S03.E06: It's My Party

[Tara Ariano]

Jude throws Callie a party for her 17th birthday, and it's a much bigger bash than she expected, complete with some surprising guests. Meanwhile, Brandon's suspicions about AJ reach a breaking point; and Mariana and Callie secretly buy a car.

[calliope1975]

I know I'm supposed to feel bad for Brandon, but I don't. I feel like all my sympathy for that character was depleted a long time ago. 

[Ikki]

I know I'm supposed to feel bad for Brandon, but I don't. I feel like all my sympathy for that character was depleted a long time ago. 

I haven't even seen the episode yet and I can guarantee that I won't feel bad for Brandon, especially if it's over relationship drama.

[ShadowFacts]

Well, at least we now know that Brandon sold his baseball to replace his keyboard.  Brandon is such a mope, and Sophia is a real mean girl.  What has she got against AJ?  Most everyone was on my nerves at this party, from Mariana's drama to Stef and Lena bickering to Rosie O'Donnell giving her unsolicited opinion all over the place.  I liked Jude, and the yard and decorations.  But geez, that whole party scene made them look affluent and weren't they just all worried about paying for plumbing repairs? 

[Scarlett45]

Well, at least we now know that Brandon sold his baseball to replace his keyboard. Brandon is such a mope, and Sophia is a real mean girl. What has she got against AJ? Most everyone was on my nerves at this party, from Mariana's drama to Stef and Lena bickering to Rosie O'Donnell giving her unsolicited opinion all over the place. I liked Jude, and the yard and decorations. But geez, that whole party scene made them look affluent and weren't they just all worried about paying for plumbing repairs?

The party seemed pretty low key to me. Big back yard, homemade food, music from an iPod or something. Just a good time and friends- the bouncy castle probably cost the most out of everything.

I'm glad asked saw Callie and AJ, thankfully this won't be a secret that drags on and on.

[KaveDweller]

I guess Callie is going to forgive Mariana since she talked about how they were still going to get a car together.  I don't think Mariana really wants to date Wyatt though.  She just doesn't want to have lost her virginity to a guy she isn't dating, and that isn't going to end well for anyone.

 

I like Callie, but hooking up with two different foster brothers in a short period of time doesn't exactly make her look great.  You'd think she learned her lesson the last time.

Edited July 14, 2015 by KaveDweller

[Ikki]

My dog who died a little over a year ago was named Callie, so when the last scene was on my mom and I just started scolding the TV like it was our dog.

 

"No, Callie. Bad. Bad. Drop. No. Drop, Callie. Bad."

[ShortyMac]

My dog who died a little over a year ago was named Callie, so when the last scene was on my mom and I just started scolding the TV like it was our dog.

 

"No, Callie. Bad. Bad. Drop. No. Drop, Callie. Bad."

 

LOL! I was just yelling, "Nooooooooooooo!!!!!" at the TV.

[SparklesBitch]

For God's sake, Callie, let your dad buy you a car for your birthday!!! At this point, you can be sure he doesn't have any bad motives, it isn't a bribe, he isn't trying to turn you against Stef and Lena....he just wants to do something nice for you. Let him. He's an honorable guy, for the most part....excluding his affair. As for what's fair for the other kids....Brandon has a car, Jesus is off at boarding school and won't know the difference, and I'm pretty sure Jude wouldn't dream of having a problem with it. Mariana would probably be thrilled for her as long as she got to borrow it. I can't imagine that Callie would be selfish with it, as she's a pretty good kid and willingly shares what she has with who she loves.

 

That being said, why oh why do Mariana and Callie think that buying a car on their own could ever be a good idea? Good lord.

 

Jude was about fifty shades of adorable being all excited about throwing the party for Callie! His crushed look when he overheard Callie say she didn't want the party made me hurt for him. I'm so glad they talked it out and made up.

 

I was surprised to find I actually felt bad for Brandon in this one. Normally his woe-is-me act drives me crazy, but I completely get why he would feel second best if his own dad seems to care more about a kid he barely knows more than his own son. Of course, we know as viewers that isn't what Mike is thinking at all, but emotions aren't logical, and somewhere inside Brandon is still that little kid who feels abandoned by his dad because his dad was too drunk to care. Poor kid.

 

I was so excited to see the girls (and Rita and Cole) from Girls United! Yay! They look like they're doing so well, and I was hoping that we'd get a little more of an update on them and their various situations. Maybe in the future....*fingers crossed*

 

Didn't really care about the whole Callie/Wyatt/Mariana thing, except to say that I share Lena's opinion that Mariana was genuinely hurting over sleeping with Wyatt and would probably give just about anything to take it back. Too bad Wyatt couldn't keep his big mouth shut. Ugh.

 

I'm a sucker for Stef/Lena and was so glad that they actually made it to therapy. I was dreading a rehash of when Bette and Tina on The L Word first tried therapy, but I liked that the list assignment that the therapist gave them had the intended affect. Also, I was so happy that Stef apologized to Robert. She was wrong and it was nice to hear her admit it for a change.

 

As for AJ, as much as it is a horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE idea for him and Callie to date each other, they sure are cute. I was so torn when they kissed. They absolutely should not be kissing at all, not while they're under the same roof at least, but he seems so genuinely into her and she looked so happy.......why do you do this to me, show?

 

....one last point that's sort of embarrassing....um....the whole Brandon and Sophia teaming up to take AJ's phone thing? It made me laugh. I can't help it, those two are such the complete opposite of sneaky criminal masterminds, that the whole thing came off to me, at least, as well, kind of comical.....and almost, well....cute? One of my favorite lines of the night was Brandon saying something to her about "you're fifteen! I'm not pimping you out to protect my dad" when her whole plan was to dance real close to AJ and "snuggle up to him" to steal his phone.

 

Oh, and I loved the Sophia and Stef heart-to-heart moment.

[GildedLily]

Ready for AJ to finish his story arc and go reunite with his brother out of state or something. He's just such a plot point- he gives Mike a story, he causes angst for Brandon and Mike, he causes tension between Brandon and Callie, he's roadblock numbers 86 for the adoption. I acknowledge my view of him is colored by the fact that I was here for Brallie from the pilot. But I do think the actor is weak and making him the center of multiple established character's story lines isn't the way to do a new character.

Every episode with Sophia is instantly made better by Bailee Madison's presence for me. I like they branched her out into scenes with Stef and Brandon. And her sleuthing with Brandon the sad sack was pretty funny. I feel like she either ships Brallie (which works with her through line of seeing Callie as a Quinn) or has a little crush on Brandon, one of which the writers will come back to at some point.

I did feel for Brandon. Mike siding with a kid he's known all of 3 weeks had to burn especially to a 17 year old who hasn't always had the most solid relationship with his dad. I wasn't really bugged by his woe is me attitude after that. It felt real.

Wish Callie had taken the car but love the really sweet dynamic that's played out this season between her and Robert. Her calling him Dad without hesitation made me happy.

I wonder if that's the end of the Wyatt/Mariana plot. I'm not sure I care either way. I think he stopped serving a purpose a long time ago but the writers can't seem to let go.

Edited July 14, 2015 by GildedLily

[possibilities]

I was glad that Brandon's fight with AJ wasn't about Callie at all, and in fact he does have a legitimate reason to be distrustful of AJ, but the real issue is about his problematic relationship with Mike.

 

 

I think AJ's interest in Callie makes sense-- she really has pretty much been his savior lately. But Callie succumbing to the same drama she went through with Brandon-- and worse, with someone who has NOT been supportive of her but in fact has caused all kinds of problems, including getting her fired from the drop in center? I didn't think that was believable.

 

 

Lena running around like a teenager, bringing gossip between her two daughters? Holy Moses, Lena. Tend to your own secrets, why not? That said, I did like that there was some forward movement in the Stef-Lena marriage conflicts. I don't know why I didn't figure it out before, that Stef was avoiding dealing with stuff because she was insecure about Lena really loving her... just not something I had even considered.

 

 

Sophia is such a brat. I keep trying to like her and I just basically find her totally intolerable, whether she's happy or sad or mean or pathetic, she just annoys me in every scene.

 

 

I actually felt a little bad for Wyatt. He was kind of right about how Callie used him, and from his perspective, he thinks Mariana is different, but Mariana was using him, too. I sometimes forget that Wyatt is also basically a kid without a family, and he doesn't have anyone-- no siblings, even. He was sleeping in his car and no one seemed to be worried about it. It kind of makes sense that he'd be drawn to the sisters in this family that takes in strays and loves everyone despite their flaws.

 

 

Brandon getting involved in a scheme cooked up by Sophia actually made him look a bit pathetic, to me. I never really noticed how much of a follower he is, even after Callie pointed it out to him when he blamed her for them being in trouble in Mexico. At the time, I thought: yeah, she's right, but I didn't fully take it in until this week. He's constantly being led around by whoever, and getting himself into trouble. In between escapades, he's just passive and sullen. When he tries to do anything on his own, it's usually passive aggressive and poorly thought out, and he basically never does anything without a scowl.

[izabella]

I wish Callie had taken the VW because there is no way that secretly buying a car with Mariana is going to turn out well. 
 

 

Sophia is such a brat. I keep trying to like her and I just basically find her totally intolerable, whether she's happy or sad or mean or pathetic, she just annoys me in every scene.

 

I feel the same way.  I just can't think of her as anything but a brat, and haven't been able to warm to her.

Edited July 14, 2015 by izabella

[gpgurl50]

Lena running around like a teenager, bringing gossip between her two daughters? Holy Moses, Lena. Tend to your own secrets, why not? 

 

Yeah, it felt very much like Lena was using it to justify her own secret.  The whole "Mariana would take it back if she could and will never do it again so maybe she should never admit the truth?" thing was pretty clear.  Then Mariana actually wanted to date Wyatt for the wrong reasons so it threw a wrench in all of her logic.

 

I also can't believe Callie would date a foster brother again.  I guess she does identify with him in a way with having the rough foster experience and the brother he refuses to give up.  Still, come on, girl.  All you had to do was wait for him to be out of your house.

 

Callie should've taken the car but I liked the moment when she said she was still splitting the car with Mariana, especially since it was moments after their huge fight.  At least Callie had a mostly happy birthday.  Rita rolling out of the bounce house was hilarious. 

[Perfect Xero]

For God's sake, Callie, let your dad buy you a car for your birthday!!! At this point, you can be sure he doesn't have any bad motives, it isn't a bribe, he isn't trying to turn you against Stef and Lena....he just wants to do something nice for you. Let him. He's an honorable guy, for the most part....excluding his affair. As for what's fair for the other kids....Brandon has a car, Jesus is off at boarding school and won't know the difference, and I'm pretty sure Jude wouldn't dream of having a problem with it. Mariana would probably be thrilled for her as long as she got to borrow it. I can't imagine that Callie would be selfish with it, as she's a pretty good kid and willingly shares what she has with who she loves.

 

I think that because of the conversation at the start of the episode about how it wasn't just Brandon's car, but he'd share it with the other teens, she doesn't want to feel like she's getting "special treatment" compared to the others. One of the first things she did when she originally moved in was call out how bio-child Brandon got to keep his own room. One of the first things AJ did after being invited in to their house was call out the same thing. The nail that sticks out is the one that gets hammered down, and all that.

 

She also might feel guilty taking such a large gift from Robert after she chose Stef and Lena over him.

 

 

I'm a sucker for Stef/Lena and was so glad that they actually made it to therapy. I was dreading a rehash of when Bette and Tina on The L Word first tried therapy, but I liked that the list assignment that the therapist gave them had the intended affect. Also, I was so happy that Stef apologized to Robert. She was wrong and it was nice to hear her admit it for a change.

 

I thought that it was barely an apology considering that she's a police officer who committed a felony against him. But I guess an admission that he's not the anti-Christ and a piece of cake is about as good as he's ever going to get from Stef.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Perfect Xero

[Eeksquire]

 

I wish Callie had taken the VW because there is no way that secretly buying a car with Mariana is going to turn out well.

I had to give props to Robert for not immediately telling Stef that she rejected the car.  In my mind, that's his way of saying, "Well, that's going to be YOUR problem."

 

On another note, I don't want Wyatt to be the villain.  I've always liked him and I do think he might genuinely be interested in Mariana - I just hope she doesn't jerk him around like Callie did.  (Side note: After Rita's speech to Callie about taking care of herself, who expected her to blow up at the next person who made demands of her at the party? Because I certainly did - and then she appeared to "take care of herself" by making out with AJ.  Ugh.)

[KaveDweller]

I wish Callie had taken the VW because there is no way that secretly buying a car with Mariana is going to turn out well. 

 

I feel the same way.  I just can't think of her as anything but a brat, and haven't been able to warm to her.

I don't think it will be a secret anymore....Steph and Lena told her no because they knew Robert was getting her a car. If they know she turned it down and have no objection to her having one, they should let her buy her own now.

[possibilities]

she appeared to "take care of herself" by making out with AJ

They made it seem like she genuinely wanted to kiss him, but kissing him is actually probably the best (fastest, anyway) way to get him out of the house. Maybe Brandon should have tried it.

[tennisgurl]

Callie Callie Callie, look at your life, look at your choices. First you don't take the car, then you make out with yet ANOTHER foster brother? Girl, you got to look at your life choices and think about them. 

 

Brandon and Sophia are comically horrible at being spies. It was almost endearing, even if Brandon teaming up with Soph made him look pretty freaking lame. Still, I did kind of feel for him a bit. He already has issues with Mike, then some new kid comes along, who seems to bond with him instantly, who Mike seems to be siding with over Brandon? I get why that would be upsetting to a teenager. 

 

Jude has been in a bit of a moody teen phase lately, so I`m glad we got some cute Callie/Jude stuff in there. 

 

AJ is alright as a character, but he still seems to be more of a plot device than an actual character. 

[zillabreeze]

 

He's constantly being led around by whoever, and getting himself into trouble. In between escapades, he's just passive and sullen. When he tries to do anything on his own, it's usually passive aggressive and poorly thought out, and he basically never does anything without a scowl.

Ugh... I started with ignoring Brandon, but have moved on to actively disliking him.. He's a whiny weenie and I just want to smack the "teen angst" right off his hang dog mug.

Callie should have ditched him deep in Mexico and done the whole family a favor.

[Aliconehead]

My theory is Callie and Marianna will buy the car, which is stolen 

which is why Callie and AJ get arrest in the preview

Then Callie will accept the car from Robert.  

[Primetimer]

You would cringe, too, if it happened to you.

Read the story

[Perfect Xero]

I had to give props to Robert for not immediately telling Stef that she rejected the car.  In my mind, that's his way of saying, "Well, that's going to be YOUR problem."

 

On another note, I don't want Wyatt to be the villain.  I've always liked him and I do think he might genuinely be interested in Mariana - I just hope she doesn't jerk him around like Callie did.  (Side note: After Rita's speech to Callie about taking care of herself, who expected her to blow up at the next person who made demands of her at the party? Because I certainly did - and then she appeared to "take care of herself" by making out with AJ.  Ugh.)

 

Wyatt gave her a similar, "you deserve to be happy" speech shortly before she made out with Brandon. Girl has a pattern.

[teenj12]

Where to begin? Well first off, I liked the resolution to the Wyatt/Marianna thing. She was going to date him for all the wrong reasons and it would have turned out bad. I guess the whole thing ties back to Marianna's abandonment issues. She's always felt abandoned by her mother , and in a way she felt 'abandoned' by Matt when he didn't sleep with her.

 

On the Brandon stuff, I'm too glad that the fight with AJ wasn't about Callie. I like that they delved into his issues with Mike. He's feeling like AJ's taking his place in Mike's heart, and as a person with a step-brother, I've felt that way too before about my dad. All in all, I'm sure Brandon and AJ will eventually be on good terms. Callie and Marianna weren't the best of friends early on in Season 1, and look where they are now. There's surely hope for Brandon/AJ to develop a brotherly bond...well depending on Brandon's jealousy level of AJ's thing with Callie.

 

On a smaller note, Rita was kind of aggravating. I feel like she was getting all up in Callie's business. I don't wanna say it was inappropriate...but it was kind of intruding.

[Gulftastic]

Come back, Wyatt's hair! Come back!

[Glade]

Poor Wyatt, it is Marriana he should be mad at; she used him as her backup sex and then was going to pretend to like him as her boyfriend just to retroactively make her first time seem better/make herself look good to others. No matter how much you twist and bend the truth for others, you still have to live with it yourself. I hope he doesn't leave the show, he doesn't have to date anyone, just show up looking pretty and talking about how hard it is to live in his van and get stoned...

Callie could use some therapy, to explore why, after being raped by Liam and having her romance with Brandon blow up in her face, she would seek out/participate in a relationship with a new foster brother. Please extract some meaning out of this repetitive story! I did wish Callie would take the car; if it's really about the other kids, she could offer to share it with them.

I do feel bad for Brandon, he's been through a very traumatic time (being raped, getting violently assaulted and permanently losing the feeling in his hand, growing up with an alcoholic father, having a confusing dead-end affair with Callie...) and with the issues he's had with his father I can see why he feels insecure and threatened by Aj's presence and his relationship with Mike. I do hope AJ leaves soon.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Glade

[morakot]

Brandon is also the only one of the children who not only doesn't have to share a room at Stef and Lena's house, he has another bedroom of his own at Mike's. (Which reminds me -- how many bedrooms does Mike have? Was Ana sleeping in Brandon's room?)

 

Poor plot point Wyatt! Now school is over for the summer, he's not heading home to his parents? Oh wait, he has a job as a lifeguard -- one that miraculously doesn't affect the shininess of his hair... he must never go in to the salt water... Though as far as we know, he's still living in his car and washing under a public faucet...

 

Callie could still have taken the car though. She could still have shared it with Mariana and they could use their savings to use the car and take roadtrips. Hey, they could go take a roadtrip, see Mat and restore Mariana's relationship!

[LeGrandElephant]

This was the first episode where I didn't think Wyatt was attractive, either personality or looks-wise. What was he wearing? Did I miss something about it being a costume party? 

 

Callie should have taken the car. She could give Mariana her cash back and they could both pitch in for gas and share the car, and/or Callie could give rides to all the other kids. Its ridiculous that she would think that not accepting it would be better for the other kids than accepting it and giving them rides or letting them borrow it. Maybe she still will end up taking the car. I think many TV shows have contrived reasons for their not-well-off characters to drive nice cars so they can do product placement. 

 

Callie could use some therapy, to explore why, after being raped by Liam and having her romance with Brandon blow up in her face, she would seek out/participate in a relationship with a new foster brother. Please extract some meaning out of this repetitive story! 

 

Yes, definitely. And that could also be a more interesting plot. I like AJ, but having Callie constantly hooking up with foster brothers is annoying. 

[smrou]

It can be difficult to feel a lot of sympathy for Callie when she just continues to make such godawful choices. No, Callie, making out with yet another foster brother is not the way to take care of yourself. 

 

Callie should have taken the car. She could give Mariana her cash back and they could both pitch in for gas and share the car, and/or Callie could give rides to all the other kids. Its ridiculous that she would think that not accepting it would be better for the other kids than accepting it and giving them rides or letting them borrow it.

Absolutely. Callie's part of a fairly big family. Another car would just be useful. She was already planning to share a car with Mariana so surely she'd have no problem sharing the brand new car. She'd been hesitant about buying a car with Mariana in the first place because Stef and Lena weren't on board. The new car would be a lot less likely to have problems that will just take more money to fix. Robert said he'd take care of the insurance. I mean...where exactly was the downside of accepting the car? She had this arrangement with Mariana that she didn't want to break, but I'm sure if Mariana had been there she'd have been like, "Um...no, we'll take this brand new shiny car, thankyouverymuch!"

[rue721]

I actually felt a little bad for Wyatt. He was kind of right about how Callie used him, and from his perspective, he thinks Mariana is different, but Mariana was using him, too. I sometimes forget that Wyatt is also basically a kid without a family, and he doesn't have anyone-- no siblings, even. He was sleeping in his car and no one seemed to be worried about it. It kind of makes sense that he'd be drawn to the sisters in this family that takes in strays and loves everyone despite their flaws.

 

I agree. I felt bad for Wyatt that he didn't realize that Mariana was using him and jerking him around because of her own angst, just like Callie had been. And I thought that Wyatt was right to be upset with Callie. She could have been a better friend to him imo. I also like your explanation for why he's drawn to this particular family.

 

I like Wyatt as a character altogether and hope that he sticks around. He could just hang out as a friend of the family, imo he doesn't have to be anyone's SO. He has an interesting story of his own, imo, since he's apparently out in the world totally alone, trying to support himself as an adult. Though I would also be interested in Mariana and Wyatt dating, tbh. I don't think they would last as a couple, but I think that it would be interesting to see them try to get along. And I liked Callie with him, too, because he was the only character that she pretty much let take care of her, almost from when they first met.

 

As a sidenote, though:  I'm also always surprised by how hands-off the main characters are about some of the tertiary characters' problems. Wyatt has been a homeless orphan almost since he was introduced on the show, and Conner's dad beats him, and nobody ever gets too concerned about that stuff or brings it up. I really have kept expecting Wyatt's terrible living situation to come up, but the show always seems to frame his storylines as though the only thing interesting about him is that he's Callie's ex.

 

Brandon getting involved in a scheme cooked up by Sophia actually made him look a bit pathetic, to me. I never really noticed how much of a follower he is, even after Callie pointed it out to him when he blamed her for them being in trouble in Mexico. At the time, I thought: yeah, she's right, but I didn't fully take it in until this week. He's constantly being led around by whoever, and getting himself into trouble. In between escapades, he's just passive and sullen. When he tries to do anything on his own, it's usually passive aggressive and poorly thought out, and he basically never does anything without a scowl.

 

That's really insightful. Brandon *is* very passive and a follower.

 

The way he communicates with people is also so indirect. Well, I guess he does often try to tell people things flat out, but he does it in a very low-key way and they tend to brush him off, and instead of tackling the problem or making some change himself at that point, he tends to respond by looking for some circuitous way for someone or something else to show the person he's trying to communicate with the truth about what's happening. Like how he tried to use the Bach piece to expose Kat, or how he tried to get to AJ's phone to expose AJ to his dad. Or even the way he keeps complaining about helping out his moms, and Stef always gets sarcastic and brushes it off. It's not like he's working his fingers to the bone for them, but on the other hand, Stef gives Lena the same kind of brush-off when she has a complaint or problem and it's apparently done a lot of damage to their relationship, so you'd think that now that Lena has brought the problem to her attention, she'd try harder to be more sensitive toward Brandon's feelings, too. I guess the issue is that nobody really listens to Brandon and he doesn't really insist that they listen to him or go his own way without their agreement, either.

 

Like how he responded to Kat, for example. He really didn't need to worry about her bitching and moaning that much. It was his job to compose and if he knew that she was going to complain about literally every piece he wrote, then he could have just shrugged off *all* her complaints and did what he wanted. But rather than ignore her or stand up to her, he decided that she'd conspired to screw him over by embarrassing him in front of the rest of the camp and then set up some weird plot to expose her to the head instructors. That's really not a normal way to react, lol. It was this weirdly paranoid, secretive, yet passive/passive-aggressive reaction. Classic Brandon imo.

 

And Brandon seems to be very private in general. I'm surprised that nothing ever came of Ana and Brandon having sex. Especially in contrast how much Mariana has struggled to keep quiet about having sex with Wyatt.

 

Anyway, I don't dislike Brandon. He's a bit of a sadsack, and takes himself too seriously, but he's also a pretty decent guy. Ultimately, he's pretty dependable. Also, I give him a bit of a pass on things like him taking himself too seriously and being passive and secretive and always reacting instead of taking the bull by the horns himself, because I think that stuff makes sense given that Mike is an alcoholic. Not that everyone with an alcoholic parent is going to be like that, but I think it makes sense that Brandon is, given the circumstances.

[KaveDweller]

When did Ana and Brandon have sex? I don't remember that at all.

[rue721]

When did Ana and Brandon have sex? I don't remember that at all.

 

Ooops ooops, sorry, I think I remembered wrong and that was Dani, not Ana. And Brandon did eventually spill the beans and Dani got arrested, it's not like they did NOTHING with it. It's just one of those storylines that I thought was going to have more depth or more fallout than it actually did. Though considered I mixed up Dani and Ana, maybe I've just forgotten a lot about it and it actually had lots of depth/fallout! :P

[ShadowFacts]

 

As a sidenote, though:  I'm also always surprised by how hands-off the main characters are about some of the tertiary characters' problems. Wyatt has been a homeless orphan almost since he was introduced on the show, and Conner's dad beats him, and nobody ever gets too concerned about that stuff or brings it up. I really have kept expecting Wyatt's terrible living situation to come up, but the show always seems to frame his storylines as though the only thing interesting about him is that he's Callie's ex.

 

I agree, and also think that not enough time or dialogue is devoted to the consequences of the main characters' mistakes/bad decisions.  For example, we didn't see any fallout from the Mexico adventure.  If they had consequences offscreen, well, Callie is already back to doing secret car deals. Jude was ready to walk out the front door with his backpack heading to Connor's right in the middle of the party.  Not that long ago he had been involved in the midnight foray which resulted in a shooting.  To me it feels like these kids have too much autonomy and not enough accountability.  They get lots of love and acceptance and freedom, but not much in the way of rules and adherence to them and consequences when they are broken.  They also lie a lot.  Maybe I'm cranky, but I've raised teens and you can't give them full adulthood privileges and think they will make the right moves without supervision and consequences. 

[TVForever]

While I don't like the way Wyatt spilled the beans to Callie about him and Mariana, I understand exactly where he was coming from. He did everything he could for Callie, and she still gave him the boot when it suited her. And now after all this time, she still gets to call the shots in a potential relationship that's not about her. The fact that Mariana wasn't being really honest with herself or him about why she wanted to date is a separate issue, but once again, between Wyatt and Mariana, not Callie.

 

And why is anyone surprised that she's on the verge of dating another foster brother? Callie is the Poster Child for bad decisions, bless her heart. Every week it's something. And everyone just twists themselves in knots trying to appease her. At this point in her life, most of her drama seems to be self-inflicted. Tumultuous childhood aside, at some point, you have to start choosing the right fork in the road on your own.

[LeGrandElephant]

On the one hand, it seems a little unfair to keep throwing unrelated teens together and telling them its a big taboo for them to be attracted to each other. On the other hand, Callie has already been through this once and should know better. AJ has also been in lots of foster homes, so even if this exact situation hasn't come up before, he should know that he's taking a big risk and could lose a potentially good and stable situation for himself. So, he should know better too. 

 

As I recall, no one asked Callie if she was ok with AJ coming to live with them. But, if they had, I don't think she would have said she was attracted to him at that point. 

[Eeksquire]

Except that Callie knows what the consequences of this behavior are, not only because she very succinctly described them to Brandon, once upon a time, but because she and Brandon already lived through some of them.  There was a restraining order on Brandon to keep her away from Callie when she was at Girls United.  And it also upset her relationship with Jude tremendously (which, now that they're in a stable living situation no longer seems that central or important to Callie).

 

I realize that this is an ABCFamily show and thus the teenage-romance drama needs to be included to continue the appeal to their target demographic, but it is absolutely the least interesting thing about this show.

[LeGrandElephant]

Also, even if it weren't against the rules, it's not smart to hook up with someone you have to keep dealing with a lot - like someone you have to work with, or your neighbor in the dorms, or whatever. There are lots of situations where you could be attracted to someone you're around and you should learn to be smart about suppressing that if it's going to have high potential to cause a lot of problems.

[joanne3482]

I just hate that they keep repeating the stories like there's nothing else to talk about. Callie is in 'love' with a foster brother. Callie gets in trouble with the law. Brandon makes a bad decision and has to come up with cash to hide that decision. It's just the same thing over and over.

[smrou]

I have the same issue, joanne, particularly with regard to Callie's storyline. Sure, the situation isn't identical to the one with Brandon, but it's just so familiar. And given that there's relationship drama (though certainly not in a will-they-won't-they sense) between Stef and Lena, new relationship stories to address with Jude and Conner, and Mariana's somewhat complicated romantic entanglements, I don't understand why it seems so important to once again make romance the center of Callie's storyline. There are interesting plots other than romance.

[KaveDweller]

While I don't like the way Wyatt spilled the beans to Callie about him and Mariana, I understand exactly where he was coming from. He did everything he could for Callie, and she still gave him the boot when it suited her. And now after all this time, she still gets to call the shots in a potential relationship that's not about her. The fact that Mariana wasn't being really honest with herself or him about why she wanted to date is a separate issue, but once again, between Wyatt and Mariana, not Callie.

 

I understand why he's upset too, but to give Callie some credit she told Mariana to go ahead and date Wyatt.  Mariana saw through her, but Callie can't help how she feels about it being weird. But she did try and be the bigger person and was prepared to deal with it actually happening.

 

Complications like that are what Wyatt gets when he hooked up his ex's sister.  He should have learned from his character on Finding Carter.

[Eeksquire]

 

Mariana saw through her, but Callie can't help how she feels about it being weird. But she did try and be the bigger person and was prepared to deal with it actually happening.

I don't think Mariana saw through it at all (admittedly, likely willful blindness), but only acknowledged it because Lena intervened.  Which I feel like was totally out of character for Lena, but then again, a parallel is being drawn between Lena not telling Stef about Monte and Mariana not telling Callie about Wyatt.  I feel like THAT is going to result in major fallout, whereas I was pretty surprised how quickly this was glossed over.

[Bobcatkitten]

I just was cringing this whole show. I'm starting to really not like how there are never any consequences for these kids. Stef and Lena obviously love everyone and provide but Brandon and Callie go off to Mexico without permission and nothing! Everything is fine. Nothing to see here!

 

And Stef saying insurance paid for Brandon's new car. Uh, yeah, Insurance gives you the cost of your old car and that is not the same as a shiny new mini cooper. Consistency is bugging.

[ShortyMac]

There wasn't too much that I disliked about this episode, so I'll mention what I did like:

 

Beginning dinner scene. These never disappoint. I feel like I'm in the kitchen with them. The entire thing was gold. Mariana and timing everyone in the shower (there's something called showering at night, people. It will make your lives a lot easier, I promise. I would know, growing up in a family of six with one bathroom), "Well, lucky then it's not your party, isn't it?" and the ohs that followed - that's happened many times with me and my siblings. Jude and ketchup on his tacos and Stef's face. I love her. 

 

Callie/Mariana - I cackled when she "made it rain" on Callie with the money to wake her up. I absolutely love their relationship and hate when they fight which is surprising, given where they started, although I understand why. It reminds me of the relationship I have with my sister who's two years younger.

 

Jude's "We didn't tell Mariana. You know she would've blown the whole thing" and her reaction.

 

Stef's "I think that you are the bestest brother ever" to Jude.

 

The GU girls' rap. So awesome.

 

The Stef/Sophia scene was unexpected, but nice.

 

Callie and the bounce house. I loved that it was The Little Mermaid, like in that picture of Callie from earlier. It was just nice to see her let herself be a kid for once.

 

I'm an introvert like Callie and I would have absolutely hated all that attention. She took it better than I would have, which reminded me of this, ha:

 

[possibilities]

Because of speculation about how much Callie's party would have cost, I looked up what it costs to rent a bounce house in San Diego. It was less than I expected: between $100 and $125/day. They have little ones for small kids at $85 and "deluxe" models for $250 to 250, but the one at Callie's party looked like a standard size and type.

 

http://www.socalbounce.com/bounce-house-rentals.php

http://www.brianssandiegojumpers.com/bounce-house.aspx

 

 

The decorations looked like recycled Christmas lights and home made signs, so that probably didn't cost much. Maybe some poster board, paper, ink, markers, and glitter?

 

 

The food for that many people was probably the most expensive part of the whole thing!

Edited July 17, 2015 by possibilities

[TVForever]

I understand why he's upset too, but to give Callie some credit she told Mariana to go ahead and date Wyatt.  Mariana saw through her, but Callie can't help how she feels about it being weird. But she did try and be the bigger person and was prepared to deal with it actually happening.

 

Complications like that are what Wyatt gets when he hooked up his ex's sister.  He should have learned from his character on Finding Carter.

 

       Hee,hee,MAX! I want to adopt that kid!

[LisaM]

Finally was able to watch last night. I won't repeat what has already been said above but I really like how they integrated Sophia with members of the Foster family. Especially liked the scene with Stef and Sophia.

 

Still not sure how Stef and Lena haven't figured out that Callie was fired from the Center. Where do they think she goes every day when she is supposed to be there?

 

Was not a fan of Wyatt in this episode. Loved seeing the Girls United girls (and Cole) apparently doing well. Looking forward to the resolution of the AJ storyline. I like the actor but he is too omnipresent. Takes away from everyone else.

 

Also really liked the time spent on Stef and Lena's relationship.