The Fosters Recap: Paternity, Pills, and 'Playpen' Mag

Get out those tissues, Fosters fans, it’s an emotional week. When we left of last week, Callie had turned up at her father’s door. Now she claims the visit was ‘to know what he’ll say to Jude,’ though we can see it’s Callie who wants answers. Her father, who seems much more broken than sinisted, explains he needed a job and a place to live before he could try to get them back. He asks her to give him a chance and she storms off, weeping “You’re too late.” Oy, this episode is going to be a sharp kick in the gut. Cue the cozy images of home life!

When she returns home, Callie makes up a lie about why she missed her group session, then gives them both hugs before heading off. Fun fact: this is not the first or nearly the last time Callie will cry and be affectionate in this episode. Callie asks Jude if he’s sure he wants to see their dad, and also what he’s hoping their father will say. Jude says he wants a chance to say goodbye, and Callie tests the waters, asking what Jude would do if their dad wanted them back. He seems slightly apprehensive, but mostly on the Stef/Lena side of the fence.

In a less heartbreaking subplot, Jesus, who is secretly back on his pills, tries to move into Brandon’s room because he “can’t concentrate”. Mariana tries to stop him, but Stef shuts him down once and for all, telling him Brandon will need the room when he moves back one day.

Meanwhile in Brandonville, Brandon thanks Dani for the money we now know she definitely gave him and promises he’ll pay her back. Dani says the money was a gift (900 dollars as a gift? Damn, Dani, what is your secret agenda?). She tells him to start playing piano again, and I was about to wander if Dani might actually be nice, but that scene where she sexually fixed Brandon’s jacket has got to factor in one day. All in all, there is something sketchy up with Dani. Luckily, Mike tells her he doesn’t want her to move in because he doesn’t want Brandon to feel like he has to share him as well after having to share Stef and Lena with all his siblings. Dani’s not thrilled.   

Also not thrilled is Mariana, whose close-but-no-cigar almost-BF Zac is “home sick” from school the day after their first kiss. She and Brandon then share a pretty cute little catch-up moment where she tells him to come on home before Jesus takes his room. It’s nice for Mariana and Brandon to share a conversation, as I’m not entirely sure that’s ever happened.

Jesus, who is clearly not doing too well, struggles with his algebra class. He asks the always adorable Emma for help, but she declines.

He then petitions Mariana to help him get his own room and also trades his healthy lunch for a Lunchables, so we know everything’s plummeting downhill. But it’s nowhere near how far Mariana’s life is going to plummet! Zac’s mom shows up at school, and tells her that Zac is actually “love sick”, and needs cheering up. What the hell is going on? She seems sweet enough, but Zac’s got to have a reason to be so concerned. Cue the intrigue.

Lena and Stef meet with Timothy, who explains he’s agreed to be their sperm donor because he believes that they’re the kind of parents who should be bringing kids into the world. Stef understandably wants him to sign a contract that says she and Lena the parents. They also don’t want the kids to know he’s the donor. Timothy’s on board, so let the baby-making begin!

 

Stef runs into Mariana on the way out, her mission cloaked in secrecy since they haven’t told the kids about the baby yet. Also, Line of the Night goes to Stef for, “I don’t need more game, I have plenty of game.” We can confirm you definitely have game Stef, no worries. Mariana asks if she can go to Zac’s for dinner, but Stef wants all the kids home tonight so they can have a chat. Mariana explains Brandon can’t come anyway since he’s grounded. Stef is not to pleased to have not known this before. 

 

Callie, forever on a quest to make amends with Daphne, visits her at work. Daphne doesn’t understand why Callie wants to salvage the relationship, and accuses her of thinking Daphne’s always going to be the perpetrator when something goes wrong. However, Callie’s done fighting and just wants to talk to a friend about this predicament with her dad. Daphne sits down with her, and Callie opens up about how she believed that when she visited she was going to just tell her Dad to leave them alone. Actually seeing him changed her mind, and now she says she doesn’t want Jude confused by all their father’s talk of wanting them back. Daphne points out the obvious; it seems Jude’s not the one who’s confused. I could have told you that by the very first scene, Callie darling.

Stef confronts Mike about grounding Brandon without her permission and keeping the money issue a secret. She demands to be consulted about every decision Mike makes. When she gets home, Lena tells her very overwhelmed wife that she’s ovulated and she doesn’t want to take any chances with waiting. Stef’s not sure this is the best plan of action, but realizes that Stef does so much for others and now it’s time for her to have something for herself. They decide move forward immediately, just as long as Timothy agrees to not have any parental rights when the baby is born.

Time for the worst dinner ever! Mariana shows up to Zac’s with flowers, Zac’s mom is still super nice. However, the dinner is weirdly intimate and candle lit, with Zac’s mother growing more and more manic as the night goes on. She asks Zac to dance with her, but her happy mood dampens when Zac gets mad at her for calling him Zachary. She sits down at the table and asks who made dinner. Zac’s explains, “You did, Mom.” Oh no. There is no way this is going to end well. His mom tries to cover it up as a joke, but the night keeps getting stranger. She serves the kids wine, then toasts to the two year anniversary of Zac’s father walking out. Zac reminds her it’s been ten years, to which she responds, “It feels like two.” It turns out his mom’s behavior is the reason he was so humiliated, but Mariana assures him it’s okay and that she likes his mom. They kiss and everything seems to be back to normal! Hooray! Countdown till it’s all ruined again.

In their room, Jude asks if Jesus wishes he had a dad. Jesus joins him for a little bro-bonding, reminding him of what happened to him and Anna and telling him to be careful. 

But it’s Callie who needs to be careful as she shows up once again at her father’s apartment. She asks why he’d stopped writing, and he explains he thought the kids would be better off without him, since he felt ashamed of what he’d done and thought the kids would blame them for ‘murdering’ her mother in his drunk driving accident. Callie swaps stories about her life and stints in juvie, and when the reminiscing is done, her father agrees to tell Jude whatever she wants him to.

Brandon comes home to Dani redecorating his entire room (as what one can only assume is part of her evil agenda). Brandon tells her she probably shouldn’t have done that since he intends to move back home eventually, but Dani tells him that as long as he and Callie aren’t living under the same roof she’s not sure why they can’t have a relationship. Brandon explains his dad wouldn’t be down with that, and Dani says “leave him to me. He’s down with more than you think.” Great! This sounds healthy.

At a cozy family breakfast, Jude tells everyone he’s not sure if he wants to see their dad anymore. Callie has changed her tune and tells Jude she thinks he should see their father. Later that day Brandon runs into Callie and she divulges that she visited her dad. Brandon asks why, since he already agreed to sign away rights. 

Callie knows this, but the rights will only get signed away if that’s what she and Jude want and it seems that decision hasn’t quite been made. Brandon tries to talk her out of this, but she walks away. Don’t do it, Callie!

Stef and Lena try to plan their baby-makery (side note: Stef in this episode is absolutely wonderful in her delirium and distraction with Playpen magazine). Timothy then comes over to do his baby making thing, and all systems seem a-go. Stef and Lena leave to go cuddle and make out, as well as re-affirm my belief that they are legitimately the most adorable couple on television.

In a moment of unfortunate timing, Jesus comes home to try to find more pills after running out at school. However, he runs into Timothy, who tries to explain he was having a parent/teacher conference.

 

Jesus knows parent/teacher conferences don’t usually involve cups of sperm, so Stef and Lena finally sit the kids down and tell them that they’re trying to have a baby with Timothy as the donor. Stef explains she and Lena want the kids to be on board with it, and that “it’s really important to Mama.” Not to you, Stef? Hm, better rethink that answer.

 

Remember when things were going well for Mariana? Lol. Mariana chats lovingly with Zac, but after they hang up she receives a disturbingly abusive, threatening phone call from Zac’s mom, who calls her a whore and tells her to stay away from Zac. If Stef and Lena win ‘Cutest Couple’, Mariana definitely wins, ‘Least Lucky in Love.’

Jude and Callie finally get a semi-supervised visit from their dad, and it’s just as weepy as you were expecting. Jude holds out the pocket knife he cherishes that used to belong to his grandfather, but their father doesn’t seem to remember it. 

He gives them the papers terminating this right so that they can get adopted, and tells them he wants them to know how proud he is to be their dad and that nothing will ever change that. It’s an emotional, tearful goodbye, and when Jude asks if he can give his father a hug, it’s genuinely a touching moment.

Outside, Callie thanks her father for saying what he did to Jude and for signing the papers. He tells her he said he would do whatever she wanted, and it turns out Callie had called him last night to tell him this really is what she wants. Even though he had previously planned to fight, he realized she was right, and caps off the night with the sweet/sad quote, “I’ll always be your dad, I’m just not a parent” He departs with, “You two take care of each other, okay?” To which Callie replies, “We always do.” It’s a defining moment for Callie, and it’s nice to know this won’t be the big, agitating cliffhanger for the first season. Speaking of which, how dare there only be two episodes left before the Fosters breaks for the season? The wait between Mondays is hard enough!