S03.E13: If And When

[Tara Ariano]

Jude spends time with Jack, a quirky foster teen he met at Callie's foster-youth event. Meanwhile, Brandon and Mat write a rock musical based on "Romeo and Juliet" for their senior project; and Jesus asks Ana about his and Mariana's biological father.

[KaveDweller]

What kind of school considers a "rock musical of Romeo and Juliet" a senior project?

 

I thought the person IMing Callie as AJ was going to be that woman investing in Callie's site. Now there are two creepy people hanging around Callie. That can't end well.

 

Not to be insensitive, but I really am tired of cancer storylines on TV shows. I know it's a terrible illness and all, but it's so overdone.

[GildedLily]

After hating the premiere and being lukewarm on last week, I did like this one. Mostly because the Jack plot is interesting, he's ingratiating himself into their lives and is obviously deeply troubled which could make for some good stuff. Liked that Jude was the one who got hostile and Callie was the one who softened when they found in the Moms' bed. That's not what we would have expected from them a short time ago. The Jack actor can act too, which is more than we can say for most of the temporary arc kids they bring on. 

 

That said, AJ finally made me feel something for him this week. That doesn't mean I need him to stay around but the arrest was a good scene. 

 

I was over the moon to have a break from Lexi. May she reign as Prexi offscreen (and take Emma and Haley). Jesus finding his dad in 20 minutes was ridiculous but perhaps better than dragging out scenes of Jesus looking for him. Don't like the friend, he feels like Vico/Vito (I forget) who crushed Brandon's hand 2.0. 

 

Was surprised they dug up Talya from the closet of Season 1. I am sure the reason for that will become clear to us later, I don't think its to reunite her and Brandon since his next love interest as already dropped out of the sky. Thought David Lambert played the awkwardness of "this is somebody that I used to sleep who I feel nothing for but it's still uncomfortable just because" in a real young adult way. Was also surprised it seems Mariana will play Juliet since they are hitting us so hard with the Brallie are star crossed lovers angle last week but I suppose there is still time for laryngitis, hijinks that get her and Mat stranded elsewhere on show night etc....

 

Cancer was done best by thritysomething a million years ago and no show since has lived up. But I am glad for more Annie Potts. 

[angora]

Do cops really handcuff runaways who aren't resisting being brought in? That seems like a dubious way to reassure a potentially-jumpy kid that going home is the right choice.

Hopefully, AJ follows Stef's implied advice to keep mum about Ty. Given his history of assuming no one's on his side and panicking when he's scared, I worry about him.

Poor Stef. I'm so glad she came clean to Lena and Sharon.

A few sticking points on Brandon. First of all, Mariana as Juliet wouldn't be the same as Talya playing her because 1) Mat and Mariana broke up a lot more recently, 2) Mat wouldn't just be working with her, he'd be playing her lover onstage, and 3) didn't Brandon tell Mat that the whole point of the project was to give him something other than Mariana to think about? Also, I was really annoyed at him saying that Callie sharing AJ's whereabouts with Stef was "making the decision for him." I get that it's total teen-logic, but Callie was completely right to tell an adult what was going on and prioritize AJ's safety over other considerations. That said, Brandon did make good when he reminded Mike about the zillions of bad decisions he (Brandon) has made and that AJ deserves a second chance, too.

So curious about Jack and what's going on there. Is there some connection with Shady Investor Lady, or is this unrelated Fost and Found shenanigans? For Jude's sake, I hope it's nothing too underhanded.

I'm so Team Will; questionable mushroom stances aside, Sharon picked herself a good 'un.

[izabella]

Will someone please remind me where Jack came from, and how he came to be attached to Jude's side?

 

I'm glad Callie told Stef that AJ called her.  That's a sign of growth from her. 

I'm so Team Will; questionable mushroom stances aside, Sharon picked herself a good 'un.

 

 

Yes, I like him too.  Loved his car trouble fake-out so Sharon wouldn't have to leave in the middle of the argument.

[ShortyMac]

 

I was over the moon to have a break from Lexi. May she reign as Prexi offscreen

 

Poor Stef. I'm so glad she came clean to Lena and Sharon.

Also, I was really annoyed at him saying that Callie sharing AJ's whereabouts with Stef was "making the decision for him." I get that it's total teen-logic, but Callie was completely right to tell an adult what was going on and prioritize AJ's safety over other considerations. That said, Brandon did make good when he reminded Mike about the zillions of bad decisions he (Brandon) has made and that AJ deserves a second chance, too.

I'm so Team Will; questionable mushroom stances aside, Sharon picked herself a good 'un.

 

I'm glad Callie told Stef that AJ called her.  That's a sign of growth from her. 

 

Agreed with the above.

 

I liked this episode way more than the previous two.

 

I'm really loving this story line with Stef, Sherri, and Annie. It's good to see Stef going to her loved ones for support instead of her trying to shoulder everything alone. I'm glad that Sharon will be around longer. Loved the scene with Annie and Stef and then with Will. I'm interested in whether we'll get to see Stef and Lena tell the kids about Stef's health and the aftermath of the mastectomy 

​Stef is recovering from it in episode 15

; how the show decides to handle that.

 

I liked Will's scene with Jesus.

 

This whole thing with Jack is so weird. I have no idea where it's going. It feels out of place to me with everything else that's going on.

 

Really annoyed with these Callie/Jude scenes, with him snapping at her about Connor. They're getting old.

 

I thought the AJ/Ty arrest scene was good. Nicely done.

 

Can't wait for next week to see the moms together. I've missed seeing that intimacy and closeness between them.

[KaveDweller]

Will someone please remind me where Jack came from, and how he came to be attached to Jude's side?

 

Callie had an event for her website for foster kids.  Jack was complaining to who he thought was a random person in the audience about whether Callie was "for real" and it turned out to be Jude.

[possibilities]

After hating the premiere and being lukewarm on last week, I did like this one. Mostly because the Jack plot is interesting, he's ingratiating himself into their lives and is obviously deeply troubled which could make for some good stuff. Liked that Jude was the one who got hostile and Callie was the one who softened when they found in the Moms' bed. That's not what we would have expected from them a short time ago. The Jack actor can act too

I feel the same way. I think we need a kid like this, who's not an adorable muffin or movie star gorgeous. Just a messed up kid who knows he's not the most glamorous and is going to be last picked not only for parents but also for everybody else.

 

My favorite moment of the episode was when Callie scolded Jude and Grandma decided she didn't have to-- it wasn't that I liked Callie scolding Jude (I didn't), but it was this moment from Annie Potts where she glanced at Callie and kind of swelled up with pride of ownership that Callie said what she herself was going to have said-- it was just a feeling, but I thought it was there, a bit of physical acting that said a lot. I don't think I made that up.

 

It's not that I like Jesus's magical instant finding his dad story, but I love that he's not having girl drama. Also, do we know for sure that this Gabriel is his dad? It's not the most unusual name. Or, he could be a terrible guy-- Ana wouldn't hide his identity for no reason.

 

Mariana being in the play will be as much of a disaster as her being "manager" for the band. Not sure exactly what will go wrong, but it's perfectly obvious it will be a disaster. I'm not sure what role Talya will play in the mess, but I guess we'll find out.

 

I didn't hate Brandon this week. I usually more or less like Mat, but are all the boys on this show sulky for a reason? Now that Wyatt's gone, Connor's in LA, and Jude has outgrown his unicorn phase, it's all emo all the time on boyland.

[Glade]

I like the continuity with past seasons that bringing up S1 characters like Talya creates.  But I don't like that Matt is being forced to work Mariana after she was so self-righteous about hurting him not too long ago.  Talya also did some horrible things to Callie and Brandon.  It's too bad that they couldn't agree on a neutral third party to play Juliet. I was half-expecting Lou to show up at the audition, though I guess she went to a different school.  I wish we could see Zac from S1. 

 

I don't quite buy how Lexi could win the election after being absent for more then a year--people move on pretty quickly in high school. 

 

Though I could do without his new friend, I also like that Heyseuss is being given better material.  It will be interesting to see how the story line with his father turns out, though if the search for him had lasted longer then fifteen minutes it could have been powerful.  Having just watched the series 'Finding My Father,' raises my expectations for this. 

 

Callie was sadly naive in that im conversation since she wanted it to be AJ so badly.   Jack was just giving her blank one-word answers.  When I saw the username was 'LB' I started to wonder if it was actually Liam himself trolling fost and found.  Since Jack started off just by giving Callie a compliment on how she looked good in the pictures, it may be that he has a crush on her (though I half-expected him to try and kiss Jude on their porch.) I don't think Jack was the one who claimed Callie had slept with her foster brother, or that he has any dark intentions, just serious issues from the kind of traumas that many foster kids go through.  It's sad that he apparently isn't able to sleep at his group home.

 

I really hope that AJ can stay out of jail. Will was great, but if Stef's mother can't stop her immature, selfish theatrics, I think she should be left with the consequences. 

[LisaM]

I thought this was a much better episode than last week. Still surprised that Stef handled it the way she did with Callie after the girl showed so much personal growth in coming to Stef with the AJ news.

 

I like that Jesus' story does not revolve around girlfriends but his male friend looks so old that it takes me completely out of the storyline. I wonder if the plan is to reunite Ana with her ex-boyfriend? I like that the cousin is still in the picture; I think that is pretty realistic.

 

Lexi winning the Presidency after being away for a year and only being back for a short time struck me as unrealistic. I was surprised to see Talya and liked the callback to Season 1. Pretty realistic that we would see her again in school.

 

Loved the Sharon/Stef scenes. Annie Potts is terrific. Also loved how she and Callie found Jack in the moms' bed and how Callie yelled at Jude.

 

Looking forward to more Stef/Lena.

[KaveDweller]

Though I could do without his new friend, I also like that Heyseuss is being given better material.  It will be interesting to see how the story line with his father turns out, though if the search for him had lasted longer then fifteen minutes it could have been powerful.  Having just watched the series 'Finding My Father,' raises my expectations for this. 

 

I was thinking it was crazy for him believe this guy is his father without much more evidence than his cousin's overheard conversation. Maybe Jesus will bond with him only to find out he's not his father.

Edited February 9, 2016 by KaveDweller

[izabella]

I'm surprised Jesus didn't mention anything to Marianna about looking for THEIR dad.  Or did he do that, and I missed it?

[Cassandre]

I'm surprised Jesus didn't mention anything to Marianna about looking for THEIR dad.  Or did he do that, and I missed it?

He will. It's coming I think. 

[izabella]

I would hope he'd talk to someone, soon.  Marianna was the one who snuck around to find their mom, and then Jesus got involved, and that didn't turn out so well with people getting shot and all.  I would hope Jesus would show some growth and bring Stef or Lena into this "finding dad" quest now.

Edited February 9, 2016 by izabella

[Ljohnson1987]

Where did all of Jesus' friends come from?  I understand why Jesus wants to know who his father is. Even though he has the best Moms in the world.  I have a strange feeling that Mike and Ana have been involved, and he's the father of her baby.  The Ty and AJ situation was heartbreaking. I love Stef's Mom! Even though she seems high 24/7.

[Cassandre]

 very interesting episode. I just miss Stef and Lena scenes. 

 

Lena : We didn't see her that much. she was a little bit in the background. I hope we get to see more scenes between her and Stef in the next episode. 

 

Stef, Callie, Aj : Stef disappointed me. She used Callie. For the first time Callie is being honest she betrayed her trust. Especially when you know that the two of them have that particular relation Lena doesn't have with Cal. And about AJ,  In my oppinion the guy is helping his brother. It's maybe a crime but who wouldn't do the same thing ? Stef please, you know that better than enyone else. You would do anything to protect your family. So don't ask Aj to give up on his brother just like that. Also... come on... Brandon commited a crime too. To help his father!! And for the first time I agree with Brandon. I like the fact he talks about those fake ids. What he forgets is that he also gave money to Ana to change her version about that night Stef got shot. It's a crime too. She tells Mike it's not equal. Well, Aj is not the one who was driving the car at least. Anyway, all I mean is that Stef should stop being a hypocrite. She's doing a Brandon moove. (except in this episode cause Brandon was awesome). None of her kids are saints. All made terrible mistakes. (more are coming... thinking about Jesus^^). Even Stef breaks the rules everytime she feels like breaking them... To protect her family, to keep Callie in the house, to avoid to her son to be a father at age of 16 (?), to avoid the other one to go in jail, because he is cop's son (I guess she and Mike hid that in the report, because I remember she told Brandon he couldn't tell anyone about that.). I guess Stef would tell me "don't compare, it's not the same thing". I would just say "Ok, you're the cop, you know better" ^^

 

Jesus : I like how Nick and him are playing like kids in the house. They probably stole Jude toys, I guess.  I can't wait for the next  father's day... There would be Robert (I miss him so much), Mike (don't give up on Aj, please), Donald, Adam...They've got to create a father club of The Fosters, which Gabriel could join if he is Mari. and Jesus' real father, of course. 

 

Oh and can we say he finally met his little sister ? (or had he seen her before going to boarding school ?)  I liked that scene... :)

 

Brandon : I liked him in this episode. It was good to hear him recognizing himself he's not a saint too, like everyone. He was also right about Mat et Mariana doing well at singing. 

 

Talia : Oh she was still in town ? I thought everytime you break up with an Adams Foster you leave the town. Because we don't hear about you anymore. Is Wyatt still in Anchor Beach ? 

 

Sharon was awesome like always. Glad she stays around.

 

Mike and Ana : they were kinda cute together ^^

Edited February 9, 2016 by Cassandre

[Primetimer]

And other questions, new and old, sparked by this week's episode.

Read the story

[Febgirl]

I think Mike and Ana will end up together, and I think that Lena ( not so much Stef) will flip a shit about it.  

[tennisgurl]

I really liked this episode. It seems like plots are moving forward, and most of them are actually pretty interesting. Not just more boy/girl drama. 

 

Jude`s friend has some weird stuff going on. There is something connecting him with that sinister foster care lady. Again, its really bad timing that all this sketchiness is happening while Steff is dealing with Cancer issues. Otherwise, she probably would have picked up on the weirdness of all this. 

 

New Jesus is growing on me a lot. I am just really glad he gets a storyline about something beyond girls. I still feel like his friendship with Bad Influence Friend is going to go badly. The hunt for his Dad? Maybe will go well, maybe not. I do not know why Anna lied about him, maybe she had a good reason? 

[ShortyMac]

I forgot to add: Just Say No to Mike/Ana!

Stef's ex dating her twins' birth mom? Really? Come on, show. You're better than this (hopefully).

[izabella]

I loathe the idea of Mike and Ana.  It seems really squicky to me, and honestly, I never have trusted Ana and still don't.

[Perfect Xero]

"Hey Stef, can I talk to you about AJ?"

"Listen, Mike, he's a criminal, we're police officers we have no choice!"

"Sure, but, B, just pointed out to me we've repeatedly shown that we'll break the law and ignore our duty as police officers when it suits us. I mean, I shot a man! You blackmailed a guy! Honestly, if the one guy we send to jail is the only black male in the California foster system, we're going to start looking like racist cops that abuse our authority instead of non-racist cops who abuse their authority."