S02.E04: Say Something

[Tara Ariano]

Callie sets out to remove the barriers to her adoption. Meanwhile, Lena applies for a promotion at work; Mariana is displeased when she learns why she made the dance team; and Callie's not sure if she's ready for her relationship with Wyatt to progress.

[dohe]

Not to nitpick but pretty sure Lena would know that an interviewer asking about pregnancy and/or maternity leave in the hiring process is against the law.  Thinking the other persons in the room would know that too.  Lena could be 8 1/2 months pregnant and, in the hiring process, the interviewer would not be allowed to bring that up. 

[CPP83]

Lena and Stef are really turning into annoying characters for me, which isn't all that helpful since they're such main players on the show.

 

Lena badgers and guilts Timothy into finally signing away his rights, and Stef thinks that Robert wanting to set up a fund college fund for Callie makes her "uneasy" why? The man is her father, he wants to give her a little something considering he hasn't been there for sixteen years, how uncomfortable are these two when it comes to having men in their kids lives? They act like the very idea of them connecting with their fathers would be the end of the world and somehow take away from them as being the primary parents. The insecurity from them both is so unappealing to me, and silly really.

 

I've given up on trying to find any interest with what's going on with Marianna and Jesus. 

[Bringonthedrama]

Band girl who's only met Callie for a few moments feels a vibe between Brandon and Callie, Callie doesn't say "ILY" back to Wyatt, Brandon is all "Callie is my sister, same as Marianna, we're all family"... we get it, Braille is endgame. The young actress is doing a job showing Sophie's eagerness/desperation to have a close relationship with Callie. Callie's conversation w/Sophie about Wyatt tells me she really wants to be in love w/him, but she's not getting over Brandon. And asking her permission to play the song with his band ... same. 

 

Lena and Marianna - nice bond.  Good foster mom-bio dad conversation - Mrs. Quinn looks like she'd been slapped at hearing him express to Stef how much he loved Colleen. I just wish Callie had heard that part! Glad he confirmed he'd been spineless when he was young, although he still comes off that way. I think his wife wants him to give up his rights to Callie, and he's *not sure* he wants to but doesn't have the courage/balls to tell her that. I think Stef's right that Mrs. Quinn is uncomfortable that her husband fathered a baby with a woman he loved way before he ever met her. But geez, it's not like Colleen's going to rise from the dead and be a threat to the Quinn marriage. 

 

Emma totally figured out from Marianna's face that Jesus is already hooking up w/a girl. I agree w/the poster who wrote that the Lena and Stef need to be concerned there. One baby on the way is enough for that house!

[blugirlami21]

I liked the episode for the most part.  I think a lot of loose ends got tied up in this episode.  It was nice to see Callie finally meet her sister and it was also good to hear her father's explanation for his abandoning Callie.  I do feel bad for the wife though, she was obviously blindsided by Callie existing and Robert wanting to reconnect with her and she also seemed hurt by Robert's admission that he would still be with his first wife if he could.

 

I may have missed it but I thought they really wanted Lena for the job regardless of her pregnancy.  I do however think it is for the best because she was only going to be able to principal for a little while before she had to go on maternity leave.  I'm glad what's his name signed the document but why did they ask someone they knew in the first place?  Sperm banks are in place to protect against that very thing happening.  That's sperm free and clear with no need to get signed consent from a person who can change their minds.  And don't you usually ask someone you know because you want them to possibly be a part of the child's life?  It seems more like open adoption to me.  But mmv.

 

What's going on with Jude?  His consent that Callie see her sister seemed weak to me but I didn't see anything else that happened being enough for him to turn into a mute.  I just wish that Callie and Stef had included Jude in the process with meeting the sister.  Jude is far and away the most important person in Callie's life and I think he should have at least been asked if he too wanted to meet the sister. 

 

Brandon and Callie got some closure with the metaphor song and she and Wyatt seem to be moving forward in their relationship.  I am a little disgusted with Jesus as usual and I am still wishing that Mariana would go back to being a brunette.

Edited July 8, 2014 by blugirlami21

[smrou]

Not to nitpick but pretty sure Lena would know that an interviewer asking about pregnancy and/or maternity leave in the hiring process is against the law.  Thinking the other persons in the room would know that too.  Lena could be 8 1/2 months pregnant and, in the hiring process, the interviewer would not be allowed to bring that up.

I was thinking the same thing.  I don't know exactly the law, but it's definitely not legal to consider pregnancy in hiring so asking about it in an interview is, if nothing else, asking for lawsuit.  Certainly when I've been on hiring committees--in some cases interviewing people we all knew were pregnant--we've been very careful not to make that any part of the consideration and definitely never brought it up in interview.  Yikes.  I wonder if this will be a future plot point.

 

I do however think it is for the best because she was only going to be able to principal for a little while before she had to go on maternity leave.

And then she would have come back and still been principal.  It's not like she would only have the job for a little while.  And who knows when the school would be looking to hire a new principal again in the future?  This may have been her only chance at the position.  So this is the best for whom?  

 

They act like the very idea of them connecting with their fathers would be the end of the world and somehow take away from them as being the primary parents.

Except Stef's whole speech to Lena at the end about allowing Timothy to have some connection with the baby would seem to contradict this.  

 

What's going on with Jude?  His consent that Callie see her sister seemed weak to me but I didn't see anything else that happened being enough for him to turn into a mute.

Yeah, I'm really confused about this.  And sad, since my number one wish for this show is always for Jude to be happy.

 

The young actress is doing a job showing Sophie's eagerness/desperation to have a close relationship with Callie.

I thought she did a good job, too.  She seems very lonely and clearly they were painting a picture of her parents putting a lot of pressure on her.  It would be nice for Callie to have a relationship with her, though I do worry about that making Jude feel insecure.

[stopeslite]

Ohno, baby Judicorn! I thought that he might crack sooner or later - they just kept piling more and more on that sweet little head, and he tried so hard to roll with it all. His dad officially giving him up for adoption, Lena being pregnant, Callie not being his full sister, the fallout with Connor, Callie getting a whole other family... I'm glad that they didn't make him a permanent saint, but I hope that they have him get all the love and attention and therapy he needs. 

 

Jesus is an idiot. But, an entirely believable teenaged idiot. I hope that Mariana quits the team and changes her hair back to brown.

 

I think they should refuse any money from Callie's dad until she turns 18 - I have a bad feeling about it, too. After how concerned his family is about money and claims to it and all, him trying to give her some will just mess everything up. 

[LisaM]

I really liked this episode too - except for the Jesus parts. Finally got to see Callie meet her bio dad and half sister, which is my most important storyline. The casting of Bailee Madison as Sophia was brilliant; the two girls look like real sisters. My heart started to ache for Sophia as she tried to think of how she had fun. (She should spend the weekend with the Foster siblings - that would loosen her up.) Glad that Robert didn't knowingly abandon his child. You would think that the easiest way for his rich family to be sure that Callie wasn't a gold digger would be for him to sign the papers relinquishing all rights to her. At least Robert's wife wasn't a homophobe. I had feared that she would be. She clearly just wants Callie to be adopted and out of their lives.

 

Poor Judicorn. First Connor and then Callie...thought it was an unusual plot device to make him mute. Can't wait to see Jude finally meet Sophia.

 

Definitely agree with the comments above about asking Lena about her pregnancy during the job interview. The new principal is a corporate type. Given the financial situation at the school, I wonder if Lena needs to worry about her job? I was glad that Lena guilted Timothy into relinquishing his rights. He had volunteered  to do it, agreed to sign the contract and then welched. Also glad that Stef brought up the possibility of him having a place in the child's life - just not as a dad.

 

Cannot stand the Jesus storyline. It feels as if he is out on his own show with little connection to the rest of it.

 

Mariana and the dance girls storyline is getting old too. I did like her talk with Lena about diversity but I'm quickly tiring of the storyline. Bring back Zac!

 

Brandon came very close to reverting to Mooning Brandon again. Ugh.

[CPP83]

Except Stef's whole speech to Lena at the end about allowing Timothy to have some connection with the baby would seem to contradict this.

 

 

Stef's gesture at the end there seemed to come from her place of worrying about ending up with their own Callie situation, keeping the known father away from his biological child. But my overall point was that their general behavior has been, and to me still is, driven by these insecurities, or just making stupid decisions like using a man's sperm who hasn't yet legally given up his rights to any resulting child, etc.

 

In the same breath Stef still acknowledged that she has a problem with Robert wanting to lend Callie a helping hand, or seemingly keep in touch or contact with her, so to me there's still plenty they need to get over themselves about.

[smrou]

Stef's gesture at the end there seemed to come from her place of worrying about ending up with their own Callie situation, keeping the known father away from his biological child.

Well I've deleted my recording so can't go back and rewatch, but I thought what she was saying was that even though Timothy won't be a parent to their baby, allowing him to have some role and connection could mean that child has one more person who loves and supports them and that's a good thing.  It didn't seem like a defensive consideration to me. 

[possibilities]

Mariana is getting interesting. I love how innocent she is, without being sheltered. It's an unusual character for TV, and I like seeing her trying to puzzle stuff out.

 

But I will never get over the toothbrush sharing. ICK!!

 

I wish Jude had gone along with Callie to meet the sister. I also wish the moms had not put Callie in the parental role again, and had at least tried to talk to him alone before bringing her into it.

 

I actually felt like Connor was being okay, and was surprised Jude couldn't forgive him. Maybe he's not angry, though; maybe he's just scared and totally freaking out. Things were too good to be true (he fears) and now it all starts to unravel? I was shocked when they said it had only been about 6 months since Jude and Callie had been placed with Lena and Stef. That really is a lot of stuff to happen in so short a time, and it's kind of a miracle the two of them aren't in more shock than they are.

 

I was trying to see Jesus's point of view last week, but now I think he's just an adolescent ass. His unwillingness to even acknowledge Emma was chillingly gross to me. I like that Mariana calls him on his shit. But still-- realistic but gross. I did note the parallel between Jude saying he didn't want to be anyone's secret, and Jesus agreeing to it.

 

Sophia is cute I guess. How old is she supposed to be? Her mom is creepy. I get that the whole thing is a shock, but she comes off as a repressed control freak. Why is she so threatened? It's not like Callie is asking anything of them, and it's not like they don't have anything to spare.

 

Wyatt's going to get his heart broken. I don't even really care so much about that as that I just really despise the whole Callie-Brandon wuv story.

 

I was so relieved when Timothy signed that contract. I think he handled everything badly. I think Lena and Stef would have been willing to include him in an open adoption kind of "family friend/donor" kind of way if he hadn't been such an ass about it. They co-parent with Mike, and Lena chose Timothy because she did like and respect and trust him (though I agree it was stupid and they should have used a sperm bank). Anyway, I liked how that resolved and I think they probably are heading towards that kind of situation now. They will need help at times, and it's always good to have community and extended family around anyway. It really isn't a bad thing-- if people have integrity.

 

I think it's natural and even sensible for Stef and Lena to be wary of people trying to control or intrude on them. It's only very recently that they've been treated like human beings-- allowed to marry, allowed to foster or adopt, in many cases lesbians lost custody to fathers during divorces, any legal equality in the workplace or housing or anywhere else has been hard fought and recently won, and there are still ways that they are at a legal disadvantage. People showing up with lawyers is never anyone's "I think I'll just trust and relax and take this in stride" moment, but in their position it's especially more scary when it's people with money or hetero or male privilege. From their perspective, they had an explicit and clear agreement with Timothy, and he pulled the rug out from under them-- they were too trusting in that case and are now trying to be more careful. At the same time, they have asked nothing of Robert and he's standing in their way and acting weird (stalking Callie at work, demanding the DNA test and not showing up, not signing the papers). So wanting to sleep on it before giving Robert an in that might have strings attached seems reasonable to me. He's a stranger to them. DNA is not their primary basis for bonding. And they did acknowledge that it was a possibly good thing. They co-parent with Mike, and they weren't threatened by Donald because he was so clearly a wreck that no one would regard him as a threat. But when you have been de-legitimized all your life, and two "fathers" come along who seem like they might be able to out-gun you or invoke prejudice, you want to be more cautious.

 

I love the scenes where the kids act like siblings, in any combination. Even just the way they collectively hid that beer bottle, or how Jesus complained (grossly) to Jude, but especially when they support each other or call each other on their crap-- I really like it. Likewise, I like the couple moments between Lena and Stef. They seem very real to me as a couple, when so many TV marriages are about banter and barbs and you wonder why the two even got together; with Lena and Stef, even in tense moments, you can feel the way they are entwined.

Edited July 8, 2014 by possibilities

[SparklesBitch]

Hi everyone! I'm new to both the boards and the show....I discovered it and watched the whole thing over the weekend so I could watch this new episode tonight....and I actually really liked this one. The first scene where they were cleaning out the garage (or whatever that space was) was exactly the kind of normal everyday family interaction that I love about this show. All the melodrama gets a little old and it was a lot of fun to have a cute little moment with all the Fosters....and even though Mariana isn't exactly my favorite kid, I adored her reaction to finding out the baby is a girl. So cute.

 

I really like the Callie having a decent guy for a biological dad storyline. Seems like the poor kid finally caught a break. I'm glad that he seems to genuinly want to know her and have the chance to help her out if he can. A college fund would be spectactular for her! I'm hoping this will move toward an open adoption where she legally becomes part of the Adams Foster clan, but still be able to get to know her dad and keep a friendship with her sister if that's what she decides she wants. Callie and Jude and Stef and Lena are pretty much where my interests lie at this point. I spent a lot of the episode just wanting to hug the crap out of Jude..that kid is amazing and everything just keeps piling on him. No wonder he went silent. I'm rooting for him and Conner hardcore. I hope it all unravels nice and slow, but they're so freakng cute I can't even stand it.

 

Also, to echo points made upthread, everyone in Lena's interview should have known better to even entertain Timothy's questions about her pregnancy. That crap is way out of bounds. I feel for him because I can see both sides of the baby issue....Lena and Stef were ridiculously stupid to even consider using a donor that they knew personally if they didn't want to include that person in parenting decisions and ESPECIALLY without having them sign a contract first. We're supposed to believe these people are responsible. I mean, damn. As for Timothy, I get changing your mind about such a big decision, but dude, you did verbally agree to Lena's terms. Man up and keep your word. I don't think he's quite the villian that Stef and Lena are painting him as, though. I think he's a good guy at heart.

 

Like a lot of people, I don't really care much about Jesus landing this latest chick, or about him and Emma, or even about Mariana and the dance team. I'm warming to the Brandon's band storyline, though.

 

Oh, and I feel kind of awful for Callie's dad's wife. Poor woman gets blindsided with her husband's surprise kid and then overhears him telling Stef how deeply he loves his ex wife and how he never would have left her had he known she was pregnant? Ouch.

 

I think my very favorite part of this episode though, was Stef comforting Lena over the loss of the Principal position. Despite their communication issues and occasional tendency to think they're better than other people, they're crazy adorable together. I love them and their relationship so freaking much. I get the feeling that we're supposed to empathize with Lena a little bit more, but Stef has been my favorite ever since her tearful heart to heart with Callie about her mother and continues through tonight with her understanding that Callie is curious about where she comes from. Not that Lena hasn't shown Mama Bear tendencies, beause she has, but there's something I love about Stef being so dominant and assertive and cop-like (the uniform certainly doesn't hurt) while also being so in love with each of those kids. It's pretty awesome.

[CPP83]

Well I've deleted my recording so can't go back and rewatch, but I thought what she was saying was that even though Timothy won't be a parent to their baby, allowing him to have some role and connection could mean that child has one more person who loves and supports them and that's a good thing.  It didn't seem like a defensive consideration to me

 

 

Not so much defensive but cutting things off at the pass is how I took it more so. Frankly considering how they bumbled things with the baby's conception this idea should have been brought up before. If I wasn't annoyed by them both I probably would see the more positive side admittedly but the whole episode they kept getting on my nerves.

[dohe]

Lena and Stef are really turning into annoying characters for me, which isn't all that helpful since they're such main players on the show.

 

Lena badgers and guilts Timothy into finally signing away his rights, and Stef thinks that Robert wanting to set up a fund college fund for Callie makes her "uneasy" why? The man is her father, he wants to give her a little something considering he hasn't been there for sixteen years, how uncomfortable are these two when it comes to having men in their kids lives? They act like the very idea of them connecting with their fathers would be the end of the world and somehow take away from them as being the primary parents. The insecurity from them both is so unappealing to me, and silly really.

 

I've given up on trying to find any interest with what's going on with Marianna and Jesus. 

I have to disagree with you on this bigtime.  Lena's mistake was not having Timothy sign something in the first place.  She went in too trusting of Timothy's word and almost got burned.  She was smart afterwards to do everything in her power to get Timothy, who in my opinion was vile to have gone back on his word in the first place, to give up his rights.  Lena asked for a donor.  She did not ask for another parent for the child.  Timothy understood this is what was being asked and then, all of a sudden was like, guess what I get to be another parent for the child.  It was a despicable, dishonest action by Timothy just as it was an incredibly stupid move by Lena to trust someone at their word in that scenario.  Lena and Stef could have easily found herself stuck in a scenario sharing joint custody of their child with a donor due to Timothy's betrayal.  So for Lena to be outraged and call out Timothy on his behavior was dead on correct.  The important lesson here is never ever trust a donor at their word - make sure everything is done legally beforehand. 

 

As for Stef's reaction, I would have been a bit bothered too.  Well maybe more than a bit.  However the situation is different.  Now Robert should not be compared to Timothy.  Timothy committed a betrayal (though I am glad he redeemed himself tonight).  Robert did not.  Stef's reaction is understandable though.  She has prepared an adoption.  When that adoption goes through, Callie is their child.  It is crucial that boundaries be clear.  Robert is not the parent once that adoption goes through.  He is the biological father but no more.  One small, noble step could turn in to several problematic steps quite quickly. 

 

I think you are reading this as Stef and Lena being hostile towards men and that is not the case.  Their concern is boundaries.  Timothy made an agreement to be a donor and then attempted to take a co-parenting role.  He is not owed any place in that baby's life once that agreement was originally made.  That is overstepping the boundary that was agreed upon.  As for Robert, while he means well, that could raise difficulties with the boundaries set with Lena and Stef's roles as the parents.  That is something they will probably discuss with Callie.  As for Lena and Stef's baby, if that baby grows up to be a person interested in meeting their biological father that road will be crossed then (for example - my Dad never showed any interest in meeting his biological father - as he said his real Dad was the one who raised him).  Lena and Stef are under no obligation for a donor to be a member of that child's life. 

[truthaboutluv]

I was shocked when they said it had only been about 6 months since Jude and Callie had been placed with Lena and Stef.

And that is exactly why, unpopular opinion perhaps, but I thought Stef and Lena's decision to adopt Callie and Jude seemed incredibly rushed and frankly a little impulsive. Especially with everything that was going on with their other kids - Stef getting shot because of Jesus/Mariana bringing their crazy biological mother in their lives, Mariana selling drugs, Jesus maybe knocking up Lexie and that was before Brandon lost his mind. I saw no reason they could not just be foster parents for awhile longer but this was just one more thing in this show moving like it's on speed.

[SparklesBitch]

I think it's natural and even sensible for Stef and Lena to be wary of people trying to control or intrude on them. It's only very recently that they've been treated like human beings-- allowed to marry, allowed to foster or adopt, in many cases lesbians lost custody to fathers during divorces, any legal equality in the workplace or housing or anywhere else has been hard fought and recently won, and there are still ways that they are at a legal disadvantage. People showing up with lawyers is never anyone's "I think I'll just trust and relax and take this in stride" moment, but in their position it's especially more scary when it's people with money or hetero or male privilege. From their perspective, they had an explicit and clear agreement with Timothy, and he pulled the rug out from under them-- they were too trusting in that case and are now trying to be more careful. At the same time, they have asked nothing of Robert and he's standing in their way and acting weird (stalking Callie at work, demanding the DNA test and not showing up, not signing the papers). So wanting to sleep on it before giving Robert an in that might have strings attached seems reasonable to me. He's a stranger to them. DNA is not their primary basis for bonding. And they did acknowledge that it was a possibly good thing. They co-parent with Mike, and they weren't threatened by Donald because he was so clearly a wreck that no one would regard him as a threat. But when you have been de-legitimized all your life, and two "fathers" come along who seem like they might be able to out-gun you or invoke prejudice, you want to be more cautious.

 

Yes! This is exactly what I was trying to put my finger on! This is exactly why I don't think they overreacted in the least. History has not been kind to us LGBT folk, and they saw this situation with Timothy as a threat and reacted accordingly. I feel for him only because I don't think he's a bad guy at heart, but if all he was trying to accomplish was to be around as a friend or more support, he went about it in entirely the wrong way. It came off as him wanting to be an equal parent, which is not something that he verbally agreed to. He knew what Lena wanted when he offered to be the donor. So, he was definitely in the wrong.

 

On a semi different note, I like Robert and think his intentions are good, but I'll feel much better once the papers are signed, mostly because when Stef mentioned that his actions toward Callie could be read as manipulative.

 

 

I love the scenes where the kids act like siblings, in any combination. Even just the way they collectively hid that beer bottle, or how Jesus complained (grossly) to Jude, but especially when they support each other or call each other on their crap-- I really like it. Likewise, I like the couple moments between Lena and Stef. They seem very real to me as a couple, when so many TV marriages are about banter and barbs and you wonder why the two even got together; with Lena and Stef, even in tense moments, you can feel the way they are entwined.

 

This I completely agree with. The kids seem like real siblings (loved the collaborative phone call to the moms in the last episode) and Stef and Lena seem like a real couple that love each other and are good together, but totally have their moments where things are prickly. Even with all the crazy drama, I've fallen for this family dynamic hard.

Edited July 8, 2014 by SparklesBitch

[blugirlami21]

I don't fault Stef for being wary of any gifts from Robert when nothing is settled legally. I just feel like it could maybe be used against them somehow.

I do however think that's Callie's decision to make. She will be eighteen very soon she can decide for herself whether she wants a college fund from her father.

It does make me wonder of the timing for this storyline. Callie will be legally an adult very soon. Why all the concern about what Robert wants? Even if he somehow got custody she would only be with him until she turned eighteen. Just seems like a lot of fuss about semantics.

[omgsowicked]

- You know, I'm glad that they're not going to drag this donor issue out because it was just ridiculous. Timothy messed up, Stef and Lena messed up (but of course, they don't seem to see that)... just, whatever, glad it's over with.

 

- I'm confused about the whole dance club diversity thing. So, originally, when the head dancer said it was about diversity, it was to make the girl who didn't make it feel better? But it was really about ensuring that the dance team didn't get cut? Why isn't there an adult supervising the team, overseeing these decisions? And now I'm worried that this whole diversity thing is going to blow up in Mariana's face (like usual). I thought this would just be about her racial identity but she's been making some questionable comments, as innocent as they've been... and she may not be able to save face next time.

 

- Jesus continues to serve no purpose for me. How's his ADHD, didn't he go back on his meds? How does he feel about that? What happened to that starving to make weight business? Does he have anything else going on in his life besides wrestling and girls? Come on. Give him and Callie some bonding time, I can't recall one scene where they even spoke to each other.

 

- Jude and Connor are my favorites of the show (effing adorable), so I was disappointed by how little there was of them but it was worth it for the reveal at the end. It was a little random but really, it was only a matter of time before he snapped... he's resilient but not unbreakable. And this is actually far more heartbreaking and shocking than had he started acting out and/or gotten angry/violent. Callie seemed very surprised by this, so I guess that means Jude's never shut down like this before.

 

He's recently learned that he and Callie are actually half-siblings, which biologically loosens their relationship (which clearly bothered him), his best friend's dad banned him from spending time with him (and Connor's not able to do much about it, plus he's [understandably] not as sure/open about the topic of sexuality like Jude is, so he's coming off as not so cool about it), and now Callie's creating a relationship with another half-sibling who has nothing to do with him. She's been his rock, always 100% for him, and now it's like she's drifting away. Yes, he has the Fosters but that's still quite new compared to all the years he's relied on Callie. I'm curious to see where this goes... I hope they get him into therapy because it's way overdue anyway.

 

- I liked Callie and Sophia. Sophia clearly needs Callie and I think it'll be good for the both of them. I'm hoping that eventually Jude can hang out with them, so he won't feel so left out and abandoned. Another example of, "what makes a family". Someone mentioned upthread about open adoption... I hope that's what happens, so Callie and Sophia could spend time together. And that could still lend some drama, since Mrs. Quinn seems very uneasy about this surprise in her life. I liked that Callie was quick to correct them on Lena and Stef's marriage... big difference from when she was first introduced (though I know that attitude was all show).

 

- I'm also glad they're slowly edging away from the Callie and Brandon business. I don't mind that they're talking about their song and Callie hesitating about telling Wyatt she loves him (which I believe she does, she didn't have to lie to Sophia). Though I'm sure they'll be back on again at some point, I'll take this while they're giving it.

[CPP83]

I think you are reading this as Stef and Lena being hostile towards men and that is not the case

 

 

What I have the biggest issue with are two characters who annoy me with their at times stupid and immature decisions regarding the kids they so desperately want. I get the show is a "drama" but I don't like stupid problems created by characters who should know better, it's that simple for me.

 

I am not thinking they're hostile towards men in general, when I said "men" I should have amended that to "fathers", because that's really what it boils down to, the fathers of their children, and don't get me started on Stef and Mike's problems... but for me it's that they could just handle things better overall.

 

They never took any responsibility for the Timothy fiasco, and Stef's issues with Robert, to me, read more about her controlling personality. He didn't abandon Callie, he isn't the deadbeat dad straight out of prison so easily written off, he isn't someone they can wash their hands of which to me is an issue for her considering how she likes to run things and be the one in charge. I don't see any legal issue with him wanting to set up a fund for Callie, if anything it'd a nice compromise over back child support and not something either side could use a weapon in court.

 

Lena's mistake was not having Timothy sign something in the first place

 

 

Lena and Stef both have made a lot of mistakes, but to me that wasn't a mistake that was just an idiotic thing to do, a situation easily avoided and should have been. You want a baby that bad and you don't want the biological father to have any part in its life then use a sperm bank like two smart adults. Or at least wait for the ink to dry on the contract you wrote up, that they went ahead without that to me is the biggest fail on their parts by far, Timothy or no Timothy, no excuse for that imo. There are way too many horror stories about AFI gone wrong with couples and their donors for them to be that naive.

 

You mentioned an issue of boundaries and I agree, but they also can't have their cake and eat it too which is a big part of why I find them annoying. They did pick a known donor, a friend, for really no good reason and then just "trusted" everything to work out, because that's the mindset of two people ready to tack on another kid to their overgrown household. It's called a midlife crisis for a reason.

 

As far as Robert is concerned, Callie does have a biological father who might want to be apart of her life, they've only had her, a 16 year old girl at that, themselves for six months so figure it out that things may not be as simple as he signs on the dotted line and then hits the road. Isn't as if Callie is a five year old, she's nearly in college already so once she turns 18 it really doesn't matter who her legal parents are at the end of the day, at least with how she feels about them or wants from them.

 

By that point she'll be free to make her own choices regardless of anyone else's input or feelings. Now if she was Jude's age then I might give them more slack over this, but as things stand Callie's situation is far less complicated than they're making it out to be. She's made it clear she loves them, she thinks of them now as her two moms. Robert is letting them go ahead with the adoption and merely wants to provide her with money for school, and if he wants to do more down the road again he's dealing with a later in life teen, not a small child, having a biological father who can care about her, from a distance, and offers her assistance if she so chooses to accept is about as easy an end result as they could be given considering things.

Edited July 8, 2014 by CPP83

[Milaxx]

Lena and Stef are really turning into annoying characters for me, which isn't all that helpful since they're such main players on the show.

 

Lena badgers and guilts Timothy into finally signing away his rights, and Stef thinks that Robert wanting to set up a fund college fund for Callie makes her "uneasy" why? The man is her father, he wants to give her a little something considering he hasn't been there for sixteen years, how uncomfortable are these two when it comes to having men in their kids lives? They act like the very idea of them connecting with their fathers would be the end of the world and somehow take away from them as being the primary parents. The insecurity from them both is so unappealing to me, and silly really.

 

I've given up on trying to find any interest with what's going on with Marianna and Jesus. 

I think their reactions are perfectly normal. Yes they Lena & Stef goofed up by not having the contract signed first but that doesn't mean Timothy isn't equally as wrong. That contract was as much to protect him as  it was Stef/Lena. If they were gold digger they could have hit him up for child support. The contract in part means that he is not financially responsible for the child. The child's parent Len & Stef are.

 

As for Robert, he's done plenty to earn a side eye from Stef. I don't blame him not knowing about Callie. I don't even fault him for hiring a private eye. However stalking Callie at her job was a bit creepy. If it was my child, I wouldn't agree to a college fund until he signed the parental rights and/or there was a serious discussion about what type of contact the bio family& Sophia would be allowed to have with Callie.

 

As for Jesus & Mariana, they are making mistakes, especially Mariana, but they  are the type of mistakes real teenagers have. It will be a welcome sight when Mariana figures out just who she is as a person instead of always bending to the whims of what she thinks everyone wants. Tat sharing of the toothbrush? YUCK! She was nasty for asking and Mariana was nasty for saying yes. I hope Marianna burned that toothbrush as soon as she left.

[CPP83]

I think their reactions are perfectly normal

 

 

Very little about this show, imo, reads as "normal".  For me my two main issues were that they went ahead with the procedure without the contract signed, they weren't forced to, they weren't made to, they decided of their own free will, and they never took any responsibility for that.

 

And I am not saying Timothy is innocent in the slightest, but their treatment of him made little sense to me. It's like the old saying says, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That just seems to be a thing with them, this habit of almost always go on the attack when things don't go their way, even when it's with each other.

 

It's as if they've never heard of negotiating. They just go from 0 to pissed off/I am not speaking to you/how dare you ruin everything and then they're seemingly surprised when people don't react all that well afterwards, especially when it's with one another. Then they start up the silent treatment, the walking away even though the other person might want to continue the discussion, the I'm hurt and won't talk about it/hey I feel better now what's for breakfast tactics. 

 

As far as the adoption goes, adopting Callie only matters, legally, up to a certain point for all the parents involved, or should I say age. Regardless of whatever Lena and Stef or even Robert want or try and do, Callie will soon have the legal freedom to do what she feels is best, last name or home base aside.

 

I realize that they're letting the twins deal with fairly realistic situations, but I find them tiresome nonetheless. It all seems so contrived and rife with stereotypes, not something I find all that entertaining. 

[possibilities]

I think the adoption matters the way the marriage mattered. It's not like anyone was going to break up Stef and Lena if they didn't have a wedding, but somehow having the wedding was symbolically and emotionally and legally important to them because it cemented something in a formal way that everyone may have already known was true, but it still made a difference to have it recognized and publicly affirmed.

 

Adopting Callie matters to the family because it formalizes something and cements it in a way that's harder to take away-- you can't walk out on each other and you can't be separated by others, without extreme reason. I think if when you turned 18 your parents disowned you and severed all legal ties as your parents, you'd feel traumatized. So saying Callie will soon be 18 and it won't matter, to me does not really work. She will still be their daughter and she will still need them to be her moms, and she will still need her siblings, too. Just like Jude needs her now and is so threatened by the discovery that according to DNA she's only half his sister-- it's total bullshit, she is obviously 100% his sister-- but it's that thing the show keeps coming up against, about how DNA means so much in the world, people do crazy, elaborate, expensive, sometimes dangerous, things to pass theirs on instead of adopting, so this family is up against that whole tide of "it's not real, it's not real, it's second rate at best" whenever these questions arise.

 

I think they rushed to adopt Callie and Jude after they saw how the courts failed them, most notably after the rape trial, and they just wanted to free themselves from the oversight and whims of the foster system and give Callie and Jude a real and forever kind of family, not anything that could be taken away, and someplace that would always put their interests first, especially when the bureaucracy that could do the taking had proven so uninvested in their true needs.

 

And it does matter whether these things are formalized legally. It impacts things like who is next of kin in a hospital emergency and can be allowed into the room to visit, it impacts who will be called if something happens, it impacts everything that bio families and hetero married couples take for granted, about the way the world will treat you in a crisis or even just on vacation. And adopting Callie protects her and Jude from the possibility of being separated again. Two years might not seem like a long time, but at that age and with their history, I'd say it's enough to break you. Most adults would not want to be separated from their family for 2 years arbitrarily, even if they hadn't been traumatized and abandoned in the past. It's worse for kids, especially ones who've had no one but each other to hang onto.

 

That said, I do agree that when the dust settles, Callie is old enough to make some decisions for herself, just like how the debate went over Brandon deciding about his surgery. But this is all happening really fast-- faster for them than for us, because it seems like less than a week passes between episodes sometimes. And it might turn out really wonderful for everyone, with a close Adams-Foster household and satellite extended family friends on the side. I actually think the Quinn marriage might be the relationship that suffers the most, because everyone else other than Mrs. Quinn seems to be open to and recognizing the potential in adding Robert and Sophia to the network. There's even some excitement there, except for Mrs. Quinn. It would be interesting if the Quinns divorced over it and everyone else lives happily ever after.

 

I can imagine all the kids enjoying each other-- Sophia would be a half-sister to all the Adams-Foster family kids and you know Mariana would love another sister close to her age, and maybe Sophia would be a good beard for Connor-- heh. All I'm saying is, I don't think the initial nervousness or questioning of where things are headed, and worry about if it's going to be disruptive or wonderful is unreasonable, but it isn't predictive, either. As Stef said: more people to love them, is that really such a bad thing?

 

It's just a lot to process, like any major un-sought-after change.

[Turkish]

 

actually think the Quinn marriage might be the relationship that suffers the most, because everyone else other than Mrs. Quinn seems to be open to and recognizing the potential in adding Robert and Sophia to the network. There's even some excitement there, except for Mrs. Quinn. It would be interesting if the Quinns divorced over it and everyone else lives happily ever after.

I'm not really concerned about Robert in this adoption story. As has been said many timess Kerr Smith isn't known for playing the bad guy. It's Mrs. Quinn that I'm worried about. She clearly seemed uneasy about this whole situation in her scenes and I don't think we would be seeing that if it weren't going to be a plot point later on. How much do you want to bet that Robert didn't run this college fund idea by his wife? Something tells me she is going to have a problem with this. I mean we get a scene full of exposition about how Robert's family is concerned about Callie(and at one point her mom) being after his money and then he offers up money for college. Come on now, that was totally foreshadowing for future drama in a later episode. And then there was that scene between Callie and Sophia where she tells her about Brandon without revealing his name and that has me thinking this is also going to come up again in relation to Callie's adoption as well. 

 

Everyone else has already pretty much covered how I feel about Lena and Stef's behavior with Timothy and Robert so I don't have too much to add other than I completely understand where they are coming from and a lot of you have already eloquently covered the reasons for why they are likely behaving that way. Even with Mike, I get it. The guy is an alcoholic after all and yet Stef still lets him be a part of Brandon's life. You can't blame her for constantly being on the defensive where he is concerned at times. And now he's got that manipulative rapist of a girlfriend in his life. Of the three men, I am more concerned about him than the other two to be honest. That is until we find out more information about them.

 

I also agree that Jesus' storylines are often pointless. This kid jumps from girl to girl. Like I said in this last week's thread. Stef and Lena should keep an eye on that. It doesn't help that he's got Mariana covering for him on that front. I doubt they truly know the extent of Jesus' behavior.

 

Speaking of Mariana, for the love of God please get rid of the bad blonde dye job!

[stopeslite]

On the interview - Timothy prefaced his question by saying that she had disclosed it, so I think once the interviewee brings it up, it's fair game to discuss.

 

On Timothy - I think Lena might be more gunshy about him being involved, because she already feels shut out when Stef and Mike make decisions about Brandon without her. They've brought the topic up before, but I think that kind of hurt would run really deep. It seemed that a big part of why she wanted to have a baby was to have one kid who was "hers", where she was the primary parent, and Timothy wanting joint custody threatens that. 

 

 

Why isn't there an adult supervising the team, overseeing these decisions?

  - that's what I kept wondering! If it's a team that does performances at school events, they have to have an adult sponsor/captain or else there would be liability issues for injury, all kinds of issues with whether the dance moves were "appropriate", etc. 

[LisaM]

I also wondered whether Robert's overbearing, wealthy father was still alive and in the picture? As soon as he mentioned his father, I thought that he might pressure Robert to push for custody with the idea that "none of my Quinn grandchildren should be raised by someone else". I do think that Mrs. Quinn is going to be an issue. They mentioned that they had held a fund raiser for marriage equality so I doubt that she would have homophobic issues with Sophia spending time with the Fosters due to the moms. She did correct Sophia when the girl said "God" so I wonder if there is some religious stuff?

 

As we've seen with the Elaine/foster mother locking Callie in her room, there is a real need for Callie to be out of state control and formally adopted now. I think that the show will try to show a difference from Ana/Jesus/Mariana where the bio parent can still be a part of the child's life after adoption. I would love for Sophia and Jude to bond; I think that they could both benefit greatly from that relationship.

 

I wonder whether the new corporate principal - with no education background - will cause problems for Lena at work? I'm sure that they don't want to lose Anchor Beach as a setting so she probably won't leave.

 

I've been waiting for Jude to break down since the beginning of the show. Very interested in seeing how that unfolds.

Edited July 8, 2014 by LisaM

[marceline]

I'm confused about the whole dance club diversity thing. So, originally, when the head dancer said it was about diversity, it was to make the girl who didn't make it feel better? But it was really about ensuring that the dance team didn't get cut? Why isn't there an adult supervising the team, overseeing these decisions? And now I'm worried that this whole diversity thing is going to blow up in Mariana's face (like usual). I thought this would just be about her racial identity but she's been making some questionable comments, as innocent as they've been... and she may not be able to save face next time.

 

 

Everything about the dance team confuses me. They have no faculty advisor from what I see. The code of excellence just seems to be a set of arbitrary self-imposed rules that they use to bully each other. Losing your position on an extracurricular because drunk pics showed up online? What school would do that without so much as a meeting? And if it was bad enough for the school to get involved then wouldn't all of the kids be in trouble? Especially the ones who hosted said party? At the house of the acting principal nonetheless? It's all so random and ridiculous. I don't have kids so someone needs to tell me if this is remotely close to how schools function these days.

 

Mariana annoys and yet fascinates me. She's so desperate to be liked that her judgment is remarkably poor sometimes. (Think giving her panties to whatshisname.) Her sense of self is so fragile that she says whatever she thinks people want to hear even to the point of being slightly racist toward that black dancer. It makes sense because she's the child of an addict and hypervigilance often comes with that but it's very hard to watch.

[galax-arena]

How old is she supposed to be? 

I think Callie referred to Sophia being a freshman in high school. Speaking of which, studying for the SATs as a freshman? Pfsh, amateur. :P

 

Oh, Mariana... she's so desperate to fit in that she'll go along with whatever she thinks the cool kids want. Yeah, it's definitely going to blow up in her face.

 

When the show first started, I thought that Jake Austin was one of the better kids acting-wise on the show, but a lot of his line readings have made me cringe since then.

[maraleia]

As others have mentioned, it's like Jesus is in his own orbit on the show and Jake has turned out to be the weakest actor of the bunch.

I'm glad that they've settled into a rhythm and aren't going for the issue of the week anymore...just the everyday issues that a family faces.

I wish we knew how long Callie has to stay on probation. I really want the state to get out of the Adams-Foster's lives for good. With all the kids that Stef and Lena have I can't see them staying foster parents anymore after (we hope) Callie gets adopted. I don't want Robert to be an obstacle to that happening and I hope that Callie and Sophia hang out together and Callie brings the rest of the kids especially Jude into Sophia's orbit. That kid needs to loosen up pronto. Her mom Jill seems so high strung and I think Robert married her to appease his parents. I don't sense any love between Robert and Jill.

[marceline]

For all of this show's weaknesses, I think it does a spectacular job of showing how the chaos of their upbringing pre-Stef/Lena manifests with each of the kids. Mariana's desperate to fit in, Callie's a loner with trust issues, Jesus has a lot of unprocessed anger which we saw a tiny bit of when he went off his ADHD meds, Jude is the perfect one who takes it all in stride until he just can't anymore and Brandon thinks it's his job to make everything alright.

 

When you look at everything Jude has had to deal with, it's a miracle that he isn't starting fires and torturing the neighborhood animals.

[GildedLily]

I enjoyed the Quinn family stuff last night. And I'm curious to see where it goes with the wife and with Robert obviously waffling on signing the papers. But I don't see how the show can absorb Robert and Sophia as permanent or even semi permanent characters. The show is crowded. We currently have the following stories- the baby, Callie's adoption, Jude/Connor, Jude having a tough time now, Wyatt/Callie, Brandon/Lou, the lingering Brandon/Callie feelings, Jesus' love triangle, Jude/Connor, Mariana's dance team stuff, the mystery of what happened to Ana, the fallout from Brandon/Dani. Its a lot for a show that does 10 episode mini seasons. Last night's ep was hugely enjoyable but I felt like everyone needed a bit more time (2 minutes of Brandon/Lou, all this buildup to Callie/Sophia for a few minutes etc., the Timothy thing resolving so neatly). I actually didn't see that Jude not talking was going to be more than a brief thing in school because the ep was so busy.

 

Callie's "Its a violation of my parole" was the best excuse I've ever heard. Despite the I love you, he's so going to get burned. I think she's loved Wyatt since early on but I don't think she's in love with him. And while he knew this in 1A, he's in too deep to see it now.

 

I'm a Brandon and Callie fan (apparently the lone one here and possibly their only fan over age 20) but I kind of enjoyed Lou being the Greek chorus, telling him that the dynamic with Callie was obvious, that she's not his sister. I think she'll be a good thing to build him back up and toughen him up from the mooning Brandon who annoyed me in the back end of 1B. His insistence that she's his sister which was kind of thoughtful and tenative last week seemed more like a defensive, in denial thing this week. And I thought David Lambert did a really good job showing that he was crushed when Callie said Outlaws were fair game for the band but without being obvious about it since that's what the scene called for. He's really improved from the early eps.

 

I hate Mariana's dance team story but enjoy the hell out of all her scenes. The actress does a really good job of making a character who could bug really rootable. Her twin, however, was just annoying and I wanted to give his airtime to the Quinns or Brandon/Lou or Jude or MIA Mike.

 

I'm really excited with this Jude development even though it broke my heart because I think there's a lot of potential for great scenes.

Edited July 8, 2014 by GildedLily

[possibilities]

When Jude gave Connor the silent treatment, I thought he was just mad at Connor. I was a little surprised, but it wasn't so out of left field that I thought it implied anything more.

 

When he ignored Jesus's outburst in the kitchen, I thought it was because Jesus was being gross, and Jude doesn't participate in that stuff.

 

When he didn't answer in class, I thought they were revisiting his "behind in academics/only got into Anchor Beach because of Lena falsifying his test scores" story.

 

It just didn't even cross my mind that it was a repeating pattern or that it would have anything to do with him being in trauma mode and shutting down.

 

And that's the genius of it. Jude has somehow credibly become perceived as this magical being who everyone thinks can go through all these different things and come out smiling and unscathed. Even when Callie got his permission to meet Sophia, she was able to say to Stef that he agreed, "but that's kind of his thing." She knew he was the type to go along to get along, and yet she still didn't think about him having a breaking point.

 

I think it will be significant what gets him to talk again. I can imagine really any of the other people being the one who gets through to him. He has a special bond with Lena, so maybe it will be her. He is closest to Callie, so that would make sense. Mariana is a "pleaser" too, and they've been shown to have an easy relationship (like with the famous original nail polish, and when she played the video game with him), where there's trust and understanding, and she's a fixer type, so maybe she will reach him. He rooms with Jesus, so maybe that will lead somewhere. Brandon likes to make everyone feel better, so it would be the sort of thing he takes an interest in. Stef could go to mamabear mode and just stay at it til he cracks. Connor could show up and uncork the dam. Even someone like Sophia could do it, just by being this kind of guileless kid who knows nothing but wants to be his friend-- and suddenly doesn't seem so scary anymore. Or Robert-- Callie hides her trauma, but if Robert saw how their life affected Jude, maybe he'd be crushed by the heartbreak and have a breakthrough of his own. I have no idea, but I love that the way the show has developed it, really any or all of them could be imagined to (1) care, (2) have a special perspective that would make them the right person to make a difference. For such a crowded cast, it's quite a bit to accomplish in so few episodes, that even though the show feels rushed at times, they really have established enough foundation to give this plot a million different possibilities.

[joanne3482]

Because I'm jaded, I can't help but wonder if now that Lena's lost the principal job if she'll lose the baby too to ramp up the drama. Timothy signed away his rights. They know it is a girl. Seems like the perfect time to steal that happiness away from them too. 

[izabella]

I actually think the Quinn marriage might be the relationship that suffers the most, because everyone else other than Mrs. Quinn seems to be open to and recognizing the potential in adding Robert and Sophia to the network. There's even some excitement there, except for Mrs. Quinn. It would be interesting if the Quinns divorced over it and everyone else lives happily ever after.

 

Yes, I see trouble ahead for the Quinns.  How awful it must have felt for Mrs. Quinn to hear that her husband would have dropped her like a hot potato if Callie's mom had crooked her little finger at him.

 

Also, Robert may have money, but he hasn't done particularly well with the daughter he has raised.  He and his wife have pretty much robbed her of her childhood, of friends, of the joy of living.  It's all work, work, work to compete, to be the best and the smartest, with no play time and lots of loneliness. 

 

As for Callie's college fund, has she ever even mentioned college?  Does she even want to go to college?  Are her grades good enough to get her in, and to do well once there?  I can't imagine she's had much consistent schooling being bounced around from foster homes to juvie and back.

[Primetimer]

Someone. Anyone. Please. For Bad-Ass Week, Al Lowe ranks the cast in descending order of Most Likely to Flip the Bad-Ass Switch.

Read the story

[LisaM]

 

Because I'm jaded, I can't help but wonder if now that Lena's lost the principal job if she'll lose the baby too to ramp up the drama. Timothy signed away his rights. They know it is a girl. Seems like the perfect time to steal that happiness away from them too.

I'm willing to bet that Lena loses the baby. It will ramp up the drama but will also keep them from being bogged down with a baby on the show. I would imagine that, both for storyline purposes and filming purposes, it is a pain to have the baby there.

Edited July 8, 2014 by LisaM

[allinnow]

The show being off for a while was a good break from it for me.

 

I like the dynamic between Callie and Stef.  They don't seem to have that much direct interaction but when Callie needs someone strong, like last season in the back yard with Callie's mom's death flashback issues, or last night with the meet the half sister, seems like Stef is the person Callie can connect with/lean on.  Those two actresses have the right chemistry to pull that off for me.

 

I like the Callie and Sophia story line.  It appears to be the sheltered kid meets the wild child cliché but within the show plot it would seem like a good experience for both to get to know each other.  I could see Callie learning something from what a different experience Sophia has had growing up compared to her own.  Mrs. Quinn (Colleen?) isn't going to have an easy time with it though ;) 

 

Still thinking Brandon and Callie are not completely over reference the interesting little exchange between the two of them about "betraying" each other. I was a big Brallie fan and I think they'll continue that tension as long as the show continues.  It's a too good point of conflict for the writers to completely let it go reference the storm of emotion is produced on the boards last season.  At this point I'm happy to see Brandon moving on although the "she's a real sister" exchange with Lou wasn't all that convincing.  Reference an up post about Lou picking up on Braille, I deal a lot with musicians and some are wired to pick up on things a "normal" person doesn't notice, like Lou did between Brandon and Callie - although I don't think the writers gave that any thought other than to poke the Braille beehive again.  I agree with the up post that Wyatt's going to get his heart broken down the line.

 

And just my opinion/observation:  There's a lot about Callie not having a family/support/searching for something/can't catch a break/etc. but looking at the show, she has the Fosters who love her, a close friend in Brandon and Wyatt, Jude, Donald, the girls from the halfway house, and now a half sister and father that care about her.  Seems like she has a lot of people that love/care about her around her - maybe more than most?  Gotta look around yourself sometimes at all the good - some people should be so lucky :)

 

Maybe it was because I watched it very late in the evening, but the hour didn't seem jammed packed with every piece of teen drama that could be fit in and seemed to move at an appropriate pace for a change.

[alexvillage]

I just have nitpicks to add:

First: I don't believe for a moment that Callie would be so comfortably referring to Lena and Stef as "moms". I just don't see it. Maybe the actress should have been directed to deliver the lies when she say things like "But moms said…" in a kind of "forced" way.

 

Second: Marianna, ONE person cannot be "diverse". A person is divergent. A group is diverse.

[Bringonthedrama]

Yes, I see trouble ahead for the Quinns.  How awful it must have felt for Mrs. Quinn to hear that her husband would have dropped her like a hot potato if Callie's mom had crooked her little finger at him.

 

Also, Robert may have money, but he hasn't done particularly well with the daughter he has raised.  He and his wife have pretty much robbed her of her childhood, of friends, of the joy of living.  It's all work, work, work to compete, to be the best and the smartest, with no play time and lots of loneliness. 

 

As for Callie's college fund, has she ever even mentioned college?  Does she even want to go to college?  Are her grades good enough to get her in, and to do well once there?  I can't imagine she's had much consistent schooling being bounced around from foster homes to juvie and back.

Actually what Robert said is that he never would have left had he known Colleen was pregnant - meaning he wouldn't have met/married the current Mrs. Quinn and had Sophia w/her. He wasn't saying he'd easily dump his current wife if Colleen had survived and come to him with Callie.  He is naturally feeling a lot of guilt and loss at the moment; I'm sure Mrs. Quinn feels stung that in that conversation w/Stef, Robert was clearly not even thinking of his younger daughter and his wife. 

 

Yes, the younger daughter has clearly been raised to be highly goal-oriented, compete, live up to expectations that are often associated with wealthy/high-brow families. Mrs. Quinn looked very uncomfortable when Callie mentioned juvie, which made me think she's concerned that a teenager who's been in some trouble could taint her perfect child ("has a lot of homework" = please get her away from daughter). I was half expecting Mrs. Quinn to refer to Callie and Jude as 'strays' when she said Stef was generous for taking them in. 

 

Callie hasn't talked about college because she's just been in survival mode since her mom's death. That's not something Robert understands due to his wealthy achiever family background and the way he and his wife have been raising their daughter. Those are the types who have money/trusts for the kid's college years all set up before the kid hits the teen years. I'm sure he just assumes that college is a given for Callie, as it is for Sophia. 

[stopeslite]

 

but wonder if now that Lena's lost the principal job if she'll lose the baby too to ramp up the drama.

 

In a way I wish she would, because I do not want generic baby adjustment drama added to the mix. But I wouldn't want Sherri to deal with that storyline being really pregnant, so I wish they would find some other way out of it. 

[Kat]

 

I think they rushed to adopt Callie and Jude after they saw how the courts failed them, most notably after the rape trial, and they just wanted to free themselves from the oversight and whims of the foster system and give Callie and Jude a real and forever kind of family, not anything that could be taken away, and someplace that would always put their interests first, especially when the bureaucracy that could do the taking had proven so uninvested in their true needs.

ITA. I really like the way they’ve captured all the ‘feelings’ involved when you’re dealing with, and/or are in the foster care system.

 

Marianna, ONE person cannot be "diverse". A person is divergent. A group is diverse.

 

True. But this is an example of how the writers do a pretty good job of capturing how teens truly speak.

 

I think it’s a testament to the writers that I find myself simultaneously wanting to slap Marianna and take her shopping and out for fro-yo to gab about boys. She acts exactly like many 15 yr old girls I know.

 

My poor beautiful Wyatt. I am going to cry buckets of tears if/when Callie breaks your heart. Also, if I could spend just 15 min a day brushing Alex Saxon’s hair, I would be a much calmer and more balanced person.

 

I typically am a person who fast-forwards over opening credits. Yet, each week I find myself singing along to The Fosters theme song at top volume. I haven’t gone as far as buying the single, but I’m not far off.

[truthaboutluv]

I think they rushed to adopt Callie and Jude after they saw how the courts failed them, most notably after the rape trial, and they just wanted to free themselves from the oversight and whims of the foster system and give Callie and Jude a real and forever kind of family, not anything that could be taken away, and someplace that would always put their interests first, especially when the bureaucracy that could do the taking had proven so uninvested in their true needs.

 

 

Fair point but I still say it was rushed but that really IMO, has been the modus operandi of this show - Callie and Brandon has been one massive tidal wave, the adoption, then now another baby, Stef barely had a second to grieve about her father before it was on to the next thing, someone mentioned finding it hard to buy Callie calling Stef/Lena "moms", well I remember thinking it was strange when Jude did it.

 

Callie in the space of one season and four episodes, has had rapist foster brother, trial, pseudo-relationship with new foster brother, pseudo-relationship with other guy, meeting with jailed father, group home, other group home, finding out jailed father is not the real father and now relationship with real father with new stepmother who may not like her and that's another can of issues. Like I'm exhausted just typing all of this. And that's just Callie's issues. 

 

I mean maybe it's different tastes but while I'm not asking for my dramas to drag on forever with their storylines, I don't want them speeding through them and jumping from one drama to the next to the next to the point where you feel exhausted. Not to mention I'm starting to feeling like everything is surface with this show and the characters - that basically nothing is really getting dealt with or addressed or creating any real depth, because it's on to the next drama. 

Edited July 8, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[alexvillage]

 

True. But this is an example of how the writers do a pretty good job of capturing how teens truly speak.

I wish you were right but I have seen it enough times to know that most people say they are "diverse", or that they have a "diverse brain".

Specifically, I am talking about the neurodiversity movement, where writers and organization leaders say they are, or a person is, "neurodiverse". Insiders, not knowing how to use the correct word for their identity. 

[RachelKM]

 

They never took any responsibility for the Timothy fiasco, and Stef's issues with Robert, to me, read more about her controlling personality. He didn't abandon Callie, he isn't the deadbeat dad straight out of prison so easily written off, he isn't someone they can wash their hands of which to me is an issue for her considering how she likes to run things and be the one in charge. I don't see any legal issue with him wanting to set up a fund for Callie, if anything it'd a nice compromise over back child support and not something either side could use a weapon in court.

I agree that Stef and Lena have failed to take responsibility for their missteps leading up to the mess with Timothy.  I think it was unfair of him to change his mind, but it a very emotional thing to know you have a kid and not be involved.  Stef and Lena had a right to expect that he would act according to his word, but I'm not sure they were right not to foresee and act in defense of the possibility he wouldn't.

 

However, I disagree that Stef's issues with Robert are about being controlling.  No one wants to have another person potentially interfering in their family no matter how well intentioned.  It is a natural feeling to want to decided how much involvement someone will have and not have them force their way in.  I'm not saying Robert necessarily would do that, but it makes sense for Stef to be wary.  

 

And the fact that he didn't abandon Callie in many ways gives her more reason to be concerned.  They guy is clearly conflicted, more so than even Timothy, because he has guilt compounding his feelings regarding having a daughter.  Until he signs the abandonment papers*, Stef and Lena have little security regarding their custody of Callie and no ability to adopt.  And even after he does sign, establishing boundaries early avoids some of the potential emotional pitfalls later.  And that, I think is Stef's main concern.  She doesn't want to set a precedent nor accept something without being clear about what it means.

 

* "Abandonment papers" is a terrible name. I hope its got a better legal title like "voluntary termination/relinquishment of parental rights", because who wants to say "abandonment."  It would be bad enough it's just a box on the form under "reasons why."

[smrou]

I typically am a person who fast-forwards over opening credits. Yet, each week I find myself singing along to The Fosters theme song at top volume. I haven’t gone as far as buying the single, but I’m not far off.

This is one of the rare shows for which I watch the credits, too.  And also sing along, of course.  

[Featherhat]

No one wants to have another person potentially interfering in their family no matter how well intentioned.  It is a natural feeling to want to decided how much involvement someone will have and not have them force their way in

 

Yeah, very true, often not even (or especially) well meaning actual bio relatives of all shapes. I think 8/10 Stef and Lena get it right with the extra family. They have figured out workable co-parenting solutions with Mike (some of the time) even when he's been a total mess and has an evil girlfriend. They were definitely willing to set up meetings with Ana in S1 and talk to the twins about her.

 

They certainly didn't handle anything much about the Timothy situation well, but I can imagine the idea of a donor who can suddenly swoop in and legally demand custody rights whilst a same sex partner had no rights what so ever, was a bogey man for many lesbian couples not very long ago, or even still in certain places. The biggest thing about that is of course that it would be a lot more difficult for it to be held over their heads if they'd gone with an anonymous donor or hand a lawyer draw up everything before this got started.  

 

With Robert they don't know him from Adam and he's thrown (another) possible wrench in this adoption saga. The last time a bio parent popped up things went terribly, and then there's what the several ways this might play out not so well will affect Callie and Jude, especially if they can adopt him but not her. They certainly aren't against bio family in any way I don't think but they always have to work harder to get people to take their blended family seriously, both as lesbian moms and with a bunch of adoptees who aren't all related. Not to mention jackasses who would think Brandon was Stef's only "real" kid. It's not surprising that anger and concern comes out occasionally, not to mention the practical ways this can fuck everyone in their family up.

 

I don't think Kerr Smith is going to break his streak of playing decent enough guys but I don't think this is going to end with him being a big recurring character on the show either. My money is also on the wife.

[LisaM]

There is also the money factor to consider. The family was screwed before when Vico's rich parents were able to keep him out of jail for assaulting Brandon. Robert apparently comes from a very wealthy family and money talks. I'm sure that Stef and Lena are afraid that Robert's money and lawyers might be able to finance a custody battle in which they would not be able to compete.

[marceline]

I'm willing to bet that Lena loses the baby. It will ramp up the drama but will also keep them from being bogged down with a baby on the show. I would imagine that, both for storyline purposes and filming purposes, it is a pain to have the baby there.

 

I'm getting that feeling too. Mainly because they actually seem to be trying to minimize Sherri Saum's baby bump. I know she was carrying twins so I suspect that she started looking much farther along than they wanted Lena to be. I'm a little confused as to how far along the pregnancy is. Callie and Jude have been with them six months so based on the story, I can't see her being more than 2-3 months gone yet at the same time Timothy said in the interview that she was "obviously" pregnant which to me means at least four months along.

[KoBnR]

I'm a Brandon and Callie fan (apparently the lone one here and possibly their only fan over age 20)

I support the two. They're endgame for sure. I don't get the big deal about it. It would be one thing if they grew up together but they didn't. I love controversial type of storylines so I'm loving this. I remember the show Brothers and Sisters. My friend watched it and I decided to watch an episode and mentioned that Rebecca and Justin would be endgame and he told me they were brother and sister. I was like oh. But the next season, they're a couple! lol

 

Edited July 9, 2014 by KoBnR

[joanne3482]

As soon as he mentioned his father, I thought that he might pressure Robert to push for custody with the idea that "none of my Quinn grandchildren should be raised by someone else".

 

I would've thought the opposite. The father (Callie's grandfather) was pushing for relinquishment so that he could "put that mistake behind him" so to speak. 

 

I find that I'm not bothered by Robert's "stalking" of Callie at her work. He was curious and wanted to see what she looked like and acted like naturally (without the artifice of meeting her real dad). I think seeing her was probably what stopped him from signing the papers to begin with. He saw her and how much she looked like Sophia and couldn't do it. It made her a real person and less abstract. 

 

But I wouldn't want Sherri to deal with that storyline being really pregnant, so I wish they would find some other way out of it.

 

Sherri had the twins in May. Presuming this is a film as you go show (Way back when I lived in CA I would attend TV show tapings. They only taped the sit-coms maybe 2 - 3 weeks in advance of the episode airing), she's no longer pregnant. Unfortunately, there's no way out of it. They painted themselves into a corner. Either she has the baby (which UGH) or she loses the baby (which also UGH). 

Edited July 9, 2014 by joanne3482

[Zima]

I hate baby storylines, so I hope that Lena does lose the baby. Maybe that's why they resolved the Timothy baby-daddy-drama storyline so quickly; they're going to lose the baby anyway, so they may as well make Timothy look like a good guy after all.

 

Wyatt is so hot. I don't know how Callie is holding out. Can they really impose laws on someone's sexual activity like that? ('MURIKA!) Or was she just making an excuse? 

 

I actually like Mariana's storyline. The "popular" girls in High School are usually very mean and superficial, so it's nice to see a character dealing with that. Also, I can understand Mariana wanting to be the only "minority" on the team as she doesn't want to be let go for another minority that's better at dancing than she is. The team could kick her off, recruit the black girl and the friend of the head dancer chick. I do feel like there's going to be some conflict down the road between the head dancer and her friend who didn't make the team. Did you see her "bitch face" during the audition? I LOLed.