S04.E03: Trust

[Tara Ariano]

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Callie gets suspended after she reacts inappropriately to some taunting, but things start looking up for her when she meets a young law student. Meanwhile, Mariana's classmates fault her for Nick's actions; and Jude is invited to Taylor's youth group.

[ShortyMac]

This episode was so amazing. One of best, period. Pretty much everything was great except the Brandon/Cortney stuff.

Callie's dream. I knew that's what it was. Poor girl. Stef and Lena won't ever give up on her.

Having the Mini Cooper suddenly gone - not cool by Stef, but it made me laugh.

Callie calling Stef "Mom" to Brandon. LOVE.

I, for one, am loving Meana Lena. Sassy.

I totally get what Peter said above. I've definitely felt that way before. I don't really blame Callie for lying to Aaron. It doesn't make it right, but still.

Us seeing the house Callie and Jude grew up in. Unexpected. My feels.

Loved Stef and Brandon and the memory of the car breaking down on the way to Bakersfield for States. I just can't not love Stef. Not sorry.

LOVED Stef's and Lena's talk with Callie after busting her with Aaron.

Loved Jude coming in the door. "Where you been, love?" "Church." And his one-word answers to Stef.

Loved Jesus' and Mariana's scene together. I really like Noah as Jesus.

Loved the mamas' talk and FINALLY A LENA/CALLIE SCENE! YES! Overdue, as in the running for the understatement of the year.

Slay, Mariana, slay!!!!!!!!!!! My queen. And go, Lena, for what she said, too.

Stef and Jude after the assembly. Pure love. <333333333

I'm so glad Jesus and Emma got tested. They had me worried for a minute there.

Next week looks great, too. Can't wait.

Edited July 12, 2016 by ShortyMac

[LisaM]

I particularly liked Callie finally asking the moms if they were going to undo the adoption....and the Callie/Lena scene. They get so few scenes together and really made it count. Stef had another scene with Jude. I wonder if TPTB made a conscious effort to pair Stef and Jude since previously it seemed that Lena had all of the big scenes with Jude.

Eager to see more of Callie's school project, particularly since it touches so heavily on her history. Anything but Brallie, which is hopefully dead.

[Valny]

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Callie's dream. I knew that's what it was. Poor girl. Stef and Lena won't ever give up on her.

Yeah, I knew it too, I was talking back to  the tv, "that's totally a dream!" Undo the adoption? Yeah, right.  And when Stef told Callie someone was here to pick her up, I had no idea who it was going to be, then when they showed her, I actually thought it was that Justine lady.

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I'm so glad Jesus and Emma got tested. They had me worried for a minute there.

It took me a second to figure out what Emma was referring to when talking to Jesus after the other partners talk.  Then the lightbulb went off, aha, it must be STD's.

BTW-  It was broad daylight out and they're gonna do it in the backseat of her car?  Maybe I didn't see things right but I could have sworn they were parked in a neighborhood or something.That's why I thought, what are you two doing? I know hormones and crap but are you kidding me?!!   Where were they supposed to be anyway?
Really liked the way Jesus defended Marianna in that group with the girl.  What a beotch!   And loved when Marianna gave it back to that other girl later on.
She had a funny line too when leaving that bathroom scene...   forgot exactly what she said....something like...."that's Adams-Foster whore...."  Did I hear that last word right?

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I don't really blame Callie for lying to Aaron. It doesn't make it right, but still. 

 

You know something, I had total forgot Callie actually was into photography, I thought she made that part up too! :)  It wasn't until they were at the ocean area and she was taking pics of him that it hit me.  And btw- those were some actually nice shots of him.  And does anyone know where that was filmed. That scenery was so beautiful and cool looking.

Creepy phone call from Nick!

[ShortyMac]

6 minutes ago, LisaM said:

Eager to see more of Callie's school project, particularly since it touches so heavily on her history. Anything but Brallie, which is hopefully dead.

Yes! I am so unbelievably excited for this.

[omgsowicked]

I'm so glad Mariana got to defend herself from the bullying she was getting. I can understand people being upset that Nick and Mariana's drama put the school on lockdown but bullying someone who was being targeted, who nearly watched someone blow their brains out? What sense does that make? So I was happy when she stood up. And Callie had a, "damn, son!" look on her face afterward, which I appreciated. :P

So now I'm confused about the Jude/Taylor thing. I thought she wanted to date Jude but she's trying to set him up with that guy? Well, points to her for knowing that Jude's not into her, and I'm glad she's not going to be blindsided by him getting with someone else.

Well, I'm glad they're not dragging out the "adoption reversal" thing but if they're sticking with it: one, this better mean Brallie is officially done. Either she's part of this family or she's not. And two, can they please pursue counseling? I know the show's message is about love but it's not always enough. Brandon and Callie both have issues which need addressing, and they need a plan for getting them to a sibling relationship (though perhaps him moving out will help with residual feelings). Also, Brandon and Stef have issues they need to work out as well... it's not just that they're so similar, I think he gets overlooked and held to higher standards as the oldest and only biological child of the bunch. Stef joked about him being a "white knight" but perhaps it's from being the son of an alcoholic. Maybe a therapist could point that out and real progress could be made.

Woo-hoo, I was right, motorcycle dude is the actor from Faking It. I hope he comes back, though I don't think they exchanged numbers and Callie lied about her identity (not a good start).

I wonder why Jesus and Emma didn't think to get tested until that moment... if they're sexually active, they should be getting tested regularly. And they've been sleeping with multiple people, so this should have been a no-brainer. You'd think Stef and Lena would have emphasized this, driven the kids to the clinic themselves, if they've been leaving condoms in the bathroom for them.

I also wonder why Stef is dragging her feet on the alarm system, especially considering how she failed at doing a sweep of the house. Lena was definitely overdoing it (bars on the window?) but an alarm system isn't unreasonable.

Is Brandon going to get his other hand slammed by Eddie? Geez. Can't stand that dude. Can't stand Cortney either but that guy is so irritating.

[Cassandre]

4 hours ago, omgsowicked said:

I also wonder why Stef is dragging her feet on the alarm system, especially considering how she failed at doing a sweep of the house. Lena was definitely overdoing it (bars on the window?) but an alarm system isn't unreasonable.

I thought they were going to talk about it. I also wonder what's her problem with that alarm system. 

 

5 hours ago, Valny said:

She had a funny line too when leaving that bathroom scene...   forgot exactly what she said....something like...."that's Adams-Foster whore...."  Did I hear that last word right?

 I was so scandalized they called her "Foster" more than "Foster whore" lol. That wasn't nice anyway. 

[Lady Calypso]

8 hours ago, omgsowicked said:

Woo-hoo, I was right, motorcycle dude is the actor from Faking It. I hope he comes back, though I don't think they exchanged numbers and Callie lied about her identity (not a good start).

Honestly, since this is a TV show filled with drama, I'd be surprised if he doesn't come back. 

3 hours ago, Cassandre said:

8 hours ago, Valny said:

She had a funny line too when leaving that bathroom scene...   forgot exactly what she said....something like...."that's Adams-Foster whore...."  Did I hear that last word right?

 

Yeah, I think they were trying to do a play on words (Fost-whore, if I heard correctly) and Mariana corrected them, which was brave of her.

I knew it had to be a nightmare for Callie once Stef said they were reversing the adoption. I just refuse to believe they'd reverse the adoption just so Callie and Brandon could get together. I think this could confirm, though, that Brandon/Callie has to end? If Callie's now going to be an Adams-Foster, her and Brandon can't get together. I mean, they could, but it would be incredibly taboo and I doubt anyone would be happy in this situation. If I was the showrunner, I would say 'screw the fangirls who squeal over Brandon/Callie' and actually do the right thing and let them move on. But Callie's scene with Stef/Lena telling confessing her fear of being unadopted made me really sad for her. She's been carrying a lot of fear, abandonment, and trust issues around with her. I hope she can start moving past that.

I did like Aaron, the motorcycle guy. He's going to be pissed when he finds out Callie was lying about her identity, but I hope she sits him down and explains a little bit of why (she obviously doesn't have to tell him the whole story). 

I wonder if Jesus/Emma getting tested is going to lead somewhere, like Emma having an STD. I am glad they finally both went to get tested. 

Cortney/Brandon is not fun for me. There was this judgmental look she had when Brandon told her he went home and I didn't like it. I'm sure it was uncertainty that Brandon actually wanted to live there and that he would change his mind, but I still didn't like the look. Also, Brandon is totally going to get punched out by the baby daddy. 

I felt really bad for Mariana when she was being bullied by those girls. I'm glad she shut them up. I'm also happy that Jesus immediately stood up for his sister. I'm so glad that we're getting so many moment with them lately. 

So, Taylor's actually trying to set Jude up with Noah? Well, it's nice that she knows that Jude isn't straight. I guess we'll be seeing more of that church youth group, which is fine with me. I liked the scenes that we got there. 

[ShadowFacts]

Much to my surprise, I experienced Brandon in a positive light for a change, when the conversation with Stef at home happened.  Maybe it's the mom in me, but him saying he never thanks her enough for all she did for him in his piano competitions, etc. really was a highlight.  The other highlight for me was Mariana standing up and asking one of her tormentors how they're going to feel safe inside the school.  She's a gutsy kid but that took more guts than usual. 

Callie has to stop doing risky stuff like taking off on a motorcycle with a stranger to a remote location.  Yeah, we get why she does this and that because of her past, but she can end up dead and her body never found.  There has to be therapy for her, as others have mentioned.  Stef and Lena's reassurances are necessary but not sufficient.

[marceline]

Normally I'm the first to jump on Callie for her recklessness but I felt like the show did a really good job of tying it back to her standard coping mechanism. She went back to her old behaviors by riding of with him but she still managed to find more appropriate ways of coping with her insecurity by using it artistically. Baby steps that were true to the character. I can't fault the writing there. The scene where she lashed out at Moms was so beautifully done. The moment they realized that all of her acting out came from the expectation of rejection, everyone lined up. I found myself saying, "Oh sweetie, you really are just terrified, aren't you?"

I started out dreading Jude's church trip but I was amazed to see that youth group in a church very similar to mine which is a very lefty church with a mix of Christianity with a little Buddhism thrown in. They didn't give a denomination but a lot of the tactics there looked familiar. I fell into the cliche that Taylor was trying to fix him, when in fact she was trying to fix him up. LOL!

I agree that this was one of the best episodes of the show. They always do this to me. The show gets real scattered and overstuffed then just when my frustration level is rising they drop an ep like this where things come together beautifully.

Anybody else think that we're going to be looking at Cortney's ex convincing Mason to say Brandon was inappropriate? New boyfriend sleeping in the bed alone with the kid, Cortney coming home to see him coming out of Mason's bedroom, etc. My spidey sense started tingling that this was going to come back to bite him.

[possibilities]

I liked this one, too.

I think it's interesting that Jude takes out his trust issues on his age-peers while Callie takes it out on her moms. Jude seems pretty OK with trusting the moms. He was really nasty to Taylor, and didn't apologize to her or to Noah, which makes him actually acting less mature than Taylor's other friend, who I generally find incredibly annoying but who apologized to Jude this episode.

I was dreading the church group, really really tense and in a massive stress knot over the whole set up. And then it was fine. I have to give the showrunners credit, because I was really not wanting them to pursue this story at all, and they got through the worst of my fears without showcasing them. I still think it's a total retcon of Jude's character and an unnecessary and regressive cliche, but at least they're not turning it into a traumatizing experience to watch.

I hadn't thought of the possibility of Brandon getting accused of being inappropriate with Mason. I hope that doesn't happen, but it probably will. Damn. The thing is, I don't want the show to send a message that undermines the idea that accusations need to be believed. So if they could just leave it at Brandon falling asleep while reading the kid a story, I would be more than OK about that. Mason's dad being turned into an obvious villain with being irresponsible about his parenting and probably having substance abuse issues along with violent tendencies is bad enough. I was actually appreciating the idea that there might be a responsible father shown, but they've clearly backed off of that idea already.

I think Callie's senior project is a great idea for the show. It's a way to keep the adoption story going without threatening the adoption, and it makes total sense from a character point of view as well.

I like Mariana and Jesus as siblings to each other. I really feel the bond the way they play it. I agree Noah was a successful re-cast. And Mariana was terrific as always.

I still find the Jesus-Emma stuff boring, but I didn't actively resent it this episode. I think that was a pretty good PSA for teens, about not only birth control but also disease prevention.

I thought it was interesting that Stef blames herself for Brandon's issues, and doesn't seem to think it has anything to do with Mike's alcoholism, as well. I mean, sure, Stef is stubborn and white knightish, so I agree her model is in play, but her not even showing a whiff of suspicion that Mike being an alcoholic had any thing to do with it? That's some serious detail-overlooking going on there. Stef is either a total co-dependent in denial or has totally crappy self-esteem, or... probably both.

Speaking of Mike, he hasn't been around much lately. And "he had to get rid of the piano since I wasn't using it" sounded to me like a bit of an excuse-- he HAD TO get rid of the piano? After how long of Brandon not using it? A few months, during which Brandon was actively pursuing his music again. Does Mike need the money or the space that badly? That comment has to be leading somewhere. 

[ShortyMac]

12 hours ago, omgsowicked said:

I also wonder why Stef is dragging her feet on the alarm system, especially considering how she failed at doing a sweep of the house. Lena was definitely overdoing it (bars on the window?) but an alarm system isn't unreasonable.

I think that's the whole point: Stef feels guilty that she didn't sweep the house well enough and she wasn't able to protect her family from Nick; it hurts her pride that they would need an alarm system to do it and that her being a police officer isn't enough.

2 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Much to my surprise, I experienced Brandon in a positive light for a change, when the conversation with Stef at home happened.  Maybe it's the mom in me, but him saying he never thanks her enough for all she did for him in his piano competitions, etc. really was a highlight.  The other highlight for me was Mariana standing up and asking one of her tormentors how they're going to feel safe inside the school.  She's a gutsy kid but that took more guts than usual. 

I agree; I really appreciated that Brandon showed Stef some gratitude.

Also agree about Mariana; she has cojones and I love it. I wish I had her confidence.

36 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I think it's interesting that Jude takes out his trust issues on his age-peers while Callie takes it out on her moms. Jude seems pretty OK with trusting the moms. 

Great point. This makes a lot of sense to me because Callie was basically Jude's mother and whatever else she had to be for him until they landed on the Fosters' doorstep. She had to grow up faster in different ways since she was older and she tried to shield him from what she could, to protect his innocence. It totally makes sense why Callie lashes out at adults more often, as opposed to her peers. 

I see a lot of myself in Callie. I, too, had to grow up faster in some ways as a child. In a similar vein, I'm almost 26 and I've never connected with peers my own age as well as I do with older adults; the same was true for me as a kid/teen.

42 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I think Callie's senior project is a great idea for the show. It's a way to keep the adoption story going without threatening the adoption, and it makes total sense from a character point of view as well.

Yes. I absolutely love the idea. Facing her past foster homes head-on will help Callie to truly start healing and moving on from such a terrible ~6 years of her life. That's really brave and I think even though it will be painful, the payoff will be huge.

43 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I like Mariana and Jesus as siblings to each other. I really feel the bond the way they play it. I agree Noah was a successful re-cast. And Mariana was terrific as always.

Agreed. Love Cierra and Noah together.

43 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I thought it was interesting that Stef blames herself for Brandon's issues, and doesn't seem to think it has anything to do with Mike's alcoholism, as well. I mean, sure, Stef is stubborn and white knightish, so I agree her model is in play, but her not even showing a whiff of suspicion that Mike being an alcoholic had any thing to do with it? That's some serious detail-overlooking going on there. Stef is either a total co-dependent in denial or has totally crappy self-esteem, or... probably both.

Agreed again.

[LisaM]

I really like the idea of Callie's senior project because it returns the emphasis of the show to the foster care system.

I hope that they do not go in the direction of Brandon being accused of being inappropriate with Mason. That is one issue too many. I appreciated Stef's comment about Brandon being a White Knight because that behavior has been in evidence since the Pilot when he helped Callie rescue Jude. I am not a Brandon fan but his recognition of all that Stef did for him with his music was well done and long overdue.

When last we left Mike, he was dating Ana, right? Perhaps she has moved in which is why he needs more space and/or more money?

[BananaRama]

6 hours ago, possibilities said:

I was dreading the church group, really really tense and in a massive stress knot over the whole set up. And then it was fine. I have to give the showrunners credit, because I was really not wanting them to pursue this story at all, and they got through the worst of my fears without showcasing them. I still think it's a total retcon of Jude's character and an unnecessary and regressive cliche, but at least they're not turning it into a traumatizing experience to watch.

I was dreading this too.  I am glad it turned out to be completely different then what I was expecting.  This show does a good job of surprising me. 

[BananaRama]

I was impressed when Jesus and Emma put the brakes on their "friends with benefits" project in order to get tested for STDs first and that was after they discussed birth control.  I like that the show included this.

[maraleia]

14 minutes ago, BananaRama said:

I was dreading this too.  I am glad it turned out to be completely different then what I was expecting.  This show does a good job of surprising me. 

Bradley, Peter and Joanna really like to send our hearts racing don't they.

I'm liking this new Jude. He's so confident with his status as an Adams Foster that he's down to giving typical teen answers to questions.

Also, I really wish they would've cast Noah as Jesus in the beginning because I can't see anyone else in the role. Noah and Cierra have a natural rapport that Jake never did and every episode makes this so clear. I love how protective Jesus was with Mariana during this episode.

Also, I really hope they've buried Braille because that storyline and in hindsight casting Stephen Collins as Lena's dad are the only negative things associated with this show IMO. This episode showcased how over Brandon Callie is because while she acted reckless he is being even more irresponsible and she knows it. Why would she want to be with someone who throws money away for a woman and her son whom Brandon barely knows.

On a shallow note, I can't ever see Teri Polo in anything other than a really short haircut because she's even hotter now than ever before.

Edited July 12, 2016 by maraleia

[KaveDweller]

9 hours ago, marceline said:

Anybody else think that we're going to be looking at Cortney's ex convincing Mason to say Brandon was inappropriate? New boyfriend sleeping in the bed alone with the kid, Cortney coming home to see him coming out of Mason's bedroom, etc. My spidey sense started tingling that this was going to come back to bite him.

I didn't think about saying Brandon was inappropriate, but I thought that the ex was going say he should get custody because Brandon shouldn't be living there.

[LisaM]

I'm waiting for Stef and Mike to find out that Brandon used his hand settlement money on Cortney's house. Not going to be pretty. 

[ShadowFacts]

16 hours ago, LisaM said:

I'm waiting for Stef and Mike to find out that Brandon used his hand settlement money on Cortney's house. Not going to be pretty. 

Does Brandon own the home, or is he using the settlement money to pay the rent for her?  If he owns it he can re-sell it when he comes to his senses.  If renting, not that much money has gone out the window.  If he somehow handed it over to her or her name is on the title, sheesh.  But the consequences never seem to fall down too hard on these kids.  Some bailout will happen.  Maybe Callie's father to the rescue. 

[Scarlett45]

19 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

Does Brandon own the home, or is he using the settlement money to pay the rent for her?  If he owns it he can re-sell it when he comes to his senses.  If renting, not that much money has gone out the window.  If he somehow handed it over to her or her name is on the title, sheesh.  But the consequences never seem to fall down too hard on these kids.  Some bailout will happen.  Maybe Callie's father to the rescue. 

He just paid 1st/last month's rent and security deposit. The place is rented. "That much money" is relative, a couple of thousand dollars goes far if you don't have it. 

[ShadowFacts]

3 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

He just paid 1st/last month's rent and security deposit. The place is rented. "That much money" is relative, a couple of thousand dollars goes far if you don't have it. 

Good to know, thanks.  It is relative, but it being a rental house is much less complicated than ownership.  If Courtney is the renter, Brandon might be subject to eviction soon since lots of leases don't allow long-term stays, and the ex might drop a dime on the landlord.  Then does he go back to Mike's, who just sold the piano, or back to the moms?  He's going to be in a fix aside from the money part.

[possibilities]

I don't think Brandon will be in a fix for a place to live. The moms want him to come home to them, and he was on the verge of doing so this episode because he wanted it, too, and only backtracked and decided to stay with Courtney because his white knight syndrome clicked in when Mason's dad showed up and acted threatening.

The moms will be angry that he spent his money on the rental, but they're not going to leave him homeless.

[izabella]

On 7/12/2016 at 10:21 AM, possibilities said:

Speaking of Mike, he hasn't been around much lately. And "he had to get rid of the piano since I wasn't using it" sounded to me like a bit of an excuse-- he HAD TO get rid of the piano? After how long of Brandon not using it? A few months, during which Brandon was actively pursuing his music again. Does Mike need the money or the space that badly? That comment has to be leading somewhere. 

That was a huge WTF? for me.  Pianos don't do anything but sit there, where it had been sitting for a long time now.  Why would Mike "need" to get rid of it.  Is he short on money or something?  That's the only reason I could see him doing that, but we have no info on why he'd suddenly be so very short of money that he'd sell the piano.

[ShadowFacts]

2 hours ago, possibilities said:

I don't think Brandon will be in a fix for a place to live. The moms want him to come home to them, and he was on the verge of doing so this episode because he wanted it, too, and only backtracked and decided to stay with Courtney because his white knight syndrome clicked in when Mason's dad showed up and acted threatening.

The moms will be angry that he spent his money on the rental, but they're not going to leave him homeless.

I meant he'd be in a fix with where to live, not that he'd have nowhere to live.  Having Callie and Brandon back in the house for the next several months until one or both of them go away to college has lots of possible drama that hasn't been addressed yet.  It's like the elephant in the room.  The moms have reassured Callie they won't ever un-adopt her, there has been some illuminating discussion with Brandon, but not yet about the dynamics of what happened between the two of them.  I felt that scene of Brandon waking her up in her bedroom and them going to his closet to talk in the middle of the night was awkward and showed the need for boundaries to be set, or at least some kind of acknowledgement that they need help defining their relationship.  Living at Mike's would simplify things somewhat, and maybe him not having a piano there will be part of the decision-making once the Courtney thing wraps up.

[AmandaPanda]

On July 14, 2016 at 1:11 PM, izabella said:

That was a huge WTF? for me.  Pianos don't do anything but sit there, where it had been sitting for a long time now.  Why would Mike "need" to get rid of it.  Is he short on money or something?  That's the only reason I could see him doing that, but we have no info on why he'd suddenly be so very short of money that he'd sell the piano.

If Mike is dating Ana, maybe he needs a place for a crib? Or just feels that he needs that space for something else.

[Lake Desire]

I thought Aaron was an interesting character, though he he struck me as a macktivist, since he talked social justice to impress Callie and then kissed her without asking.  

[Eeksquire]

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If Mike is dating Ana, maybe he needs a place for a crib? Or just feels that he needs that space for something else.

Well, AJ is living with Mike now - if Brandon moves back in there, I assume they'll have to share a room? (Something Brandon hasn't had to do before, it seems.)  But I suspect that the piano was a rental, rather than a purchase, and if Brandon isn't there playing it and now Mike has a foster child that he didn't when he started with the piano, he's got new expenses, a kid that needs space, and Brandon, who isn't using it.  Makes sense to me.

(I'm just catching up on this show - after their post 4th of July break, I forgot to go back to watching it live and I'm DVR-less at the moment!)

[Ikki]

Now that the show is on Netflix, I'm catching up on it, and I still enjoy it, but also, I stopped watching this show for months when I was partway through this episode and got so annoyed with Callie for getting on that dude's motorcycle.

[possibilities]

Just wait. That's the least of her reckless decisions.

[Ikki]

There are some kinds of stupid that I'm here for and some that I'm not-- that moment just fell hard in the latter category for me.