So this week’s episode of The Fosters mainly takes place in the Adams-Fosters’ backyard during Mike and Ana’s engagement party. The party, of course, provides the backdrop for the three major storylines to unfold. There’s a resolution to the Mike/Ana/Gabe love triangle of sorts, an answer to whether Jesus and Emma are actually engaged, and more headway on Callie applying to art school. There are also a couple of scenes here and there that appear to be setting the scene for the midseason finale. I’m always a fan of the episodes where the whole family is just in one room (or backyard), and we just get a chance to watch the drama unfold.
The aptly titled episode “Engaged” features Brandon throwing Mike and Ana an engagement party where secrets are revealed. Mike and Ana’s relationship hasn’t been conventional, to say the least. From Stef’s fear that Mike killed Ana to Mike letting Ana stay at his place while she was pregnant and their eventual engagement, these two have come a long way. Despite how they got here, everyone still comes out to support the happy couple. Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the impending nuptials. Jesus, for one, has been trying desperately to get his birth parents back together ever since Gabe moved into the garage and learned Gabe has only ever loved Ana. Of course, Jesus doesn’t know about Cortney, but I digress. I’m not sure if it’s Jesus’ desire to see his biological family reunited and whole again or if it’s due to his traumatic brain injury, but he continues to meddle in his birth parents’ lives. So for better or worse, Jesus finally convinces one of them to confront his or her unresolved feelings for the other. What happens after that I can’t reveal, but I can tease that one character makes a decision that will affect others moving forward. I’m also pretty sure viewers may have strong feelings, not about what happens, but how the situation is handled. Now after being super vague, I can share that there’s a really great scene between Brandon and Mike as Brandon gives a toast. We haven’t really gotten to see much of Brandon and Mike’s relationship over the past few seasons ever since Mike began fostering AJ. It’s a nice moment and a reminder that no matter how crazy everything gets or was, Brandon and Mike are family and they love each other.
After being missing from last week’s episode, Jesus reappears and, boy, is he busy. Besides interjecting himself into his birth parents’ relationship, his and Emma’s “engagement” is also addressed. Whether they are actually engaged or not is the million dollar question though. Jesus firmly seems to believe they are as he only decided to go back to school after Emma “accepted” his proposal. Stef and Lena, however, have no idea what to think. The moms want to believe that Emma has a good head on her shoulder, but they can’t be sure. Would Emma really agree to something so outrageous or is it just Jesus’ imagination? This and a thousand more questions are swirling around them as they try to find a way to deal with the situation and get to the bottom of what’s actually happening. The fact that Jesus gave Emma an actual ring doesn’t help matters. The only unknown or question mark, so to say, is Emma. From what we saw, she said she couldn’t see herself marrying someone if they didn’t finish school. Did that mean she was agreeing to marry Jesus if he came back or was it just a vague statement intended for the future, like I can’t see myself marrying someone who does this or has that? The whole situation is complicated and messy, but things do get cleared up this episode. Not everyone is happy with the clarification though. I have to wonder why Jesus proposed in the first place. Is it because of his traumatic brain injury or wanting to seize the day after learning about Gabe having regrets when it comes to Ana? Personally, I think the realization about Gabe and Ana was a driving force behind the whole proposal, but it’s his traumatic brain injury that caused him to make this decision. Just like his lack of impulse control and being easily triggered, I think his actions are due to the injury.
Callie, meanwhile, continues her journey of self-discovery and applying to the art program at UCSD, but there are a couple of bumps along the way. The biggest hurdle comes with her questioning her ability as an artist. We’ve seen her confidence waiver during the art critique of her self-portrait, and like she told Aaron during their hike, when other people doubt her, she, in turns, doubts herself. I mean we all have a fear of failing and being rejected, but we can’t let fear hold us back. However, this is harder for Callie with everything that she’s been through. From bouncing around the foster care system and repeatedly ending up in juvie, she grew up feeling like she wasn’t good enough and disposable. So it’s harder for her to believe in herself because no one ever believed in her until she came to stay with the Adams-Fosters. She ends up finding support from an unlikely ally that I really hope gives her the courage to stick to her original plan. It’s been difficult in the past to relate to Callie, just because of the extreme risks she takes. I’ve wanted on more than a few occasions to slap some sense into her, but this season her storylines have been really relatable. She’s going through normal teenage things like relationship problems and applying to colleges, and it’s a breath of fresh air. It looks like she took Stef’s words to heart at the beginning of the season and finally getting her life together. I couldn’t be more proud to see how much she’s grown since season one, which is really why I hope the protest doesn’t mess everything up.
A couple of other little things are sprinkled throughout this episode, setting up for next week’s midseason finale. Mariana and Jude do some last minute campaigning to try to convince the students to vote against Anchor Beach going private. I’m assuming we’ll have an answer about the school’s fate in next week’s episode, but whatever happens will probably affect the school moving forward. There are also a couple of short scenes concerning Jude’s offer to get paid for video games without Taylor. While it seems like a decision is made, I think this storyline in the midseason finale may end up going in the opposite direction. With Anchor Beach having its prom next episode, viewers get to witness an extremely awkward promposal. Like it could have been cute, except the worst person to show up in that moment does. I got a good laugh out of it. And last but not least, there are some scenes surrounding the protest. Based on everything we’ve learned so far (i.e. Ximena’s immigration status and the plan to get arrested), things could go south for Callie and the others if the protest gets out of hand. So I’m sure next week’s episode will be deal with any fallout, but I’m really hoping Callie doesn’t end up arrested. She barely got off the hook for the breaking and entering, the hit-and-run accident, and the whole prostitution/kidnapping fiasco. This girl has nine lives, but she’s applying to colleges right now. Getting arrested and sent to juvie once again would definitely implode her plans to attend UCSD next fall.
So don't forget to watch an all-new episode of The Fosters when it airs Tuesday, August 29 at 8 on Freeform. Before you comment below, here are a few of my favorite quotes from the episode:
“Under the sea?” / “Masquerade?” / “Mardi Gras?” / “Okay, you all have very low opinions of Prom Committee if you think we’re that unoriginal.”
“How long are we going to let Jesus think that he’s engaged? I mean, I say we go in there right now and tell him that he’s not getting married. He is going back to school, or I will arrest him.”
“Chips, salsa, pizza, cookies. Is this a birthday party for a five-year-old? All you need is a clown.”
“Where shall I set up the bar?” / “Uh, well there is no bar.” / “What?” / “Well for one, dad and Ana are in recovery…and two, I can’t buy alcohol. And I asked for your help but you didn’t want to run any errands. So you can help me roll these into these napkins.”
“Where’s the bar?” / “There’s no bar.” / “It’s a good thing you always tell us we don’t need alcohol to have fun.”
“Well can I see them? Just to make sure they’re as bad as you think they are.”
So comments below and let me know what you think. How does the whole Mike/Ana/Gabe love triangle resolve itself? Are Jesus and Emma really engaged? Who does Callie find support in? What developing storyline are you most excited for the midseason finale?
