S05.E07: Chasing Waterfalls

[AmandaPanda]

Quote

Lena's parents return for a visit; Callie and Aaron grow closer; Mariana's attempt to get closer to Logan backfires when his girlfriend catches wind of it.

[Lady Calypso]

We're getting a very, very slow burn to Callie growing as a person, it seems. This week, she learns that it's ok to not know exactly who you are at seventeen/eighteen! Maybe next week, she'll learn to use less umms and uhhs in every string of sentences? No? Damn. At least she wasn't doing anything illegal this week. And she got to have sex with Aaron after taking a hike to a waterfall, so there's that. 

This is one of the better episodes this season for the sole reason that there was a lot of Stef/Lena stuff happening. It was very much needed for the moms to have their own episode to deal with some issues. I felt sad for Lena when she learned that her dad's memory was going. Her scene with him at the end was very good. I was confused as to why Lena's mom was asking for interest on a house that her husband bought for Lena/Stef; I felt like it was a little too contrived? But at least things worked out in the end.

Also, Stef/Tess make up! Well, I assume temporarily make up until Tess tries to kiss Stef or something cliche like that. Because it's so clear on where the trajectory of this story is going. 

Heh, Logan's girlfriend caught on to Mariana's attempts to get together with Logan. I mean, it's not that Mariana wasn't abiding by her grandfather's advice to be there for Logan and wait until he broke up with his girlfriend, so she's not exactly innocent. It's why I don't have much of an issue with Logan's girlfriend calling her out on it. Though I suspect his girlfriend will show up in the finale and somehow look worse than Mariana. Not that Logan's girl seems very nice to begin with, but of course we couldn't have a simply nice girl, because then Logan would be a dick for breaking up with her for Mariana for the latter half of the season. 

Jude's subplot is stupid as hell. That very badly acted scene with Jude, Noah, and Taylor fighting over who was going to leave was so bad. I felt like it was a fanfiction-written scene, acted by amateur actors who were learning to act for the first time. Sorry, but I just don't care about Jude anymore. I'm at the point where I'll probably tune out his scenes from here on out.

No Jesus this episode, although he's talked about plenty. 

Cortney and Brandon seem to get the closure that they needed to move on. Now....let's keep it that way, ok? I wonder if the Gabe/Cortney romance is going to progress further or if it'll just die off in the next couple of episodes.

[Cherry Bomb]

I am on the East Coast and finished watching the episode so I will leave things vague for those who are on the West Coast. Tonight's episode for me was not the usual over the top  episode that has been occurring recently. There were in my opinion many warming moments in this episodes involving Lena and her Dad as well as Branden and Cortney. Also the whole Marianna helping Logan out even though I know she has motives for that worked for me as well. Callie finding herself was quite the moment as well. I really enjoyed this episode.

[possibilities]

Ok, it's official: the show is a total teen soap, and the line between adults and teens has been erased. Honestly, I wouldn't know the difference if we hadn't been told which ones were supposed to be grown ups and which ones were the kids. In a way, I'm OK with it because they've successfully normalized the lesbian moms so much that it's just flat out no different than if they were a hetero couple, and that's useful in its own way. And they do slip in some relevant issues, also in a totally normalized taken-for-granted way. I think that's great, I really do.

But it's not the show that it was in the beginning, which had me telling my tv-less friends that they HAD TO watch it. I'm sad about that, but it's not all about me, and maybe someday normalizing the situation won't be all we can hope for.

ALso, during the commercials, I had turned away from the screen and was only half paying attention. I heard them say something about some other show on Freeform, a la "Next time on 'Bulldyke'" -- so of course I turned back to the screen, but it was "Bold Type" not "Bulldyke"-- but it still made me laugh.

Lena still needs to think about everything instead of taking action. It annoys me so much.

Dun dun dun... what is wrong with Grace that her mother thinks she needs to rush in and save her?

This is the season for Mariana to be stupid and annoying.

Callie and Aaron were ok this week. I hope they don't make it all about him being wise and her being tutored by his wisdom, though. I need to see equality, not rescue. I really find the "mature male teaches messed up female about herself" trope extremely offensve and grossly unappealing.

Jude's plot was sort of normal. There's nothing about him I find interesting or likable anymore, though. And he used to be one of my favorite things about the show. Where'd his sensitivity and emotional intelligence go? Now he's just some run of the mill dude who veers between a total jerk and a bland piece of teendom. The actor playing his boyfriend looked embarrassed to be there, and I don't blame him. He's practically reading it off a cereal box at this point, that's how bad the writing is, and he seems to know it. Also, who does the casting and styling on this show? He looks like he could be Aaron's younger brother.

Noah Centineo must have exceeded his allowable hours on set, but I wish they'd shown us the testing, and not just used it as an excuse to send him off screen this week.

Brandon: whatever! Who cares?

Alzheimers now? We don't have enough calamities already?

Edited August 23, 2017 by possibilities

[Chewy101]

Why do they have to prove the network will let them say "shit" every single episode. So dumb. And watching teenagers have sex feels like kiddie porn to me. Knock it off, show. 

I liked Callie this episode, and I didn't know that was possible. And Lena's story line with her father was heartbreaking.

The direction was odd, though. What was with the camera following so many objects instead of the actors, like there is significance there. Chandra might want to stick to acting.

Cortney has actually been very sweet and supportive in this arc. I don't get why she had to come back, but she behaved herself. 

Glad Logan's girlfriend saw through Mariana's "helpfulness." 

9 hours ago, possibilities said:

Jude's plot was sort of normal. There's nothing about him I find interesting or likable anymore, though. And he used to be one of my favorite things about the show. Where'd his sensitivity and emotional intelligence go? Now he's just some run of the mill dude who veers between a total jerk and a bland piece of teendom. The actor playing his boyfriend looked embarrassed to be there, and I don't blame him.

Agreed! He used to be the sweetest thing, and now I could care less. Callie used to be so much more in tune with him as well. What's it been, six months on their time line since Callie got adopted? How things have changed between them....

Edited August 23, 2017 by Chewy101

[UNOSEZ]

I was hoping while grandpa was talking abt being a friend to someone while they are dating someone else Jude or Marianna woulda said... Oh Like AARON did with Callie and AJ... 

[tennisgurl]

Looks like TLC will be stuck in my head for the rest of the week...

I did really like the plot with Lena and her dad, the scene where she talks about what a good dad he is, and he tells her he wishes he had reacted differently when she came out to him, was really well done and both heartwarming and sad. And I'm glad that Stef and Tess cleared the air, even if I'm still pretty sure this will end with Tess and Stef getting drunk, and Tess trying to kiss Stef, and says she never got over her. Or some variation.

I used to love Jude, but his plots are just so boring now. I mean, they aren't awful in the way some of Callies plots are, they're just boring and bland, and Jude has seemingly had a personality transplant. I get that he's older than he was when he was sweet little Judicorn, but he almost seems like a totally different kid. Maybe because we never see him with his siblings anymore. In general, I think this show could benefit with the family spending time together, building their relationships, instead of endless relationship drama, and the equally endless Very Special Episodes where we learn about literally every social issue on the planet.

Its always one step forward, two steps back with Callie. She realizes here that its ok that she doesn't know who she is, but it looks like next week we go back to Callie Saves the World. Would someone just sit down and tell her that Callie can try to help people and fight injustice WITHOUT breaking laws, almost getting sold into prostitution, or getting involved in leading a sure to be violent protest where the head guy says the main idea is to go to jail? There are easier ways!

I really hope this is the real, official end of Courtney. She was actually better in this arc than when she was with Brandon, but I'm over her whole subplot. She's alright, but not worth keeping around. I like Grace more, but it sounds like she has a Dark Secret. I'm thinking metal illness, or past trauma. This is The Fosters after all.

Edited August 23, 2017 by tennisgurl

[ShadowFacts]

I agree with so much that's been said already.  Very happy to have more adult focus all the way around. 

9 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I was confused as to why Lena's mom was asking for interest on a house that her husband bought for Lena/Stef; I felt like it was a little too contrived? But at least things worked out in the end.

I think it was because they are in fact in bad financial straits and need the income; it was good of Stef to offer to help right away upon finding that out.

9 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Cortney and Brandon seem to get the closure that they needed to move on. Now....let's keep it that way, ok? I wonder if the Gabe/Cortney romance is going to progress further or if it'll just die off in the next couple of episodes.

I fear she will be back and pregnant -- didn't Brandon even say what's next, will you be pregnant again?  Yeah, it still is a teen soap after all.

[LisaM]

I really liked the Lena's Dad has dementia subplot. Well done. It was interesting to see the change in Dana from the scene where she was dictating Jude/Taylor/Noah schedules to the scene where she was discussing her husband's slow decline. I'm looking forward to re-watching that subplot again. Very sad and unfortunately very realistic. 

Cannot stand the Cortney/Brandon/Gabe story line. Go away, Cortney. Something is clearly going on with Grace - anorexia? mental illness? 

I would love for the Mariana story lines to be more STEM and less boy crazy. Running after Logan when she knows that he is trying to make his long distance relationship work speaks volumes about Mariana in a negative way.

I thought they handled the Callie/Aaron sex scenes nicely and showed them getting much closer first. 

I used to love seeing Jude onscreen - Little Judicorn - and now I cringe. 

I think that this was the first time that Callie addressed Stef as "Mom". 

Loved the emphasis on Stef/Lena. 

[Cherry Bomb]

5 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I agree with so much that's been said already.  Very happy to have more adult focus all the way around. 

I think it was because they are in fact in bad financial straits and need the income; it was good of Stef to offer to help right away upon finding that out.

I fear she will be back and pregnant -- didn't Brandon even say what's next, will you be pregnant again?  Yeah, it still is a teen soap after all.

I agree with Cortney not going away. The whole finding out she is preggers again will come back to haunt Brandon maybe even by the end of Season 5. I don't think she is gone though.

[ShortyMac]

6 hours ago, LisaM said:

I think that this was the first time that Callie addressed Stef as "Mom". 

Second time. The first was in 04x20, at the lawyers' office, just after Callie got the news about her deal of three years in jail. She said, "I can't go to jail. Please, Mom." Soft, but it's there.

[ShadowFacts]

Forgot to mention that I've seen people park their bicycles inside their apartments, but never a motorcycle like Aaron does.  I would think a landlord would frown on that, with possible mess from oil leaks and what not.  Was it a product placement or just a reminder that Aaron is cool? 

[possibilities]

And it's a loft, right? Does that thing fit in the elevator, or does he drive it up the stairs?

[LisaM]

7 hours ago, ShortyMac said:

Second time. The first was in 04x20, at the lawyers' office, just after Callie got the news about her deal of three years in jail. She said, "I can't go to jail. Please, Mom." Soft, but it's there.

I think I skipped through that part while I was avoiding that entire story line. Thanks for the heads up!

[Cassandre]

I'm glad Stef was finally honest about Tess. That woman can be such a snob. How do you tell someone who tells you she had feelings for you that you didn't so no worries. She's so insensitive. 

that was a nice episode. Life is better without Jesus Adams Foster.  So that's what it takes to have Stef and Lena included in the episodes ? And Jude too ? I'm so glad he had that scene with his grandma. Everything that has something to do with family interacting with other family members is fantastic. That's what I want from The Fosters. That Lena and Stuart story was sad, but I loved learning stuffs about Lena and her coming out. 

I didn't fully enjoy the episode though cause I'm still annoyed with how the show has turned. There used to  be a time like the camping episode when everyone was included in the story. And it was nice. Even when Jude was missing they have always explained why he wasn't there, saying he had a trip or something. And Callie was the one always asking about where he was. Now her life is about Aaron I don't know why that guy is so important. I'm waiting for a Callie and Jude scene before the end of the series... maybe next week.... 

[izabella]

It seemed like a missed opportunity that Jesus wasn't there to experience what it's like for other people when someone is not in control of their own brain and resulting actions.  I would have liked him to see his grandpa having those dementia moments so Jesus could understand that he needs to take his brain injury seriously, and to stop blaming other people for their reactions to his uncontrolled outbursts.

Edited August 24, 2017 by izabella

[Smurf]

Hiya everyone, I am new here to this forum but not new to The Fosters. It is my favorite show. My name is Angeles yep that is like Los Angeles without the Los. :) You'll be seeing me around here so I thought to introduce me bit.

So this episode for me had a bit of everything in it. It had the Lena and Stef I was desperately wanting and the story with Lena and her dad pretty much put a tear in my eyes.

The whole Branden thing with Cortney I am hoping with my fingers and toes crossed that this is it and they are done but I highly doubt it because I can see in my crystal ball a bed with Cortney and Gabe in it having sex. 

Mariana needs to leave Logan's girl alone. She seems to have already caught onto Mariana's games and that is going to lead to trouble for Mariana when she comes into town. I don't want to see M getting her ass kicked and either Jesus comes to the rescue and gets kicks in the head or even Callie gets involved and gets an assault charge against her.

Judicorn I absolutely loved him and I think he is sooooooooo hot. Oh so you all don't think I am some weirdo I just turned 13 so actually the actor playing him is older than me. :) His story line very since the pot smoking and gaming though has been boring. I do like him in a relationship and finding himself, but this guy just doesn't seem the right fit. I like the girl friend though he is gaming with and there friendship. I just wish they would branch out and do other stuff. I also wish Jude would get more involved with Callie again.

[ShortyMac]

5 hours ago, izabella said:

It seemed like a missed opportunity that Jesus wasn't there to experience what it's like for other people when someone is not in control of their own brain and resulting actions.  I would have liked him to see his grandpa having those dementia moments so Jesus could understand that he needs to take his brain injury seriously, and to stop blaming other people for their reactions to his uncontrolled outbursts.

What does this even mean?

[Smurf]

I don't even think Jesus has total control over those outbursts. It is because his brain is damaged that he is having those outbursts. Before he got the nail in his head he didn't have those outburst so I don't think seeing someone with dementia is going to make a difference in his outbursts at all.

[izabella]

1 hour ago, ShortyMac said:

What does this even mean?

I don't think Jesus is taking his injury seriously.  He lied to go out dancing when he knows he shouldn't, and he doesn't want to take his medications, and he doesn't want to go to therapy, and he decides to drop out of school when his moms suggest he needs help in school.  He thinks he is in control of himself and other people are the problem.  I think it would have been helpful to him to see how brain issues impact a person, and how they can't control it and how they DO need help with it.  I also think it would have been helpful for him to see how a person's brain issues impact a family as well, and how they have to do something to help, so that he isn't so angry at his moms when they try to help him or when they try to prevent him from doing things to hurt himself.

Edited August 24, 2017 by izabella

[Smurf]

13 minutes ago, izabella said:

I don't think Jesus is taking his injury seriously.  He lied to go out dancing when he knows he shouldn't, and he doesn't want to take his medications, and he doesn't want to go to therapy, and he decides to drop out of school when his moms suggest he needs help in school.  He thinks he is in control of himself and other people are the problem.  I think it would have been helpful to him to see how brain issues impact a person, and how they can't control it and how they DO need help with it.  I also think it would have been helpful for him to see how a person's brain issues impact a family as well, and how they have to do something to help, so that he isn't so angry at his moms when they try to help him or when they try to prevent him from doing things to hurt himself.

Maybe he isn't the injury serious enough. He may also be really scared about the whole thing and don't know how to react to the whole situation. What good role models does he really have to go off on with this issue anyway. Stef and Lena sure aren't handling the situation great either. He also don't want to take his medication because of the side effects and now he is going back to school(or at least for now) until we see what the big blow up with Emma is all about next week. I really think he must think he has to be in control of this whole thing because Stef and Lena are either real I don't know how to handle it or just plain militant with him concerning this issue. He has to be confused as hell.

[ShadowFacts]

1 hour ago, izabella said:

I don't think Jesus is taking his injury seriously.  He lied to go out dancing when he knows he shouldn't, and he doesn't want to take his medications, and he doesn't want to go to therapy, and he decides to drop out of school when his moms suggest he needs help in school.  He thinks he is in control of himself and other people are the problem.  I think it would have been helpful to him to see how brain issues impact a person, and how they can't control it and how they DO need help with it.  I also think it would have been helpful for him to see how a person's brain issues impact a family as well, and how they have to do something to help, so that he isn't so angry at his moms when they try to help him or when they try to prevent him from doing things to hurt himself.

He doesn't take a lot of things seriously.  He's taken steroids, not taken his ADHD medicine, driven really recklessly in the car of that one ass friend who held a gun on Mariana (Nick?).  He has some impulse control problems aside from his head injury. 

[Smurf]

32 minutes ago, ShadowFacts said:

He doesn't take a lot of things seriously.  He's taken steroids, not taken his ADHD medicine, driven really recklessly in the car of that one ass friend who held a gun on Mariana (Nick?).  He has some impulse control problems aside from his head injury. 

Did he take the steroids or is that the reason he left the boarding school because the other wrestlers were doing it and they were pressuring him to do it and he didn't want to? I can't remember. I think all the kids and even the adults have done some pretty stupid things over the seasons of this show.

[alexvillage]

10 hours ago, izabella said:

I don't think Jesus is taking his injury seriously.

As I am not watching the episodes, I don't really know how well the TBI is being portrayed but if you've ever met someone who has a TBI you know that it has nothing to do with taking things seriously or not. It is something that will not go away, so he will need supports for the rest of his life. It doesn't seem that the family is addressing these needs in a way that will help Jesus. TBI doesn't make a person an asshole. He cannot really control what is going to trigger him, and that's why simply telling him how bad he is will not change things. He needs supports that will help him cope with the triggers. And  yes, Jesus has made bad decisions before. Like a lot of teens. Like all his siblings in this show. And he is far from the worst decision maker in that family. In truth, having ADHD, therefore being neurodivergent and needing supports for that reason alone, he has been quite consistent. And, as pointed above, he learns from his bad decisions, like giving up scholarship because he knows how bad steroids are. 

[ShadowFacts]

8 hours ago, Smurf said:

Did he take the steroids or is that the reason he left the boarding school because the other wrestlers were doing it and they were pressuring him to do it and he didn't want to? I can't remember. I think all the kids and even the adults have done some pretty stupid things over the seasons of this show.

I think he did take them.  I agree that all the kids and adults make bad decisions, kind of tracks well with real life in that respect.  I was only pointing out that Jesus has a history of not understanding/taking seriously when he should and shouldn't take drugs, and when he should avoid risky behavior, aside from his brain injury.  It's another layer to him.  It exists independently of the injury. 

[Lady Calypso]

2 hours ago, ShadowFacts said:

I think he did take them.  I agree that all the kids and adults make bad decisions, kind of tracks well with real life in that respect.  I was only pointing out that Jesus has a history of not understanding/taking seriously when he should and shouldn't take drugs, and when he should avoid risky behavior, aside from his brain injury.  It's another layer to him.  It exists independently of the injury. 

He took it once, hated it, and then that's when he decided that he wasn't going to stay at school anymore (or he wasn't allowed to come back?). He did learn his lesson about taking steroids, which he did figure out on his own and was appropriately punished by his moms afterward. He definitely has impulse control issues, which has existed since the start of the series, and he has made plenty of bad mistakes. I think my main issue, which I've touched upon before, is the level of punishment Jesus gets compared to the rest of the kids. I think out of the entire series, I've seen Stef/Lena talk to Jesus like an adult...once or twice. They have mature conversations with Mariana, Brandon, Callie, and Jude about their mistakes all the time. They are able to sit down and just talk with them, not at them. But Jesus, for some reason, gets yelled at, gets punished, and they talk about him and at him, rather than with him.

That's all I really want; I just want Stef/Lena to be able to talk with him like they do with the other kids. Why can't we get more Stef/Jesus scenes or Lena/Jesus scenes that have character progression? Why is it that Stef can have multiple solo scenes with Callie or with Mariana, or Lena with Brandon or Jude, while Jesus doesn't? 

If they just change this one tiny aspect, I'd be totally cool with it. It's not that Jesus doesn't need to be punished for his bad behaviour; he just also needs to be treated like a part of the family, like an adult and not just punished first, ask questions later. Callie does a lot of bad shit, but Stef has the decency to sit down and converse with her about it. She might get frustrated and yell, but she also sits down in that same episode to talk with Callie about how she's wrong. 

For example; back in season 3, Jesus was drinking after Gabe told him that he didn't want to see him again. Stef yelled at Jesus and punished him for the drinking. Which, ok, fair enough. But in comparison, Brandon did pot back in season 2 after the Dani situation and Lena caught him. She sat down and talked to him, and then they talked to Stef. They got down to the problem first. I just want more scenes with Jesus and his moms can have an honest conversation first. 

[alexvillage]

I don't know where to put this, so it will go here.

I am watching the season on Netflix and I was spoiled but I could not have anticipated the awfulness of some of the things I am seeing. What happened to the show and what happened to acting?

There is a lot to dislike and even to hate but it is really sad t see how bad the writing has become and how much worse the acting has become. It is like the actors just gave up trying.

My - incomplete - list includes:

Too much focus on the peripheral characters. Not enough Mike and AJ, too much little annoying Mason. Whoever cast that kid needs to be fired.

Jude: the actor is terrible. He was a cute kid but sucks as a teenager. The character sucks even more. Little entitled brat. 

Callie: never liked her, can't stand the actress, her story does not have a thread, she is all over the place and there are too many holes in her personality.

Mariana has become too insufferable 

Jesus and Brandon are still ok, bearable. Jesus is being gaslighted (gaslit?) by everyone and, as already pointed out, the disability part of the writing is losing all the marks and spreading ableism.

When did Emma become so whiny?

Stef seems tired.

Lena is the one I hate the most. Terrible parent. She makes everything about her. Her kid gets maced by a security guard and she makes a half-assed complaint? Threatens to use electric shock on her child because SHE cannot take it anymore? Threatens to send him away because SHE cannot take it anymore? Gluten-free diet for brain inflammation? By the way, TBI is not brain inflammation as far as I know (I might be wrong). Lena is like those parents who say that they love their disabled kid but only if they are what the parent wants them to be. If the disability manifests in a way the parent finds hard of unpleasant, they blame the child and whine about how hard life is. I could go on and on about this but I just want the woman to be gone, Seriously. I would never tell a disabled person who has CPTSD due to parent decision/inaction/hate to watch this show. It would be extremely triggering.

 

Now, the writing:

Stories that go incomplete: The school business seem so far-fetched to me, I don't even care what happens next. A rich guy wants something, it gets. It is a charter school, and I think it requires more than the school board to weigh in. I believe it would require the whole state legislature to approve changes since there is public funding involved. 

The whole DACA thing seemed a little rushed (so far at least) but it seems accurate. The fear Ximena shows when asked why she didn't re-apply is something that I see happening at this exact moment - just read about it actually. 

Funny enough, I don't think Aaron is terrible. I like how his lines make me feel like I am learning something about how trans people deal with privacy and having a (new?) sex partner. What I cannot stand is Callie's reaction to everything. 

The protest meeting, when they are training to peacefully disobey had a big flaw. The guy speaking seemed to be saying that if a person is not willing to be arrested, they should just leave. That's not how a serious, engaged group of protesters would do. They want many people but they also know that not everybody can afford to be arrested. Some people will protest and as soon as the police tells them to disperse they will. Depends on their status: disabled people that might break bones, or have seizures, or suffocate; black people in some communities where there is tension between the police and PoC; undocumented immigrants that might be deported. 

Serious protests take all this in consideration. They want volume, but they want people to be safe. 

 

This is all for now. Big rant because this show became a big bore. Will finish the season on hate-watch mode.