S02.E16: If You Only Knew

[maraleia]

 

Hiding a secret, Callie helps Daphne prepare for an official visit with her daughter, but both fear they may be recognized for their past actions. Things go awry when Brandon and his band play a "farm" party. With Mariana's urging, Stef and Lena consider Ana's proposal. Meanwhile, Jesus is offered an opportunity to attend a top-rated wrestling school.

 

[possibilities]

I wonder if they are really going to send Jesus to boarding school. I thought this was the first time in a long time that Jake showed some variable emotions, so maybe he knows he's being written out (so it wasn't acting). I'm unspoiled, just speculating based on tonight's plot and the fact that a lot of us have been joking about how useless he is. I also wondered if he was going to tell the moms that he didn't want them to adopt the baby, since he led with Mariana saying he was supposed to lobby them to do it. If it was something he wanted, wouldn't he lead with saying that, rather than saying Mariana sent him? But then he was offering to clear a space and it got me thinking about how the kids are sometimes willing to sacrifice themselves for someone they perceive as more needy.... And on a much less serious note, if Jesus does leave, then Jude gets his own room, right?

 

Mariana is my hero right now, for too many reasons to describe.

 

Robert's advice was legally sound but parentally devastating. I don't think he was doing it to be manipulative, but it was really convenient that it worked toward him getting what he wanted-- or thought he wanted. Except it's because Callie doesn't care about looking him in the eye, not because she really respects or loves him or wants to be with him. And after Sophia fell apart and was holding things inside, advising another kid to do the same is really depressing news. It's like he understands how the law works but not how kids do.

 

And shouldn't he think about getting legal help for whoever Callie is covering for as well? One thing is that if anyone in the "conspiracy" cracks, the ripple effect can be worse for those who kept mum. He's not really paying attention if he thinks Callie is the only one who has to keep her mouth shut, and she TOLD him there were others involved.

Edited February 17, 2015 by possibilities

[SparklesBitch]

This might be my age showing, but as much as I've grown to like Daphne, I'm sympathizing with Tasha's foster mom right now. We know that Daphne has nothing but the best intentions toward her daughter, but this poor woman who has grown attached to this little girl that she takes care of everyday doesn't know that. For all she knows, the flawed system is considering sending Tasha back to an unfit and ill-prepared teenage mother. That has to be heartbreaking.

 

I think Robert's legal advice to Callie is probably pretty spot on, but really, how much more can this girl take? I loved that his lawyer jumped in when the cops were trying to question her and crapped all over their theory of what happened by pointing out that they really had no proof. There is no way that the shopkeeper could possibly have remembered Callie buying that toy unless she only gets like 10 customers a month.

 

Didn't really care much about Jesus or Brandon and Lou and the party, but Mariana was pretty awesome tonight, what with saving that girl and sticking up for herself when Brandon got on her case, even if he was just taking out his frustrations with Lou on her. She did the right thing and she knows it. Smart girl.

 

Loved all the Stef and Lena stuff. I love those two more than anything else on this show and adore any scenes when they're being all close. They killed in tonight. I was especially happy that they pretty much decided not to take the baby. What a relief. The scene where they discuss lesbian bed death was gold. It is definitely a thing. And it sucks. Also, I'm a sucker for when they spoon up and have sweet conversations in bed. =)

 

Lastly, if these were my kids.....after everything they have gotten into, I would never let them leave the house. Why Stef and Lena keep letting them all go places is beyond me.

[izabella]

Didn't really care much about Jesus or Brandon and Lou and the party, but Mariana was pretty awesome tonight, what with saving that girl and sticking up for herself when Brandon got on her case, even if he was just taking out his frustrations with Lou on her. She did the right thing and she knows it. Smart girl.

 

Yes, Marianna was fantastic there.  I also liked that she was honest about her feelings about going on the band trip, but that she accepted her bf's perspective, too.

[Valny]

We know that Daphne has nothing but the best intentions toward her daughter, but this poor woman who has grown attached to this little girl that she takes care of everyday doesn't know that. 

 

Speaking of that little girl, this is the second appearance where I felt terrible for the kid,because she was really crying and looks so damn sad. And oh did you hear those wimpers of " eee,eee,eee!"  I wonder what they tell her is happening in those scenes or if she just naturally does that on her own.

Yay for limited Jesus time.  I so prefer that!....like... a lot.

 

I was especially happy that they pretty much decided not to take the baby. What a relief.

 

  Indeed, hallelujah! At least I hope they keep that decision.

 

I've never heard of a PHARM party either. The pill stuff? Yes, beyond stupid.

 

I didn't think in the promo that Callie was going to tell the moms about the Tasha situation, but I didn't think it would turn out to be living with Robert.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Valny

[omgsowicked]

- So glad they addressed the ridiculousness of the cops going after Callie because of a toy (that's apparently not even one of a kind), and that they told us why Callie didn't call Stef and Lena. So now Callie wants to move in with Robert because she can't stand lying to them? I can't imagine Stef would cuff her right then and there if she explained some or all of what happened.

 

Also, the social worker guy... they've now established that he has a masters, which means he's probably mid-20s, right? They weren't too flirty in this episode but I still wonder if that's the plan. I like the idea of her being inspired by him to go into social work, or to see that it's not impossible to succeed if you age out of the system, better.

 

- The bedroom scene with Stef and Lena was wonderful; I really liked how long it ran and the fact that they didn't have to rush out to get any of the kids. But I'm getting really edgy about all this, "we need to work on us," stuff. It's not at all unreasonable to bring up, and in fact was very necessary... but I keep feeling like they're setting things up for some kind of Lena/Monte action. It's just making me edgy, man.

 

- I was so worried when Mariana went looking for a bathroom, I thought someone was going to corner her. I'm glad Mat's reason for wanting Mariana to stay home from the tour wasn't because of shady reasons. I still don't care about this band or the tour... and they didn't make any money from the gig so I guess the conservatory is still an option for Brandon.

 

- I enjoy the show overall, of course, but Jude and Connor are what I love most, so when they're not in an episode, I'm a little disappointed... especially when they leave us on a big moment like they did last week. Damn you, child labor laws. :P

 

- When this thread was created and I read the episode synopsis, I was tempted to leave a comment about how I hoped the wrestling school was in another state so they could ship Jesus off but was like, "no, that's too mean." But that's exactly what seems to be happening! LOL. I'm sorry to say it but I hope they follow through with it because Jake's just not a strong enough actor.

 

However, Jesus leaving would open the door for them adopting Ana's baby, and I'm still not sure if I'm into that idea, especially now that Stef and Lena have listed all the (good) reasons why they shouldn't (though they didn't bring up the fact that Ana would likely be in their lives for good, and she's been a pain in their ass... and who's to say she wouldn't relapse and kidnap the kid one day).

[Ikki]

I haven't seen this episode yet, but I just want to say that a much more sane way to have the toy connect back to Callie than a savant shopkeeper might be, hmm, I don't know... FINGERPRINTS*? Callie's been arrested, so she'd be in the system, right? And so would Daphne, but they could have had Daphne to have only touched the toy with gloves on or something (even though as has been mentioned, she should have been the obvious suspect anyway).

I don't know how that would fit in with the timeline of events, both in that I don't know what month we're supposed to be in now and that I don't know how long it would take to trace fingerprints (though in HTGAWM it looks like it takes about a day). I'm just bothered by the weird writing choices that are bringing us back to this plot.

 

*Editing this to say that if the episode does mention fingerprints I'm going to feel like an idiot, but no one on here has said anything about them yet, so...

Edited February 17, 2015 by Ikki

[RedFire2000]

What parents let 16 year olds go on tour during summer?  Really though? That's crazy to me. And with all the crap Brandon has done over the past 6 months, he wouldn't be going anywhere. I could understand if they had management and all that stuff. Not to mention this band gave him pot and in tonight's episode they are playing at a Pharma party. Can't imagine Stef being ok with that when she finds out.

 

Anyway, I'm so over this band crap.

[Lady Calypso]

So...are they writing Jesus out of the show? Because of what's going on with Jake, or because of Ana's baby thing? I'm actually kind of curious to see if Jesus actually leaves. If he does, well I guess good riddance and we'll see you around. But I'm not quite sure. There seems to be a pattern with Jesus and building up storylines with him, only for them to be dropped. 

 

Go Mariana. You're awesome, girl. I do like her and Mat together and I'm glad he cleared the air with her about going on tour. They actually aren't the worst couple ever, so that's a plus.

 

Well, I do want them to close up this kidnapping storyline ASAP. I just don't care, and it's getting Callie in more trouble.

 

I'm worried about Stef/Lena. I don't want a cheating storyline, especially not with them.

 

Lou/Brandon still bore me.

[Eeksquire]

I know last week some people thought the episode felt like filler... I felt that way about this episode.  I will jump for joy if Jesus goes to boarding school, but I can't help but think that they was this show handles these kinds opportunities is flawed.  The guy from the school is *really* going to go straight to Jesus, who he doesn't know, and recruit him AND give him a scholarship without anyone at any point contacting his parents or filling out any paperwork or getting his transcripts or ... well, any of the bureaucratic nonsense that occurs at all times when you're talking about kids and school? Really? (Same thing with Brandon and the music program.  I could believe it that the music teacher will talk to Brandon about it first, but not that he wouldn't also tell Lena or that the summer program wouldn't have sent reams of paperwork to be filled out.)

[Bobcatkitten]

I don't get why Callie is so scared to tell them about the thing with Daphne and baby. Her friend kidnapped the child and Callie went there and convinced her to give the child back. What exactly did she do that is so terrible?

 

Also, how in the world does Marianna even get to that party? She is 15 and doesn't drive. Didn't arrive with Brandon or Matt. 

[Primetimer]

And other questions heating up in Al Lowe's brain after this week's episode of The Fosters.

Read the story

[joanne3482]

I don't get why Callie is so scared to tell them about the thing with Daphne and baby. Her friend kidnapped the child and Callie went there and convinced her to give the child back. What exactly did she do that is so terrible?

 

Perhaps because she's protecting Daphne. She doesn't want her friend to lose all chance of getting the baby back. 

 

Callie's been arrested, so she'd be in the system, right? And so would Daphne, but they could have had Daphne to have only touched the toy with gloves on or something (even though as has been mentioned, she should have been the obvious suspect anyway).

I don't know how that would fit in with the timeline of events, both in that I don't know what month we're supposed to be in now and that I don't know how long it would take to trace fingerprints (though in HTGAWM it looks like it takes about a day). I'm just bothered by the weird writing choices that are bringing us back to this plot.

 

I would think by the time police got the small toy any fingerprints of Callie and Daphne would be smudged away. The baby had the toy. The foster mom probably took the toy from the baby. The foster dad may have held the toy. 

[stopeslite]

I have no idea why Mariana called Callie to begin with, rather than, you know, Brandon or Matt, who were already there. What did she think Callie would be able to accomplish? But then with the OD'd girl I was 100% certain that Mariana was going to call Stef to come bust them out, thereby interrupting the sexy times. If nothing else, Brandon should be kissing her feet from now until next summer that she called the police in general instead of her own cop mom. 

 

Fine, Callie can't have any time in her life without crisis. But could she at least only have one at a time? Girl is being pushed to the breaking point.

 

I'm annoyed that the thing with Jesus came out of completely nowhere. We haven't been shown that he's the best wrestler on the team, or even that he's better than mid-level ok enough. We haven't seen any foreshadowing of talk of recruiters or potential future scholarships or anything. People don't just get handed opportunities like that! Oh, except for Brandon. Who's just flushing it down the toilet. Idiot. 

[Melgaypet]

I have no idea why Mariana called Callie to begin with, rather than, you know, Brandon or Matt, who were already there.

 

She started to call Mat first, but then heard the band start playing. I'm not sure if she didn't want to interrupt them or (more likely) she didn't think they'd be able to hear their phones.

 

I love Mariana. She is the best.

[joanne3482]

I have no idea why Mariana called Callie to begin with, rather than, you know, Brandon or Matt, who were already there. What did she think Callie would be able to accomplish? But then with the OD'd girl I was 100% certain that Mariana was going to call Stef to come bust them out, thereby interrupting the sexy times. If nothing else, Brandon should be kissing her feet from now until next summer that she called the police in general instead of her own cop mom.

 

I think she probably called 911 for the medical emergency not even thinking about her mom as a cop.  The police who showed up kept bellowing "We have a medical emergency" so I think they came as part of the response team as a whole. 

[Ikki]

I would think by the time police got the small toy any fingerprints of Callie and Daphne would be smudged away. The baby had the toy. The foster mom probably took the toy from the baby. The foster dad may have held the toy.

Yeah, and at this point I'm more suggesting it as an alternative the writers could have taken; it was December, so it could have been reasonable to have had Tasha wearing gloves, and the foster mom could have taken the toy from her carefully and right away. Obviously, this isn't the path the writers decided to go-- I just feel like I would be more willing to suspend my disbelief for "we found your fingerprints" than for "we traced this generic toy to this shop and the shopkeeper was able to ID you and your purchase from months ago."

[RedFire2000]

I hope they're not about to set Callie up with the new guy... from the agency. For one thing, he's way too old for her IMO. Didn't he say he had a graduate degree? That would make him at least 23 or 24, and Callie is 16. Also so soon after the Brandon/Wyatt drama, can't they just let a female lead worry about non-romantic issues in these dramas? Just my two cents.

[Black Knight]

The fact that it was Lena who took the "it may not be new but it's better" position in her conversation with Stef made me feel better about any possible cheating storyline. And they had a very nice conversation overall, and I liked the intimate snuggling. (It was amazing to hear them talk a little about how sex doesn't have to be goal-oriented because that's not something I hear discussed on TV much, if ever.) Good to see the change in time for the show isn't affecting that. I also laughed at Stef's face when Lena asked if she'd faked it before - come on, Stef, you had to know that question was coming.

 

I've always thought Cierra Ramirez the best of the young actors and I'm so pleased that the show's really nailed down the writing for her character. Mariana rules. The dynamic between her and Mat has really improved - I didn't like them at all at first because it felt like he was always lecturing and patronizing her, but that's gone away and so now I like them.

 

Robert's advice to Callie was ridiculous. First, she should've told the lawyer everything so that he could advise her properly. I agree with posters above that she's not actually in as much trouble as she thinks she is, but part of the reason for her misconception is because she hasn't talked properly with any adult, particularly the lawyer Robert got her. And second, however Robert feels about the custody situation, Lena and Stef are currently Callie's legal guardians and so should be told that there is a situation involving their ward. It's terrible for Robert to keep them out of the picture, and between that and his advice to Callie to just bottle everything up, I think we're seeing some of the contributing factors to why Sophia is a mess.

 

I'm sure the whole "I'm living with Robert" thing will be resolved pretty quickly and Callie back home with Lena and Stef where she really wants to be, but still, the end scene broke my heart. Stef seemed to withdraw inside herself and Lena looked heartbroken. And although Callie had on a pretty good poker face, her speech beforehand made clear how this is so not what she actually wants.

 

So sick of hearing about the band - is this just to appeal to young teen viewers?

[DeepPoet117]

I don't think they would go there with the volunteer guy (Rafael according to IMDb). For one thing, this isn't Switched at Birth. For another thing, he has his Master's in Social Work. That means he's gone through a ton of ethics training, background checks, etc. He knows that if he starts something with a 16-year-old, there is no way he'll work in social work ever again. I'm hoping he is just supposed to be there as a mentor for Callie to show her what her future could look like, or something. 

 

I'd be perfectly happy to send Jesus off to the all boys wrestling school. I think that would be an excellent place for him.

 

Mariana is the best. Brandon is the worst. That is all.

 

I loved the scenes with Stef and Lena. I'm sad there weren't any Jude scenes, though at least he got an explanation for where he was. Another group date? More pinkies or will they move on to other fingers?

 

When this show does something well, they do it really really well. But the stuff they don't do well is horrible.

[Ikki]

Another reason (besides those already mentioned) that I am absolutely not having it with Callie and the social worker dude is that I think a dynamic like that would on some level hark back to her experience with Liam, and god no.

 

Spoilered for sensitive content (not actual spoilers): 

That said I would potentially be interested in seeing Callie develop unrequited feelings for him and then dealing with feelings of trauma connecting to her rape with her feelings of attraction to an older name. I mention this only because it is similar to some of my own experiences, and I would be interested in seeing it. However, it this is also on some level similar to what happened with her and Wyatt, and it may seem like a rehash if they went there. (Which is sometimes how dealing with trauma goes.)

[Ljohnson1987]

Another great episode. I loved the storyline about Daphne and  Kiara.  This show is not afraid to deal with real issues. 

The sex talk between Stef and Lena was hilarious.  I hope they adopt Ana’s baby. It would be an extension of Frankie, and the daughter they’ve always wanted.

Brallie isn’t going anywhere. As much as some people hate that they’re together, it’s fine. Callie isn’t adopted, so there’s nothing wrong with it.

Can’t wait to see Rosie next week. This show never fails to keep  you on the edge of your seat.

[Perfect Xero]

The confrontation between Daphne and the foster mom was the first time that I got the irony of Callie telling Daphne that her daughter will love her and want to be with her because she's the birth mother while she's openly rejecting her own birth father in favor of the foster parents that she's known for a few months more.

[Gulftastic]

The turnaround in Marianna since this show started has been a pleasure to watch. She's so much better than the wannabe she used to be. Judicorn aside, she's my favourite Adams Foster kid.

 

And someone needs to tell her how cute she looks in her glasses.

Edited February 17, 2015 by maraleia
corrected last name to the one the producers said was accurate Adams Foster without the hyphen

[LisaM]

 

The confrontation between Daphne and the foster mom was the first time that I got the irony of Callie telling Daphne that her daughter will love her and want to be with her because she's the birth mother while she's openly rejecting her own birth father in favor of the foster parents that she's known for a few months more.

Oh yes....all I could think about was the parallel that they have drawn between Daphne/Tasha/Foster Mom and Robert/Callie/Stef and Lena. Very clear.

[KaveDweller]

Also so soon after the Brandon/Wyatt drama, can't they just let a female lead worry about non-romantic issues in these dramas?

 

Nope, girls staying single is against ABC Family's policy.

[joanne3482]

Yeah, and at this point I'm more suggesting it as an alternative the writers could have taken; it was December, so it could have been reasonable to have had Tasha wearing gloves, and the foster mom could have taken the toy from her carefully and right away. Obviously, this isn't the path the writers decided to go-- I just feel like I would be more willing to suspend my disbelief for "we found your fingerprints" than for "we traced this generic toy to this shop and the shopkeeper was able to ID you and your purchase from months ago."

To me, they actually set this up fairly well. The toy had the sticker of that store on the bottom.  Callie was shopping with Jude when he stole from the bracelet Callie was wearing from the shop. He came back to return it because he felt badly and the lady sold it to him for the money he had on hand. When she saw the bracelet on Callie it jogged her memory of the day Jude stole from the shop and then came back. Stuff like that can't happen every day so she would remember it. 

[Ikki]

To me, they actually set this up fairly well. The toy had the sticker of that store on the bottom. Callie was shopping with Jude when he stole from the bracelet Callie was wearing from the shop. He came back to return it because he felt badly and the lady sold it to him for the money he had on hand. When she saw the bracelet on Callie it jogged her memory of the day Jude stole from the shop and then came back. Stuff like that can't happen every day so she would remember it.

Ooooh, I hadn't caught that it had a sticker from the store. That helps with that a lot. I still have issues with the way the whole -insert flashback Christmas episode here- thing was/has been handled, but the sticker detail at least helps this plot line from it make more sense.

[Kat]

Marianna ruled last night's episode! And I especially loved all of her scenes with Mat. They're really growing on me as a couple. Actually seeing Jordan Rodrigues on here just makes me miss "Dance Academy" all the more. (Thank goodness for Netflix)

 

I ranted about this on Twitter last night, but one thing that really bugged me was the inconsistency the writers have with Brandon's age. Marianna argues that he's "not even a year older" than her, but a) in like the first episode of this show they said that he was 17. b) Brandon is supposed to be a senior in highschool I thought? c) it's been mentioned in previous eps that he's a year older than Callie, who is 16. So what's the actual truth! I hate being this pedantic, but it really has been bugging me for months.

 

 

I can't help but think that they was this show handles these kinds opportunities is flawed.  The guy from the school is *really* going to go straight to Jesus, who he doesn't know, and recruit him AND give him a scholarship without anyone at any point contacting his parents or filling out any paperwork or getting his transcripts or ... well, any of the bureaucratic nonsense that occurs at all times when you're talking about kids and school? Really? (Same thing with Brandon and the music program.  I could believe it that the music teacher will talk to Brandon about it first, but not that he wouldn't also tell Lena or that the summer program wouldn't have sent reams of paperwork to be filled out.)

I don't understand how this show can get so many things right, and yet still mess up details like these.

 

Stef and Lena continue to have the best marriage on television.

 

[Bringonthedrama]

This episode had some great scenes! I loved Marianna going off on Brandon. She was absolutely right. I think her brother should have been proud of her for saving a girl's life and grateful that she didn't call Stef or Lena. Are we supposed to understand he was mad at his gf for taking the pills before they performed, and took it out on his sis? It's stupid that he would date a girl who's okay with recreational drug use anyway, given that his dad is an alcoholic. (I thought the show made it clear when she -and the others - were eating the pot brownies for 'inspiration' that it wasn't the first time they got high.) He's already had too much responsibility in being worried about his father over the years.

 

The only time Jesus is tolerable is when he's talking about his family and uncertainty about the future. Also, I think Marianna just wants a baby sibling and is excited at the idea of having a baby sister who's her own flesh and blood. I remember she was excited when Lena was pregnant, and thrilled to find out the baby was a girl. I got the impression she and Stef both thought - maybe this kind of makes up for the tragedy of losing Frankie? I noticed Lena was NOT okay with that insinuation. So now Lena doesn't want a baby that's not her own flesh and blood? Oookkkk.

 

I get why Callie figured the little girl would be happy to see Daphne - she's what, 2 years old? Callie assumes the girl is still attached to her bio mother. After all, Callie was really hurt when Jude's bio dad (who she thought was hers at the time, too), didn't come to see them when he got out of prison. But this is different because we know she didn't have another loving father figure in her life, before or after their dad went to prison.  As for that guy running the foster place - I didn't detect any romantic/sexual interest in her. Seems like he's there to give her a perspective as someone who's also experienced foster care and has a functional adult life. He seemed curious as to why she's there and her involvement with Daphne's situation. 

[LisaM]

I liked most of this episode even though I missed Jude.

 

The Stef/Lena scenes were groundbreaking for an 8 pm show. When was the last time that you heard lesbian bed death, faking orgasms and satisfaction discussed between two naked women spooning in bed on a family show at 8? I thought they were very well done and was pleased that nothing happened with the kids to interrupt them. Stef and Lena are the Coach and Tami Taylor of television right now. I'm sure that there will be drama and tension between them regarding the baby and Monty but I don't think that TPTB will do anything serious to mess them up. Speaking of the baby, it becomes a much harder choice given the bio relationship to the twins.

 

I think that TPTB set up Daphne/Tasha/Foster Mom to parallel Robert/Callie/Stef and Lena (minus the attempted kidnapping, of course). Glad that Robert called his attorney ASAP to deal with the cops. I love Callie but I am starting to get bored with the Quinn/Adams Foster custody battle. I wonder whether they are going to have both Daphne and Robert allow their birth children to be adopted by the respective foster parents because it is either in the child's best interests (in Tasha's case) or because it is what the child wants (Callie)? In any event, I hope they wrap it up soon. I really am not looking forward to a few episodes where Callie is living with Robert because the fallout on characters I care about will be significant.

 

Mariana has come so far throughout the course of the series thus far. Loved how she kept her cool and saved the girl in the storage locker. I do understand her concern for her baby sister. If the moms do not adopt the baby, it will be interesting to see if there is tension between them and Mariana.

 

I thought that this was the best episode for Jesus in a long time. I liked how he described himself and his family situation to the recruiter. I hope that he is allowed to go to boarding school and to only be seen on holidays.

 

I also liked Brandon - particularly his pill discussion with Lou. I still don't understand the parents agreeing to the whole "I'm 16 and going on tour with no structure". I'm doubtful that the tour will occur and think that Brandon will end up at the classical music program.

 

I don't see a romantic relationship between Callie and the foster center guy considering the age difference.

[HeatherinThailand]

I only have two words to say about Callie's situation: JOINT. CUSTODY. Seriously, why has this not been resolved already? It's the obvious solution.

I like the idea of Callie going into social work, and I initially thought that the guy at the center was a new love interest, but with him being 24, minimum, that's unlikely unless they want to get into statutory rape drama, and really, hasn't Callie gone through enough?

[karas]

I only have two words to say about Callie's situation: JOINT. CUSTODY. 

With situations like this where there are biological parents and potential adoptive parents, custody isn't the issue.  What the Adams Fosters and Robert Quinn are taking to court is who are the parents.  It's an either/or situation.  Either Robert Quinn retains parentage or he gives it up to the Adams Fosters.  After that is decided, they can figure out any visitation arrangement they want.  But first they must determine who are the legal parents.

And honestly, in the real world, this would have been a complete non-issue (I realize it's a plot twist that makes good drama but it drives me to distraction). .... As soon as Callie's mother died and her step-father sent to prison, Child Protective Service would have looked at Callie's birth certificate and realized her father was Robert Quinn.  'Cause let's face it.  Blended families like the Jacobs have been around for centuries.  

Edited February 19, 2015 by karas

[LeGrandElephant]

Yeah, they would have realistically found him way back when they first went into foster care. I'm not sure why they introduced him to the show. It doesn't make a lot of sense that they didn't find him earlier or that the court is keeping her in foster care when he's available.

[Perfect Xero]

The storyline is ridiculous. There's no way the state would entertain the notion that a birth father who is wealthy, has a wife and child, and is not a felon or sex offender could be challenged by the Foster parents who the child has known for a half a year or so, a decent amount of which she spent in a group home after running away from them. That's before even getting in to the fact that Brandon told the police that he framed Callie (who was raped by a previous foster brother) for making fake IDs to get revenge on her for rejecting him.

 

The Robert Quinn story would make a lot more sense if Robert was Jesus and Mariana's birth father. If he'd been left off the birth certificate, and then somehow only discovered their existence recently it would be a big mess with kids who had been legally adopted by Stef and Lena for half their lives vs a biological father who never signed away his parental rights.

 

Even if the story had to be about Callie, it would make a lot more sense if they'd actually been allowed to go through with the adoption before finding out about Robert somehow.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Perfect Xero

[Zima]

This isn't going to be a popular opinion, but I sympathized with Brandon. He did not want Mariana to come to the show, but she insisted, and then that whole disastrous event took place. Sure, it wasn't her fault, and she was totally in the right doing what she did, but I can still understand him being resentful of her.  

 

I like the Quin/Fosters storyline, but I hate the whole Daphne thing. So tedious. 

 

More Jude/Conner, please! 

[izabella]

Brandon didn't want Mariana to come to the show, but I think that was only because he knew it was a pill party.  He didn't explain that to her, of course, because he didn't want her to tell the moms.  So, I don't think he can claim any high ground about her showing up.

[Zima]

Brandon didn't want Mariana to come to the show, but I think that was only because he knew it was a pill party.  He didn't explain that to her, of course, because he didn't want her to tell the moms.  So, I don't think he can claim any high ground about her showing up.

I'm not saying he can claim any high ground; I'm just saying that I can understand him being annoyed with her/resentful of her. 

[Eeksquire]

 

I'm not saying he can claim any high ground; I'm just saying that I can understand him being annoyed with her/resentful of her.

I agree; I think that's one of the things that's nice about this show - they don't sugarcoat the sibling relationship.  It's clear that they all love each other, and stick with each other in the end, but along the way they bug the crap out of each other.  Personally, even though it is absolutely not logical, I can completely understand why Brandon is irritated with Mariana - she's dating one of his bandmates, she's younger enough (and has some prior history that might indicate that she's not to be trusted to make great choices at parties) that he feels like he has to look out for her, she manages to insert herself into things in a way that feels like blackmail to her siblings... like she did when she told Brandon she was going to the Pharm party or else she was going to ruin it for him with Stef and Lena.  

 

At the same time, Mariana did absolutely the right thing and made a series of good decisions that both protected her and Brandon from getting in trouble AND making sure that the random drugged girl got the medical attention she needed.  

 

Speaking as someone with a sibling, it can be EVEN MORE ANNOYING when your siblings exceed your expectations and prove you wrong, even though you grudgingly have to admit that they're right and respect them for it.

[dmmetler]

This episode had some great scenes! I loved Marianna going off on Brandon. She was absolutely right. I think her brother should have been proud of her for saving a girl's life and grateful that she didn't call Stef or Lena. Are we supposed to understand he was mad at his gf for taking the pills before they performed, and took it out on his sis? It's stupid that he would date a girl who's okay with recreational drug use anyway, given that his dad is an alcoholic. (I thought the show made it clear when she -and the others - were eating the pot brownies for 'inspiration' that it wasn't the first time they got high.) He's already had too much responsibility in being worried about his father over the years.

 

The only time Jesus is tolerable is when he's talking about his family and uncertainty about the future. Also, I think Marianna just wants a baby sibling and is excited at the idea of having a baby sister who's her own flesh and blood. I remember she was excited when Lena was pregnant, and thrilled to find out the baby was a girl. I got the impression she and Stef both thought - maybe this kind of makes up for the tragedy of losing Frankie? I noticed Lena was NOT okay with that insinuation. So now Lena doesn't want a baby that's not her own flesh and blood? Oookkkk.

 

I get why Callie figured the little girl would be happy to see Daphne - she's what, 2 years old? Callie assumes the girl is still attached to her bio mother. After all, Callie was really hurt when Jude's bio dad (who she thought was hers at the time, too), didn't come to see them when he got out of prison. But this is different because we know she didn't have another loving father figure in her life, before or after their dad went to prison.  As for that guy running the foster place - I didn't detect any romantic/sexual interest in her. Seems like he's there to give her a perspective as someone who's also experienced foster care and has a functional adult life. He seemed curious as to why she's there and her involvement with Daphne's situation.

On the "Ana's baby/Frankie" thing, I'm really loving the direction this is taking because, having lost a baby in similar circumstances, one thing you hear frequently is "just have another baby" or "you can adopt a baby". The assumption that a new baby will replace the one you lost is very, very hurtful and hard to manage. You don't want another baby. You want your baby-the one you failed so badly. Even getting pregnant again doesn't resolve that loss and that need and those feelings (my 2nd child just finished elementary school-and I cried that night because she should have a big brother at the middle school next year, but she doesn't-12 It makes perfect sense that Marianna would see her half-sister as a way of solving the problems and, for her, it probably would. I could see Stef also seeing this as a possible solution. But for Lena, even the suggestion is going to cause flashbacks and grief reactions. And as Ana's pregnancy progresses, it's only going to get worse. If the baby ends up coming to them, less than a year after Lena lost her baby, it will hit her like a ton of bricks.

It is also possible that, due to the loss, Lena would not be considered an acceptable foster parent for an infant at this point. That can happen, too, and being turned down as a foster or adoptive parent BECAUSE of a loss and psychological response can be just as painful as a loss. If Ana offers them the baby, and social services will not allow the placement, or if Ana changes her mind, it would be another major loss for Lena.

I feel for both Daphne and Tasha's foster mom. After I lost my son, I decided not to pursue adoption because I couldn't imagine making another woman lose her child. No matter who "wins" in a case like that, someone loses. Badly.