S04.E07: Highs & Lows

[Tara Ariano]

Quote

Jesus sustains an injury after he tries to cover for his father who didn't show up to work. Meanwhile, Mariana takes Jesus' ADHD medication after feeling drained; Callie and AJ are caught in an awkward situation when Mike and Brandon arrive home early; and Stef tells Mike that Brandon gave his settlement money to Cortney.

[Scarlett45]

I'm glad Jesus is going to be okay, that could've ended very badly. Mariana has to stop with the pills she gonn hurt herself  

Thankfully someone clued Mike in on what happened with Callie and Brandon. They do leave Mike out when it suits them. 

There Callie goes trying to do a good thing in all the wrong ways. (Rambling I know)

[ShadowFacts]

My favorite moment was when Callie gave Jude the stink eye after he told her he was done with her and wouldn't tell her anything ever again. 

Least fave moment was Stef being all OK with Callie and AJ having sex.  I am fed up with her laissez faire attitude where Callie is concerned, while Brandon takes all the heat.  Other posters have stated this opinion before, but it never really bugged me super much until now. 

Now that Stef's mom won't be bailing the family out of their house jam, I bet Callie's birth dad will save the day.  But really, maybe Lena's parents should just lose their own house and become renters who pay the IRS $2,000 a month.  That seems the most fair. 

[possibilities]

It's true that Stef and Lena didn't tell Mike "everything" but I'm even more concerned that Lena isn't telling Stef everything.

[ShortyMac]

I thought this was a pretty good episode. 

I'm glad that Callie feels safe with AJ.

Stef's been thinking about moving up to detective. Fans have been saying that for seasons now.

Her "That was a while ago. They're siblings now." Yeaaaaaah, no. It's not that simple. As we've discussed, Stef and Lena have dropped the ball majorly with Brallie.

Jude buying pot. LOL. I loved Callie busting him and making him shower.

This house plot hurts my heart. I feel like it's my house, too. It's TV, so, I hope there's a way for them to not have to sell.

Stef and Brandon catching Mason with makeup was funny.

Mason is a nightmare. Setting boundaries starts early.

I love Emma. Please stay forever.

Mariana needs to stop taking Jesus' pills. No bueno.

Poor Jesus. I was expecting a concussion, not a foreign body in his brain. Gnarly. I'm glad he's okay.

I don't agree with Jude getting high, but, I feel for him about Callie "mothering" him again.

Callie's and Mariana's hug and Mariana holding Jesus' hand. <3 Sweet moments.

I feel for Gabe. I hope he gets help.

Callie has no idea what she's getting herself into. Yeesh. She goes in head-first with no regard for herself. Helping people is all good, but, not at your own expense. I wonder if 

Spoiler

based on the promo, she gets arrested for trespassing or maybe that guy gets a restraining order?

It bugged me that some characters decided to discuss certain topics pretty much out in the open. Callie and Jude and pot (with your moms right there) and Mike and AJ about sex. It didn't feel like the appropriate time or place, but the show had to fit them in somewhere, I guess.

1 minute ago, ShadowFacts said:

Now that Stef's mom won't be bailing the family out of their house jam, I bet Callie's birth dad will save the day.  But really, maybe Lena's parents should just lose their own house and become renters who pay the IRS $2,000 a month.  That seems the most fair. 

I agree. Why should Lena, Stef, and five kids have to pay for Stewart's mistake? Surely, their income is higher. It's cruel that Callie and Jude finally have a real place to call home that's being ripped from them. 

[Scarlett45]

39 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

My favorite moment was when Callie gave Jude the stink eye after he told her he was done with her and wouldn't tell her anything ever again. 

Least fave moment was Stef being all OK with Callie and AJ having sex.  I am fed up with her laissez faire attitude where Callie is concerned, while Brandon takes all the heat.  Other posters have stated this opinion before, but it never really bugged me super much until now. 

Now that Stef's mom won't be bailing the family out of their house jam, I bet Callie's birth dad will save the day.  But really, maybe Lena's parents should just lose their own house and become renters who pay the IRS $2,000 a month.  That seems the most fair. 

Lena's parents cannot sell their home as they have a 2nd and 3rd mortgage and are underwater. (They did offer though)

Lena's Dad said he still have his life insurance, can he borrow against it to pay the IRS off? Given his age he might not ever pay back the insurance people but His wife would have her home and a place at Stef/Lena's if she needed it in the future. 

[Lady Calypso]

No, Stef. Just because they're siblings now doesn't mean that things are just magically over. Yes, Brandon and Callie are with other people. It doesn't mean that there won't still be feelings between them. Goddamnit. The one thing about Stef is that she really does put more blame on Brandon than Callie. Cortney was a lot of things this episode, but I'm glad she told Mike the truth. Stef's ok with Callie and AJ, but she needs to be giving Callie the sex talk just like she's given the other kids. I don't recall if she has, besides a vague 'you know about sex, right? Use protection'. Her and Lena have definitely been slacking in the talking department with their kids. 

Mason does need to be disciplined. I'm not surprised the fighting between Brandon and Cortney has already started. I'm also glad Mike got to tell Cortney off, but in a respectable way. And yes, Brandon, you signed yourself up to be a parent the moment you decided to use your money to take care of her and Mason. 

Mariana taking Jesus' ADHD pills again, except for herself. I bet she doesn't stop, but at least it seems like she'll probably stop during the competition, which means she'd only be taking them for three days. Hopefully it does end there. Plus, I'm pretty sure Jesus, Stef, and Lena will notice the pills disappearing. I mean, I'd hope that they would learn to keep track of the pills after Mariana's drug dealing gone wrong the year before. But seeing as Stef/Lena have been less concerned with Jesus than any of the other kids, who knows. 

So I knew Jesus would be in the hospital for an accident. I expected a concussion, not a nail in the head. Now, I do partially wonder if there will be some effects later on that will develop, or if they thought nail in the head was a cooler temporary injury. I'm glad he's ok for now, though. As for Gabe, I don't think this is his fault at all, and I'm glad Stef sat and listened to him instead of kicking him out. While all the siblings were concerned with protecting Jesus from Gabe because they blamed Gabe, Stef got to yell at him a little but then listened. Plus, a small little lesson in depression in a male was a nice touch. I certainly wasn't expecting that scene to happen, but I'm glad it did. 

Also, I like Emma a lot. I'm glad her and Jesus are getting back together, and I'm glad Mariana has a girl friend who's not Lexi (I do NOT like Lexi). 

As for Callie, she's still very much a mess. Her mothering of Jude, although understandable, was too much. I'm glad Jude finally seems done with her. He shouldn't be getting high, but Callie should be dealing with him in other ways. They're siblings, not mother and son. She's not equipped to be dealing with Jude's issues when she can't handle her own. Now she's gotten herself into trouble with the key witness all because she was emotionally charged after her fight with Jude. 

[Valny]

Quote

Mason is a nightmare. Setting boundaries starts early.

Right!   Oh man it makes me nuts when little kids run wild and parents really don't do much. I'm glad Brandon finally lost his cool, yeah it's not his kid to parent but she needed to hear that and damn Cort, do something when your kid is going bananas.  *sigh* (and that's one reason why I don't have kids. (not a kid hater though, just can't deal....plus I'm selfish)  :)

 

The nail in the head really took me by surprise.  When Jesus got thrown back using the nail gun I was thinking it hit him in the nose and it was going to be broken but then we saw nothing like that....so I was wondering what the hell is going to put him in the hospital. 

[ShortyMac]

Just now, Valny said:

(and that's one reason why I don't have kids. (not a kid hater though, just can't deal....plus I'm selfish)  :)

Same here, haha.

[possibilities]

I found Cortney's lack of concern about Mason potentially destroying Brandon's electric piano, plus her sudden complete taking for granted of Brandon as a babysitter when in the past she was telling him he didn't have to do that, to be way over the line. I can't stand that style of ultra-permissive parenting in general, but she has to know that's a fragile piece of equipment and crucial for Brandon's career, and that he has to practice. It made her seem not just like a permissive parent but like a callous moron. Also, while what she said to Mike about Brandon is sort of true, it's total bullshit that she thinks she can take care of herself and her child without him, or that she would at this point be willing to try to encourage Brandon to go back home and that he wouldn't be open to it. He was in fact about to tell her he was going to move back home, when the custody papers were served. She doesn't know that, but she also has been very dependent on him and not at all concerned about how he's doing, as far as we've been shown. Him asking "where we are going to live" when the moms said they were selling the house, was very telling. He still isn't really resolved to stay with Cortney, and he isn't even really focused on going to NYC for college, either. 

I was glad to see Brandon tell Cortney off, and also that Stef handled Mason with both strength and compassion. I liked seeing that side of her in action with a kid that's way younger than we've seen her with before. And it showed that B actually did learn something from the way he was raised, even if he hasn't always lived up to it. And that he does have a limit to how much of a hangdog persona he will maintain.

A nail in the head is really, really way more gruesome than I expected. Why are they doing that, and the house-for-sale storyline? Does the show not have enough drama? They have to have multiple massive crises in every single episode???

I would hate it if they introduce Robert as the house-buying savior after having him not on the show at all since Callie told him she wants to be adopted by Stef and Lena. I really don't know what else could happen, though, at this point. And I don't know why they are doing this storyline at all.

[omgsowicked]

This episode touched on a few topics I've had issues with. Mike telling Cortney that Brandon tends to swoop in when a pretty girl needs saving... YES. Cortney telling Mike (who's been way in the dark) that Brandon doesn't feel comfortable at home because his parents blame him for everything with Callie... YES. Brandon snapping and telling Cortney her kid is out of control... YES. So I'm pretty happy about that.

Gabe's storyline seemed a little tacked on so I hope they continue with it. It's a good topic to cover, particularly mental illness in males. I was worried he was going to shoot himself with the nail gun at the end... I hope his story doesn't end tragically.

Jesus joked about having speech issues but I wonder if there will be lasting effects. Sweet moment with him and Mariana at the end, love the ongoing emphasis on their bond. Shaking my head at Mariana stealing Jesus' pills again, this time for herself. If Stef and Lena don't lock up his medication after they find out about this... like, they shouldn't need to be under lock and key, at the age the kids are now, but clearly they're not all mature enough to handle the free access.

I was really enjoying the lack of Brallie but they played with it a bit here... Callie seems to be moving along fine but Brandon's still uncomfortable. And Mike seemed to see that, despite knowing less than Stef and Lena do about them, yet Stef seems to be back on the, "oh, it's over now, they're siblings :)" train. Very frustrating how indifferent she seems to be after years (or year? Not bothering to remember the timeline) of this. I found Mike's decision at the end, to tell AJ not to have sex with Callie at his house interesting, considering his conversation with Stef earlier. A reaction to all the information that came to light, how Stef and Lena have been keeping him out of the loop?

That call at the end was super sinister... hope it amounts to Stef not getting the detective job she wants, not that her life is in danger now. Geez.

[ShortyMac]

I forgot about this. Brandon's "I've lived here longer than you have" comment to Jesus. Ugh. This is like, the fourth time he's thrown his "I'm the bio kid" privilege around. Why did Stef and Lena let that slide?

What a little shit.

[izabella]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

I would hate it if they introduce Robert as the house-buying savior after having him not on the show at all since Callie told him she wants to be adopted by Stef and Lena.

I agree with this.  I did notice, though, that Callie is driving the car Robert gave her, so the show hasn't entirely forgotten he existed.  The sister has entirely been forgotten, though.

Edited August 9, 2016 by izabella

[ShortyMac]

23 minutes ago, izabella said:

I agree with this.  I did notice, though, that Callie is driving the car Robert gave her, so the show hasn't entirely forgotten he existed.  The sister has entirely been forgotten, though.

The Mini Cooper belongs to Stef and Lena. It replaced their green Volvo station wagon after the car accident. 

The car Robert bought her was red. 

[izabella]

Ohh!   Then it's like Robert and his family never existed.

[Cassandre]

I think that Callie's Cold Case storyline is going too far. 

[ShadowFacts]

6 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

I forgot about this. Brandon's "I've lived here longer than you have" comment to Jesus. Ugh. This is like, the fourth time he's thrown his "I'm the bio kid" privilege around. Why did Stef and Lena let that slide?

What a little shit.

They let so many things slide, practically weekly.  They let things slide that I would address on the spot.

 

7 hours ago, possibilities said:

I would hate it if they introduce Robert as the house-buying savior after having him not on the show at all since Callie told him she wants to be adopted by Stef and Lena. I really don't know what else could happen, though, at this point. And I don't know why they are doing this storyline at all.

The thing is I think they exhausted everything else, they can't do moonlighting jobs and still have a family, Stef's mom doesn't have a cash infusion for them, and for Stewart to come up with something would make the whole storyline unnecessary.  I think Robert is the deus ex machina with the cash.  He might reappear when Callie gets crossways of the law with this creepy car wash witness guy, then incidentally find out about the house trouble.  That would at least be better than having them cold call him asking for a big favor.

[Bobcatkitten]

Okay so I love this show and the Moms clearly love the children. But this is getting ridiculous.

Stef is lecturing about controlling the little boy when her kids are simultaneously:

-Taking ADHD meds to stay up

-Having sex

-Smoking marijuana

-Having emergency surgery after unknowingly putting a nail in his head

 

Really???

[Lady Calypso]

8 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

I forgot about this. Brandon's "I've lived here longer than you have" comment to Jesus. Ugh. This is like, the fourth time he's thrown his "I'm the bio kid" privilege around. Why did Stef and Lena let that slide?

What a little shit.

Yeah, that was pretty bad. They didn't even react until Jesus (rightfully) threw Cortney in his face. Actually, what's interesting and sad is that Jesus' injury was dismissed by almost everyone. Mariana was on Jesus' pills, so I get why she was dismissing his head injury. Emma gave him asprin, I guess. But Stef/Lena? Look, I know that they were distracted by telling the kids about the house, then by Mason/Brandon, but they really didn't think about making sure Jesus was ok after Mariana told them that he hit his head? Especially since it was clear as day that he at least had signs of a concussion and was not looking well at all? If this were Brandon, Callie, or even Mariana, they'd be pausing the conversation to check them out and ask what happened. Which is really sad, but it's also consistent with their relationship with Jesus. He really is the middle child of that family. 

[GreenScreenFX]

He had a band aid on- It was not clear as day. Jesus was hiding his injury better than most. He didn't have signs of a concussion if you didn't know he had a head injury. It was obvious towards the end... But until then... Nope

[marceline]

I rather enjoyed the way Jude put Callie on blast. He's right. He's covered for her over and over and she betrayed his confidence after two seconds. I really didn't like the way she lied to him. She didn't tell Noah not to give Jude gummy worms and Noah's mom just happened to be there. She spoke directly to Noah's mom with a snotty tone. Callie seems to lurch back and forth from screw up to schoolmarm.

[Perfect Xero]

10 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

I forgot about this. Brandon's "I've lived here longer than you have" comment to Jesus. Ugh. This is like, the fourth time he's thrown his "I'm the bio kid" privilege around. Why did Stef and Lena let that slide?

What a little shit.

Is that "bio kid privilege" or is that, "I'm the oldest" privilege? Which, as the oldest sibling myself I probably would have absolutely thrown in my younger sibling's face if they were coming at me and acting like I didn't have a right to care about the family losing the home we grew up in just because I wasn't living there at the time.

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, that was pretty bad. They didn't even react until Jesus (rightfully) threw Cortney in his face.

Jesus didn't mention Courtney by name at first, but his "Why do you care, you don't even live here anymore." was tacitly throwing Courtney in Brandon's face and questioning his love/loyalty to the family and basically telling Brandon that he didn't count as a member of the family because he'd move out, and was completely unprovoked by Brandon. I mean, I give Jesus a pass because he had a nail in his brain and all, but it was a viciously asinine thing to say in the situation.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Perfect Xero

[izabella]

43 minutes ago, marceline said:

I rather enjoyed the way Jude put Callie on blast. He's right. He's covered for her over and over and she betrayed his confidence after two seconds. I really didn't like the way she lied to him. She didn't tell Noah not to give Jude gummy worms and Noah's mom just happened to be there. She spoke directly to Noah's mom with a snotty tone. Callie seems to lurch back and forth from screw up to schoolmarm.

Agreed.  Callie is so busy mothering Jude that she doesn't see how he could feel she betrayed their brother/sister trust.  She wants to control and fix everyone's life but her own.

[ShadowFacts]

38 minutes ago, marceline said:

I rather enjoyed the way Jude put Callie on blast. He's right. He's covered for her over and over and she betrayed his confidence after two seconds. I really didn't like the way she lied to him. She didn't tell Noah not to give Jude gummy worms and Noah's mom just happened to be there. She spoke directly to Noah's mom with a snotty tone. Callie seems to lurch back and forth from screw up to schoolmarm.

All of these kids cover for each other and don't tell the moms things they should, it's the main driver for a lot of the drama.  Jude is doing something stupid and dangerous, and Callie didn't handle it the best, but I feel like Stef and maybe even Lena wouldn't have done much different, from what we've seen of them lately.  I think there's a limit to keeping confidences/secrets.  Another secret that's yet to blow up is Jesus knowing that Mariana is in contact with Nick.  That's not going to turn out well, either. 

[luckyroll3]

I just can't with Courtney.  She can take care of her kid all by herself but Brandon is paying all of her bills, Brandon is babysitting her bad-ass kid so she can go to work, she never cleans up her apartment after her kid destroys it, and she doesn't understand what the word discipline means.  And while what she said about the Moms and Brandon to Mike has a hint of truth to it, she only pulled that out of her back pocket because she's tired of people pointing out that she's a fucking user.  She's so full of shit.  Yes, you never asked Brandon for his money, but you also didn't turn him down either when you knew it was wrong.  Can't stand people like her. 

In regards to the rest of the storyline....more shirtless, smiling AJ please!

[tennisgurl]

Sometimes, I just have to laugh at how much drama can get dumped on one family (including their extended family) in such a short amount of time. Losing their house? Gabe has depression? A freaking nail through the head? Holy crap, how much stuff can possibly happen to these people? Can they not go one day without some issue breaking out?

That being said, I did like this episode, and I am enjoying this season a whole lot. I am glad that more and more people are calling out Brandon's savior complex, and how Court is making a series of bad choices involving Brandon. I gave her a few points last week for selling her surfboard, but those points have all been subtracted, seeing what a crappy mom she is, letting her kid run around all over, not giving much of a crap about Brandon's music goals, and constantly making excuses when people (rightfully) tell her that depending on a high school student to be her substitute dad for her kid and taking his money. Can we just end this whole thing? I mean, its better than Callie and Brandon, but not by much. 

I get that Stef is a pretty open minded parent, but she really needs to talk with the kids more about what they are getting up to. The least of her issues is Callie and AJ having sex, but it is something she needs to at least talk to Callie about. All her kids are going through stuff, and yeah, I get that Lena and Stef are having their house issues, but more of their kids are going to get sent to the hospital at this rate. 

Speaking of trouble, is an evil cop going to come after Callie? ANOTHER crazy guy coming after an Addams-Foster daughter? Drama!

[Jax7917]

I understand Brandon living with Courtney and paying all of her bills is completely and utterly stupid, but the kid is 18. They make it like he's running away from home. A lot of kids move out by 18. Granted im 28 and I still live at home but still ;).  They always make it seems like hes a traitor for moving out.

Kinda upset that Brallie seems to be donezo.. I was the rare brallie shipper who doesn't find their relationship incestuous at all.

Stef is the most uptight yet least involved parent I've ever seen. Your kids are running around doing everything illegal, dangerous, yet she's just like "I'm ok with that" about everything. Yet at the same time is so uptight about certain things.

p.s - what ever happened with mat? wasn't it a huge thing that they got back together? And now he just disappeared?

[Lady Calypso]

1 hour ago, Perfect Xero said:

Jesus didn't mention Courtney by name at first, but his "Why do you care, you don't even live here anymore." was tacitly throwing Courtney in Brandon's face and questioning his love/loyalty to the family and basically telling Brandon that he didn't count as a member of the family because he'd move out, and was completely unprovoked by Brandon. I mean, I give Jesus a pass because he had a nail in his brain and all, but it was a viciously asinine thing to say in the situation.

I had to rewatch the scene after I wrote my post. I agree that Jesus definitely was being a little bitter, but seeing as nobody else has been saying what they're really thinking, I just thought that Jesus was saying what was on everyone's mind. He seemed hurt that Brandon was living with his girlfriend with this kid. Add that to the brain injury and I just see that as a hurt sibling who misses his brother. Definitely a kid/teenager thing to do. I used to do it to my sister when she moved in with her boyfriend for a few months after she graduated from high school and would only come home for money. 

1 hour ago, GreenScreenFX said:

He had a band aid on- It was not clear as day. Jesus was hiding his injury better than most. He didn't have signs of a concussion if you didn't know he had a head injury. It was obvious towards the end... But until then... Nope

Maybe it was a little clear that something was wrong to me, but then again, I recently got a head injury so as much as I guess I understand why the moms didn't get concerned until he passed out, I was hoping for a little more concern. But I guess I also recognize that Stef and Lena have always treated Jesus a little differently than the others. Not that they don't care about him and his health, but they've always been more strict and a little more dismissive than with the other kids. 

10 minutes ago, Jaclyn88 said:

I understand Brandon living with Courtney and paying all of her bills is completely and utterly stupid, but the kid is 18. They make it like he's running away from home. A lot of kids move out by 18. Granted im 28 and I still live at home but still ;).  They always make it seems like hes a traitor for moving out.

 

It's not that he's moved out by eighteen (granted, he technically should be 17 still from the timeline, but that's just me). It's that he's a recently turned 18 year old who is still in high school and is jumping into a grown up relationship with a girlfriend and a two year old, while paying for most of the bills and has spent every last cent of his hand money. That's the issue here; it's definitely a little reckless and Brandon doesn't know what he's getting into. I would hope that it's more out of concern that Brandon jumped in too quickly (which he has) and that things will go wrong sooner rather than later because of it. I think they just want to protect Brandon from making any more mistakes that they'll have to help him out of later on, whether that's in a month, in a year, or in five years. 

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

All of these kids cover for each other and don't tell the moms things they should, it's the main driver for a lot of the drama.  Jude is doing something stupid and dangerous, and Callie didn't handle it the best, but I feel like Stef and maybe even Lena wouldn't have done much different, from what we've seen of them lately.  I think there's a limit to keeping confidences/secrets.  Another secret that's yet to blow up is Jesus knowing that Mariana is in contact with Nick.  That's not going to turn out well, either. 

I think Stef and Lena wouldn't have done much differently, but I think that's the point. They are his moms and are supposed to discipline him or talk to his friend's parents.  His sister isn't supposed to do that. She should watch out for him, but there's a difference between watching out and disciplining.

[ShadowFacts]

56 minutes ago, KaveDweller said:

I think Stef and Lena wouldn't have done much differently, but I think that's the point. They are his moms and are supposed to discipline him or talk to his friend's parents.  His sister isn't supposed to do that. She should watch out for him, but there's a difference between watching out and disciplining.

Yes, I think it is the point, too.  The kids keep policing/parenting each other and Stef and Lena don't get the chance to exercise their (sometimes dubious) discipline, because they're kept in the dark.  Callie shouldn't be mothering Jude, it worked when they were younger and out of necessity, but now he's resistant and her old habits die hard, but she needs to cede the maternal role to their mothers.  For that to happen they need to know what's going on though. 

[xman4802]

OK, so there is just too much going on this episode.  I get that kids do drugs and have sex but really you would think these behaviors were the default for American teenagers when study after study shows that they are not.  Jude, the only kid apparently not having sex in that household (although perhaps Mariana is also not having sex) is all of a sudden a pot-head?  Mariana raids Jesus's ADHD medication again, this time to take them for herself?  I keep asking myself, does Jesus not take his medication, because surely he's got to see that pills are missing and wonder what's up.  Lena and Stef might lose the house? Mike finds out about Brallie's tryst?  Did anyone else understand why all of a sudden he had a problem with AJ and Callie sleeping together in his apartment AFTER he found out about Brallie, never mind that the relationship raises all kinds of red flags given that peripherally AJ is family, although I doubt Mike will adopt him.  It just seems like way too much heightened and convoluted drama.  We don't get to really enjoy some of the character interaction moments that I think really make the show valuable.  I enjoyed the scene between AJ and Callie and was annoyed that their moment had to be overshadowed by Brallie drama (with a dose of Mike thrown in for good measure).  I think it was important to show Callie able to have a sexual/romantic relationship with a young man informed by consent and not clouded by despair.  That this was cut short in order to basically advance the plotline of Mike finding out that Callie and Brandon slept together was disappointing for me.  I would have enjoyed watching Mariana handle the pressure of being (probably one of the few) young Latina women to lead a STEAM competition, but instead the natural tension of that moment and what it might do to her relationships with her brother and good friend were overshadowed by her being on drugs. I thought the interaction between her and Emma was a nice payoff for the storyline though.  I am interested in Jesus exploring his "father issues" because this is something a lot of teenage boys (even those with a present father figure in their life) have to negotiate.  This is a compelling enough storyline without him shooting a nail in his head. I also think that it might be worth exploring why Mike (who ostensibly was a father figure to Brandon) was not a viable father figure for Jesus...(if I recall he did step into that role for Mariana's quincenara right?).  

Anyway my rant was basically to say that I enjoy the show for the family dynamics and I get that its basically a melodrama so I expect a level of convoluted plotlines.  I am just hoping that the drama doesn't continue to distract from otherwise strong and interesting moments in the show. 

[Jax7917]

My main wtf moment is that literally only  a year has passed since the beginning of the show . That is ridiculous .. Feels like it should be 4 years 

[ShortyMac]

3 minutes ago, Jaclyn88 said:

My main wtf moment is that literally only  a year has passed since the beginning of the show . That is ridiculous .. Feels like it should be 4 years 

Based on a true timeline, it's more like 18 months.

[Glade]

I feel bad for Mason, he's acting out because his parents got divorced and he's living with his immature mother and her short-term boyfriend who's going to come and go, and he's fobbed off into inconsiderate babysitting where he ends up in a strange place with a messed up family screaming at each other and crying about losing their house.  That's alot for a four year old to take.  Mason needs more emotional support first of all, not just punishment so he can quietly go along with whatever messed up situation he's being thrown around in.  Brandon should store his keyboard out of Mason's reach when he's not using it, that's common sense, and yes, move out!  Leave Courtenay and her ex to raise their son. 

I hated how ignorant and reactionary Callie was about medical cannabis, and no, it wasn't even remotely necessary to say that stuff to Noah in person let alone in front of his mother, but it is also Jude's life and his choices and she does need to back off.   In reality, lots of people (myself included) experimented with pot as teens, but formed no habit and never got into trouble with our parents or the police for it.  But of course the show has to make it into this big drama.  Same with teens having sex, perfectly normal but not something that everyone in their lives always knows about.

[JaggedLilPill]

I got the feeling Mike feeling uncomfortable about AJ having sex in the house was mainly due to loyalty to Brandon as his dad. Although, he didn't seem 100% on board even before finding out about Brandon/Callie.

I'm also pretty sure Stef's reaction was more watered-down due to how she came across when Mariana revealed to them that she slept with Wyatt. Stef has double standards regarding sex. I know Talia mentioned way back when that Stef and Lena used to buy condoms for Brandon and her, and that's been mentioned a few other times. Like when Jesus and Lexi had sex, Stef and Lena said they do what all the books say, no stigma, open dialogue, etc. I know the timeline is all wonky, but I think Brandon was 16 at the start of the show, so, for Stef to have a problem with Callie being sexually active, would definitely be more than slightly hypocritical. Then again, it's hard to stop teenagers from having sex. If they want to, they'll find a place. At least she's aware of that.

TV in general is weird about teenagers and sex. You either have the virgin who isn't due to religious reasons or there's another B-I-G reason why. I get it; lots of teens have sex when they are in high school, but there's also many who don't. I'm not a prude, but it would be nice to see a character who isn't having sex, frankly because shit, high school and life is complicated enough at that age without adding that to the mix. But drama = lots of people hooking up with lots of other people. Oh well.

I do love Lena and Stef, but these kids do the dumbest shit time and time again. The ball isn't just dropped; it's in another freaking state at this point. 

[KaveDweller]

17 minutes ago, JaggedLilPill said:

I got the feeling Mike feeling uncomfortable about AJ having sex in the house was mainly due to loyalty to Brandon as his dad. Although, he didn't seem 100% on board even before finding out about Brandon/Callie.

That actually makes sense, especially since Mike didn't seem that upset when he realized AJ and Callie were in there. But since he picked up on Brandon's weirdness it would explain why he switched gears a bit.

[buckboard]

Speaking about keeping secrets, why hadn't Lena and Steph spoken with Mike about Callie and Brandon sleeping together?  I think it was very irresponsible of them not to share this information with him about his son.

[possibilities]

Mike told AJ he didn't feel comfortable with AJ being intimate with Callie under Mike's roof. He didn't say not to do it at all. I think for sure he made that rule to keep Brandon from having to face it again when Brandon visits Mike. If he had wanted to express disapproval of the relationship itself, he would have said something more along the lines that he didn't think dating Callie was a good idea. Notably, he also did not do what he told Stef he would do, which is talk to AJ about condoms.

Edited August 10, 2016 by possibilities

[marceline]

13 hours ago, possibilities said:

Mike told AJ he didn't feel comfortable with AJ being intimate with Callie under Mike's roof. He didn't say not to do it at all. I think for sure he made that rule to keep Brandon from having to face it again when Brandon visits Mike. If he had wanted to express disapproval of the relationship itself, he would have said something more along the lines that he didn't think dating Callie was a good idea. Notably, he also did not do what he told Stef he would do, which is talk to AJ about condoms.

I actually keep forgetting that Brandon is Mike's son. I wondered why he told them to do it somewhere else rather than not do it at all. Of course, he did it to protect Brandon. Duh! (Thanks!)

[ShadowFacts]

53 minutes ago, marceline said:

I actually keep forgetting that Brandon is Mike's son. I wondered why he told them to do it somewhere else rather than not do it at all. Of course, he did it to protect Brandon. Duh! (Thanks!)

Don't Ana and her baby live there, too?  Brandon only visits, since he lives with Cortney for the moment.  No matter where AJ and Callie have their close personal encounters, opportunities to be walked-in on abound. 

[Perfect Xero]

It's amazing how intertwined all of these people are. Jesus has dated Mariana's 3 best friends, Mariana has dated both Jesus's only friend and Brandon's only friend and slept with Callie's ex-boyfriend. Mike is dating Ana, who is the bio-Mom of the twins and the mother of their half sister. Callie is currently dating her former foster brother who is the current foster brother of her adoptive brother who she slept with a month or so ago.

I swear, next week we'll find out that Courtney and Jude's cannabis loving boyfriend  are cousins.

[KaveDweller]

6 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

No matter where AJ and Callie have their close personal encounters, opportunities to be walked-in on abound. 

That's what happens when you keep dating your foster brothers and other relative-adjacent folks. These people should try Tinder or Match.com or something.

[balmz]

it's obvious where the kyle plot is going, when he gets free, callie and kyle will date, callie loves them foster brothers 

[FrumiusManxome]

I'm getting really sick of this laidback attitude Lena and Stef have. Like these kids never get any repercussions for their actions nor do Stef and Lena truly try to understand the reasoning behind it. At most they get yelled at in the moment, but that does nothing for them. They all need intense therapy. 

Callie definitely shouldn't be hooking up with AJ. He's still a foster brother and really why is she allowed to date anyways? She slept with Brandon. She should be on like super restriction right now. Again, why isn't this being looked at more? She's adopted yet still making the same mistakes. 

I hate Jude's storyline. I haven't cared about him since he got this new sour attitude, but these plots both grate on my nerves. 

[possibilities]

While I agree that Callie and AJ dating is a bad idea, and that Brandon will have to see it one way or another, I think Mike's reasoning was: I see little enough of Brandon as it is; I don't want him to avoid coming over to my place and spending time with me because he's afraid he'll run into Callie and AJ hooking up.

I think it's too little too late -- if he wants Brandon to spend more time with him, he should have kept the piano, for one thing, and not been so absent and dysfunctional for so long-- but I think that was where Mike was coming from.

[Lake Desire]

I predict that the garage renovation will have something to do with the house-save. It looks like Gabe is making the garage into an apartment, so maybe Stef's mom will sell her condo and move in. The Adams-Fosters could also take a tenant, but that might be too logical for this show. I don't know how much rents are in San Diego, but in my city, you can charge upwards of $1200 a month for a mother-in-law apartment.

[izabella]

2 hours ago, FrumiusManxome said:

I'm getting really sick of this laidback attitude Lena and Stef have. Like these kids never get any repercussions for their actions nor do Stef and Lena truly try to understand the reasoning behind it. At most they get yelled at in the moment, but that does nothing for them. They all need intense therapy. 

I wish they'd spend more time on this kind of stuff than on the teen romances.  Lena and Stef are working parents with five kids that bring a LOT of drama, not to mention their parents, exes, co-workers and their own relationship as a couple.  That leaves little time for much beyond the crisis at hand.   Things are sort of falling apart for everyone right now.  Except Jude, I guess.  Is his attitude typical teenage moodiness?  I like moody Jude.  They're focusing on a different aspect of Jude besides his sexuality, and I'm interested to know what else is going on with him.

[Perfect Xero]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

While I agree that Callie and AJ dating is a bad idea, and that Brandon will have to see it one way or another, I think Mike's reasoning was: I see little enough of Brandon as it is; I don't want him to avoid coming over to my place and spending time with me because he's afraid he'll run into Callie and AJ hooking up.

I think it's too little too late -- if he wants Brandon to spend more time with him, he should have kept the piano, for one thing, and not been so absent and dysfunctional for so long-- but I think that was where Mike was coming from.

Why did Mike get rid of the piano? Other than the writers needing an excuse to still have Brandon at the house, I mean.

[KaveDweller]

7 hours ago, Lake Desire said:

I predict that the garage renovation will have something to do with the house-save. It looks like Gabe is making the garage into an apartment, so maybe Stef's mom will sell her condo and move in. The Adams-Fosters could also take a tenant, but that might be too logical for this show. I don't know how much rents are in San Diego, but in my city, you can charge upwards of $1200 a month for a mother-in-law apartment.

I was thinking the same thing. That garage looks like it will be super nice. It could easily be rented out.

how much money did Lena and Steph spend on Gabes attorney? $20,000? That would have covered almost a year of payments to the IRS. These women are too generous.

[Lake Desire]

4 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I was thinking the same thing. That garage looks like it will be super nice. It could easily be rented out.

how much money did Lena and Steph spend on Gabes attorney? $20,000? That would have covered almost a year of payments to the IRS. These women are too generous.

I agree the garage looks super nice.  I don't know where the materials are coming from.  Leftover materials from Gabe's previous job sites?  I believe it costs upwards of $20,000 to convert a garage into a studio.

Speaking of, I do find it odd the Adams-Fosters can come up with $20,000 at once to bail out Gabe, but not $2,000 a month.  Make all the kids get part-time jobs and chip in.  Minimum wage in California is $10 an hour, so 3-4 of the kids could raise that working less than 20 hours a week.  Working would be disruptive, but so would moving.  Maybe working would distract them from making so many bad decisions.

And wouldn't Lena's dad have to co-sign on the second mortgage they used to bail out Gabe, since his name is on the title of the house?  Did they forge his signature?