S03.E09: Idyllwild

[Tara Ariano]

The family visit Brandon to attend his music competition, and secrets surface during the trip. Meanwhile, Callie questions Carmen and Brooke's motives; and Mike observes something that may bolster Stef's theory about the hit-and-run accident.

[Valny]

Did Teri look thinner in the face tonight? Her face look seemed more angular than I've seen it before.

 

Great scene with Stef and Lena. Ouch. It felt raw. and I was pretty surprised when she mentioned the kiss. Whoa, Lena couldn't get out of that one.   I love when Teri brings the tears.

 

That was a awkard looking scene when Jenna(?) arrives at the cabin and give weird looks to Lena and Monty. I don't know, it looked like the actress didn't know quite how to play it, like she was kind of overacting.

Aw rats, even though I saw the preview with Brandon

and Callie last week, I thought for a second they had faked us out with not having those two get together when you see Brandon looking like he was going to Callie's room but it was really his.

 

Man I hate that bleached blonde chick.

 

Looks like an angsty season finale. Bring it on!

Edited August 11, 2015 by Valny

[KaveDweller]

So am I still supposed to be rooting for Callie to be adopted?

 

It's not like she'll be out on the streets.  Robert signed away his rights so she could be adopted, but if that falls through wouldn't he be able to get them reinstated or something?

[Ikki]

I bet this would've been an exciting episode if I liked Brandon. Brallie is a plague upon us all.

[DeepPoet117]

If Robert wanted to be Callie's legal father, he'd have to adopt her. That means he'd have to become a licensed foster parent and she would have to live in his home for 6 months before being allowed to be adopted because that's the law in California. Of course once she's 18 he can adopt her without any hassle, but then, so could Lena and Stef.

[KaveDweller]

So Robert's existence could prevent Callie from being adopted, but she wouldn't have been able to live with him right away either?

 

That is a flawed system.

[ShadowFacts]

I really don't like that this show has become sexcapades central.  It's all about the sex of it all -- Mariana and Mat, Monte and Jenna, Brandon and Callie.  Eeeeeenough already. 

 

Wasn't it a pretty bad call to leave Brandon and Callie at the cabin?  C'mon. 

 

Brandon winning the competition by breaking all the rules, I just don't buy it.  The other competitors and their parents should be raising hell, and wouldn't the integrity of the program be sort of under a cloud?

 

On the plus side, I like AJ even more now, what with hugging Mariana goodbye and the tears for his grandmother.  Or was it his brother leaving that he was crying about?  Anyway, it's going to break my little heart if he ends up splitting because of what Mike finds out about Ty. 

[GildedLily]

I love Brallie. Ive waited for this since the pilot. It's delightful when as a shipper you get what you've been waiting for. I jumped on my bed and clapped. But instead of going on for a paragraph about how HOT that love scene was (since I know most of you lovely Fosters fans don't feel the same), I will say that it was a little odd that rape victim Callie jumped right in like that and had what looked like passionate, confident, GOOD sex for her first post rape experience/first real time. I get that this was supposed to be pent up for a long time, I get that she really trusts him but even a little "Are you sure?" from Brandon and her telling him she was ready would have really been a good thing given How much time we spent on her rape.

I am extremely happy the show seemed to pick a lane as I said it needed to last week. Even if there is angst and drama next week, I don't see how they can possibly go back from that and try to have S/L adopt her now.

Also, as an attorney, I really don't think Robert wouldn't have to adopt his biological child or foster her. He'd have to petition the courts to reinstate the rights which presumably he terminated voluntarily in the last finale. Which with his money and connections could likely happen fairly quickly relative to your average bio parent.

Edited August 11, 2015 by GildedLily

[dohe]

Every scene with Brandon saps the show of every bit of energy.  If they are going to have Brandon win the contest couldn't they at least not have his piece be so utterly bland. 

 

The Brandon/Callie romance is tough to watch - the terrible acting, the bad writing, that there is not one ounce of chemistry.  It makes Brandon look pathetic.  However, even more so, it is disturbing. To watch knowing Callie is a rape victim by a foster brother and this is her "brother", for all intents and purposes, sleeping with her is awful.   

Edited August 11, 2015 by dohe

[ShortyMac]

Yeah, there's no way Callie will let Stef and Lena adopt her. She and Brandon could never have any kind of "sibling" relationship after this. This has to take it off the table for good. Sad. Whyyyyyyyyyy did the show have to go there????????????? (Will they make Callie pregnant?)

 

Seeing Stef cry makes me cry, like she's my own mom. lol

 

There goes Callie, sacrificing her happiness for others for the millionth time...I have no room to talk, I'm the same way.

 

Obviously, Brandon was going to win, even though he broke the rules by playing his own piece, but that's TV.

 

I like Mat and Mariana together, I hope they can work things out.

 

I actually missed seeing Jude.

[LisaM]

 

Even if there is angst and drama next week, I don't see how they can possibly go back from that and try to have S/L adopt her now.

 

Agreed. Which is why I am most likely done. Callie found her forever family - the one which adopted her beloved brother. She is 17 and will find another boyfriend but not another forever family.

[stopeslite]

 

Callie found her forever family - the one which adopted her beloved brother.

 

I actually stopped and thought "who?" for almost a whole minute before I remembered it was Jude - that's how much they've let the relationship between Callie and Jude lapse over the last season or so.

[Bastet]

Callie found her forever family - the one which adopted her beloved brother. She is 17 and will find another boyfriend but not another forever family.

 

Exactly.  I can't believe how stupid this is!  They're freakin' teenagers; this relationship will last five minutes, and she'll have sacrificed a family for that?  And for however long it takes Brandon and Callie to get over their break-up, it's awkward for everyone whenever Callie is around?  What a waste.

 

I stopped watching after the first season for a variety of reasons, but tonight I was going around the dial and happened upon the show just as Brandon and Callie were getting it on.  I sat there with my mouth hanging open.  I'm glad I quit watching before I got attached to the characters, because it bothers me enough as it is.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Bastet

[calliope1975]

I stopped the episode just before that scene because I have no interest in Callie and Brandon's romantic relationship. Depending on how it's handled will determine if I keep watching. All I ever wanted from this show is for Callie to find a home and family with Lena and Stef, and this action undermines that notion on such a base level, I'm not sure I want to continue.

[smrou]

Well, I'm glad I made the choice to record the ep and read the thread before watching. I'm definitely not going to watch now.

Agreed. Which is why I am most likely done. Callie found her forever family - the one which adopted her beloved brother. She is 17 and will find another boyfriend but not another forever family.

Yep. This is a terrible story decision, I cannot support it even a little bit, and I'm done with the show for sure. It's just unbelievably stupid and it makes me really sad that the writers decided to go that way.

 

And man, I hope Jude finds out and flips the fuck out at Callie because she sure as hell deserves it and I can't even imagine how hurtful it will be for him to learn that she chose this self-destructive relationship with Brandon over a settled and legal family with him and Stef and Lena.

Edited August 11, 2015 by smrou

[blackrose602]

I love, love, love this show. But here's where it's starting to annoy me. When Callie and Jude landed at the Fosters, she/they NEEDED that forever family. All the crap that happened to them, being in the system, having absolutely no control over their own lives--it made perfect sense to me for Callie/Brandon to put their romance aside in favor of adoption. But Callie isn't in nearly the same position anymore. Jude is adopted. No matter what, she never has to fear for his safety again. And she can go live with Robert, who seems to really love her, until she's 18. She can still be part of the Fosters, but as Brandon's girlfriend and Jude's sister, rather than an adopted child. Isn't this show supposed to be about all the different kinds of family, anyway? I've worked pretty extensively with kids in the system, and the adoption storyline just isn't ringing true to me anymore, as far as what she would want at this point in her life. Again, she needed it then, but she doesn't need it the same way now. So if it's over and done with now, I feel like that's way more authentic.

 

My theory? Rita didn't do anything with the recording because she decided to take the fall rather than endanger Callie's adoption. I think Callie will play the recording in court next week, simultaneously saving Rita and ending her own adoption possibility without having to say, "Hey, thanks for everything. But I had sex with your son, so I just don't think it's going to work out."

[GildedLily]

 

And she can go live with Robert, who seems to really love her, until she's 18. She can still be part of the Fosters, but as Brandon's girlfriend and Jude's sister, rather than an adopted child. Isn't this show supposed to be about all the different kinds of family, anyway? I've worked pretty extensively with kids in the system, and the adoption storyline just isn't ringing true to me anymore, as far as what she would want at this point in her life. Again, she needed it then, but she doesn't need it the same way now. So if it's over and done with now, I feel like that's way more authentic.

THIS. I have never understood why people were still championing adoption as the be all and end all of Callie's life after the 2A finale where she called Robert Dad and shortly thereafter told Brandon she loved him and kissed him. It was clear then that (i) she had two families that loved her very much no matter what the legal status and (ii) that she and Brandon could never have a healthy sibling relationship so adoption needed to go off the table. 

 

The way I see it, she is always going to be Jude's beloved sister. Jude is always going to be the sun and the moon for her. Nothing is changing that, their history predates the Fosters by a lot. Nothing is changing the lovely bond she's developed with Mariana. And I think after some initial drama re Brallie sex, Stef and Lena will continue to love her very much and she'll have her role in that family and meaningful relationship with both of them, especially Stef.

 

My perception is admittedly skewed as a fan of David and Maia's chemistry from the beginning but I see this as finally freeing the Callie and Brandon characters from the limbo of adoption vs. romance and opening up new possible stories for everyone. Which really needed to happen. 

Edited August 11, 2015 by GildedLily

[DeepPoet117]

I did some research and I guess it is legal in California for a birth parent to have their rights reinstated after termination. In Florida the only way that could happen is if the parent is able to prove they did not sign of their own free will.

[blackrose602]

THIS. I have never understood why people were still championing adoption as the be all and end all of Callie's life after the 2A finale where she called Robert Dad and shortly thereafter told Brandon she loved him and kissed him. It was clear then that (i) she had two families that loved her very much no matter what the legal status and (ii) that she and Brandon could never have a healthy sibling relationship so adoption needed to go off the table.

 

Exactly. Much as I love Lena and Stef, it bothered me how much they downplayed and ignored the seriousness of Brandon and Callie's feelings. Maybe they didn't realize the seriousness, but that's because they never really asked. It was very much, "Well, you kids need to stop playing around because this adoption is happening and that's that." In all honesty, they needed to be the adults, step in and insist on an honest dialogue between everyone. You can't just tell people to turn off their feelings and become insta-siblings. The Brandon and Callie thing should have been explored and addressed all this time, not swept under the rug. I'm glad they finally stopped pretending and got together, and I hope it's going to become a real thing for everyone to deal with now.

[possibilities]

Wow. What a bunch of bullshit.

Either the show is feeding us more gotcha crap like they did when they told us someone died in the car crash (psyc! that was just Stef having a nightmare!)-- which would annoy me but actually seems like the least offensive and most realistic possibility to me at this point (apologies to those who like the idea of this couple being real, you are surely very nice people but I just feel the opposite about the situation)

Or that hook up was supposed to be some romantic consummation of True Love Meant To Be (cue the cheesy music swelling in the background) -- which to me undermines every other value the show has ever demonstrated, including the one that says teenagers who, and especially Callie, are impulsive and make terrible decisions and don't trust the right people are constantly blowing up good things out of Idiotic Teen Logic/Insecurities-- in which case I need to excuse myself while I vomit for a while and wonder if the writers have been body snatched and replaced by... I don't even know who... maybe the writers of Love Comics. (Also, Callie a rape survivor who has panic attacks when making out, is uncomfortable dancing, and is also currently grieving the loss of the home she wanted, having unhesitating and passionate sex for her first time? Sorry, I don't buy it.)

Or (and this will be horrible but I almost hope it's where they're going, though honestly I doubt it): they are going to show what a stupid mess this whole thing is, when the epic romance of two unbelievably immature teens blows up, and Callie loses both the boyfriend and the adoption.

Or they think they can keep this rebound fuck a secret???? (doubtful and unhealthy and against one of the show's other core value statements)

Or they think somehow it can be out in the open and Callie gets adopted and it all works out ok? I await the genius that could make that credible. I hope it exists, but I'm not seeing how.

If Callie regrets what they did, she has to hide it from Brandon or break his heart, which would also be no funzies. All we need is the guilt and angst spree that would induce in Wonder Boy, and the "Martyrdom or Flight? Which will it be?" debate Callie will go through. Or, they are going to sell us on the 100% trouble-free romance of two woefully unprepared for what they just got themselves into kids, see option True Love, above, which I'm not buying.

It's just... nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Meanwhile, back in the rest of the show: Would Rita throw Callie under the bus to save herself? Would she think the info on the tape was also condemning her for not supervising GU adequately, and moreover would she think it was in Callie's best interests to be adopted with a secret?

It does seem that Stef and Lena need to supervise more. They are in over their heads and don't even know it, and it would be interesting to see that issue tackled. They are both very head in sand until explosion, about the kids as well as their relationship. And I get it-- they are working full time and raising 5 kids at once, sometimes 6. It's a lot. It's a miracle they haven't had more problems, to be honest. But they need to face it and come up with an answer.

I think Ty being involved with the hit and run is too much of a small world TV contrivance and I hate it.

But now that they've gone that way, AJ really needs Mike more than ever.

Mariana typically tells her story in the most self-condemnatory way possible, saying "while we were together" instead of "the night you turned me down, because I was sure you were gone forever" (or whatever she was thinking at the time). He might or might not get over it, either way, but at least she would be giving the full story and not the guilt-ridden most-likely-to-make-you-hate-me version.

I liked Brandon tonight, until the hook up. It wasn't his fault he won the music competition, which I thought was an unnecessary and stupid TV contrivance and undermined the gesture he made by performing his own piece.

I thought the confrontation between Lena and Stef about the kiss was the best part of the episode.

I'm getting used to Jude not being around, because I guess his time on set is pretty severely limited, but I hate it. He missed Brandon's musical performance? Really? C'mon.

[smrou]

I have never understood why people were still championing adoption as the be all and end all of Callie's life after the 2A finale where she called Robert Dad and shortly thereafter told Brandon she loved him and kissed him.

Please correct me if I'm remembering this wrong, but the way I recall this happening was that she only called Robert "Dad" as a way to essentially throw him a bone because she felt secure that her adoption was going to go through, and then it was only after the rug was pulled out from under her and she was devastated that she kissed Brandon.

 

Which is kind of how it's always been, that what she wants is the family and she only goes to Brandon when either she feels like that's hopeless and there's nothing left to lose or when she's sabotaging herself. Every time Callie and Brandon have been together it has been very clearly depicted as them (particularly Callie) making bad, self-destructive choices. Which is why I have never believed for even a moment that the two of them have the basis for an actual healthy, long-lasting relationship (even if they weren't 16, though since they are even if the circumstances in which they've gotten together weren't epically fucked up I'd still think they have almost zero chance of lasting) and therefore cannot support choosing that relationship over the family relationship with Stef and Lena. Because it is just SO much better for her to be their daughter than to be their son's ex-girlfriend (which...I mean, let's face it). 

Or that hook up was supposed to be some romantic consummation of True Love Meant To Be (cue the cheesy music swelling in the background) -- which to me undermines every other value the show has ever demonstrated, including the one that says teenagers who, and especially Callie, are impulsive and make terrible decisions and don't trust the right people are constantly blowing up good things out of Idiotic Teen Logic/Insecurities-- in which case I need to excuse myself while I vomit for a while and wonder if the writers have been body snatched and replaced by... I don't even know who... maybe the writers of Love Comics.

Yes. Exactly. 

Edited August 11, 2015 by smrou

[blackrose602]

Which is kind of how it's always been, that what she wants is the family and she only goes to Brandon when either she feels like that's hopeless and there's nothing left to lose or when she's sabotaging herself. Every time Callie and Brandon have been together it has been very clearly depicted as them (particularly Callie) making bad, self-destructive choices. Which is why I have never believed for even a moment that the two of them have the basis for an actual healthy, long-lasting relationship (even if they weren't 16, though since they are even if the circumstances in which they've gotten together weren't epically fucked up I'd still think they have almost zero chance of lasting) and therefore cannot support choosing that relationship over the family relationship with Stef and Lena. Because it is just SO much better for her to be their daughter than to be their son's ex-girlfriend (which...I mean, let's face it). 

 

It's interesting how this plays to different people. Because to me, their passion is smoldering and evident every time they're on screen together, no matter how much they try to hide it. And they couldn't even get their stories straight in the interviews. So as it reads to me, it really doesn't matter if it would be objectively, in a vacuum, "better" for her to be their daughter (which I'm not convinced of personally, but is a valid argument). She can't be Brandon's sister. And he can't be her brother. And that's the reality of their situation, and the one that needs to be openly addressed, whether you go from my perspective, that their feelings are deep and genuine, or from your perspective, that it's due to other emotional issues. At least, that's how it reads to me. Obviously, mileage varies.

[possibilities]

I'm horrified that the site stripped out all the paragraph breaks in my previous post. I tried to edit them back in, but it won't let me do it, for some reason. I'm posting again to say that when I said bullshit, I was referring to the show, not postings about it. Also, if Callie and Brandon are so special and meant to be, why was Callie kissing AJ just two seconds ago? And being all flattered by his flirty attentions?

[blackrose602]

Also, if Callie and Brandon are so special and meant to be, why was Callie kissing AJ just two seconds ago? And being all flattered by his flirty attentions?

 

My guess? Rebound. For whatever reason, she is/was still invested in the adoption at that time, which would take Brandon off the table forever. So Wyatt and now AJ were her attempts at getting over him. Definitely not a good choice, but it happens at any age, never mind 17. And just to be clear, I don't necessarily advocate that they're meant to be...just that they have a romantic connection that runs deeper than an idle flirtation that can be turned off at will. If their relationship was allowed to run its course it might last forever, it might last a few months or years and then turn into a close friendship, who knows? But I think we've been repeatedly shown that they are extremely special to each other. Even if they broke up, I don't think they'd stop caring for each other or cut each other out of their lives.

 

How come Mariana isn't getting the same condemnation for rebounding with Wyatt, while she and Mat were still together? Isn't it the same kind of thing?

Edited August 11, 2015 by blackrose602

[GildedLily]

Also, if Callie and Brandon are so special and meant to be, why was Callie kissing AJ just two seconds ago? And being all flattered by his flirty attentions?

Yeah I don't really see that as a big deal. People kiss and flirt with other people when their heart is elsewhere all the time, especially at her age. AJ came onto her, she liked the attention, he's cute, he's not Stef and Lena's kid, it made for some drama for a few eps etc. I think the show made a point of hammering home that she didn't have strong feelings when she told the GU girls..."it's not like Brandon, I'm not in love with him." And then again tonight when she felt the need to downplay it to Brandon. Even her relationship with Wyatt, which to me always felt like something she used as a shield to keep her from Brandon, seemed way more consequential than this AJ non-thing. 

 

Also agree with blackrose that Stef and Lena handled this terribly from the start and whatever drama plays out they basically asked for when they told two teenagers repress your attraction, you're siblings now and thought it would work long-term. I wish the show hadn't dragged it out/dropped it quite so long and that it had been dealt with post last summer's finale kiss. 

 

Are people really still wanting her adopted after this? I don't see how the show could possibly go there now. That wasn't just some making out by the fire, fade to black, romantic music implied sex that could be brushed under the rug or rewritten. That was full blown, passionate thrusting and rolling around (the likes of which I don't recall on ABCF before) and it seemed like a very deliberate choice on the part of the directors and or showrunners. 

Edited August 11, 2015 by GildedLily

[bybrandy]

Poor Mariana.   I really feel like this is going to be a pretty big blow to her with all of her stuff going on and Jesus gone and now she's losing the person she was really starting to consider a sister.   She and Jude can rebel together.  And hey now Callie gets Brandon, the car, the rich dad, gets to chill with the Fosters.   But seriously if they aren't all feeling incredibly betrayed by her?   Especially Jude and Mariana.   

I get that Brallie shippers think she needs Brandon more than she needs the Fosters.  However, when she scuttled her chances for adoption by sending that message to Rita, she was looking so wistfully at all of them.   She was sad about losing all of them.

And I don't think it is realistic to believe she just becomes part of the family as Brandon's girlfriend.    

 

I think everybody but Brandon is going to feel really very betrayed by this.    

 

And I hope Jude and Mariana especially feel pretty betrayed by Brandon's actions, too.  Although, they've done very little to convince me of Brandon thinking of any of those kids other than maybe Jesus as a real sibling.    

 

[truthaboutluv]

But Callie isn't in nearly the same position anymore. Jude is adopted. No matter what, she never has to fear for his safety again. And she can go live with Robert, who seems to really love her, until she's 18. She can still be part of the Fosters, but as Brandon's girlfriend and Jude's sister, rather than an adopted child. Isn't this show supposed to be about all the different kinds of family, anyway? I've worked pretty extensively with kids in the system, and the adoption storyline just isn't ringing true to me anymore, as far as what she would want at this point in her life. Again, she needed it then, but she doesn't need it the same way now. So if it's over and done with now, I feel like that's way more authentic.

 

 

THIS. I have never understood why people were still championing adoption as the be all and end all of Callie's life after the 2A finale where she called Robert Dad and shortly thereafter told Brandon she loved him and kissed him. It was clear then that (i) she had two families that loved her very much no matter what the legal status and (ii) that she and Brandon could never have a healthy sibling relationship so adoption needed to go off the table.

 

 

Agreed. This is why I've never had this adverse reaction to Brandon and Callie. I don't ship it but I've never been irate about it because I've never understood the sort of black and white view of the situation - that unless Callie gets that legal document saying she is a Foster, she has no family. And that became even more so for me when they introduced the Robert story. 

 

Prior to that, I got the argument some made that it wasn't just the piece of paper but what it meant in terms of Stef and Lena fully being able to make decisions with regards to her, having legal rights if anything happened to her, if she was hurt in any way, etc. However, with her having a fairly stable father now, I just can't buy that reasoning anymore. Essentially, I hold the maybe unpopular opinion that focusing on the idea that Callie MUST be adopted by the Fosters to finally have the family she wants and needs is actually belying the show's core message in a way. That is, family is not about blood or even about a piece of paper and legal documents but essentially about love.

 

I don't understand the rationale that Callie and Brandon together means she has lost her family period. Stef and Lena will never stop loving or caring about Callie. Mariana is not going to suddenly not care about Callie because she's not legally a Foster, Jude isn't going to disown her as his sister because she's not a Foster like him, etc. Callie HAS a family and always WILL have a family and she has two families because her father loves her and will be ready with open arms if she chooses to come back to him. I agree with the above that this whole situation is no longer ringing true. The reality is once they brought in the Robert situation, not to mention Callie getting older, the storyline lost the sense of intensity and urgency it had in the first season, with the idea that this girl really had no one and nothing if this couple didn't adopt her. It's simply not true anymore.

 

And again, to be very clear, I had no problems with the writers 86'ing the Callie and Brandon pairing and never going there ever because again I don't particularly ship them. But at this point it's like the jig is up - let it go. I thought it was ridiculous that this was even still a possibility and option since the first time the writers made the decision to go there with Callie and Brandon back in S1 and I thought it was incredibly ridiculous when the brakes were put on it and they tried to sell this notion of them moving towards a sibling relationship.

 

The fact of the matter is the moment the writers crossed the line with those two, any notion of them seeing each other as siblings was ridiculous. It doesn't matter if all they have is a passing attraction that will fizzle out quickly, they will never see each other in that light. It's not realistic. They could break up and go on to just be good friends but seeing each other as siblings - no. And they really can't now that they've seen each other naked in the most biblical sense. This is exactly why I said the writers wrote themselves into a corner the second they contemplated and actually proceeded to go down that road. There was no coming back from it. 

 

Exactly. Much as I love Lena and Stef, it bothered me how much they downplayed and ignored the seriousness of Brandon and Callie's feelings. Maybe they didn't realize the seriousness, but that's because they never really asked. It was very much, "Well, you kids need to stop playing around because this adoption is happening and that's that."

 

 

Agreed. I've said this many times before and it is an example of what I think is one of the show's biggest weaknesses. The stories seemed to move at breakneck speed and so much seemed to happen in such a short amount of time and I feel like there was this sense that nothing was really being dealt with. And the Brandon and Callie situation was definitely one of those. It was essentially "well she's being adopted so get over it and that's it..." We're talking about two teenagers - teenagers who are not in the space emotionally to make the most mature and wise decisions, who have all their hormones and emotions heightened and raging. Thinking that just saying Callie would be adopted and that would be it was ridiculous in my opinion.

 

Which is kind of how it's always been, that what she wants is the family and she only goes to Brandon when either she feels like that's hopeless and there's nothing left to lose or when she's sabotaging herself.

 

 

While I don't disagree about Callie being self-destructive, the first time she kissed Brandon, it was on the heels of finding out she WAS going to get the family she wanted.  Now I know it can be argued as what you noted, her sabotaging herself, but that's just it, does she really want this family or even really knows what she wants? Because she makes out with Brandon just as she's getting exactly what she says she wants, thereby screwing it up and then she goes to him when she's NOT getting the family she says she wants.

 

That's why its interesting to me the constant dislike for Brandon and how in many ways some place everything on him because frankly, I feel like Callie has been very unfair and horrible to Brandon with her back and forth and indecision. That's why I liked him going off on her when she tried to kiss him last season when Robert said he wouldn't sign the papers and he told her that she only came to him when she thought things weren't working out. 

 

But that said, I feel like Callie is pretty much a mess and someone who self sabotages - she does want a family but it's like on some level she's incapable of being happy and blows things up because being unhappy and not getting what she wants is all she's known. But that said, I actually think she does genuinely want Brandon, that it's not just about using him and that adds to the complexity in her about the adoption and maybe why she's sub-consciously sabotaging it. 

Edited August 11, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[bybrandy]

So we're all agreed that the adoption is off the table permanently, or should be.    And that's fine.  She has a conveniently soft place to land.  This would have been more interesting to me if they hadn't retconned her parentage and her soft place to land was the man who killed her mother, but there you go...

 

She's totally going to be living back at the Foster's as soon as the stick turns blue.   And I'm going to hate that more than Brallie by a lot.  

 

[ShortyMac]

She's totally going to be living back at the Foster's as soon as the stick turns blue.   And I'm going to hate that more than Brallie by a lot.  

 

I don't know if I'm going to stick around long enough to watch that mess. The Brallie shippers are rabid NOW; throw a love child in the mix and they will go INSANE.

[GildedLily]

I don't know if I'm going to stick around long enough to watch that mess. The Brallie shippers are rabid NOW; throw a love child in the mix and they will go INSANE.

As a "rabid" Brallie shipper, I can assure that a love child is the last thing I want and think that would be least interesting of all the interesting things that can play out in the aftermath of their night. Plus how many pregnancy scares can we have really? I am sincerely hoping that when we get their afterglow scene promoed in next ep, the camera quickly pans to a condom wrapper on the nigtstand.

Edited August 11, 2015 by GildedLily

[ShortyMac]

As a "rabid" Brallie shipper, I can assure that a love child is the last thing I want and think that would be least interesting of all the interesting things that can play out in the aftermath of their night. Plus joe many pregnancy scares can we have really? I am sincerely hoping that when we get their afterglow scene at the start of next ep, the camera quickly pans to a condom wrapper on the nigtstand.

 

I was talking about the shippers in general, of course. I'm sure you're an outlier. I'm really hoping that they used protection.

[allinnow]

Could have quoted Truthaboutluv's whole post. 

 

Callie has a family, actually two, that will always love her no matter what.  She is loved and has more support than most kids could hope for (IMO).  Family is not a piece of paper.

 

I thought Brandon got the short end of her feelings and interaction with him since S1. 

 

I've been Braillie and was happy to finally see the show pick a path for them.  Let the relationship go and if it goes the typical teenage romance distance it's finally done and over with or it goes on to be something special.

 

Preview from next week, suppose the writers have her say "no" to the question of any reason the adoption shouldn't go forward?  What a mess that would be - which is why it wouldn't surprise me if they go there.

[Black Knight]

Wow. This is the de-Walkering Rebecca moment for this show. Brothers & Sisters never recovered from that terrible jump-the-shark decision, and this show has just done the same thing.

 

For those who didn't watch that show, for the sake of a little chemistry between two actors, the show threw out many episodes of carefully integrating Rebecca into the Walker family. She learned that she wasn't biologically a Walker and she and her ex-brother started hooking up. The other Walkers said all the right things about how Rebecca was still a Walker, blood or not, and she even eventually married into the family. But it didn't matter. It still fundamentally changed the show and family dynamics because the Rebecca character became defined as Justin's girlfriend, and then wife, and her connection to the Walker family defined primarily through that relationship...and then Rebecca and Justin divorced. And again, nobody stopped loving her or anything like that, but she still became completely extraneous to the show because why would the ex be hanging around? Unsurprisingly, she was written off.

 

And that's the problem with Brallie. Her connection to the family is going to end up being through being Brandon's girlfriend. When they break up, it's going to be awkward, especially if the breakup is made out to be Callie's fault, like she realizes Brandon isn't all that and starts dating somebody else. Brandon won't like her coming over to the house then, the moms will be put in a position where Brandon will consider them to be siding against their son if they try to include Callie as family. It's just a million kinds of messy.

 

And from the show's POV, it would be one thing if Callie weren't the mainest of the main leads. Granted, Rebecca de-Walker was never a main lead and it still caused huge problems for the show, but still, this is worse. If Callie were more of a supporting character, it wouldn't be such a big deal to have the adoption fall through and have her go live with Robert or whoever and just drop by as Brandon's girlfriend while they're together, or be seen out with Jude. But this is removing the mainest of the main leads from the house the show predominantly takes place in. Structurally, it's a terrible decision and I can't imagine why they would do it unless they were planning to have next week's episode be the series finale. (I'm firmly plugging my ears in regards to any talk of a Brallie pregnancy that will force Callie back into the house.)

 

Yes, Braillie shippers, I agree that there can be no adoption now. That line has been crossed. But I don't think this is going to turn out nearly as well for the show as you guys do. I've never seen it work out well when things like show structure and core relationship dynamics get tossed out the window for the sake of pushing a couple together to satisfy a portion of the audience.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Black Knight

[dohe]

Sex happens among many teens.  The last thing I would want is for the show to create a representation of teen life in which all the kids are waiting for marriage and where recurring characters are brought on to illustrate the evils of premarital sex.   

 

However, as with Aria/Ezra on Pretty Little Liars, the show has romanticized a disturbing scenario and pandered to audiences instead of treating them in a mature manner. 

 

Callie was sexually assaulted in a foster home and has demonstrated desire towards two of the three young men, Jesus being the exception, that could be considered "brothers" in the family structure that she now exists in.  That a young person, who has been sexually assaulted, by a former foster family member has shown desire for two young men, Brandon and recently AJ, who blur the lines between friend and family is something which should be depicted with the utmost respect of the audience and of Callie's struggles.  Instead the show has used the subject matter for love triangles and to create suspense in whether Callie will be adopted while romanticizing the outcome tonight.

 

That Brandon, aware of Callie being a sexual assault victim of a former foster family member of her's, that Callie's half-brother is now Brandon's brother, that Callie's chance of being adopted is at risk, etc. still has sex with Callie is an act of astonishing self-absorption and ignorance. Callie is a traumatized individual in a cycle of self-destruction.  Brandon has no legitimate reason for audience empathy.   

 

The show runners know there is a significant portion of their audience that automatically falls in to step with cute girl likes cute boy and will want that relationship to occur no matter what.  However the show should respect the audience and the characters more than this.  If they go there, the least that could be done is not portray with multiple shots of Callie's naked back and as if it is not some wondrous romantic moment - devoid of the history that Callie has had and the loathsomeness of Brandon's behavior. 

 

This was ugly, distasteful tv.  Yes The Fosters has an audience that wants the cute boy with the cute girl to a point where it would not want a child to be adopted by a loving family.  The last thing in the world that The Fosters should do is to pander to those fans.  Because anyone thinking a young teen should throw out a chance to be adopted by the same loving parents that adopted her half brother in exchange for sex with a teenager is hardly the audience a show with any sense of responsibility should be trying to please.  

Edited August 11, 2015 by dohe

[bybrandy]

Callie has never picked Brandon over the Fosters.  She still hasn't.   This is the same scenario as the party.  Her adoption is in jeopardy so she relents to sleeping with Brandon.  If I were a Brallie shipper I wouldn't be overly thrilled by this.

I actually a little bit worry that the show writers will have her go through with the adoption but that would be even worse than Brallie sex.

And I would like to say while Brallie sex changes the whole nature of all the relationships on the show and therefore inherently and presumably forever changes the character of the show, and henceforth I hate it.

I do not think Callie did anything wrong by flirting wishing she could have a simpler relationship with Wyatt.    She totally did the wrong thing by kissing AJ but Brallie had nothing to do with why that was a bad idea.

Much like Mariana made a huge mistake sleeping with Wyatt but it was a huge mistake that felt real to me.  And quite frankly, I thought they could have been cute. I wouldn't be opposed to the showing swinging back around in that direction, eventually.    Especially if Mariana is feeling particularly hurt by Brandon and Callie.   

[Perfect Xero]

That Brandon, aware of Callie being a sexual assault victim of a former foster family member of her's, that Callie's half-brother is now Brandon's brother, that Callie's chance of being adopted is at risk, etc. still has sex with Callie is an act of astonishing self-absorption and ignorance. Callie is a traumatized individual in a cycle of self-destruction.  Brandon has no legitimate reason for audience empathy.  

 

I disagree on this point. Brandon is not any more equipped to deal with Callie's issues than Callie herself is. Even if he was a "normal" teen he wouldn't be, but I don't think that he's particularly emotionally healthy either, due to having an alcoholic father, and in the past year he's been raped by his father's live-in girlfriend and been violently assaulted. A lot of Brandon's less attractive character traits are pretty consistent with things that pop up in children of alcoholics. That includes a tendency to get wrapped up in unhealthy, drama filled relationships with people who repeat cycles of bad behavior, because that's what they know and grew up with.

 

Bluntly put, Stef and Lena rather spectacularly dropped the ball in dealing with the whole situation because they were so focused in on making sure that they could adopt Callie. They've basically done nothing to try to provide Callie with the tools she needs to understand and deal with her issues. They seem to have done very little in terms of providing Brandon (or the twins) with therapy for having grown up as the children of addicts. I don't recall Callie (or Brandon) getting any therapy for being raped.

 

The only person on the show who has actually expressed any understanding that Callie's behavior is a pattern, is Jude.

[Ikki]

I just realized that the Callie-calling-out-the-judge-on-her-app thing wasn't in the episode. Now, I didn't see the preview and only know about it from discussion on here, but wasn't it for this week?

And if it's for next week, could it be an effort by Callie to blow up her adoption so she doesn't have to actually admit what happened?

[auntiemel]

 

The only person on the show who has actually expressed any understanding that Callie's behavior is a pattern, is Jude.

 

So did Rita, with the chocolate-cake-slash-habit speech! Sooo....basically, my two favorite characters on the show are the people who call Callie on her shit! :D

Oh, and totally different topic - I really want them to double down on how they brought in Bailee Madison because she resembled Maia Mitchell so much, and bring in Priscilla Faia from Rookie Blue in the next batch. Maybe as Robert's sister, then she'd be the girls' aunt. I've always thought they both looked so much like her!

[luckyroll3]

My theory? Rita didn't do anything with the recording because she decided to take the fall rather than endanger Callie's adoption. I think Callie will play the recording in court next week, simultaneously saving Rita and ending her own adoption possibility without having to say, "Hey, thanks for everything. But I had sex with your son, so I just don't think it's going to work out."

Maybe Rita was smarter than Callie, and actually cut out the portion of the recording where they discuss Callie and Brandon.

[GildedLily]

"If Callie were more of a supporting character, it wouldn't be such a big deal to have the adoption fall through and have her go live with Robert or whoever and just drop by as Brandon's girlfriend while they're together, or be seen out with Jude. But this is removing the mainest of the main leads from the house the show predominantly takes place in. Structurally, it's a terrible decision and I can't imagine why they would do it unless they were planning to have next week's episode be the series finale.

Yes, Braillie shippers, I agree that there can be no adoption now. That line has been crossed. But I don't think this is going to turn out nearly as well for the show as you guys do. I've never seen it work out well when things like show structure and core relationship dynamics get tossed out the window for the sake of pushing a couple together to satisfy a portion of the audience.

 

Yes, Braillie shippers, I agree that there can be no adoption now. That line has been crossed. But I don't think this is going to turn out nearly as well for the show as you guys do. I've never seen it work out well when things like show structure and core relationship dynamics get tossed out the window for the sake of pushing a couple together to satisfy a portion of the audience.

 

I don't know- I just don't see as a big disaster for structure and core of the show. Callie and Brandon has been part of the core of show since the pilot whether or not people wanted to see or acknowledge that. It was pretty much telegraphed with laser beams when they looked at each other in the pilot that there was an attraction that would probably be acted on at some point that would derail her long-term placement with this family.  The show dragged it out too long, yes,  because the writers seemed scared to upset both the segment of the audience who loved them and the segment of the audience who found them to be wrong.

I think things like the huge focus on GU girls and the addition of the Quinns who came with their own stories like Sophia's issues that had literally nothing to do with the Fosters other than a tenuous connection through Callie at all were more of an upset to the structure of the show and took focus out of the house. The fallout of Brandon and Callie's night gives the show a ton of material for the family to deal with. Jude, Mariana, Stef, Lena are all affected. Hugely so. It's an umbrella story within the family almost. I don't think she just transitions into being his girlfriend easily. I expect this to be hard for everyone for more than one episode.  And I'm looking forward to seeing that play out as much as I'm looking forward to seeing how Brandon and Callie navigate their own relationship now that it's more than a forbidden stolen kiss thing.

Edited August 11, 2015 by GildedLily

[SparedTurkey]

 

I think things like the huge focus on GU girls and the addition of the Quinns who came with their own stories like Sophia's issues that had literally nothing to do with the Fosters other than a tenuous connection through Callie at all were more of an upset to the structure of the show and took focus out of the house.

 

I don't mind those stories so much - particularly because with GU it was another side of the fostering program, which was what the show is/was all about at the outset. And Callie is the main character, so her life is what the show will tend to focus on. However, I agree with the whole tv plot contrivance of an unknown rich dad popping up just before an adoption takes place.

 

I hate Callie/Brandon. I wish it was a characters nightmare. I think it was a really bad direction for the show. I think it takes away from the show, and I absolutely saw nothing 'passionate or smoldering' about callie/brandon. I think sometimes the show get the badness - from Jude asking Callie why she keeps snogging foster brothers and being removed from an otherwise healthy and happy foster hom, to the general disapproval of Stef/Lena w/r/t Callie/Brandon (which is more than PLL and Aria/Ezra seem to get). But still. I don't know if they will/even can walk back from actual sex. Not Happy Jan.

 

Also, why have they not yet touched on Callie going to Stef/Lena when something bad happens, that may affect her adoption. What possible reason was there for Callie not to get Stef's advice about Carmen's confession and what they should do? Considering Stef has bent the rules for Brandon well..? Now there is no adoption this may just be a plotline gone by the wayside. But possibly could have been an interesting storyline - more than Callie/Brandon clearly.

 

And also, Stef/Lena was so sad. Lena should have just told the truth! Dont they know TV Rules say if you keep a secret it is sooo much worse?!?!

 

And I have decided that I only like Brandon relative to Stef/Lena/Mike and Jesus - because they seem genuinely happy when Brandon succeeds nd nervous for him - despite the general whiny mopefest he is otherwise (see all other 25 minutes of this episode without any other Foster involved in his storyline).

 

Basically - Stef, Mariana and Lena are the only characters keeping this show afloat. Brandon, and now Callie, can be fast-forwarded at this point.

[GildedLily]

"I don't mind those stories so much - particularly because with GU it was another side of the fostering program, which was what the show is/was all about at the outset. And Callie is the main character, so her life is what the show will tend to focus on."

I like those stories too very much. Maybe a little too much GU lately especially this ridiculous Brooke girl. My only point was that they shift the focus from the core nucleus of the family far more than the Brandom/Callie romance which is hugely tied to the family and it's effect on the adoption. But shifting focus isn't necessarily a bad thing and like you said, it's essentially Callie's show. Anyone who thinks it's something else is forgetting what network they are watching.

[LisaM]

 

Yes, Braillie shippers, I agree that there can be no adoption now. That line has been crossed. But I don't think this is going to turn out nearly as well for the show as you guys do. I've never seen it work out well when things like show structure and core relationship dynamics get tossed out the window for the sake of pushing a couple together to satisfy a portion of the audience.

I could have just copied your whole post. I can't recall being this pissed off by a show that I loved since Picket Fences made a wrong turn many years ago. I have literally been thinking about this all night - how one act, the Brallie sex, has so turned me off of a show that I formerly adored.

 

I have not seen the "smoldering", once in a lifetime love between Callie and Brandon at all this season. Instead, I saw two teenagers who had accepted that they needed to move on. (To me, Brandon always has the same hangdog expression so it is hard to read him at all.) Now Callie has committed the final act of self-sabotage and the show will veer off into a totally different direction. This is TPTB dumping on Callie once again. She isn't going to be adopted by her forever family; instead she is going to be tied to a boy that she had sex with when she was hopeless and thought adoption was off the table for good. I'm sure this will provide lots of dramatic stories for TPTB but it sucks for the character. What happens when Callie and Brandon decide that this isn't True Love?

[ShadowFacts]

 

That Brandon, aware of Callie being a sexual assault victim of a former foster family member of her's, that Callie's half-brother is now Brandon's brother, that Callie's chance of being adopted is at risk, etc. still has sex with Callie is an act of astonishing self-absorption and ignorance. Callie is a traumatized individual in a cycle of self-destruction.  Brandon has no legitimate reason for audience empathy.

 

Preach it.  I have had some empathy for Brandon in the past, because he's really been dealt some difficult stuff, but not here.  I really did not like the premeditation on his part, his going into Callie's room uninvited.  Granted, she could (should) have turned him away, but he made a very deliberate choice there.  On a related note, it's kind of maddening to me how careless Stef and Lena are about how much unsupervised freedom they give their minor children.  Not smart.

[possibilities]

I just realized that the Callie-calling-out-the-judge-on-her-app thing wasn't in the episode. Now, I didn't see the preview and only know about it from discussion on here, but wasn't it for this week?

That scene was in last week's episode. She made a video for her app, listing all the abusive adults she'd deal with in the system (including Liam), and Mariana uploaded it for her. Mariana and Jude were watching it together. Jude was worried it was a bad idea, and Mariana didn't seem to understand why, and said it was too late to take it back, anyway.

[smrou]

The only person on the show who has actually expressed any understanding that Callie's behavior is a pattern, is Jude.

So did Rita, with the chocolate-cake-slash-habit speech! Sooo....basically, my two favorite characters on the show are the people who call Callie on her shit! :D

Yeah, Jude has called Callie out on this more than once and Rita at least once. They both seem to get what Callie is about and I think they're both exactly right.

 

Which is part of why, as possibilities said in her first post in this thread, if the writers choose now to write a Brandon/Callie romance in a way where it's supposed to be in any way good for either of them or something to be celebrated then that would feel like an enormous about-face from the story the show has been constructing to this point. 

[Primetimer]

The Fosters get choked up in their tangled webs and Al Lowe ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WITH IT.

Read the story

[Eeksquire]

Here's what I don't understand (although given the last 2 minutes of the show, it probably doesn't matter at all anyway): Rita is not Callie's social worker.  The previews showed her announcing that she is "recommending" the adoption.  But: What?  She might be called to testify (or be interviewed or whatever less formal form this "investigation" is taking) as to what happened when Callie was at GU, but the social worker is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT person and as far as I know, it's HER opinion and recommendation that matters, not Rita's.

 

Also: Doesn't it seem as likely that Rita would throw herself under the bus to save Carmen as to save Callie? It seems to me that even when Callie was visiting GU and talking about her app earlier this season that Rita was firmly on the side of the girls who were reluctant to call out the people in the system who had harmed them by saying that they had a lot to lose.  I think it's virtually impossible for Rita to actually be charged in connection with the Carmen/Brooke debacle (especially in the universe of this show, whose thesis statement has been that, once in the system, especially kids who have been in juvie, that the justice system doesn't ever believe their side of the story - see also, Callie vs. William and they'll only believe you if you lie), but it might give her a way out of GU, which it kind of seemed like she was looking for last week.  (And also: Even though she apparently "can't take a break", they certainly managed to find someone to fill in for her in group pretty quickly - might not be a permanent solution, but very few people are truly irreplaceable.)

 

The less said about the Brandon/Callie sex, the better.  I was disappointed, but not surprised.  But, in the actual tv-business timeline of this show, is this the season finale or is this a summer season finale? In other words, have they confirmed that the show will be coming back in the winter for the next half season or is this it unless it's renewed? It's hard to follow with the way ABCF does their seasons.

[GenevieveS]

I was really hoping -- right up to those last view minutes -- that they were going to stick with the Brandon says "we should say goodnight" and they each go to bed alone angle. Even with the angsty lying-awake scenes.

 

At this point, I'm with Al Lowe in terms of actually hoping for a dream sequence reveal. If it's not? Then the writers have at least finally chosen an angle. Callie can't become a legal member of the Foster family via adoption. But, apparently, she's going to have to actually refuse it herself? Because they haven't forced this character into more adult decisions already? I do think that the characters' actions have indicated that Brandon is actually infatuated/in love with Callie herself, but not so much with Callie's feelings about Brandon. Like others, I'm also skeptical of the enthusiasm displayed by Callie in the sex scene, given that the last time we saw her attempt anything beyond kissing it gave her rape flashbacks and panic attacks. Another reason I'd like it to be a dream.

 

Thank you to DeepPoet117 for looking up the laws in California on restoring terminated parental rights. I was surprised when GildedLily's post implied it would be relatively simple because that's not the case in Georgia either (as I understand it). Not an attorney, but have adopted through foster care a child with parents who "voluntarily surrendered" rights and was told by all involved that it meant there was no way for them to get those rights back. (Also, it means that all extended family rights are terminated as well.) Yet another example of how the rules vary by state.

 

Google (take that for what it's worth) tells me that California is a "two-party consent" state, meaning that Callie's recording of the conversation with Carmen is illegal and (I would assume) inadmissible as evidence in Rita's defense.

 

So, it is believable to me that Callie sending the recording did nothing to blow up the adoption; it probably did nothing to help Rita, either.

 

Was I the only one bothered by Stef and Mike talking to each other during the cellist's piece? I know that's the easiest way to get the exposition in, but come on, people. Brandon is not the only performer who matters at this thing.

[Bringonthedrama]

 

Bluntly put, Stef and Lena rather spectacularly dropped the ball in dealing with the whole situation because they were so focused in on making sure that they could adopt Callie. They've basically done nothing to try to provide Callie with the tools she needs to understand and deal with her issues. They seem to have done very little in terms of providing Brandon (or the twins) with therapy for having grown up as the children of addicts. I don't recall Callie (or Brandon) getting any therapy for being raped.

 

Well said!!! When I read how Stef and Lena are such terrific parents, I don't get it. They are loving parents in that they don't abuse the kids or neglect basic needs and tell them they love them, but they don't address really important stuff - ranging from Jesus' lack of respect for himself and girls to all the symptoms of Brandon being emotionally unhealthy as a result of his father's alcoholism, parents' divorce/gaining an additional mom, Dani using him because she's sick, etc.