The Fosters 'Family Day' Brings the Foster Brother to the Girls United Yard

So much drama went down last week that this week’s Fosters is more about damage control than earthquaking our emotions.  As the family eats one of their trademark chatty breakfasts, Steph and Lena tell Jude that they intend to continue with his adoption.

However, they’re still unsure about Callie’s status and if she even wants to be part of the family. They ask Jude if he will still want to go through with the adoption even if Callie doesn’t. Jude looks conflicted, but we don’t get his answer before the theme starts playing and we’re inundated with comforting images of cereal and colored pencils.

Callie and Rita help Daphne adjust to her new Independent Living Program apartment. Callie tries to steal away to make a call to Brandon, who still can’t reach her after Cole stole her phone and broke up with him. I’m still not sure if ABC Family wants us to see that as a bad thing. Cole was only trying to help Callie, as far as I’m concerned, and even though lying and impersonating people is generally bad it wasn’t the worst thing to happen on this show. Rita catches Callie, who claims she was just checking to make sure the phone worked. Sure, Callie. Rita definitely believed that one. During a trip to the gynecologist Lena takes the next step exploring the idea of getting pregnant. She wonders if she’s too old, but her doctor’s more stuck on Lena having just telling her about her current abundance of children. Lena explains that she had always wanted to get pregnant but after meeting Steph, who already had a child, and then adopting the twins and now Jude and possibly Callie, those plans fell to the wayside.

At school, Emma Deschanel (aka Jesus’ definitely future girlfriend) playfully taunts him after he tells her he’s trying to drop a weight class for wrestling. Now kiss already, you crazy kids. 

After school, Jesus receives some entry-level flirty texts from Emma before receiving some ABC Family-level sexy photos of Lexi, his actual girlfriend. Jesus returns the favor with a pic of his own, which you just know he’s going to send to Emma from the moment he takes his shirt off. Jude walks in, distracting Jesus, and sure enough, he accidentally shoots the pic to Emma. She’s adorable about  the mistake, and Lexi’s miffed he didn’t write her back.

Steph’s dad shows up with a new car and a shameful amount of product placement as apparently a sort of “sorry about all the homophobia” gift. Steph tries to reject it, but her dad’s pretty insistent. Unfortunately, his insistence turns offensive as per usual and Steph storms away. He takes the car with him, but not before Toyota got a chance to crap on Volvo, so at least someone got a successful end of this deal.

That night, Cole asks Callie how she feels about finally being able to see Jude and her foster family during Family Day tomorrow. Cole asks if Callie thinks Brandon will be there. Can’t wait for Callie to find out about that restraining order. Brandon apparently has also not registered what a restraining order is, as he approaches Steph and Lena about attending Family Day just as Lena is about to tell Steph about her visit with the doctor. With a weird, dead, semi-evil expression he explains that Callie and he never should have kissed and they got caught up in the moment (shoulda said that before you were all, ‘I love her! You can’t keep us apart!’, bro). Lena calls him out, but the women wonder if he’s maybe telling the truth. After Brandon leaves, Steph asks Lena to continue to her story about the doctor, but Lena doesn’t go on.

For some reason, Steph and Lena decide it was okay to kill the restraining order plot line and drag Brandon to Family Day with the rest of the crew. The girls of Girls United discuss Callie’s array of hot foster brothers and take several opportunities to jab at her and Brandon’s relationship, but Callie can’t stop smiling. She explains her stringent Girls United routine to the family, but there’s clearly some Brandon/Jude tension going on. When the family’s invited to lunch, Jesus passes it up. Is this weight class thing going to turn into an eating disorder storyline? Of course it is, because this is The Fosters and that’s an issue that hasn’t been discussed yet.

Callie gets a moment alone with Jude, who tells her how hurt he was that she pushed him away. She clarifies that she was trying to help him by leaving, and he gives her the official update: he’s getting adopted with or without her. Paperwork’s started and everything. Callie’s thrilled for him, but Jude clearly wants his sister in on this adoption as well. 

Rosie O’Donnell is the only character who understands the definition of a restraining order, and asks why Brandon tagged along. Steph and Lena explain that they’ve decided to trust him, and that if they want to adopt Callie this thing will need to work itself out somehow. Not so fast! Rita informs Steph and Lena that Callie has applied already for the Independent Living Program, much to their surprise.

Surprises are abundant in this episode because when Brandon asks Callie why she broke up with him, she has no idea what he’s talking about. Drat you, Cole, looking out for Callie’s well being and best interest! How dare you! Steph and Lena break up the Brallie make up by asking Callie about her independent living intentions. Callie confirms this, but Steph and Lena are super unsure about being okay with a 16-year-old girl living  on her own.

Callie confronts Cole- who she believes is apparently bringing drugs back to the home in a bag because that’s not suspicious at all- and tells him that if he gives her phone back she won’t rat on him about the drugs. Cole, who I’m fairly certain isn’t bringing home drugs (testosterone, perhaps?) gives Callie the phone. More on that soon.

After Jesus locks Jude out of their shared room so he can have “Jesus time,” Jude breaks in anyway to discover Jesus video chatting innocently (?) with Emma. Jude yells at him for having “special” time with someone who isn’t his girlfriend and throws a book at him. Lena and Steph interrupt the uncharacteristically violent moment and sit him down for a ‘we don’t assault our siblings’ talk. The moment Jude leaves the room however, Steph and Lena rejoice over Jude referring to the room as ‘his’ and throwing a book at Jesus ‘just like a real brother.’ Yay for Jude adjusting, even if it’s a little disturbingly aggressive.

Cole explains to Callie that indeed the contents of the bag were hormones, and he’s decided he can no longer wait until he’s 18 or moved to an LGBT home. His parents are completely unsupportive as well and told him to, “Act like a girl or get out.” Cole was sent to juvie in the first place for activities he took part in trying to get money for his hormones, and now his body’s not adjusting well to being off them. He asks for Callie’s phone to call his hormone hook up. She agrees to help him out if he’ll stop using her phone to break up with her boyfriend. Deal made.

As the girls help clean up Daphne’s apartment, Brandon shows up for a visit. Kiara tries to shut it down, but Daphne pulls her away and Brallie finally get some alone time. He gives her the guitar, and Callie describes to him her ultimate apartment, complete with a keyboard for him and other cutesty coupley ways for them to share the space. Brandon grabs the guitar and sings her a little ditty he wrote for her, which naturally turns into an full-out make out (maybe sex?) session.

When the girls return to the house, they discover the paramedics are there to take away Cole, who overdosed on his street hormones, causing a seizure that led to him hitting his head. Callie admits she knew about the hormones and believed they were safe. Rita says that even if they were alright drugs, Cole should have been aware of the side effects, and that’s why a doctor’s important for prescribing hormones. The girls bark at Callie for not taking the home and her responsibilities seriously and ask her what she’s really doing here when she’s got a family that cares about her.

Steph and Lena continue their product placement-laden quest for a new car (if it’s not a Toyota it’s not okay). Lena suggest they just take Steph’s dad’s gift, but Steph’s still not having her father’s trademark gift giving to make up for bigotry (but it’s a Toyota Steph! Apparently the best car in the world!). Lena thinks this may be a good opportunity for Steph to make up with her father, but the fight is interrupted when Lena receives the news that she can indeed still get pregnant, only the older she gets the less her chances for success are, so it’s “now or never.” Without ever consulting Steph, Lena agrees to prenatal vitamins. Welp, if we ever thought they’d run out of plot lines they’ve certainly taken that off the table.

Rita sits down with Callie for a serious, ‘I get you’ chat. She insists Callie stays away from people because she’s scared, and Callie’s abrasiveness basically proves her point.

The idea that Callie ruins good things because she’s afraid she’ll lose them isn’t exactly news, but I guess she doesn’t hear it as much as we do. Cole returns home, and tells Callie that even though his parents were informed he was in the hospital, they didn’t show. I didn’t think I could like The Fosters even more after last season, but I’m really glad Cole’s character has been introduced. There’s some really important stuff here, and I’m glad this story’s getting told. Callie hands her phone to Rita and announces she’s ready to commit to the group.

To finish the episode off, Steph visits her father, but from the second the door’s open and he’s not in the kitchen you know he’s dead (that or I’m a terrible pessimist when it comes to TV). Steph walks into the living room where she believes he’s fallen asleep watching football, but when she fails at waking him up her reaction is heart breaking. 

The promo for next week’s episode confirms the passing and also seems packed with another round of overwhelming drama. Looks like Brandon will finally realize this relationship is causing Callie to sacrifice her well-being, Callie will admit she wants to return home, and Steph discovers Lena has decided to take prenatal vitamins without ever informing her wife. As far Mariana goes, still no actual screen time in sight, but at least she’s kinda doing okay for once. As always, can it be next Monday already?