S04.E08: Girl Code

[Tara Ariano]

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Mariana and Jesus compete in the First Robotics Southern California Regionals. Meanwhile, Lena becomes concerned that Mariana has grown too competitive from the stress; the police warn Callie to stop harassing Patrick Molloy; and Brandon practices for his upcoming Juilliard audition.

[ShortyMac]

Cheering!Lena was the. best. And she called Mariana "Miss Thing." Cute.

Loved the Stef/Brandon scenes, her being a mom with the blanket and the sandwich and the apologizing. And the hug. I'm a sap, I know.

For once, Callie made a smart decision and peaced out with Aaron when they saw that truck pull in.

Jesus and Mariana yelling at the beginning was funny.

I liked the scene Stef had with Benjamin. 

I knew Callie and AJ were going to get caught by that realtor. lol

Brallie. Ew.

I did not really care about the whole robotics thing. I hope the mention of another competition means the show's not dropping Mariana taking Jesus' pills.

An offer on their house already. I still don't think they'll end up moving.

[ShadowFacts]

6 minutes ago, ShortyMac said:

I did not really care about the whole robotics thing. I hope the mention of another competition means the show's not dropping Mariana taking Jesus' pills.

I wasn't into it either, have no idea how true to life it was.  I did like Mariana's strategy paying off, but it felt a little tropey with the insufferable teacher from Palomar. 

I'm not too invested in Callie's cold case stuff, and of course once again she disobeys her moms.  At least she's showing some self-awareness about her bad choices, but she kinda keeps making them. 

[balmz]

not a bad episode

mariana wasn';t overreacting, seriously screw you lena not wanting her to win

surprised that jesus healed that fast

was pretty ooc for callie to just leave at the guys house rather then talk to him, also callie and brandon should feel bad about what they did maybe if they used their brain for once they would have less problems

no jude which was fine but they should have an episode free of brandon and callie for a change, then you would have a real winner of an episode

[Lady Calypso]

Ah, yes, telling Callie to stop her cold case investigation is totally going to work. Stef 'hopes' that Callie will stop. I know they have a lot to deal with, but hopefully they actually check in on Callie and then actually punish her when they find out that she hasn't stopped. 

I do really like Aaron. Him and Callie work very well together. I don't even mind if they just stay friends. He's not a great influence on her, but he's certainly better than all the other guys in her life. 

I loved the beginning with the chaotic house, including the Jesus yelling up to Mariana. That is such a family thing to do. Cheering Lena at the robotics competition was hilarious and such a parent thing to do.

I don't love the robotics thing either, but I do like that they gave this storyline to Mariana (and Jesus, I guess!). I'm impressed that Jesus recovered from his nail to the head surgery that happened two days ago! You'd think Stef and Lena would want him to take it a little easy, but I guess not.

The Brallie thing will never die, will it? The series finale is going to have a flashforward and they're going to be married or something, aren't they? Show, they're legally related now, for life. You have to kill the romance here, seriously. Them legally being siblings now isn't going to change once both of them turn eighteen. 

Stef's scenes were really good this episode. Her vocal inflictions totally changed when she talked to Benjamin. She was more motherly and soft spoken, which is a side we don't see often from her. She also apologized to Brandon, which was so nice to hear! 

[KaveDweller]

1 hour ago, ShortyMac said:

Cheering!Lena was the. best. And she called Mariana "Miss Thing." Cute.

Loved the Stef/Brandon scenes, her being a mom with the blanket and the sandwich and the apologizing. And the hug. I'm a sap, I know.

For once, Callie made a smart decision and peaced out with Aaron when they saw that truck pull in.

Jesus and Mariana yelling at the beginning was funny.

I liked the scene Stef had with Benjamin. 

I knew Callie and AJ were going to get caught by that realtor. lol

Brallie. Ew.

I did not really care about the whole robotics thing. I hope the mention of another competition means the show's not dropping Mariana taking Jesus' pills.

An offer on their house already. I still don't think they'll end up moving.

I knew Callie and AJ were going to get caught by the realtor, but I still liked that scene. The guy looking at the house gave AJ this hilarious look when walking through, like, "sorry, dude."  I also liked Callie's comment about the universe not wanting them to have sex. She seems really relaxed and happy when she's with AJ, so I'm starting to enjoy seeing them together.

I don't get how it was okay for the teacher at the other school to be basically doing the work and standing behind the line during the competition. I can buy that the school has a lot of extra "coaches" that help build the robot, but why was he more involved during the competition itself? And why couldn't the Anchor Beach coach not complain about it?

[Valny]

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I did not really care about the whole robotics thing

  I hope I never see another robot competition on this show or anywhere else!

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surprised that jesus healed that fast 

  Holy crap, I forgot all about that!

They better not sell that damn house! 

Things don't look too good for some folks next week huh?

[maraleia]

This is the only US show that gives me heart attacks every week. I can't take what's in the promo for next week.

[GreenScreenFX]

Where are you from Mareleia?

Sorry I misspelled your name

Edited August 16, 2016 by GreenScreenFX

[GreenScreenFX]

I could have looked up your profile before the question.. Sorry.

[maraleia]

15 minutes ago, GreenScreenFX said:

I could have looked up your profile before the question.. Sorry.

The non-US show's that send me into heat attack mode are Wentworth and Janet King because there are queer women on those shows. This is why I said what I said above.

[FrumiusManxome]

Pretty decent episode overall. 

I also was bored with the Robotics competition. I think the problem was I had no idea what was going on. They should have made it clear either this episode or over the course of the time they were working on it, exactly what the robot was meant to do. I had no investment because I couldn't tell if they were winning or losing at any given moment. Mariana rocked it with her quick thinking, but I still don't understand how the robot was pinned for longer than 5 seconds yet the referee just ignored it? 

Brandon so, obviously, wants to come home. I feel for him since I'm pretty sure most people would stick around longer than they want because of how tight a spot this is. Courtney has basically nothing. If/When Brandon leaves she will in no way be able to afford that place or any other. I hate Courtney and yeah, that's why you don't let anyone (especially your impulsive, just turned 18 year old BF who you don't even know that well) foot your bills like that, however, no one deserves to live in complete destitution. I'm glad he promised Stef he'd go to Julliard no matter what. But, when has anyone on this show completely kept a promise before? I'll believe it when I see it. His moment with Stef was sweet. I'm glad she apologized though I wish/hope she chews Callie out for Brallie soon/at some point. She's gotten off way too lightly. 

Speaking of Callie, her plot is annoying me. Of course, Kyle just couldn't have murdered the woman because he's just a poor former foster kid and was such a sweet kid 10 years ago *sarcasm*. Why does she always have to be right? And she never thinks. Sure, she didn't confront a possible murderer (this time) but that harassment of Patrick Mulloy was stupid as hell. She literally tipped that man off. Now he's less inclined to make a dumb mistake and he also could have just ran. Brandon was totally right way back when; she *is* always just reacting. I wish they'd just get on with Callie and Aaron so it can inevitably crash and burn in the face of the Epic Romance that is Brallie. Callie is already displaying the usual sitcom signs of disinterest in AJ; it's just a matter of time.  I also hate how long this Senior Project nonsense has gone. Lena's callback to it was nice. She seems to not be letting this go. Hopefully, we'll get some real consequences. Callie is off treating this like some game, but she literally might not graduate. 

I hate Brallie so much. Why are we still entertaining this? Is the fanbase in favour of it such a large group we have to continue to imply it even when they are now LEGALLY foster siblings? I hated Callie's comment about 'always feeling wrong'. Well, if you didn't do so much crap then maybe you'd feel right, Callie. 

I am also sick of Lena's being so...selfish? Like, I know he's your dad. But, he also is a grown man who made his own horrible mistakes. Why are you saving his ass when he dug this whole for himself? You're hurting everyone else to save one person. Unless, I'm missing something and they had to sell the house anyways. The financial stuff is a little complicated for me. 

Edited August 16, 2016 by FrumiusManxome

[marceline]

I'd love to know what the value of the Adams-Foster house would be in the real world. Living in a state with a really cheap cost of living (Ohio), I'm fascinated by real estate prices in expensive markets.

I continue to be amazed at the affluence of Anchor Beach school. I can only imagine the budget they have for kids activities. Of course this is a school located right on the ocean so...*shrug*.

[ShadowFacts]

9 hours ago, FrumiusManxome said:

I am also sick of Lena's being so...selfish? Like, I know he's your dad. But, he also is a grown man who made his own horrible mistakes. Why are you saving his ass when he dug this whole for himself? You're hurting everyone else to save one person. Unless, I'm missing something and they had to sell the house anyways. The financial stuff is a little complicated for me. 

I think the way it was framed, the IRS is going to go after this house because they cannot take a person's primary residence, and he can't sell his own house of his own volition because it is underwater with second and third mortgages he would realize nothing on the sale, and be homeless.  So since he is co-owner of Stef and Lena's, it is considered an asset of his that the IRS can get to.  What I don't like about the situation besides his financial irresponsibility is that he has now said that the down payment he gave them wasn't actually a gift.  That was extra tacky. 

[KaveDweller]

10 hours ago, maraleia said:

This is the only US show that gives me heart attacks every week. I can't take what's in the promo for next week.

I think the promo is a fake out. Maybe the divorce is a way to save the house. If Steph takes sole ownership the IRS can't seize it. Right?

[possibilities]

My understanding is that they have to sell because if they don't, the IRS is going to take the house anyway. They discussed asking for mercy, but that's a risky strategy because the IRS can still say no, and then force them out, and in that case they wouldn't necessarily get the highest value for the sale. And even if they get "mercy" it would be in the form of a very high monthly payment they'd be making on Lena's father's debt, and they would be faced with having to come up with that money by working extra jobs, which really is a bad idea considering how exhausting it would be and how they already don't spend enough time with the kids or each other. They aren't just trying to keep Lena's dad out of debt/prison, they are actually also trying to get the best of a terrible situation for themselves. They can't depend on Lena's dad to come up with that money because he's proven incapable of doing it already. Even if in theory there was a way for him to do it, he's shown himself to be unreliable enough that they can't count on it happening.

[evilolive]

The promo is a fake out. Lena and Stef aren't getting a divorce, it's Lena's parents. And the set of that beautiful house isn't going anywhere, unless it burns down in the series finale.

[KaveDweller]

2 hours ago, evilolive said:

The promo is a fake out. Lena and Stef aren't getting a divorce, it's Lena's parents.

Is that a guess or an  untagged spoiler?

[morakot]

If the IRS has a lien on the house, are they actually allowed to sell it?

[evilolive]

8 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

Is that a guess or an  untagged spoiler?

Not a spoiler.

For one thing, Mariana says "they're" not "you're getting a divorce". My guess is that they won't drag this losing the house storyline out for much longer and some hand-wavy legal loophole will mean they get to stay for the time being. 

Here's one scenario: Stef and Lena will get better paid jobs. They seem to be leading up to that sort of change. It solves a lot of story problems - Lena doesn't like Stef being a beat cop and they've laid the groundwork for her becoming a detective. As for Lena, she's had a lot of professional obstacles at Anchor Beach in the first three seasons. They've dialed back on that this season but it hasn't gone away. She could get the sack but more likely a better paid opportunity will come up and she'll be forced to take it for financial reasons. Maybe she gets a more stressfull and less fulfilling job as a principal of a big public school. They still get to keep the gorgeous Anchor Beach setting in play - school storylines with the kids could get more interesting if Lena's no longer there being the superhero vice principal.

This show moves r e a l l y  s l o w l y but there's been a lot of talk about Brandon and Callie as seniors getting ready to leave school. Career progression for both Stef and Lena opens up new possibilities and helps with ageing up the kids to give them slightly more adult storylines.

[tennisgurl]

Not a bad episode, but not really super great either. 

Callie, honey, you are not Veronica Mars. You should not be running around trying to solve crimes. Your mom is a cop, and she actually is doing something to help, so focus on your own (many) issues right now!

Brandon so desperately wants out of his relationship with Court and her kid, but has no idea how to get out now that he is so far in. Just be honest dude! And stop with the Callie stuff! She calls the same people you call Mom Mom as well. Blood or no, that is just...questionable. 

The robot tournament was just really weird and awkward to watch at times. Like, the evil rival sports team? Which seems to be made up of middle aged men (most of whom are actual engineers) that seem to have nothing better to do than act like jerks to teenagers and crush their robot dreams? What a bunch of losers. And Mariana was acting like a total jerk, and lena needs to have a talk with her. And that is not even taking into account the fact that she is taking meds. 

[izabella]

The robot tournament was weird, and the story line seemed somewhat incoherent, but I appreciated that they gave Mariana and Jesus something besides dating drama. 

The moms need to lay down the law HARD with Callie.  Isn't she supposed to be in school?  She spends more time on Kyle's case and trying to have sex with AJ than she does on her senior project and homework.  She's sabotaging her own future for other people's problems and temporary attractions (because we know she's still into Brandon, stupid show).

[WInterfalls]

14 hours ago, morakot said:

If the IRS has a lien on the house, are they actually allowed to sell it?

That's what I keep wondering.  If you have a lien on your house it can't be sold until the lien is cleared so how are they selling this house? Reality means very little on TV though.  

[ShadowFacts]

33 minutes ago, WInterfalls said:

That's what I keep wondering.  If you have a lien on your house it can't be sold until the lien is cleared so how are they selling this house? Reality means very little on TV though.  

The IRS can seize assets, so yes, they can seize and then sell.  It would be a last resort, and I'm wondering if in their plea for mercy, Stef and Lena wouldn't have emphasized to the IRS that there are minor children living there.  They were able to come up with a plan of paying $2,000 a month, so the IRS was willing to work with them to that extent.  Too bad they can't afford a sharp tax lawyer,  who works in this arena all the time, but alas, they spent $20,000 on Gabe's sex offender mess.  

[Perfect Xero]

Did I understand the robot competition? No one had ever got a "hanging arm" to work before, ever, but then they got one to work in less than an hour?

We must be getting close to the end of a season/half-season because Brandon and Callie are suddenly orbiting around each other again.

Why does AJ suddenly think that Mike thinks of Callie "like a daughter"? He knows most of the Brandon/Callie history, right? Mike even tried to steer him off dating Callie once before and Callie directly told him that Mike was trying to "protect" AJ from her.

Callie is tired of people making her "feel wrong" because Mike thinks that Callie having sex with his foster son after having had sex with his bio-son who is also her adoptive brother is awkward? Is this going to be like the judge who was as bad as Liam because he held up her adoption after finding out that her would be parents took out a restraining order to keep their son away from her?

[ShortyMac]

43 minutes ago, Perfect Xero said:

We must be getting close to the end of a season/half-season because Brandon and Callie are suddenly orbiting around each other again.

Ha, yeah.

[WearyTraveler]

4 hours ago, Perfect Xero said:

Did I understand the robot competition? No one had ever got a "hanging arm" to work before, ever, but then they got one to work in less than an hour?

No.  Performing the maneuver they did at the end of climbing the tower with the robot is worth so many points that it practically guarantees a win.  However, very few teams ever attempt it because it's very easy for the opposing team to just block them on their way to the tower and the time to get there is very limited.  So, no one had ever successfully managed to win by completing that task. Other teams in the past had attempted it but none had ever done it, not because the robots didn't have arms or the means to lift onto the tower, but because they were successfully blocked by the opposite team from reaching the tower in time.  So, not many teams would attempt to win that way.

Anchor Beach's robot had an arm which had not been working during the competition, but had worked before they got there.  I think we are meant to understand that whatever Jesus did to lower the weight of the robot so they could compete had accidentally damaged something that prevented the arm from working. The team just didn't have enough time between rounds to find the problem and fix it.  But if the other girl team picked them, they would have an hour before they had to compete again to fix it.  They actually managed to fix the arm and told all the other teams their arm was working, betting that their bias against female programmers ("Girl Code", the title of the episode) would make them think they were lying.

The other teams' coach actually said that he didn't think the arm was working because they had not used it for the whole day, and then asked his guy when he had heard the arm was working, to which the boy replied that he'd heard they had fixed it before the final match started.  The coach acted as the female team expected and ordered his guys to pull the other robot away from Anchor Beach's robot, which then allowed Mariana's team to reach the tower and complete the maneuver on time, thus earning enough points to beat the other team.

All of this was explained through dialog by the characters.  I had the show on in my computer while I was working on a presentation, so, I wasn't even looking at the video and I got all of that, just by listening.  There are some shows, like Game of Thrones, where I have to pay attention to the visuals, as well as the dialog, if I want to keep up, but this one is not one of them.  The only time I look is when there's an extended period of silence with tense music, because then I know I'm meant to see something "shocking" or surprising.

[sunsheyen]

WRT to the arm working, it actually didn't work from the start. It was the first piece suggested by the team to be removed to get it under weight, since they all knew it didn't function. Mariana didn't want to remove it, hence the hole punch weight loss method.

[KaveDweller]

Yeah, they definitely said the arm had never worked and they only had it there to intimidate people.

Reducing weight made the entire robot stop working. 

[LisaM]

I liked this episode - especially the part where the realtor came to inspect the house and encountered the dorm-like atmosphere that is living with 5 teenagers. 

Callie and Aaron banging on the door of someone they think is a murderer = height of idiocy. 

Cracked up at Lena cheering for Mariana's team - and Mariana explaining that she is the Vice Principal. 

Still can't figure out how they are going to save the house. 

ETA: If the house is about to be sold, Gabe must have finished the garage?

Edited August 19, 2016 by LisaM
More

[Perfect Xero]

On 8/18/2016 at 5:19 AM, WearyTraveler said:

No.  Performing the maneuver they did at the end of climbing the tower with the robot is worth so many points that it practically guarantees a win.  However, very few teams ever attempt it because it's very easy for the opposing team to just block them on their way to the tower and the time to get there is very limited.  So, no one had ever successfully managed to win by completing that task. Other teams in the past had attempted it but none had ever done it, not because the robots didn't have arms or the means to lift onto the tower, but because they were successfully blocked by the opposite team from reaching the tower in time.  So, not many teams would attempt to win that way.

Anchor Beach's robot had an arm which had not been working during the competition, but had worked before they got there.  I think we are meant to understand that whatever Jesus did to lower the weight of the robot so they could compete had accidentally damaged something that prevented the arm from working. The team just didn't have enough time between rounds to find the problem and fix it.  But if the other girl team picked them, they would have an hour before they had to compete again to fix it.  They actually managed to fix the arm and told all the other teams their arm was working, betting that their bias against female programmers ("Girl Code", the title of the episode) would make them think they were lying.

The other teams' coach actually said that he didn't think the arm was working because they had not used it for the whole day, and then asked his guy when he had heard the arm was working, to which the boy replied that he'd heard they had fixed it before the final match started.  The coach acted as the female team expected and ordered his guys to pull the other robot away from Anchor Beach's robot, which then allowed Mariana's team to reach the tower and complete the maneuver on time, thus earning enough points to beat the other team.

All of this was explained through dialog by the characters.  I had the show on in my computer while I was working on a presentation, so, I wasn't even looking at the video and I got all of that, just by listening.  There are some shows, like Game of Thrones, where I have to pay attention to the visuals, as well as the dialog, if I want to keep up, but this one is not one of them.  The only time I look is when there's an extended period of silence with tense music, because then I know I'm meant to see something "shocking" or surprising.

As others have said the arm explicitly didn't work originally but Mariana didn't want to remove it to make weight because it was supposed to serve as some sort of bluff. I'm still not sure what a non-working arm was supposed to accomplish for them? At best they use it to trick another team into blocking them from going for the hang? But if they're doing that they aren't scoring any points either, how does that help them win?

I'm also not sure how a team is supposed to win if "tradition" is that you pick another final 6 team to be your partner in the last round? Wouldn't those 2 teams just end up tied with each other if they're sharing points? And Anchor Beach is qualified for "worlds" in spite of making the finals on their own? Are they going there only as the partners of the other school that actually won or are they going on their own?

Am I spending too much time thinking about the logistics of a fictional robot competition of a Teen Soap Opera? Probably.

[AmandaPanda]

Yes, Mariana was being a total brat at the robotics competition. However, when the evil rival team's coach was over there berating the Anchor Beach team and calling them useless, I could not believe the Anchor Beach coach was just sitting there. I don't care what the rules of the competition are. If those were my students getting publicly shamed, Lena would have to hold me back from punching the guy's face in. Most teachers I work with are fiercely protective of their students. That scene made me so angry.

[LisaM]

The girl from the other female team was played by Emma Dumont of Bunheads, which I sorely miss. Nice to see her again. 

I still cannot get over the stupidity of Callie and Aaron knocking on the door of someone that they suspect is a murderer. That goes beyond bad judgment. 

[WearyTraveler]

2 hours ago, LisaM said:

The girl from the other female team was played by Emma Dumont of Bunheads, which I sorely miss. Nice to see her again. 

She also plays one of Charles Manson's groupies in Aquarius (starring David Duchovny)

[ShadowFacts]

4 hours ago, LisaM said:

I still cannot get over the stupidity of Callie and Aaron knocking on the door of someone that they suspect is a murderer. That goes beyond bad judgment. 

Yes, it's reckless and Callie is apt to do reckless things like this, going hang gliding in Mexico (with no passport to get back), riding off on a motorcycle with a stranger to a remote location, talking disrespectfully to a judge, etc.  She's got a self-destructive streak.

10 hours ago, AmandaPanda said:

Yes, Mariana was being a total brat at the robotics competition. However, when the evil rival team's coach was over there berating the Anchor Beach team and calling them useless, I could not believe the Anchor Beach coach was just sitting there. I don't care what the rules of the competition are. If those were my students getting publicly shamed, Lena would have to hold me back from punching the guy's face in. Most teachers I work with are fiercely protective of their students. That scene made me so angry.

This is at least the second time Anchor Beach teachers looked ineffectual at best.  And then there's the matter of Lena cutting corners with getting students into the school, and now keeping quiet about a student who happens to be her own family member taking the SAT for another student.  Educators are not coming off the greatest, and it would be nice to see some strong examples of caring teachers who know how to respect boundaries.  Of course Stef doesn't always look like a shining example of police following the law, either, so maybe it's no surprise that they let their kids off easy when they screw up.  When Lena gave Brandon a dressing down about character a few episodes ago, I was thinking she needed to look in the mirror. 

[Eeksquire]

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The IRS can seize assets, so yes, they can seize and then sell.  It would be a last resort, and I'm wondering if in their plea for mercy, Stef and Lena wouldn't have emphasized to the IRS that there are minor children living there.  They were able to come up with a plan of paying $2,000 a month, so the IRS was willing to work with them to that extent.  Too bad they can't afford a sharp tax lawyer,  who works in this arena all the time, but alas, they spent $20,000 on Gabe's sex offender mess.

I'm kind of over this storyline - every tax lien I've ever encountered (professionally) sat there until the property was sold and then paid out of the closing proceeds - whether residential or commercial property.  The IRS doesn't want to - and practically speaking, can't - be in the real estate business, there's just not enough personnel to commit to that kind of undertaking.  Even banks don't necessarily move on foreclosures as quickly as they might, which is why you sometimes hear of people continuing to live in their houses for months after they've stopped paying the mortgage.  In reality, this is a serious problem, but it's not an EMERGENCY! like they are portraying it to be - the sheriff is not going to come in and evict them imminently.  It's crazy making (to me).  Not to mention that it's not like there isn't enough other drama on this show that they're hurting for storylines.

[Mirmommy]

I like AJ and Callie together. But I don't like her as a person anymore. She is an asshole to everybody. Are we just going to ignore the fact that she kissed Aaron? Just because she was tired of being herself? AND when Jesus was in the hospital she was so rude to judes friend and his mom. That scene made me dislike her indefinitely. Someone needs to tell her to get over herself. And then she says she's tired of people making her feel wrong. Well you are. So shut up and stop playing victim. And she's so stupid, going around investigating , Stef said she's gonna take care of it so why are you still being an idiot? I get it, the whole situation is fd up, but she needs to be more careful.

End of rant. I'm tired of her at this point.

P.s Mariana is kind if an ass too, I love her in general when she's being sweet and kind, she had to grow on me tho. I loved fashion sense and her whole girls rule complex. But she can be an ass and people let her get away with it.