S03.E15: Minor Offenses

[Tara Ariano]

Stef and Lena grow concerned about Callie filming an endorsement in support of a foster-care reform bill, leading Callie to seek advice from Rita. Meanwhile, Nick asks Jesus to help him impress Mariana on their first date; and Stef recovers from surgery.

[TVForever]

Ah, Callie. Callie, Callie, Callie... 

It just never stops with this kid.

[KaveDweller]

I remember when Callie was suspicious of everyone. I'm glad she's adjusted and happier now, but she shouldn't just blindly follow Justina, especially when it goes against her instincts. 

 

I was really glad Mariana and Lexie both just jumped out of the car when whatever his name is started speeding.

[JaggedLilPill]

Can Jason Priestly 2.0 please go? He's painful. Speaking of, I totally flashed back to the BH90210 car racing story. 

 

I guess those who speculated about Gabe and Ana were right. Silly rabbit. I should never pay attention to timeline on shows. This much is true.

 

I really really don't care about Brandon and his new love interest. LOL at her ex referring to Brandon as a kid. Good luck with that, girl. You'll be needing a babysitter for them both.

 

Callie is getting on my nerves. I am happy that she feels safe and secure now, but the self-righteousness coming from her....take a breath, Callie. I get that she feels this pressure to be the one to fix the system, but Callie still has her own issues to work on. And of course, throwing her into another relationship is not the solution, either. But what are you going to do.

 

Loved Stef and Lena though. 

 

And good on Mariana for a) telling the moms about bio-dad and b) getting the hell out of JP 2.0's car. Smart!Mariana for the win. I'll give her a pass for going out with him in the first place as long as she doesn't do it again. 

[Valny]

I remember when Callie was suspicious of everyone. I'm glad she's adjusted and happier now, but she shouldn't just blindly follow Justina, especially when it goes against her instincts. 

 

I was really glad Mariana and Lexie both just jumped out of the car when whatever his name is started speeding.

yeah, it's always nice to see characters react the way any sane, smart person would  in the same situations. And I love what she said to him when she got the hell out of the car. Jesus is no better, egging what's his name on, I'll call him Old Nick.... and wooo'ing as they're speeding/racing with the other fool in the car.

And didn't think Steph got the operation already.

I don't like when Callie acts all teen-agery/snippy with the moms.

 

Edited February 23, 2016 by Valny

[bybrandy]

Watched this tonight with somebody who hasn't watched in a couple of years and I was explaining current storylines and when it got to Brandon I was all, "yeah, I don't even care."   Brandon an surfer girl aren't more compelling with the kid.. but Brandon is never going to be compelling.    

[ShortyMac]

I do not like Callie being at odds with her moms. But, I know she's a teenager. Sucks to see Callie treating Rita like crap and saying she "has an agenda" after all she's done for her. So, Callie thinks Justina doesn't have an agenda? Callie has trust issues and issues with following her instincts. Plus, she's got a family now and just wants to help other kids. Justina is preying on that. One way or another, she'll eventually see Justina for who she is and realize she was wrong.

 

Don't know why they're bothering with AJ/Callie when Brallie is most-likely endgame (ugh). I liked the scene with them at AJ's grandma's grave.

 

I'm glad that Stef did what she could for Ty.

 

Brandon/Cortney...snore. Brandon is 17 and thinks he's ready to date an older young woman with a kid. Not a stretch, given his history (alcoholic dad, being a caretaker), so, whatever.

 

We all know these "relationships" that Callie and Brandon are in are just placeholders until Brallie's inevitable reunion/season finale reveal/endgame whatever.

 

I'm glad Mariana and Lexi left Nick's car after the street race. Smart girls.

 

Loved Stef being a "cop mom" when Nick came to the house. lol

 

Loved the Stef/Lena stuff. Love the honesty, "no more half truths." Lena just wants to protect her wife. Glad to see Stef's recovering well.

 

I knew Monte would throw letting Jesus return to Anchor Beach back in Lena's face. Lena did object to letting him skip the waiting list. Monte did it as a favor to Lena because she thought it would get her something. She's not happy that Lena is making boundaries and Lena was correct to call her out on giving Sally special treatment. Can she just go away?

 

Gabe's reason for being on the sex offender registry is what I figured the show would do. It hurts me to see Jesus so heartbroken over Gabe. I don't blame him for feeling like he's missing a father, but it makes me feel like he sees Stef and Lena as inadequate parents. I was totally against this story line in the beginning, but I'm interested to see what happens with it next week.

 

No Jude at all. Did not even miss him, really.

Edited February 23, 2016 by ShortyMac

[LisaM]

Did anyone else get a weird inappropriate vibe between Monte and Sally?

[KaveDweller]

Did anyone else get a weird inappropriate vibe between Monte and Sally?

 

Yeah, I thought something was a little off there too.  Monte seemed over-invested.  

[omgsowicked]

Gabe's reason for being on the sex offender registry is what I figured the show would do. It hurts me to see Jesus so heartbroken over Gabe. I don't blame him for feeling like he's missing a father, but it makes me feel like he sees Stef and Lena as inadequate parents. I was totally against this story line in the beginning, but I'm interested to see what happens with it next week.

 

No Jude at all. Did not even miss him, really.

 

I don't think he sees Stef and Lena as substandard, I think it's about that biological connection, plus being male and wanting a father figure, being female and wanting a mother figure. In addition to having Stef and Lena, Mariana has Ana, Callie's birth mother died but she has Rita, and Robert's wife, in a way, Brandon has Mike, Jude has his birth father on occasion (forgot his name), but Jesus didn't have his biological father in the picture (and I can't recall how involved Mike's been as a father figure for him). He's never seemed bothered by it, not like Mariana was about Ana, etc., but thanks to Nick pushing it, I can see why he's interested now (speaking of, I wonder if they'll connect Nick's crappy father to his pushiness about Jesus finding his).

 

I'm curious about where this story goes as well... I have a feeling Gabe will get arrested for being around Jesus. Maybe Jesus will try to get Ana's parents to get him off the offenders list (I don't know if that's actually possible).

 

I didn't realize Jude wasn't there until just now either! Didn't miss him either.

 

I'm glad Stef and Lena are finally getting suspicious about Justina. She's definitely capitalizing on Callie's popularity, app, and inexperience to further her political agenda. I bet that new kid's gonna pop up to yell at her for supporting privatization but otherwise, I don't know where this story is going. I didn't understand it all, to be honest.

 

My god, Brandon and the waitress are a snore. And I'm perpetually annoyed by how similar she looks to Callie.

 

Glad Mariana and Lexi got out of the car, and I hope Mariana doesn't give Nick another chance. And I hope something comes up re: Jesus and his new need for speed. There was a flashback to the accident when he drove the car a few episodes back so I hope it comes out that he's trying to get back control or something, or else I don't understand why he's so cool with being reckless (yes, he's a teenage boy but still, the accident was recent).

 

Did anyone else get a weird inappropriate vibe between Monte and Sally?

 

Yes. And I thought that's what Lena was going to bring up, that it was inappropriate to go off with a student like that (especially one that's so happy to gush over you).

Edited February 23, 2016 by omgsowicked

[Glade]

I really like the new Hesus now, even the hair and wardrobe is an endearing improvement over past seasons, and Noah has totally taken the character somewhere better, even showing genuine vulnerability.  We saw him get close to Lexi, but it didn't dominate his story in this episode, which was more about his father. 

 

It might have been interesting if they went down the other route with Gabe's SO story.  Though it is true that many states misuse the sex offender registry with not only ambiguous statutory rape cases like this (where he was barely three years older then her and only 18 himself) but for instance putting minors arrested for prostituting themselves onto it.  And they face a lot of discrimination because everyone assumes that you must be a pedophile/molester of young children to get on it.

 

Nick however continues to be stereotypical to the extreme...that scene at the doorway with Stef was yet another pastiche to outdated teen archetypes.  I guess the writers are intentionally trying to make him into like a meta James Dean knockoff, but it's just stupid.  I suppose this was better then the twins last double date, though.

 

I was disappointed at how quickly Callie lapped up Justina's corporate spiel, even after Rita prevented her from (likely) handing Callie a copy of the bill that had any questionable parts edited out.   I was really hoping she was going to say 'I still don't want to you to use me as an advertisement for this bill.'  Certainly she can google to see what all the arguments are, or just look up how often that privatization rhetoric has actually worked out well for the public in the past (almost never, since it's about corporations taking over and cutting costs/quality to maximize their own profits.) 

 

Jude and Jack were missing, even when Jude was AJ's roommate and you'd think would be there to hear his apology at least.  AJ has also grown on me, though not with Callie, please.  I loved what Stef did for TY. 

 

Unfortunately I think the child/single mother/passive aggressive ex factor might be more appealing to Brandon's ingrown habit of wanting to save people, rather then less.  It's a distraction from Callie and what's happening at home, anyway.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Glade

[buckboard]

I didn't get a weird inappropriate vibe or that Monte did anything because of an interest in the student.

As I saw it, Monte did what she did to get back at Lena's rejection of her by showing that she was still the boss. If Lena thought it was inappropriate to help a student with her project, Monte's opinion was the one that mattered; she was the principal and the one with power. She helped the student to show up Lena.

[Ljohnson1987]

This episode was great. Monte is a creep. I cannot believe that Stef had a double mastectomy and they didn't go into greater detail about it.  It was great to see Rita. I think there's more to the Gabe/Ana storyline than what we were told.

[LisaM]

I don't love Callie's continuing iciness towards Stef and Lena - but it does show that, post-adoption, she no longer feels she has to walk on eggshells around them. Justina is either really convincing or Callie has lost her cynical edge around her because Earlier Callie would not have accepted her justification of privatization. I'm a bit surprised that the moms were not more excited about an invitation to visit the White House. That is a big deal.

 

Can't get into Old Nick and his possible issues with his father because he looks like he is 30. Also can't get into Brandon and mother with toddler.

 

Good for Lexi and Mariana for jumping out of the car. Also good for the show for giving Jesus a two-pronged storyline that doesn't involve his dating life. Curious to see where the Jesus/fast car story goes.

 

Cracked up at how Ana has become a frequent visitor to the house. I wonder if she and Gabe will spark again?

 

I found the Monte/Lena/Sally scenes to be very interesting. I get that Monte was trying to pull rank on Lena as payback but I definitely sniffed something inappropriate between Monte and Sally. It's possible that I had this reaction because Sally looks more like a contemporary of Monte than a student. I'm not sure that the show was intending this reaction.

 

Loved the Stef and Lena scenes, as usual.

[Primetimer]

And more not-quite-burning questions about 'Minor Offenses.'

Read the story

[tennisgurl]

WHY does Callie have such blind faith in this woman she hardly knows? Why does she believe her more than Stef and Lena and Rita? I get that Callie really wants to help foster kids, but she needs to figure out what this woman's agenda is first. 

 

I figured that this was where the Gabe story was going. I hope we focus on this part of Jesus and this story, and not his 30 year old bad influence friend. 

 

Speaking of him, it figures that 30 Year Old Nick would have a mid life crisis car. I was super relieved when Mariana and Lexi left the car after his driving stunt. We really do not need another car crash story.

 

I feel like Lena was getting an inappropriate vibe from the class president and Monte. She was looking at her really weird when she was talking about going shopping with the student. Or maybe it was because Monte was passive aggressively making a power play. Either way, that lady is trouble.   

[rue721]

I got a weird vibe from Monte and Sally, too, but I'm not sure whether that was intended by the show or not.

 

I think Sally is pretty convincingly written and played as a teenage girl rather than as a mature adult. But I did think it was weird that Monte picked practically the only black girl in the whole school, who just happens to be petite like Lena and wear her hair really similarly to Lena's and dress in a kind of Boho, teenager version of a Lena-esque style, too, as the student WHO she wants to mentor and hang out privately with outside of school. It's not NOT creepy.

 

Jesus's storylines are the best part of the show right now, which is a shocker! I feel like Newsus is settling into the role, and I'm liking him. He seems like he has actual feelings and vulnerabilities now. I don't care about him and Lexi, though (still can't really care about Lexi in general. There's nothing wrong with the character, but she's never been involved in an interesting storyline, so I'm kind of meh about her).

 

I find it wonderful/hilarious that Ana just hangs out at the Adams-Fosters' house now, but I hope that now that she's cleared Gabriel's name, that Gabriel doesn't start coming by to visit, too. It sounds like they could be bad influences on each other, so I hope they don't run into each other and spark things again.

 

Mike continues to be a really great father to AJ, while Brandon screws up without Mike even noticing. I like Mike, but I actually do find it obnoxious that he's SO amazing with AJ and even Ty, when he's been so bumbling and hapless with Brandon. Because I'm sorry, the high school kid that got into a sexual relationship with his father's girlfriend should NOT be dating a grown woman with a child, even if that particular grown woman is adorable and sweet -- Brandon could use some guidance.

 

I don't mind Old Nick, because I'm happy when the kids have platonic friends outside the family. It doesn't happen as often as it should! Where the story is going with Nick's father, though....Look, if we're going to have a bff character with an asshole father, then I would rather have Conner back!

[Aliconehead]

 

Mike continues to be a really great father to AJ, while Brandon screws up without Mike even noticing. I like Mike, but I actually do find it obnoxious that he's SO amazing with AJ and even Ty, when he's been so bumbling and hapless with Brandon. Because I'm sorry, the high school kid that got into a sexual relationship with his father's girlfriend should NOT be dating a grown woman with a child, even if that particular grown woman is adorable and sweet -- Brandon could use some guidance.

This doesn't bother me.  Mainly because Mike does not have the history with those two that he has with Brandon.  Mike and Brandon have established a relationship that is dysfunctional and mostly a reversal of roles.  Brandon expects Mike to screw up but AJ does not have those expectations, which allows Mike to be a better person.  I would expect this to come up some point

[itainttippithebird]

 

Brandon/Cortney...snore. Brandon is 17 and thinks he's ready to date an older young woman with a kid. Not a stretch, given his history (alcoholic dad, being a caretaker), so, whatever.

 

YES. As much as I generally DGAF about ANYTHING Brandon-related, this dynamic is troubling. And I kinda wonder if the show intends for it to be or not? Because I think they are gonna try to sell us on this romance for a good while, my guess is they are gonna back burner this possible concern, and maaaaaybe return to it later, maybe not at all? When it seems like a REAL. PROBLEM. right up front to me, especially given the sexual encounter he had with his father's girlfriend (older than him, damsel in distress, check check check)

 

(At the same time - anything that staves off/potentially kills off a Braillie pairing is good in my book...)

[Eeksquire]

 

Because I'm sorry, the high school kid that got into a sexual relationship with his father's girlfriend should NOT be dating a grown woman with a child, even if that particular grown woman is adorable and sweet -- Brandon could use some guidance.

THANK YOU.  I feel like it's more than a little awkward for the show to have Gabe be a registered sex offender and make it such a (seemingly, although I guess there's still time for them to drop the storyline, but I don't think so) yet Brandon's statutory rape was glossed over.  Unless that storyline is going to revive, which might be an interesting parallel to draw, except: Too Much Brandon.  They can safely drop the waitress and her kid and her Dylan McKay knock-off (complete with BAJA!) baby daddy.

[JaggedLilPill]

Well, clearly this is just the precursor to Brandon getting involved with a professor, right? Assuming the show lasts to show Callie and Brandon in college.  For me it's less about Brandon's age and more about his experience/events in his life that make him drawn to inappropriate relationships. He's kind of like Callie in that way, almost as if they self-sabotage.

 

In the grand scheme of things, three-four years age difference is not a biggie in my book, and I doubt Cortney is more than 21, but Brandon who has baggage as big as the Titanic should not be going there because it's not an ideal situation. There's a child involved and Brandon's no where near ready to take on the stepfather role. And kids have a tendency to get attached and it's just an awful, awful idea. 

 

It reminds me of Everwood in a way, with these piano prodigies getting involved with women who they shouldn't be involved with. 

[auntiemel]

Thank you! My thoughts exactly!!!

 

I got a weird vibe from Monte and Sally, too, but I'm not sure whether that was intended by the show or not.

 

I think Sally is pretty convincingly written and played as a teenage girl rather than as a mature adult. But I did think it was weird that Monte picked practically the only black girl in the whole school, who just happens to be petite like Lena and wear her hair really similarly to Lena's and dress in a kind of Boho, teenager version of a Lena-esque style, too, as the student WHO she wants to mentor and hang out privately with outside of school. It's not NOT creepy.

[GildedLily]

I actually don't think they'll go the statutory rape route with Brandon and Courtney as we've been there, done that with Danie. I suspect that at some point soon we'll get a throwaway line to the effect of "now that Brandon is 18...." Still doesn't mean this is a healthy match but that's a whole other issue- one that I think will be explored until the inevitable Callie/Brandon reveal at the end of the season screws up whatever romantic headway they're making with other people. 

[izabella]

I'm still so annoyed that Callie was so harsh with Rita and chooses to believe someone she just met over someone who has always tried to help her, especially when she needed it most.

[Glade]

Because I'm sorry, the high school kid that got into a sexual relationship with his father's girlfriend should NOT be dating a grown woman with a child, even if that particular grown woman is adorable and sweet -- Brandon could use some guidance.

 

 

I don't think it's accurate to say that he was in a "sexual relationship" with Danni.  She raped him.  Brandon was drunk at the time, he was in an emotionally vulnerable place and she took advantage of that and her position of power over him as a pseudo-stepmother while his alcoholic father was off on a bender somewhere to follow him into his bedroom at night and throw herself at him.  Brandon clearly was traumatized by this, since he was wracked with guilt and depression for months afterwards, until she was finally arrested.  Danni (probably in her late 20's at least) also groomed him beforehand, by stepping in-between his relationship with his father and making him keep toxic secrets that put him into her power (the 1,000$ he lost, the sneaking into a bar with a fake i.d. and seeing her there, getting drunk behind Mike's back....)  Danni exhibited totally predatory behavior toward her boyfriend's troubled adolescent son that I'm sure is very deep-rooted on her part. 

 

But the fact that he was raped, while drunk, by his alcoholic father's alcoholic girlfriend does make it highly questionable that he is a) working at a bar at all, and b) considering dating a woman who tends bar there that has a ton of issues, is in her early 20's and has a kid.  That does seem like the beginning of a toxic pattern, begun sort of like Callie's after Liam raped her.  Yet it doesn't seem his three parents are paying much of any attention to Brandon right now, with everything else that is happening.   This relationship is definitely not a healthy thing for Brandon to contemplate, and is certainly not a light 'rebound' to distract him from getting over Callie, the trauma to his hand, Danni, etc.  Hopefully the writers realize this and will not show the relationship to ultimately have been a good idea. 

Edited February 25, 2016 by Glade

[Perfect Xero]

While I'm glad that they're giving New!Jesus (Nusus?) a story that isn't about his dating life ... I'm kind of over misunderstood birth parents becoming involved in their kids lives so they can have positive relationships with them. We've been down this road with Ana who just needed to get clean, Ana's parents who could have stepped in to raise the twins if she'd let them, Robert who never knew about Callie, and Donald who has all the perfect things to say to support his gay son in the face of a homophobic bully. Which is all fine, but some kids do end up in Foster care because their parent is just an abusive asshole who shouldn't have kids.

 

I guess I'd find this story more compelling if Gabe actually was a bad guy, and not another victim of the system.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Perfect Xero

[jaytee1812]

I haven't finished the episode but the video with Callie supporting the bill really bugged me and I have to rant. 

 

I hate that Callie makes out like she only has a home and family because of the foster system. But the foster system is for those without biological parents/relatives to look after them or if those people can't cope. Since season 2 that isn't true for Callie, she has a biological family who love and want to care for her, apart from Brandon she probably has the most loving, secure biological family of the lot. The adoption basically happened because Callie, supported by Stef and Lena demanded it, not because Callie needed a home. 

 

Honestly if I was an opponent of that bill, I'd be putting out that the foster child 'poster child' is actually the child of a rich family who didn't need foster care.*

 

*I know that's not the whole truth, but it's not a lie either.