As I say everyone now and then, Monday nights on ABC Family are so good. If only because Switched at Birth and The Fosters seem like one of the few shows which actually revisit and build off of stories instead of acting like trains of which the only thing they deal with is what is ahead; or to put it another way, stories feel like they matter long term and aren't easily forgotten and just continuously replaced by new and escalated drama. Which perhaps is the highlight of this episode since it revisits some topics from the first season and builds on them.
Topic 1: Twins, But Not the Same - Jesus & Mariana
Jesus' inability to be direct with girls about his own feelings has been an issue since Lexi. For as much as he has an opinion about his relationships, you can see there is an attempt to make everyone happy which leads to him, once again, being in a situation where he tries balancing two girls' affections. Earlier in the season he tried to balance having Lexi and Emma, when he was transitioning to Emma from Lexi, and now the same situation is happening with Emma and Haley. Making me wonder if this is just a pattern for him; lazy storytelling, for really the twins do have the least interesting story lines of the cast; or will this actually evolve into something interesting?
Well if you take note of how Haley came off a little crazy this episode, perhaps it could be livened up. But while this storyline helps Jesus by keeping him in relationship drama, Mariana is still sort of the weakest link of The Fosters. For even with this whole sheep mentality with her trying to fit in and making being on the dance team an essential part of her identity, let's be real: the writers don't have a strong investment in her. For while Callie has her devastating back-story, Stef and Lena have full lives and so much happens to Brandon, the twins, and especially Mariana, are thrown the most mundane scraps that I'm starting to wonder if they are tokens on the show. For even with Ana's involvement in the show, sometimes the twins do feel expendable.
Topic 2: How to Cope - Callie & Jude
As we know, both Callie and Jude have been through so much that it makes every good thing in their life seem like a big deal which you know is going to get ruined somehow. Be it Jude and Connor getting ruined by Connor's dad's comment; Callie's relationship with Wyatt getting ruined because of Liam; and how Sophia may or may not play a role in Jude's silence; there has continuously been a two steps forward and one step back approach to their stories.
Starting with Jude, his silence we aren't given a full grasp of the cause. It could be him being assumed as gay, maybe Callie not being his full sister, or perhaps a combination of the two. It is hard to say, but at least when Callie comes to him about a serious situation, he may not verbally talk to her but at the very least he does respond. For while Callie may have Brandon, Wyatt, and Daphne, all she can do is tell them what has happened. With Jude, he knows because he was there.
So when having sex with Wyatt triggers when Liam molested her, and then she sees Liam where she works, who else but Jude could understand the situation? For while he didn't know what really went on, if I recall right, until they got to the Fosters, he was there, he knows Liam, and with them being siblings, no matter how you slice it, I think she rather tell and rely on him than anyone else. Even if he has his own burdens, which I'm sure she wishes to share the weight of with him.
Topic 3: Old Issues Arise - Brandon & Mike
Both Dani and Anna have done so much damage to Brandon and Mike's lives. Having sex with Dani is a constant source of guilt for Brandon and with her possibly being the main thing keeping Mike sober, there is this fear of how much backlash could come with revealing he had sex with her. Which makes him revealing the guilt, and then him telling Lena in the same episode amazing to me. For while I wouldn't consider this show much for dragging out stories, outside of when Callie and Brandon were off and on, the quickness of this reveal was shocking. But, at the same time I like how this further established Lena as the approachable one who Brandon can not only open up to about sex, but also him having pot brownies with Lucy, Mat, and some random guy. Though with his reveal comes the question of Lena keeping the burden of the secret, which would likely lead to a fight with Stef, or her revealing it as soon as Stef gets home.
As for Mike, while Dani is worried about him because of him taking long hours, Stef is worried because she thinks Mike is a murderer. After all, Anna has disappeared and the night he blacked out and got into a bar fight is also the night he fought verbally with Anna. So Stef does some digging because she has possible evidence which could link Mike to a Jane Doe, who was murdered, who she thinks is Anna. But when she tails Mike to some sleazy looking motel, she finds out that Mike and Anna are in the room together. For what reason though remains a mystery.
Topic 1: Twins, But Not the Same - Jesus & Mariana
Jesus' inability to be direct with girls about his own feelings has been an issue since Lexi. For as much as he has an opinion about his relationships, you can see there is an attempt to make everyone happy which leads to him, once again, being in a situation where he tries balancing two girls' affections. Earlier in the season he tried to balance having Lexi and Emma, when he was transitioning to Emma from Lexi, and now the same situation is happening with Emma and Haley. Making me wonder if this is just a pattern for him; lazy storytelling, for really the twins do have the least interesting story lines of the cast; or will this actually evolve into something interesting?
Well if you take note of how Haley came off a little crazy this episode, perhaps it could be livened up. But while this storyline helps Jesus by keeping him in relationship drama, Mariana is still sort of the weakest link of The Fosters. For even with this whole sheep mentality with her trying to fit in and making being on the dance team an essential part of her identity, let's be real: the writers don't have a strong investment in her. For while Callie has her devastating back-story, Stef and Lena have full lives and so much happens to Brandon, the twins, and especially Mariana, are thrown the most mundane scraps that I'm starting to wonder if they are tokens on the show. For even with Ana's involvement in the show, sometimes the twins do feel expendable.
Topic 2: How to Cope - Callie & Jude
As we know, both Callie and Jude have been through so much that it makes every good thing in their life seem like a big deal which you know is going to get ruined somehow. Be it Jude and Connor getting ruined by Connor's dad's comment; Callie's relationship with Wyatt getting ruined because of Liam; and how Sophia may or may not play a role in Jude's silence; there has continuously been a two steps forward and one step back approach to their stories.
Starting with Jude, his silence we aren't given a full grasp of the cause. It could be him being assumed as gay, maybe Callie not being his full sister, or perhaps a combination of the two. It is hard to say, but at least when Callie comes to him about a serious situation, he may not verbally talk to her but at the very least he does respond. For while Callie may have Brandon, Wyatt, and Daphne, all she can do is tell them what has happened. With Jude, he knows because he was there.
So when having sex with Wyatt triggers when Liam molested her, and then she sees Liam where she works, who else but Jude could understand the situation? For while he didn't know what really went on, if I recall right, until they got to the Fosters, he was there, he knows Liam, and with them being siblings, no matter how you slice it, I think she rather tell and rely on him than anyone else. Even if he has his own burdens, which I'm sure she wishes to share the weight of with him.
Topic 3: Old Issues Arise - Brandon & Mike
Both Dani and Anna have done so much damage to Brandon and Mike's lives. Having sex with Dani is a constant source of guilt for Brandon and with her possibly being the main thing keeping Mike sober, there is this fear of how much backlash could come with revealing he had sex with her. Which makes him revealing the guilt, and then him telling Lena in the same episode amazing to me. For while I wouldn't consider this show much for dragging out stories, outside of when Callie and Brandon were off and on, the quickness of this reveal was shocking. But, at the same time I like how this further established Lena as the approachable one who Brandon can not only open up to about sex, but also him having pot brownies with Lucy, Mat, and some random guy. Though with his reveal comes the question of Lena keeping the burden of the secret, which would likely lead to a fight with Stef, or her revealing it as soon as Stef gets home.
As for Mike, while Dani is worried about him because of him taking long hours, Stef is worried because she thinks Mike is a murderer. After all, Anna has disappeared and the night he blacked out and got into a bar fight is also the night he fought verbally with Anna. So Stef does some digging because she has possible evidence which could link Mike to a Jane Doe, who was murdered, who she thinks is Anna. But when she tails Mike to some sleazy looking motel, she finds out that Mike and Anna are in the room together. For what reason though remains a mystery.
