am anti-Brallie for other reasons. YMMV but I do not see the amazing chemistry between the two actors, and I don't believe that they would be genuinely attracted to each other, the show's attempt to telegraph their chemistry and romantic interest from the pilot notwithstanding. I believe some of that is David Lambert's poor acting skills and his general mopey-ness as default emotion (although of course no one can top Jake T. Austin in that department of wooden acting) but some of it frankly appears to me to be a serious lack of chemistry. To those that ship Brallie do you guys really see true romantic tension/chemistry between the two actors? Because frankly, it always seems oddly missing and forced to me. In particular I contrast the Brandon-Callie interaction with that of Wyatt-Callie or AJ-Callie finding the sexual tension/romantic chemistry far more believable in these pairings. I am not sure whether its directorial direction or just David Lambert's shortcomings but I find that he saps a lot of energy out of a lot of his scenes in the episodes. He is best playing off of Stef-Lena and to a lesser extent Mike, he was even tolerable in sibling interactions with Jesus and Mariana. However, every romantic pairing that they have placed him in, from the actress who played his first girlfriend, to Callie, to Lou(sp?) lacked pizazz. Not quite sure what that's about but in a cast that has other young male romantic interests who for all their own acting shortfalls (I am talking about you Tom Williamson) at least seem to have genuine screen presence and chemistry with their fellow actors, I find Lambert's portrayal of Brandon to be bizarre. This is to say nothing of the fact that the last time we saw Callie engage in sexual interaction, she had a panic attack. We are supposed to believe that she's worked out all of her issues around her budding sexuality in order to have a passionate night with Brandon, sans trauma? As others have mentioned I am not buying this evening as a release of passion that would proceed in the manner depicted in the scene. And lastly, the idea that Stef and Lena would leave Marianna and Callie at the party seems like bizarrely poor parenting. I understand that Stef wanted to have a "talk" with Lena privately and perhaps that clouded her judgement but surely Lena (not knowing that Stef was going to confront her) should have had enough of a clear mind to see that leaving the three of them at the party unsupervised was a bad idea. Lastly, Like others have mentioned here it just appears that the writers have written themselves into a difficult corner by taking the Brandon-Callie relationship beyond flirtation and stolen kisses. I will stick around to see how they negotiate themselves through this situation but if it becomes ridiculous I think like others I am going to have to bow out.

Like many people, I have been unsatisfied with the direction that this show has taken. I think there were a lot of ways to deal with Juliette being a hexenbeiste beyond making her so completely evil and irredeemable. Like many others, I see no way they can go with this other than to kill her or have her become a permanent villain in the show. I am also saddened by Kelly's demise. Not sure why all the bad-ass women characters who are interesting have to die (except Trubel, for now). I also for a minute do not think that Kelly would have arrived with Diana in tow, and I have a hard time thinking she would have walked into that kind of trap. We are supposed to believe that a woman smart enough to fake her own death would allow herself to be set up like that? Not buying it for a minute. Nice to see Trubel back though. Wondering if she and Nick are related. I remember DG giving an interview before this season and stating that he, MEM, and JT were all of Italian descent so there could be some possibility that the writers might use that somehow to suggest that Trubel was related to Nick. I can't see any way that the writers (who haven't been particular fresh or original for much of this season) write themselves out of this hole that they have put themselves in. The show has become unlikeable to its core fanbase and the most satisfying redemption would be for Juliette to be killed but I fear the writers don't have the guts to do so and I like many others have a hard time believing that if BT and DG are actually dating (and this isn't just a Hollywood "for show" romance) that the writers would actually kill the leads girlfriend. If they do so, I'll give them a lot of credit for that.

So, I'm also not liking the angst of Nick...it is so boring, but evil Juliette is kind of interesting I must say. I actually think it might be fascinating to have Adalind switch sides. One thing that they have never talked about in the Grimm-verse is do hexenbeists have to be evil? I mean is it possible to be a "good witch?" Just wondering because what would stop Juliet from cultivating her powers for good? Also, no one else has mentioned the preview so I just am going to say it ...

I too loved the Connor/Jude moments even if I found them a bit unrealistic. I have a bit of sympathy for Monte. She seems genuinely lonely and isolated and perhaps found herself being drawn to Lena. I don't feel she was being deliberately manipulative and I imagine that she is confused about her feelings. That being said, I do find the character shift in Lena (if you can call it that) to be strange and I hope the writers go for a course correction. That doesn't mean that the stresses that she and Stef have both undeniably been under cannot be the source of conflict and tension in their marriage, I just think the writers could explore that without involving a third party. The Mariana/Emma dance team/STEM club storyline, which for most of the season I have not cared for really paid dividends this week. I like how the writers slowly have built up their friendship and that they were able to have an honest disagreement and resolve it without descending into an over-angsty plot. Brandon with the twins as everyone else has noted was great. And I do agree with others that the chemistry between the actors made me believe that these were siblings who had grown up together. Mariana exploring the implications of extended family (beyond simply Anna and the baby) is also interesting and something I hope they explore. Concerning the accident. I have a hard time imagining that they would kill off Jesus (that would make the show way too dark) or the baby (so soon after Frankie's death). I also would be disappointed if they killed off Ana just at the moment when she has redeemed herself. I also think Ana raising the baby with help from her parents creates an interesting dynamic for the twins (or at least for Mariana) that could be lost if they kill her off. It does look like Jake T. Austin is leaving the show based on his tweets (which seemed awfully final sounding, like there was no possibility of a return or a recurring role). This is not necessarily surprising given how they have slowly but surely been writing him off the show. It also appears that he is leaving of his own accord, but who knows as the timing of his tweets and the attempts by the show's creator to downplay his tweets seem off and a bit suspicious. Certainly the teen girl fanbase was not pleased to hear of his exit, and I do wonder what TPTB will do to fill that void. Yes, Jake was a terrible, terrible actor, but he did bring in a particular demographic that has traditionally been lucrative for ABC Family. I am going to hope that Jesus (the character) is leaving for boarding school and not because he has passed away. However, I just hope that if he does go to boarding school that the writers at least give us a throw away line every now and then and not disappear him the way that Parenthood did to the Haddie character. I remember the creators suggesting that if the show lasted enough seasons that Stef and Lena might foster additional children. Perhaps with Jesus at boarding school (funded by a full scholarship) and Brandon about to go to college (perhaps on some kind of music scholarship), Stef and Lena could foster a new child. What I don't want is angst-drama over the death of Ana, Jesus, or the baby.

I agree with a lot of what the other posters have said. I was hoping that the "D" in an Intro Chemistry class (which is a sign that she's probably not cut out for a medical career) would be enough to allow Daphne to refocus, perhaps in the realm of interpretation or social services, but alas we get special snowflake Daphne retaking chemistry. I am sure she'll get an A the second time around. Meanwhile Bay gets dumped on (literally and figuratively) again. I am hoping that the writers will allow her to just have some fun exploring herself and her art. That being said, it was always my impression that the Emmett-Bay relationship was endgame so I am surprised by this break-up and the way in which the writers have had this play out. Many couples that I know of (including my own parents and another couple that I knew that got engaged in high school) have a post-high school break before realizing that they really are meant for each other. I can understand a little bump in the road but this seems very final. I am perplexed as to how the writers are going to write themselves out of this situation if the idea is that Emmett and Bay are supposed to be together. Does Sean Berdy disappear from the cast for season 4B? There is really no point to him being on the show if he is no longer involved with Bay, no longer friends with Daphne and seemingly never talks to his mother Melody. Furthermore, given the way the breakup happened It would be nearly impossible for them to justify a reunion at this point unless.... One of the posters mentioned the show jumping ahead in time, perhaps a number of years. Certainly most of the "teen" actors are playing younger than their age so shifting ahead (perhaps to senior year of college final semester) or even summer post college might be interesting. With the proper styling and makeup they all could easily look older and more mature. It might also be a way for the writers to get themselves out of a number of holes that they have dug for themselves. Under this scenario they could find Bay and Emmett reuniting when both are more mature and established in their lives after a chance encounter several years later (perhaps at Daphne's graduation, although at this point it doesn't seem like Daphne and Emmett are really friends any longer). Although my fantasy scenario would play out like this and not include a reunion between Bay and Emmett but perhaps a way for them to all be friends: Bay could be back in Kansas City after doing an undergraduate degree in Italy with an Italian fiance (since Vanessa Marano speaks Italian fluently they could have her throw in a couple of lines here and there for authenticity). Daphne could have decided being a doctor wasn't for her after all and pursued a career in interpretation or social services. Toby could have found some kind of direction in his life, married with a kid, and perhaps teaching music, coaching on the side, and playing in a house band at a local club. Emmet, could perhaps be a local director for a news studio or local talk show while doing art projects and filmmaking on the side and occasionally in collaboration with Bay. Perhaps Regina is remarried, moved back to East Riverside and living with her new husband and stepson while running the coffee shop, and Kathryn and John have downsized, buying a cute loft in a hip KC neighborhood and enjoying their retirement and grandchild.

OK, I just laughed out loud, you literally almost made me choke on my drink. But seriously Jake T. Austin should use any amount of extra time during the season and the time off season when not filming to do something about his acting. It is literally horrifically bad, and I have seen my share of wooden actors in my day. I don't remember it being so bad in the previous season but I think that is because he was sparingly used, given few lines and most of the time he was playing off of Mariana. I would like to have them explore Jesus's reactions to things that are more serious and more dramatic but it is clear at least from the shows beginning Season 2 that the actor just doesn't have the chops.

This. I am a college professor. No, I cannot discuss a student's grade with a parent. It is a violation of FERPA and the student's privacy rights. Also, I cannot offer extra credit to one student and not all of the students. Students talk and any perception of bias toward a student, particularly something as blatant as offering extra credit to some students and not to others is the kind of thing that seriously can affect teaching evaluations, performance evaluations and tenure. It is as if the writers for this show have never enrolled in a college class or been on a college campus the scenarios presented vis a vis Daphne's education are so ridiculously unrealistic that I cannot even fan-wank them. As someone said in another thread if consultants are hired for other aspects of the show, why not hire actual college professors/college students/directors of student disability services to provide just a dose...just a small dose, of realism to these scenes and interactions? That would not impact the possible dramatic effect of the storylines it would just make them less contrived. As far as the rape and Bay I just can't....let me just say this, this show is literally hanging on a thread for me. I found myself fast forwarding about half the show for the first time this week. The writers have written themselves into a corner with this particular situation and given their previous track record, I cannot help but think they are going to seriously botch this storyline. Between Bay, Emmett, Tank, Toby, Daphne and the parents there is just too much that can go wrong. I am going to hold out hope that this storyline is dealt with sensitively but firmly...but I have serious doubts. Next week may sadly be the last time I watch this show that I started out loving so much.

Yeah I am also upset that Haddie didn't get her ending. I find it hard to believe she wouldn't show up to her brother's graduation. Perhaps it would have also been cool to have Adam Kristina and the family attend her graduation. Given that she has had relationships with both men and women, I would have even been happy for her to end up with a man maybe even Alex , for us to see her with a girlfriend and Camille in Europe, or something! It just seemed bizarre. Besides that, it was great to see everyone with a happy ending.

You know when I wrote this post I imagined this as a kind of off-hand comment but now that you and others have supported it, it got me thinking and I do actually think it'd make an interesting show and would be in keeping with ABC Family's stable of shows. It would be kind of a young adult dramedy. Emmet, Bay, and Toby live together and pursue their dreams. Bring in a new cast of supporting characters and I actually would probably watch it as well.

This show, which started out with such fresh promise has really fallen on hard times lately. I know that ABC Family tends to burn through shows quickly but it almost seems as if the writers and the creators of this show are doing all they can to alienate their fan base. I imagine Emmett won't be long in LA either. The problem with shows of this nature is that they can't realistically do a going away from home to college storyline and still keep the dynamics of the show. So the kids really can't go away to college. The show isn't going to pull a Parenthood and just write off one of the central characters (Bay) and they are certainly not going to create a whole cast of characters around a supporting one like Emmett. So either Emmett comes back after a rough first semester ( or perhaps first year) or they write him off the show entirely. At this point though, I am not sure this show has another season left in it....so there's that. I certainly am wavering at this point on whether to continue to watch it and I know I'm not the only one. Yeah and I am not sure why SaB continues to push Alec Mapa (Renzo). His character is irritating and I say this as a fellow gay man who enjoys a camp performance as much as the next guy. Ultimately, I think that the writers don't seem to know what to do with the parents and so they keep giving them (particularly Regina and Kathryn) silly story lines. What I would really love for Regina to do is to use the Daphne away at college thing and Bay at home on probation thing to actually spend some time getting to know Bay. And to perhaps find a central professional and personal direction in her own life that does not involve falling for whatever man comes around. Now that Daphne is out of the house and she has had time to mourn Angelo's passing I would like to see Regina have a steady happy relationship, she deserves that after all she has been through, but coffee guy just seems like the latest romantic interest to cycle through. I am still not sure why they didn't pursue the Kathryn and Regina going into business together thing when they had a chance, because this silly writing story line is just....and yeah I think we all are going to have to suffer through another musical As far as Bay and art school is concerned, she has probably honestly picked the one profession where her conviction is not going to hinder her too much. Since she won't need financial aid to go to college I am sure that she will either go to a local community college and then transfer to either a local art school (not sure if there is one in KC) or UMKC which I imagine has a decent, if not world renowned Studio Art program. Not saying that Bay's art isn't good but honestly success in the art world is part talent, part luck, and a lot of connections. Half the stuff that passes for great art is not anything most people would want on their wall, but some art collector or wealthy patron has decided that it's worth something so it's worth something. Other people buy it because cultural brokers have said that its worth buying and so on. Her family has the money to sustain her dreams and she grew up in a social mileu where she would have access to tastemakers who can support her work. While I wouldn't see her being the next greatest thing in American art, I imagine with the right training she could make a decent living off of her art. Its not like she grew up in East Riverside with no connections.... What could be interesting if the show does wind down (with this being its last season) is actually having Emmett remain in LA and doing a spin off with him and Bay. Toby could maybe join them in LA to pursue his music career and the rest of the cast could make guest appearances as necessary. I am not sure I would watch that show but Daphne has become so insufferable....

I think Wu is fine in small doses. A quip here and there, a snarky comment, the person who informs Hank and Nick about the case of the week. Beyond that, I would agree that having him take up too much space is not ideal. I prefer him as a background and supporting character and hope he is not too integrated into the Scooby Gang besides the fact that he is in the know.

So Juliette is a hexenbeist. I honestly did not expect that. I kind of hope that she remains a hexenbeist and can be a foil for Adalind. This is potentially interesting since I always argued that Juliette would have been interesting as wesen.

1) Hank should have a significant other and she should be wesen. Perhaps one episode devoted to the challenges of human-wesen relationships then perhaps she could just be in social scenes along with the gang while they are having dinner and doing non Grim stuff. It does seem egregious to me that he is sort of always the fifth wheel in those social settings. 2) I think either explain the mytharc more systematically or significantly reduce its importance to the show. 3) With that being said, less Renard if they can't figure out what to do with him. I think he can be a recurring guest star as they figure out the mytharc. 4) They have also got to figure out what to do with Adalind. It was always my contention that the show runners rushed too quickly to make CC a regular and then had to figure out what to do with her, leading to a number of ridiculous plots over the years including the current one. CC herself is far better as a comedic actress and really doesn't pull off evil witch. When she tries to be scheming or evil, she just comes off as campy, which is sometimes funny and laughable but at other times is problematic in that the effect always seems a bit off. I think there has to be some kind of systematic way to either a) integrate CC back into the Portland storyline or b) demote her character to a recurring one or even perhaps eliminate her character. Because she has so much better chemistry with DG than BT I think it would also be fascinating to have the potion switch their bodies...Adalind become Juliette and vice versa. BT to me plays witchy and tough much better than CC and CC plays soft and comedic (plus has chemistry with the lead) far better than BT...besides BT had better chemistry with Renard. 5) To that end figure out what they want to do with Juliette. First she was simply background and support and that was fine...then they let her in on the secret and since then she has been taking up too much space in my opinion without having any special powers bc she is not Wesen, a Cop, or a Grimm. Early on in Season 1 it was speculated that there could be more to Juliette than met the eye. I, for one, would be interested in revisiting this possibility. My point is if she is going to take up space in the show that she did not previously take up, let's ratchet up the stakes of her inclusion. I can imagine a number of scenarios that might be interesting but I'll throw out a few a) Juliette is in fact a hexenbeist working for Renard. There was some speculation that this might have been the case amongst fans in season 1. After all, Nick met Juliette as a cop on the job. This could have been arranged by Renard. It would also have made a lot of sense as to why she was so important to Renard beyond simply being a "control" for Nick...she was also in essence Renard's spy. It might also explain the lack of chemistry between her and Nick as well as giving more nuance to her rivalry with Adalind. b) Juliette is another member of the Grimm-verse (Verratt, Resistance) working to keep an eye on Nick. Perhaps if she is a resistance member she could even have been sent by Mama Grimm as a protector. While I believe all Verratt are wesen, I am not clear on whether or not all resistance members are wesen. But it would be interesting for her to be undercover wesen. Either way I think that if we are going to have her involved more centrally with the narrative of the show then I would like for the stakes of that involvement to be higher.

I hate to jump on the bandwagon here concerning the chemistry between Nick and Adalind vs. the chemistry between Nick and Juliette or should I say the chemistry between DG and BT vs...well DG and anybody but... He seems to have much better chemistry with the "villains" (I am thinking his scenes with the daemonfeuer lady from Season 1 as well) than his girlfriend. I can't decide whether I like it that way or not. On the one hand it is nice to see TV portray a relationship that is not angst filled and seems settled and "boring." almost like an old couple who've been together 50+ years. But when on screen DG and BT seem like roomates or close friends but lovers, I don't get from them. There literally appears to be no passion/fire between them and for a relatively young couple with no kids that seems odd. As I read one of the earlier posters, I also thought looking back these two seem to have been miscast. I wonder how the series would have worked with CC as Juliette and BT as Adalind? Interesting thought. As far as Hank is concerned, I argued on the old TWoP forums that Hank needs a girlfriend and it would be interesting if she were wesen. There are too many scenes where he is a fifth wheel. I don't think they need to have her involved (the Scooby Gang is large enough as it is and I imagine Wu will have to be added at some point) but for those dinner party scenes it would be nice if he weren't always alone. As for Hank being 4 times married RH has great chemistry with a lot of the actresses (and some of the actors) he shares the screen with, there is something mildly flirtatous about his acting style so that he always comes off that way, not sure if its directing or if that's just his style. Overall though, its nice to have Nick back as a Grimm. It makes me wonder though if we have seen the end of Trubel's arc. If so, I think the actress and the writing has grown and hopefully if she is written out we are able to keep up with her as time goes on. I wonder if she will keep tabs on/protect Josh....also interested in if she finds some kind of purpose in life. I mean for Nick, he is a Grimm but he is a cop, so it would be good for Teresa to find some kind of career. And please also count me in for the NO PREGNANCY bandwagon too. If there is going to be a pregnancy on this show please let it be a cute fox-wolf hybrid!

I also really enjoyed seeing Haddie and I enjoyed seeing Haddie and Amber bond. I too, would have liked to see more of the family reaction to Haddie's new relationship. And I also just enjoy the energy of her character. I actually also enjoyed the sibling bonding in Vegas and Julia's interaction with her mother, which I have always found to be an interesting relationship. Victor really underwent a growth spurt over the summer. I am actually OK with the changing dynamics of the Joel-Julia relationship and I can see how Julia is perhaps ready to move on...I think we have all had a serious relationship in our life where at some point we had to make a decision about whether it was worth sticking it out and fighting for it or whether it was time for everyone to move on. I think exploring that tension would be an interesting way to engage their relationship for this season.

Someone asked the question about a Latino character being called Nacho earlier. I know I may be a bit late to respond but I just wanted to point out that "Nacho" is a common nickname (diminutive) in Spanish speaking countries for someone named Ignacio. Much like in English speaking countries someone named Robert might often be referred to by close friends and family as Bobby, Robbie, etc. So there was nothing offensive or ridiculous about naming a Latino character Nacho. While not an extremely popular boys name for Latinos in the U.S. it has consistently ranked in the top 50 the last few years. Whether one believes the lore or not the inventor of nachos (the food) was named Ignacio (although he went by the common nickname "Nacho") and evidently the food was named after him.