The courtroom scene, while nice in theory, was written so heavy-handedly. We have been building up to this moment for three seasons. I was expecting it to be the emotional moment of the series, but it felt so rushed and corny, which sort of cheapened all of the events that had transpired beforehand.
I think that’s the main issue I’m having with this show lately—it has abandoned all subtlety. We’re just jumping from one extreme to another constantly, and it’s unrewarding because none of it seems real, or rather, logically motivated. I’m blaming this, in part, on the ridiculous amount of tangential storylines, like Brandon’s band, Ana’s extended family, the blonde girl with an attitude from Idyllwild, Rita and her daughter, etc. I wish they would switch back to the more intense/narrow focus of season one. The other side-plots occasionally deliver some nice emotional/educational moments, but cause the show to suffer overall because they’re so often abandoned or rushed to conclusion. This is giving me major Switched at Birth horror flashbacks, which also became sloppy in its later seasons. Both shows sort of abandoned their original focus and devolved into teen dating drama + convenient dramatic plotlines (hello Stef’s breast cancer storyline, no parental supervision at the cabin, and the majority of the Girls’ United drama). The Fosters seems worse off for this decision because the stakes are much higher—i.e. Callie loses out on the adoption.
Admittedly, I’ve never been into Brallie, but I just don’t understand the show’s portrayal of their relationship. Most of the kids’ failed relationships have been turned into life lessons/educative experiences, but the one that is the most destructive has been lauded by the show itself and ignored by most of the characters. I just don’t get the tonal choices the show chooses when depicting Brallie—the lighting, the music, the long pauses. It seems like they want to romanticize it, but in doing so, they end up undermining every other aspect of the show. They want us to spend however many episodes dealing with the ramifications of their relationship, but also want us to ignore all that work and still support it; this back and forth is ruining any sense of progress. Maybe it’s the acting, but I have no idea what they’re trying to convey here.
[unrelated: Can the show’s stylist retire the crop tops for Callie—has she worn a regular shirt this whole season??]
