The Fosters Get Something To Celebrate, For A Change

We can probably all agree that, since its midseason return, The Fosters has been...dark. Callie's been removed to a group home where she literally cannot stop breaking the rules. Jude's hoarding food. Stef and Lena have been forced to take out a restraining order to keep one of their sons from making further sexual advances — reciprocated advances, but still — upon one of the kids they want to adopt and make his sister. As much as I appreciate the show's commitment to realism, and that its producers resist the urge to force fake happy endings, I was also grateful that this week's episode (which, full disclosure, was written by our own Megan Lynn and her writing partner, Wade Solomon) allowed the family a rare moment of joy.

While there's other heavy shit happening — Lena contemplating pregnancy but not being able to raise the issue with Stef; Stef's not-cool-with-the-gay-thing dad trying to mend fences in an extremely dad way, by bringing over a new car for the family, though Stef's not having it — the centerpiece of the episode is the titular Family Day, which brings Jude and all the Fosters to Girls United to see Callie for the first time, now that she's finally earned her privileges back. Everyone's nervous about it: Brandon thinks Callie has been sending hostile replies to his texts (in fact, it's Cole, who claims he's trying to protect Callie from herself); Lena and Stef are not sure they weren't right about the restraining order in the first place; Callie, despite having applied for an independent living program, still seems uncertain about how her life should ideally proceed, even if it may seem extremely obvious to any adult that this Brandon business has got to stop.

Most nervous, though, is Jude. In advance of the visit to Callie's group home, Stef and Lena have reiterated to him that they still want to adopt him. They also hope to adopt Callie, but by this point (and even before they know about her independent living application), they've accepted that Callie may no longer want to join the family; Jude needs to decide whether he wants Lena and Stef to adopt him if Callie chooses otherwise. This is a lot of pressure on a pretty young kid who knows how much Callie has sacrificed on his behalf; even if she went about it in a completely wrong-headed, short-sighted way, her running away in the midseason premiere was motivated by her not wanting to screw up Jude's chance at happiness with the Fosters because of her entanglement with Brandon. And when he gets a private moment with Callie, Jude tells her — even though it's clearly very hard — that he does want Stef and Lena to adopt him, proving once again that he's a lot smarter (or at least more practical) than Callie is.

Jude hasn't had a chance to have a serious conversation with Stef and Lena to let them know he will be happy to accept their offer...but then he doesn't actually have to. In a continuation of an earlier dispute about being respectful of "Jesus Time" in the room they share ("Jesus Time" encompassing shirtless self-photography, videochatting with llllllladies, probably masturbation at some point), Jude gets annoyed that Jesus Time is taking so long (no pun intended) and storms in, interrupting Jesus's conversation with Emma by throwing something at him. Lena and Stef separate the boys and explain to Jude that, though they are sensitive to Jude's charges — "Jesus kicked me out of my room" — they don't settle arguments with violence. But after he apologizes and leaves the room, Stef and Lena allow themselves a moment's celebration for the significance of what's just occurred. "He called it his room," Lena breathes. "He threw something at Jesus just like a real brother!" Stef squeals.

It wasn't until I watched it back that I noticed how much both Lena and Stef were trying not to smile while they scolded Jude for breaking rules. And amid all the sadness and disappointment that makes the show so real, it's nice to get a glimpse at how even interpersonal conflict can be a salutary sign of a blended family actually...blending.