S02.E17: The Silence She Keeps

[karas]

Callie makes a questionable decision about her future.  Stef and Lena try and understand Callie’s decision while Callie struggles to keep a secret. Lena gets caught in the middle when Monte and Timothy disagree over the school curriculum. Mariana uses a different approach to attract a top dancer to join her dance team.

 

[Ikki]

I love when Jude's around and doing stuff. Super excited for next week.

 

I really like how they're portraying Mrs. Quinn. Much better than the "evil step-mom" approach.

[Bringonthedrama]

MM did a good job with showing Callie's pain. Wow has Jude grown up - is he actually the same height as Callie now?!  I liked that Jude got to have moments with both Mr. and Mrs. Quinn.  Good episode for both Ana and Brandon calling Mike out. Was not expecting Stef to be such a bitch to Rita. Hope Callie finds out she basically accused Rita of using her to get the new house for Girls United. So Steph clearly thinks Rita is a user and Robert is completely manipulative. Lovely. Um, Steph? Callie would never have even met and bonded with Rita if things had been going so great and healthy with all of you in the Adams-Foster house.

 

At least Lena spoke to Callie in a sweet, loving, motherly way.

 

Jesus is an immature ass.  I don't care if the kid has a good bod - he still can't act. Don't care about Marianna's dance team storyline. Walking out on her mother the VP was a nice little dramatic moment, I suppose.

[Valny]

Wow has Jude grown up - is he actually the same height as Callie now?!

 

Yeah I noticed that too especially when they were walking on the beach. Damn I'd love to have gone to school by the beach! Anyway, even though he's growing, I still think he has a baby face. It's not quite drastically changing yet.  Next week...

I see they are really going there with Jude and Connor. Wasn't sure that they would.

 

 

Don't care about Marianna's dance team storyline.

I've been saying this forever! Looks like it will be an ongoing storyline for a bit though. Ugh. Her friend is pretty cool though. She can stay. I forgot her name.

 

Has Brandon told his moms about the scholarship yet or just Mike?

Edited February 24, 2015 by Valny

[possibilities]

For a minute, I thought Jude was going to go mute again, when Callie was talking to him about moving in with Robert. I love that he's taking the opposite approach this time. Not only is he speaking up, but he's trying to take care of Callie like she used to take care of him, and I wonder if she'll notice that.

 

I also think that Stef, though wrong about the Girls United thing, is right that Callie is making a choice for others rather than just for herself. She does know that's Callie's M.O. and she does know who Callie is in general, and since I don't buy the whole "blood makes a family" thing, I will now call it "mother's intuition" even if she was a little off about exactly who Callie was protecting. I don't blame Rita for reacting the way she did, but I think none of them has the full picture yet and they're all just going on what they can guess at-- and what they guess says something about who they are and what their biases consist of. Yes, Rita was responding to what seemed like a random attack, but she responded in a stupid way, being defensive and attacking back, and moreover spewing a typical prejudice, instead of reflecting on any possible truth that might be in what Stef was saying (Callie didn't know, but once she found out, that might influence her-- for sure, even if it wasn't the intention; Robert could have donated the money anonymously if he'd really wanted to prevent this). Another approach could have been maybe trying to investigate or clarify the situation further, or backing away and taking time to think, like Stef did. I guess Stef has practice listening during an argument, because of how she fights with Lena, where being angry doesn't mean attacking, it means expressing yourself but also listening to and being open to the other and not going for the kill.

 

I thought it was notable that Stef and Lena were willing to believe maybe Rita was right, even though it goes against everything they are and everything they stand for, and everything they feel in their hearts is true-- just in case maybe they were wrong. That has to be even more heartbreaking for them than losing Callie to a court battle or because he's actually a great guy or something, because that right there, that "blood makes a family" thing, is something they can't compete with, there's nothing they can do if it's all about the genes. It's like saying they can never be as good as another family, period, the end. It's probably the worst blow they could receive.

 

I was touched that Daphne also decided to protect Callie (and Brandon and Jude). I know Daphne was only partly protecting Callie et al. She also probably believed eventually she'd be caught and that it would be better to confess than to have it forced on her. But I still think knowing what Callie was doing, and then seeing Jude's unhappiness, pushed her over to confessing now. And maybe she was not used to anyone making a sacrifice to protect her, and she will be able to take that experience with her and it took a while to process. I hope that having had that experience, despite the eventual outcome, that she will be able to let it nourish her in some way. I also wonder if she told Rita the whole story.

 

Maybe Robert and (I forget his partner's name-- is it Jill?) will prove themselves by not fighting, or clinging to what they think is a victory, but by starting to co-operate for Callie's best interests, if the story comes out or if they see how stressed she is by all the secrecy and tensions. I'm not impressed by their parenting skills so far, but they don't seem like terrible people. And it would be nice for Callie to see so many people fight for her happiness and well-being-- not to control her or possess her, but for her on her own terms. If all the allies she now has banded together instead of pulling in different directions, it might really help her not to feel like she has to be a martyr for the rest of her life-- and I'm not exaggerating; I really think that right now that's what she thinks she needs to do.

 

I was glad Mariana's mean girl approach was not successful, but I didn't quite buy the storyline. I also think Tia is the greatest. She's always so real. Her "WTF?" about the whole mean girl thing, but her willingness to follow Mariana-- and not because she herself is weak-willed, but because Mariana had proven an effective and savvy leader before and gotten them the team credential in the first place, so she was willing to go along despite her better judgment-- it's reminiscent of Lena and Stef caving after Rita weighed in.

 

When Ana and a 16 year old are more with it than you are, you really do need to do an inventory. But I like that Brandon and Mike turned things around, just like Brandon and Jesus did.

 

I can't talk about the previews because I'm too busy squeeing like a goddamn tween. What the hell is it about Jude and Connor that de-ages me several decades after viewing a 5 second clip?

 

I am sympathetic to Timothy's general educational philosophy, but he's so obnoxious in how he handles himself that I feel like the show wants us to 100% embrace the polar opposite point of view. Dial it back, show! You can write nuanced stories where all sides are valid and even the people we disagree with are not unsympathetic, so why don't you do that, now? You could still have a teenage rebellion if the goal was to set Mariana up for her protest. Maybe they are trying to show that being right isn't enough and you have to be realistic and also have a decent personality, but Timothy is such an asshole, it's gone past making a point and just seems ridiculous.

 

ETA: Brandon has still not told the moms. I think he only blurted it to Mike as an olive branch, after criticizing him and seeing Mike's sincerity. But I also think Brandon could use some adult guidance, so I hope either he or Mike tells the moms soon.

Edited February 24, 2015 by possibilities

[Bringonthedrama]

For a minute, I thought Jude was going to go mute again, when Callie was talking to him about moving in with Robert. I love that he's taking the opposite approach this time. Not only is he speaking up, but he's trying to take care of Callie like she used to take care of him, and I wonder if she'll notice that.

 

I also think that Stef, though wrong about the Girls United thing, is right that Callie is making a choice for others rather than just for herself. She does know that's Callie's M.O. and she does know who Callie is in general, and since I don't buy the whole "blood makes a family" thing, I will now call it "mother's intuition" even if she was a little off about exactly who Callie was protecting. I don't blame Rita for reacting the way she did, but I think none of them has the full picture yet and they're all just going on what they can guess at-- and what they guess says something about who they are and what their biases consist of. Yes, Rita was responding to what seemed like a random attack, but she responded in a stupid way, being defensive and attacking back, and moreover spewing a typical prejudice, instead of reflecting on any possible truth that might be in what Stef was saying (Callie didn't know, but once she found out, that might influence her-- for sure, even if it wasn't the intention; Robert could have donated the money anonymously if he'd really wanted to prevent this).

Yeah, neither side has all the facts - but I don't think what Rita said was wrong. They ALL heard Callie recognize Robert as her father during that fundraiser for Girls United. Neither Mom looked comfortable or even a teensy bit happy for Callie that maybe Callie was feeling a connection to Robert. It seems like Stef's attitude this whole time was "How dare Robert try to connect with/take away our daughter?" That attitude would be understandable if, say, Ana or the twins' bio father tried to get them back after all these years, but Callie hasn't even been living in the Adams-Foster home the entire six months-a year (?) since Stef first saw her.

 

Also, Callie told Rita in the prior scene that she was upset about hurting Stef and Lena by deciding to live with Robert. So I think Rita's reaction is understandable.  Here is Stef, coming to see the woman who's helped Callie deal with her baggage. She sees the house, implies that Rita exploited Callie/the Quinn connection,  and that Robert (a man she hardly knows) used his wealth to obligate Callie to come live with his family  That's coming dangerously close to saying "We are the only people who have Callie's best interests at heart in this situation." I just don't like Steph's entitled attitude and feeling that she thinks she and Lena are the greatest/most stable parents to ever parent. One parent has been shot in the line of duty at work, eldest son's been arrested (and other issues), other son is an ass toward/makes poor decisions about girls in general and doesn't get called out by his moms, daughter has a tendency to say and do really stupid things for bio mother or to feel accepted. Also, bio father or mother of these 3 children have substance abuse issues and are on-again, off-again problem creators in the Adams-Foster home. Stef just glazes over alllll of that.  Clearly Robert's other daughter has issues with depression,but there are no substance abuse/criminal records histories in that household. 

 

I would think that Brandon's arrest and rape by his father's girlfriend (both on the record) would force Steph to face some hard truths about Brandon's two homes and how he's been raised ... that maybe Callie could be happy and healthy in the Quinn home if Jude had unlimited visitation with his sister. Right now, the only new sibling relationship I see that Callie has with the Adams-Fosters is Marianna. She and Jesus really don't interact at all. It's been well-established that Brandon is Callie's best friend and a guy she is attracted to. No sibling love there whatsoever.  I'm so annoyed that in the preview, Marianna sulks in front of Brandon that "families live together." I'm sure he appreciates his sister basically saying that his father, Mike, is not his family and that Brandon was no longer family while he was living with Mike. Ugh.  

[Perfect Xero]

I thought it was notable that Stef and Lena were willing to believe maybe Rita was right

 

They were? All I noticed was Stef giving Rita her usual, "I have a gun and am considering shooting you for disagreeing with me" staredown.

[GildedLily]

Yeah, neither side has all the facts - but I don't think what Rita said was wrong. They ALL heard Callie recognize Robert as her father during that fundraiser for Girls United. Neither Mom looked comfortable or even a teensy bit happy for Callie that maybe Callie was feeling a connection to Robert. It seems like Stef's attitude this whole time was "How dare Robert try to connect with/take away our daughter?" That attitude would be understandable if, say, Ana or the twins' bio father tried to get them back after all these years, but Callie hasn't even been living in the Adams-Foster home the entire six months-a year (?) since Stef first saw her.

 

Also, Callie told Rita in the prior scene that she was upset about hurting Stef and Lena by deciding to live with Robert. So I think Rita's reaction is understandable.  Here is Stef, coming to see the woman who's helped Callie deal with her baggage. She sees the house, implies that Rita exploited Callie/the Quinn connection,  and that Robert (a man she hardly knows) used his wealth to obligate Callie to come live with his family  That's coming dangerously close to saying "We are the only people who have Callie's best interests at heart in this situation." I just don't like Steph's entitled attitude and feeling that she thinks she and Lena are the greatest/most stable parents to ever parent. One parent has been shot in the line of duty at work, eldest son's been arrested (and other issues), other son is an ass toward/makes poor decisions about girls in general and doesn't get called out by his moms, daughter has a tendency to say and do really stupid things for bio mother or to feel accepted. Also, bio father or mother of these 3 children have substance abuse issues and are on-again, off-again problem creators in the Adams-Foster home. Stef just glazes over alllll of that.  Clearly Robert's other daughter has issues with depression,but there are no substance abuse/criminal records histories in that household. 

 

I would think that Brandon's arrest and rape by his father's girlfriend (both on the record) would force Steph to face some hard truths about Brandon's two homes and how he's been raised ... that maybe Callie could be happy and healthy in the Quinn home if Jude had unlimited visitation with his sister. Right now, the only new sibling relationship I see that Callie has with the Adams-Fosters is Marianna. She and Jesus really don't interact at all. It's been well-established that Brandon is Callie's best friend and a guy she is attracted to. No sibling love there whatsoever.  I'm so annoyed that in the preview, Marianna sulks in front of Brandon that "families live together." I'm sure he appreciates his sister basically saying that his father, Mike, is not his family and that Brandon was no longer family while he was living with Mike. Ugh.  

 

I love this post. I agree with everything. Honestly Jude very quickly got on board with Callie at the Quinns so I feel like the biggest issue has now already been mitigated. Honestly  I would have much rather just had Callie court ordered to live there and slowly bond with Robert and Jill and realize that maybe she wants to be there (and the implications of that re her and Brandon) than this kidnapping secret that Stef will inevitably uncover and use to bring Callie home.

 

Stef was one of my favorites in S1 and now I really can't stand her. The fact that she can't wrap her head around Robert wanting to parent his child who he didn't know about and vilifying him for it, even to Callie to some extent, makes her unsympathetic and shrewish for me. It would have worked much better if the Moms recognized the differences between this situation and Ana and had some conversations about whether a custody battle was (1) winnable and (2) truly the best thing for Callie/the whole family. If they decided to pursue custody, fine. But the way they've been pissed from the beginning the Robert might want his child has just made them unlikable and unrootable for me here, which they never were before. 

 

It also bothers me that Stef seemed to miss foster parenting 101 which is where its made very very clear that you're not the parent, you're a caretaker, y're usually temporary and that discouraging or blocking any biological parent reunification will likely get the child removed and your license revoked. I wish Lena would remind her that she's treading very thin ice yelling at Robert, Rita etc. But nothing about this story from Robert materializing on a birth certificate no one had ever examined has been real so I guess I can't nitpick. 

 

They really should not get my hopes about Jesus in boarding school offscreen if its not going to happen. 

Edited February 24, 2015 by GildedLily

[omgsowicked]

- I'm totally blanking... why is Brandon and Mike's relationship strained? I know they've had issues but I can't remember what the most current one is. I'm glad Brandon finally told someone about the music program, and that Mike hopefully steered him toward it (by saying that he shouldn't be afraid of failure). Mike said they wouldn't have taken the tour off the table if they'd known about the conservatory but I think that's a load of bull, lol.

 

- I was really surprised by how angry Ana got when she and Mike talked but she was right, Mike was behaving as if they were going to be platonic life partners, raising the baby together. And now he wants to adopt the baby? Considering what came up in this episode (Ana saying that a baby would test one's sobriety, and Brandon and Stef saying that Mike looks around for people to fix), I think Stef and Lena adopting the baby sounds like a great idea right about now! LOL.

 

- I feel like Stef's gonna get the family into a lot of trouble one day with her need to have secret confrontations with people all the time. I thought she had a lot of nerve, going to Rita and suggesting that this was all a big conspiracy, and that Rita/Girls United was partly to blame. However, I did like that she knows Callie well enough to know something was up. I really love the close bonds between Stef and Callie, and Lena and Jude.

 

- Daphne confessing hopefully means that this kidnapping plot is wrapping up because I'm kinda over it.

 

- Jesus... what in the world? I get that he was upset and his reasons why were pretty understandable but suddenly being aggressive and violent was so over the top. I mean, I appreciate seeing the not-so-good side of siblings but holy heck. I wanted to hear the answer to Brandon's, "are you off your meds," question because was he? Or is this his way of showing them that he needs an outlet for his energy, and the wrestling school is the perfect option?

 

I do have to say, though, I loved when Stef told him if he pulled that stuff again, he'd have to deal with her and her muscles, and then lunged at him... I felt like Jake was actually surprised by that, and I appreciated the (assumed) realness of that moment.

 

- It was nice to see Jude, and to see him interacting with the Quinns. He seems to have a bit of a tentative bond with Mrs. Quinn. And it was sweet when he asked Robert to buy Callie a car so she could visit him at their, er, his house. He seemed pretty OK with the situation while exploring the Girls United house but then so dejected at the diner; I was worried he might lapse back into his silence again. I'm glad he doesn't seem to be, judging by next week's promo, which... well, next week can't come fast enough! :O (possibilities, you and me both! LOL.)

 

- So Mariana quit the dance team because of mean girl drama, and starts a new one where she emulates the same behavior? It's so very Mariana but I'm exasperated nonetheless.

 

- I thought Timothy was being a gigantic ass, and bringing the students into it by making them read that article was so immature. Yeah, it sucks, teaching to the test, and that's not what he signed up for, but the way he went about things... yelling at his superiors like that? Monte should have fired him right then and there. He seems to be the only teacher ticked off about this. Now the kids are boycotting the class because Timothy is just that cool? Alright.

[stopeslite]

Jude was taller than Callie in one scene! And his face when he was sitting at the diner looking at Callie and Robert... jeez. I'd admit to kidnapping Tasha to stop him from looking like that. I hope Hayden has a long and lucrative acting career. 

 

Glad that the thing with Jesus didn't die, and that he outright pointed out that Brandon was getting super special treatment. Because yeah, remember the whole arrest thing? Yet they think Brandon is "responsible", when Jesus at least hasn't ever done anything illegal. I'm glad they brought that into the light.

 

Stef was so out of line with Rita, but I liked that they played it as if she really was out of line and even she knew it, but couldn't quite help herself. 

 

Timothy is getting on my last nerve. I am against using standardized testing in just about every way it is being used. But, it raises alarm bells for me when one person claims not all of the global arguments against it, but instead focuses on how they are such a SUPER SPECIAL TEACHER with TEACHING SUPERPOWERS that will be rendered entirely inept if even the hint of a standardized test comes anywhere near their precious students. Dude. If you're that good of a teacher, they will do ok on the standardized tests. If they totally tank it, you probably are actually doing something wrong, and your flailing around indicates either that you are so deluded that you really do think you're the best teacher in all of civilization, or that you know you're pulling a con job and can't deliver. Either way, that's not a good teacher to have in the classroom.  A more realistic reaction, one that would show that he cares both about the students and the success of the school, would be for him to research alternate tests (there aren't many out there, but there are more than one), find the one that matches how he teaches best, and lobby for that one to be used for their benchmarks. 

 

 

Now the kids are boycotting the class because Timothy is just that cool? Alright.

Yeah. I was surprised Mariana didn't say "Oh captain, my captain" as she walked out.

Edited February 24, 2015 by stopeslite

[Primetimer]

Is anyone safe? Won't somebody think of the children?! …Oh. We're talking about standardized testing?

Read the story

[Ljohnson1987]

This was a great episode. It was great to see Rosie back, and the formation of a  new Girl’s United.  I cannot believe that Callie is going to live with Robert. Yes, he is her father, but we’ve all seen through Stef and Lena that it does not take DNA to be a family. I have a feeling that he is going to screw her over in some way. Also, what happened to Sophia? Did she just disappear?

I liked how they portrayed Mariana as the mean girl. It was unexpected. I feel like she’s really evolved as a character. Also, staging the walk out was pretty cool.

I hope Stef and Lena adopt Ana’s baby. I’d love to see a Foster-Adam’s baby. Especially, since it seems like they’re still mourning the loss of Frankie.  I hope they get whatever they want out of life.

[gesundheit]

I didn't so much mind the Stef/Rita confrontation. They're both absolutely right. Robert did likely try to buy Callie's affection (not because he's evil but because he'll try anything right now), but should Rita really turn down an opportunity to literally help hundreds of at-risk girls? Nah. So I was basically on both their sides. This is about the things nearest and dearest to their hearts (for Stef, the possibility of losing one of her children and for Rita, her life's work), so I didn't mind that they were both heated and emotional about it. Anyway, I'm curious to see how it plays out since Daphne's confession was happening simultaneously with Callie's agreement with the judge. I half assume The Fosters as a family is endgame for this show, so surely they'll get to adopt her at some point, but I also half-assume Callie and Brandon are the endgame and they're going to try to have it both ways. (I don't like that half. They can give it lip-service all they want to that a piece of paper makes no difference and they're still a family even if she lives with Robert, etc., but the reality is that legal adoption makes a very, very big difference and it's a shame nobody is willing to come up with a shared custody situation.)

 

I really enjoyed Jesus and Brandon finally acting like actual brothers. They barely interact normally, so it was kind of fun seeing them tussle. (As well as Stef's "Are you kidding me?" reaction.) And now, please send Jesus to wrestling school and move his status to recurring.

 

Tia's the coolest.

[karas]

Maybe they'll move Jesus to recurring and Connor to regular!

And now, please send Jesus to wrestling school and move his status to recurring.

 

 

[stopeslite]

I think there's only one noble way that Robert can solve all of this mess for the good of everyone and to prove that he really does love Callie. He needs to go to Callie and tell her that he wants a relationship with her, no strings attached, because he wants to know that she's spending time with him because she wants to spend time with him. And to be sure that happens, he hands over the signed papers giving up his claim, and a bank account for half a million or so for her "inheritance" (to be hers on turning 21, held by a lawyer in the meantime). Then he needs to tell her that he's walking away, that she doesn't need to respond to him about this at all, that he understands if she never wants to contact him again, but that the ball is entirely, 100% in her court now. He won't try to buy or litigate her affection, but he'll love to have any relationship with her she wants, either now, or in a few years, or ever. And then follow through and really do it.

[Bringonthedrama]

 

 

Stef was so out of line with Rita, but I liked that they played it as if she really was out of line and even she knew it, but couldn't quite help herself. 

 

Timothy is getting on my last nerve...but instead focuses on how they are such a SUPER SPECIAL TEACHER with TEACHING SUPERPOWERS 

It seems like Stef has the same feeling about herself as a parent that Timothy does about himself as a teacher. (Remember when Lena was practically giving him a tongue bath in front of Stef and begging her to let him be their baby's bio dad?) Stef can't be forced to see that not one of her kids is a healthy, semi-mature, well-adjusted teenager. Maybe losing her foster child (not "my daughter") to the birth father would knock her off her high horse. A good social worker could figure out pretty quickly by spending time with the Adams-Fosters that the kids all have issues and Stef and Lena are not Mom and Momma Extraordinaire.  

[Bringonthedrama]

 

 

Stef was so out of line with Rita, but I liked that they played it as if she really was out of line and even she knew it, but couldn't quite help herself. 

 

Timothy is getting on my last nerve...but instead focuses on how they are such a SUPER SPECIAL TEACHER with TEACHING SUPERPOWERS 

It seems like Stef has the same feeling about herself as a parent that Timothy does about himself as a teacher. (Remember when Lena was practically giving him a tongue bath in front of Stef and begging her to let him be their baby's bio dad?) Stef can't be forced to see that not one of her kids is a healthy, semi-mature, well-adjusted teenager. Maybe losing her foster child (not "my daughter") to the birth father would knock her off her high horse. A good social worker could figure out pretty quickly by spending time with the Adams-Fosters that the kids all have issues and Stef and Lena are not Mom and Momma Extraordinaire.  

[morakot]

With all the Stef and Lena protestations about how family is not biology, Lena was quick to turn down the thought of adopting Ana's baby because she wanted one of her own.

[Eeksquire]

The high point of this episode for me was Stef talking about her biceps with Jesus and then lunging at him.  The rest was … kind of boring, to be honest.  (Except for the revelation about how tall Jude is now! Talk about a growth spurt!)

 

And ITA with whoever above said that if Timothy's teaching was so great then the kids would be doing ok on the standardized tests.  Even in the show-world that doesn't give us a whole lot of insight into the academics at Anchor Beach, it seems like they've successfully focused on STEM and Timothy is … having them keep journals and use Kindles.  

[karas]

Before completely blaming Stef and Lena for their children's behavior, let's remember Brandon is the child of divorce and of an alcoholic while drug-using Ana raised Jesus and Mariana until they were 5-ish years old.  Jesus also has ADHD which can lead to impulsive decision making.  Those things impact teens a great deal.  

 

Wanted to also say I agree about Timothy's teaching being reflected in the standardized testing.

[gesundheit]

With all the Stef and Lena protestations about how family is not biology, Lena was quick to turn down the thought of adopting Ana's baby because she wanted one of her own.

I don't know, Lena is a loving mother to five kids that aren't hers biologically, I feel like her money is where her mouth is on this one. They don't need to be a home to everyone who needs one.

[joanne3482]

I don't know, Lena is a loving mother to five kids that aren't hers biologically, I feel like her money is where her mouth is on this one. They don't need to be a home to everyone who needs one.

 

And they shouldn't be. I feel like adopting Ana's baby is a bad idea. It feels like Mariana emotionally manipulated her mom into doing this because IIRC Ana was excited about keeping this baby and doing right by it. I don't think Ana's whole heart is with the idea of placing her daughter for adoption and that's just going to cause more heartache down the road. 

[Kristen]

Sometimes I forget that this is also a show for teenagers. The Mariana dance team stuff bores me silly, as an adult --and teen me, too, probably. I was nothing like Mariana in high school. Teen me would have thought Timothy was awesome, but adult me is over here rolling her eyes during his pontificating. Try getting by in a non-charter public school buddy, and then you can complain.

[Bringonthedrama]

Before completely blaming Stef and Lena for their children's behavior, let's remember Brandon is the child of divorce and of an alcoholic while drug-using Ana raised Jesus and Mariana until they were 5-ish years old.  Jesus also has ADHD which can lead to impulsive decision making.  Those things impact teens a great deal.  

 

Wanted to also say I agree about Timothy's teaching being reflected in the standardized testing.

I'm not completely blaming them for the behavior of the children; I'm blaming them for lack of parenting in reaction to the kids' behavior or being out of touch with the kids. For example, Jesus was asked about his latest girl a while back, and his response is no worries, they're using condoms. So all he has learned from his moms about respecting girls/their bodies is not to give them STDs. The one gf got an abortion and then they all moved on. For example, they knew Brandon was practically obsessed with being Callie's boyfriend; he even said the feelings were not going away and so he would move in w/his Dad. That whole ID fiasco was all about Callie. Their response: Just stop feeling that way because we're all going to be a family, period. And moving in with your father permanently is not the solution. For example, a girl raised with strong morals and knowing what's healthy doesn't go around all sneaky about pills for an addict bio-mother or attempt to make her twin talk the mothers into adopting bio's mom new baby. 

[izabella]

I don't know, Lena is a loving mother to five kids that aren't hers biologically, I feel like her money is where her mouth is on this one. They don't need to be a home to everyone who needs one.

 

I agree with that.  Lena has more than shown that she is a loving mother to all of those kids.  She wanted the experience of giving birth, and why shouldn't she? 

[Gulftastic]

I don't think it helps the audience root for Timmy when they've already set him up as a bit of a git for the way he behaved when he was a sperm donor to Steph & Lena.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Gulftastic

[Perfect Xero]

I sort of felt bad for Jesus, he makes the bad decisions involving girls that you might expect from a teenage boy, meanwhile his siblings tend to make catastrophically bad choices that have major legal repercussions, but he still gets treated like the dumb, irresponsible one.

 

I don't think it helps the audience root for Timmy when they've already set him up as a bit of a git for the way he behaved when he was a sperm donor to Steph & Lena.

 

Well, Lena's already forgotten about it, so we're probably supposed to as well. Of course Stef and Lena were pretty dumb for using his material before he'd signed the papers. So they really everyone involved in that story was pretty dumb.

 

That whole storyline just ended up being drama purely for the sake of drama.

[Eeksquire]

Timothy reminds me of one of those people who was raised to believe that he was a Very Special Snowflake his entire life and then when he gets his first job cannot take even a smidge of constructive criticism because he's been told, always and forever, that he was SO GREAT.  Ugh.

 

Once again, the throwaway lines between Stef and Lena are the best: "I told Jesus we would meet with the recruiter, do you hate me?"  

 

Which kind of makes me think that one of the problems with shows like this is that, unless the kid/teenager actors are very good, the show becomes lopsided when the adult actors are really great.  When the adults interact with the kids it becomes really obvious who can hold their own and who can't.

 

Edited to fix grammatical error that would bug me forever.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Eeksquire

[KaveDweller]

But, it raises alarm bells for me when one person claims not all of the global arguments against it, but instead focuses on how they are such a SUPER SPECIAL TEACHER with TEACHING SUPERPOWERS that will be rendered entirely inept if even the hint of a standardized test comes anywhere near their precious students.

 

Yeah, I agree about standardized testing but Timothy was being obnoxious about it.  Would it kill him to say he'd spend a half hour each week prepping for the tests? Lena wasn't expecting him to totally change his style, but there is a thing called compromise.  Most people have to do that all the time with their jobs, and if he's a good teacher, he should be able to work that out.  They can talk about Hunger Games the rest of the week.

[LeGrandElephant]

I am annoyed by this whole thing. In real life, Callie living with Robert would make perfect sense. "Leaving" Jude is not all that big of a deal - she'll still live close enough to continue going to the same school, they can spend as much time together as they want to - much more than when she leaves for college in like a year and Jude will have to deal with her being gone. Same with the rest of the family - they're all going to be adults soon and they're going to spend time with who they want to spend time with and make an effort to keep in touch, just like adult siblings and cousins the world over. Plus, her not being legally Brandon's sister would probably be good all around, even if they don't get back together. 

 

I'm annoyed that the show decided to introduce an incredibly perfect nice guy as her birth father, who lives nearby, and somehow we're still supposed to root against him.

 

Lena could have gotten Mariana on her side pretty fast by telling them that Timothy was fired partly because his approach would result in no funding and having to cut extracurriculars including the dance team. And it was pretty stupid of her to give him a chance to go in the room and talk to the students immediately after being fired. And I'm confused why Lena is back all friends with him after the whole not signing the adoption/sperm donation papers thing. I know that he caved eventually but I would think that would lead an an awkward uneasy civility, not back to actual trusting friendship. I would personally never trust him again after that. 

 

If Daphne was - maybe not "smarter", but more educated in the ways of the world - she should have gotten a lawyer and negotiated a deal before confessing. But its realistic she wouldn't know how to approach things like that. I hope they don't throw the book at her too hard. I still think the best thing would be if she and the foster family could negotiate an open adoption. She's really not in a position to raise Tasha, but she shouldn't be cut out completely. 

 

I guess I'm annoyed because overall the show has set up a lot of conflicts where I'm not on the side that the show obviously wants us to be on. 

Edited February 25, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[Black Knight]

I'm annoyed that the show decided to introduce an incredibly perfect nice guy as her birth father, who lives nearby, and somehow we're still supposed to root against him.

He's not an incredibly perfect nice guy. I don't think he's a bad man, either, but he is certainly not perfect. He has been manipulative and he has openly disregarded Callie's wishes repeatedly. We got more manipulation in this episode - he saw that Callie didn't look particularly happy about going to live with him, and he took her to the Girls United house. He said it was to put a smile on her face - which shows right there that he realizes this isn't really what Callie wants to do - and conveniently it also reminds her of all he's done for Girls United.

 

I understand that it sucks for him that he didn't know Callie existed. I understand that he lost out on all of her life thus far as a result. But at the time he finally met her, she had already bonded with Stef and Lena and was explicitly calling them her moms. She found the home she wants, and she's certainly of the age where her wishes have primary consideration (at this age, if her parents were getting divorced, for example, then so long as they were both fit parents the court would generally let her decide which one she wants to live with). Robert really hasn't shown much understanding of how much Callie has endured in her life - she lost her mother to death, the father she knew to jail, and then got kicked all over the system. It was incredibly hard for her to bond and trust and love, and she finally found people in Stef and Lena. Yes, it sucks for Robert, it's unfair, but life's not fair. And Callie has had way more her share of life being unfair than Robert has. It's far harder on Callie to be removed from the family she loves than for Robert to continue to live apart from the daughter he didn't know existed until a few months ago. If he really wants to prove himself fit to be Callie's father, he would be unselfish and do what she wants. As she pointed out in the previous episode, it doesn't mean the two of them can't have a relationship. He could put in the time and the work and be a father to Callie even though she doesn't live with him. But he wanted it all, and who cares how she feels about it? What matters to him is what he wants, and he's lamely assuring himself that she'll come to feel the same way. Which she won't if she feels forced into this arrangement, which she does.

 

Stef and Lena, in contrast, did what Robert hasn't done even though Callie has been in their lives longer and they have a far stronger bond with Callie than Robert does. They told her they'd always love her and be there for her whether she lives with them or not, and they told her they would accept her decision if it's what she truly wants, and they told her she shouldn't feel bad on their accounts. Robert has done none of that. Mind you, I do think that by season's end he will - he'll let Callie go back to the Fosters when he sees that that's what she wanted all along and accepts that he needs to listen to her, and then he and she will be able to build a relationship - but to now he hasn't. He's not a bad guy, he's an okay guy, but he is by no means an "incredibly perfect nice guy." Callie looked miserable and trapped and shutdown at many points in this episode. Stef and Lena noticed, Jude noticed, Daphne noticed, Rita noticed. Robert noticed too, but his solution was to take Callie to Girls United to show her what a great guy he is, rather than sit down and have a serious conversation with her about what's really motivating her decision.

 

I don't fault Stef for her actions in this episode because she knew something was off about the whole thing. She didn't quite have the right theory, but she wasn't wrong in principle - Callie is leaving to save Daphne and Brandon from legal trouble, not because she wants to live away from Stef and Lena. And I'm going to point out, finally, that the reason Stef didn't have the right theory is because Robert purposely advised Callie not to tell her legal guardians about the situation she found herself in - which is very much an example of him being a poor father to Callie in this instance. Her legal guardians - one of whom is a cop - absolutely should've been told. So no, he's not perfect.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Black Knight

[Bringonthedrama]

Black Knight - really articulate post, with good points. Although I'm pretty sure it was Lena saying those heart-felt words about loving her and accepting her decision. Stef was "If you feel a connection with your birth father"...  I also think when Stef went to Rita and said she exploited Callie for the new Girls United House, it was behind Lena's back. Not sure though. I like that both Callie and Jude have a loving, gentle soul they can turn to in Mama Lena.  

[Scarlett45]

Bringonthedrama Side note- which one of Jesus' girlfriends had an abortion? Are you talking about Lexi who took Plan B after Stef ran into Jesus and Lexi trying to obtain it through a 3rd party?

[Melgaypet]

The only abortion on this show has been Lena's medically necessary one. Lexi was given the morning after pill by Stef (also behind Lena's back).

[GildedLily]

Need to put my lawyer fan hat on here. I've seen it mentioned multiple times that Stef and Lena are Callie's legal guardians (implying that they have certain legal rights that Robert does not). They are not. They have not established guardianship and in no state does foster parent equal legal guardian. Callie's legal guardian is the State of.California. The state has placed her in the "care" of Stef and Lena and pay them for their services (a paltry sum probably but at the end of the day they are state sponsored caregivers) while the State retains legal custody and the right to override medical and all other decisions Stef and Lena might make..The show opts not to go there much but it was shown a bit when she was yanked from the house when their license expired- that wouldn't happen in a guardianship situation. Stef and Lena have no legal rights to Callie should the state decide to remove her. They couldn't appeal it because they would have no standing as the adoption hadn't yet gone through. Robert, by virtue of the paternity test, has the same rights of any biological parent- the right to parent his child unless proven unfit (the show in wanting to do Fosters v. Quinn's has shied away from showing just how much he would really be in the driver's seat, how Stef and Lena would have little legal recourse as foster parents and how the State would likely back him as biological reunification where safe for the child is the preferred policy in all states).

Not saying Robert telling her to keep the. Daphne thing quiet was right but if he's viewing Stef and Lena as nothing more than temporary caregivers (which I don't believe he does since he's been pretty respectful in asking them when to have her home from visits and such when really how long and often he visits with her would be dictated by the judge/social worker, not S/L or Callie), he's right at least from a legal standpoint.

Edited February 25, 2015 by GildedLily

[karas]

If Daphne was - maybe not "smarter", but more educated in the ways of the world - she should have gotten a lawyer and negotiated a deal before confessing. 

 

I guess I'm annoyed because overall the show has set up a lot of conflicts where I'm not on the side that the show obviously wants us to be on. 

But Rita is more educated and she TOTALLY should have known and advised getting a lawyer. Maybe there's more to this than we've been allowed to see but I say Rita completely let Daphne down there. But I suspect if this isn't another writer's issue it could stem from an issue of money -- a liberated 17/18 yo who works minimal wage isn't going to be able to afford a lawyer at all.

I kinda like the show's ambiguity about Robert -- it's just like real life in that way. 

Edited February 25, 2015 by karas

[karas]

Is anyone else having problems with Timothy's pedagogy?  His bosses are saying he needs to teach more critical thinking.  Maybe, it's a mistake on the part of the script writers but that's what Timothy claims to be doing!  Yet, he's having 11th graders read THE HUNGER GAMES to do this!  THE HUNGER GAMES' lexile is 810L or 8th grade.  Not exactly an academically rigorous book for college-bound sophomores.  And his assignment about 'what you're being silent about' was a fluff piece.  There are much more challenging prompts to get students  to explore themselves in a thought-provoking manner that weaves in critical analysis of texts.

[Eeksquire]

I'm hoping, for the sake of the show, that Daphne's confession puts her back in the orbit of Girls United, so that we can see more of that storyline, which was one of my favorites in the first season (including Rosie O'Donnell - who knew?).  In real life, in all likelihood, she would absolutely be back in juvie, if not jail, for kidnapping, no matter how much progress she's made with school and her job and the independent living program.  

[Scarlett45]

I'm hoping, for the sake of the show, that Daphne's confession puts her back in the orbit of Girls United, so that we can see more of that storyline, which was one of my favorites in the first season (including Rosie O'Donnell - who knew?). In real life, in all likelihood, she would absolutely be back in juvie, if not jail, for kidnapping, no matter how much progress she's made with school and her job and the independent living program.

Yes I would enjoy that. Oh Daphne- why was she do stupid. Now all of her hard work is for naught because of this. I understand (although I don't agree) with her watching her daughter in the park, but kidnapping?!!!!

[LeGrandElephant]

But Rita is more educated and she TOTALLY should have known and advised getting a lawyer. Maybe there's more to this than we've been allowed to see but I say Rita completely let Daphne down there. But I suspect if this isn't another writer's issue it could stem from an issue of money -- a liberated 17/18 yo who works minimal wage isn't going to be able to afford a lawyer at all.

Good point, Rita should have talked that through with Daphne and insisted she wait till they find some sort of representation. Like legal aid?

[smrou]

Is anyone else having problems with Timothy's pedagogy?  His bosses are saying he needs to teach more critical thinking.

I haven't seen enough of Timothy in the classroom to seriously question his teaching, but as others have said in this thread I find it difficult to be sympathetic to his attitude. I'm a high school teacher and I know that I and my coworkers appreciate having flexibility in how (and, to a lesser extent, what) we teach and if the administration was coming down on Timothy for not being completely by the book or trying to dictate exactly what he does in his classroom I'd be on his side. But what exactly did they ask him to do? Emphasize critical thinking and teach more non-fiction? That hardly seems like it's taking the reins out of his hands or asking him to explicitly instruct students in test-taking. In fact, it sounds a lot like entirely appropriate and important things to teach. 

 

As for the specific content, I thought it was "The Lottery" that they were discussing in class and making comparisons to Hunger Games. It wasn't clear to me if Hunger Games was actually part of the curriculum or if it was just something Timothy was contrasting "The Lottery" with because the students were familiar with it already.

 

 

 

And his assignment about 'what you're being silent about' was a fluff piece.

I always take issue with TV shows (and probably movies, though I think of it as more of a TV thing) where the bell rings and as students are packing up the teacher tosses a writing assignment at them like that. Granted, I often scramble to write my HW assignments on the board as kids are packing up, but that's when it's just some textbook problems for them to do (I teach physics). When it's something more involved there needs to be time to give more explanation and some parameters. So my initial response to that assignment was more along the lines of, "Ugh, this annoying 'shout out a prompt as kids leave the room' trope," than questioning Timothy's actual teaching.

Edited February 25, 2015 by smrou

[Perfect Xero]

Not saying Robert telling her to keep the. Daphne thing quiet was right but if he's viewing Stef and Lena as nothing more than temporary caregivers (which I don't believe he does since he's been pretty respectful in asking them when to have her home from visits and such when really how long and often he visits with her would be dictated by the judge/social worker, not S/L or Callie), he's right at least from a legal standpoint.

IIRC part of Robert's reasoning for not talking to Stef/Lena was that Stef is a police officer. Would Stef be required to pass anything Callie said to her about a crime along to the detectives or would their conversations be protected?

[Melgaypet]

I don't know if she would be required to, but she wouldn't. She certainly didn't pass along Brandon's confession of felony witness tampering. Not that Robert would know that, of course, but I still think it was pretty shitty of him to try to force a secret between Callie and the adults she most loves and trusts, to his own benefit. I have a hard time believing he really thinks Stef would slap cuffs on Callie if she admitted what happened.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Melgaypet

[Bringonthedrama]

Scarlett and Melgaypet - Yes, thanks for the clarification about Lexi. I missed part(s?) of a couple episodes at that time. I knew Jesus and Lexi were scared of her being pregnant, but I was thinking Stef took Lexi to have an abortion, and then they all moved on. Lexi was not a long-term relationship. What gets me is that I would think Steph, who knows how much she hurt Mike by leaving him for Lena and has seen a lot of damage in life as a cop, would be raising her kids to be responsible and respectful of the opposite sex. Yet here's Jesus who's so nonchalant about girls and sex, and this barely registers a reaction from the adults?? 

[Eeksquire]

 

Yet here's Jesus who's so nonchalant about girls and sex, and this barely registers a reaction from the adults??

I think whatever reaction they might have had (and in fairness, I recall that they did address the behavior with Jesus at some point when he was dating Emma about how he needs to think more carefully about these girls), was totally subsumed by Lexi's parents' crazy pants reaction - they held her out of school, planned to send her to private, girls-only boarding school five states away, etc., etc. 

[peachmangosteen]

I'm annoyed that the show decided to introduce an incredibly perfect nice guy as her birth father, who lives nearby, and somehow we're still supposed to root against him.

This. I understand that we're supposed to think everyone that's not Lena/Stef is a horrible person, but if that's what TPTB want maybe they shouldn't have made Robert's stance reasonable and not made him a totally fine person.

 

I'm annoyed because overall the show has set up a lot of conflicts where I'm not on the side that the show obviously wants us to be on.

LOL same here. I actively root against pretty much every Foster and root for all the people TPTB want me to hate. It makes it hard to enjoy the show.

Edited March 2, 2015 by peachmangosteen