The Fosters 3×02 was a timely episode, considering Father’s Day is this weekend (if you haven’t bought a gift, there’s still time!). Read on for our recap.
The third Sunday in June
In a family with multiple fathers and father figures in the mix, one thing’s for sure: Things are bound to get complicated on the third Sunday in June. Sure enough, when Callie invites Jude to go out on the Quinn family’s boat with her half-sister, Sophia, he’s not exactly enthusiastic about the idea. When Stef suggests Jude take part in the family tradition of celebrating Father’s Day with Mike, Jude asks to invite his biological father, Donald. Now it’s Callie’s turn not to be thrilled, but in the interests of fairness, Jude gets permission. Meanwhile, Mariana‘s planning to spend the day over at her grandparents’ bakery, where she’ll finally get to meet some of the other members of Ana’s family.
Over at Idyllwild, Brandon continues to clash with nemesis Kat, who’s less than complimentary about one of his compositions, declaring his melody “anemic,” his rhythmic statements “mundane,” his intervals “reductive” and the whole piece “jejune.” Not sure what most of that means, but I think it’s safe to say ouch. Back to the drawing board.
Remember how Callie got fired from her job at the youth center after allowing runaway foster kid AJ to crash there for the night? She hasn’t told Stef and Lena yet, but she opens up to Sophia. AJ’s ears must have been burning, because in the middle of the conversation, Callie gets a call from him. He’s in juvie for tagging, but he wants her help – and asks her to check out a local skate park. She tells him to lose her number, but it doesn’t take long for her to head over to the skate park with Sophia in tow, where she finds some graffiti of the made-up superhero logo that she and AJ bonded over in The Fosters 3×01. What’s the over-under on how long it’ll take for her kind heart to trump her anger toward AJ?
Just one beer
That night, Brandon’s composing in the dark while the other Idyllwild kids party outside. He agrees to “just one beer” and a short break from work, but we all know that’s probably not going to happen. Kat catches sight of him and he expects her to chastise him, but she encourages him to do tequila shots instead. I sense a hangover in Brandon’s future. They end up having a good time, and a drunken Kat asserts that Mozart said love is the soul of genius, so in order for their musical partnership to work, she needs to love him. Oook. We’ll see if she sticks by that in the morning. (Spoiler alert: She doesn’t, and she’s so irritated by Brandon’s alleged lack of talent that she asks for a new partner.)
The following day, Stef and Callie visit AJ in juvie. AJ’s wary of Stef’s cop uniform at first, but after she asks about his missing brother, he opens up and explains that they wanted to run away to Arizona together – but the plan hit a snag when his brother failed to meet him as planned. “If he didn’t show, it’s because something happened to him,” AJ insists. Stef promises to see what she can do. Back at the Fosters’, she suggests that Mike take in AJ as a foster child. “Me?!” Mike exclaims. “Yeah, why not you?” Stef counters. Aaand… end scene.
On the Quinns’ boat, Callie presents Robert with a Father’s Day gift: a photo she took and framed. She also calls him “Dad” for the first time, which I’m guessing was the best gift of all in his eyes, as well as one of several very sweet moments in The Fosters 3×02. It’s not all smooth sailing for the family, though; Sophia, who’s on medication after admitting she wanted to die last season, makes a concerning statement about how her mom will be happy after she isn’t around to worry about anymore. Uh-oh. Later, Sophia tells Callie that she suspects her parents want to send her back to the hospital because they’ve been whispering behind her back. It turns out that their secret has nothing to do with her: They’re separating and Robert is moving out.
Secrets & admissions
Mariana’s Father’s Day plans aren’t exactly going as expected either. She’s embarrassed to show up at her grandparents’ bakery because she’s the daughter of the black sheep of the family – and she tells Ana how she feels. Meanwhile, Jude’s going through a similar situation at Casa Foster, and he handles it with about as much tact. Connor and his dad are coming over, but Jude informs Donald that there’s nothing to worry about because they don’t know Donald was in prison. Oh boy. Outside, Connor has an awkward paternal interaction of his own when he tells his father that Jude doesn’t want Donald to know they’re dating, and Adam says “The fewer people who know, the better.” SIGH. How long is it going to take for you to leap aboard the Jonnor ship like the rest of us, Mr. Stevens?! It’s The Fosters 3×02 – it’s been long enough!
Back to Ana and Mariana: Somehow, Ana manages not to take Mariana’s comment too personally, and she says that while she deserves to feel embarrassed about what she put her family through as a result of her addiction, Mariana shouldn’t be ashamed because she’s “pure and innocent” – phrasing that makes Mariana feel guilty about losing her virginity to Wyatt (yup, Callie’s ex-boyfriend) on the beach in the previous episode.
Mariana: I’m a terrible person and I feel like a slut.
Ana: Don’t you ever say that about yourself. … What do you say that we go to this party together and trust that we can be forgiven for making mistakes?
…And now I like Ana a little more.
In which Donald & Robert rock, but Adam still sucks
At the Foster house, the Father’s Day lunch is predictably awkward – especially after the conversation turns to what Donald does for work. Thankfully, Brandon’s late (and hungover) arrival acts as a distraction. The powder keg that is Connor’s father dealing with his son’s sexuality manages to stay contained – at least until Adam learns during a kitchen conversation with Lena that Connor is out at school, and promptly storms outside to confront Connor in front of everyone.
Adam: So the whole school knows you’re gay?
Stef: What does that matter, Adam?
Adam: Because I happen to care what people think, OK?
Donald: About you or your son? It seems like it’s his business who knows.
Adam: Do you want your son getting bullied too?
Donald: No, I want my son to be proud of who he is. Getting bullied at home is worse than anything he’s going to face out in the world.
…Aaaaand now I like Donald a little more too, which is why it sucks when Callie arrives home with Robert and the two men awkwardly shake hands.
Once Donald leaves, Jude points out that Donald was there for Callie when Robert wasn’t. After Jude walks away in a huff, Robert echoes the sentiment, telling Callie that her mother’s death was an accident and everyone makes mistakes. Everyone including you, Robert? Yup, he duly admits he cheated on wife Jill, hence the separation. “I am not a better man than Donald – I’m just luckier,” he concludes. Damn, now I like him a little more too! Happily, Callie runs after Donald, catches him right before he’s about to board his bus, wishes him a happy Father’s Day and gives him a big hug. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Back at Casa Foster, the kids present Lena and Stef with flowers – a perfect ending to The Fosters 3×02.
Mariana: Even though it’s Father’s Day…
Brandon: We wanted you to know…
Callie: That we are grateful for all of our mothers and fathers but mostly…
Jude: We’re grateful for our parents.
Stef: That sounds like a card! Did you rehearse that?
Jude: Mariana made us.
Awww.
Oh, and remember how Mike was so incredulous about the idea of fostering AJ? Guess who decides to do just that at the end of the episode? Of course, while Mike gets his foster license, AJ’s going to live with the Fosters, which is all well and good until you consider the fact that AJ is responsible for Callie losing her job at the youth center… and her independent study… and her chance to graduate on time. I wonder how long that secret will stay hidden…
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