The Fosters 3×16 – EQ – Recap

Previously on The Fosters, Rita and Callie were at odds over a foster reform bill; drag racing blew Nick’s chances with Mariana; Monte showed a special interest in student Sally’s senior project; Jesus’ dreams of a relationship with his father were crushed; Mat and Brandon channeled their breakup-related emo-ness into a Romeo & Juliet rock opera; and, throwing it back to last August’s The Fosters 3×08, we learned about Rita’s strained relationship with her daughter and the fact that her ex-husband had committed suicide. Why flash back to something from so long ago? The trigger warning pertaining to suicide-related content that appeared before this week’s episode answers that question – and also applies to our recap of The Fosters 3×16, “EQ.”

The most important meal of the day

Sometimes, it takes a while for the episodes of this show to relate back to their titles, but that wasn’t the case with The Fosters 3×16. In the opening scene, Stef tells the kids over breakfast that she’ll be teaching an emotional intelligence (or “EQ”) class as part of the police department’s youth outreach program, then goes on to drop the bombshell that AJ will be staying with them for a few days while Mike’s out of town. (Remember how Jude was conspicuously absent from the previous episode? Stef reveals that he’s on a school trip, so AJ can sleep in the room Jude usually shares with Jesus.) Callie proceeds to drop a bombshell of her own about dating AJ, which Brandon overhears because the Foster house has zero.damn.walls. and whoever walks in on a conversation is always the very last person who should be hearing it. Brandon’s dating Cortney, so there’s no reason for him or Callie to be upset that the other is seeing someone, buuut they both kind of are. I can’t help but see the contrast with the secretive nature of the Brallie pairing here – it must be a welcome change for Callie to feel she has the option to be open with Stef and Lena about who she’s seeing.

Meanwhile, Nick’s trying to salvage things with Mariana, but she’s not interested, as illustrated in this hilariously blunt exchange:

Nick: “Still mad at me?”
Mariana: “Still an idiot?”
Nick: “Go out with me again!”
Mariana: “No!”
Nick: “Why not?”
Mariana: “Because you’re a douche.”

Mariana goes on to tell him that he has no emotional intelligence. Well, at least we know she was paying attention at breakfast – after all, they say it’s the most important meal of the day.

Sidebar: Who else thinks that weird, soft, cajoling voice Nick’s using is about 90 percent less charming and 90 percent more creepy than he intended? I keep trying to find things to like about him and falling short. Actually, here’s something: When Jesus gets blitzed off his ass, Nick makes sure he gets back to the Fosters’ safely – but Callie and Mariana are on their own when it comes to getting Jesus into the house. The next day, Mariana apologizes to Nick for assuming he’d been drinking with Jesus (actually, Jesus simply called Nick to get a ride home). Nick uses the situation to his advantage by parroting some of his recent research into emotional intelligence and concluding with, “Now that I’ve raised my EQ, how about another date?” …Gross.

Something bad

Speaking of characters I don’t like, Monte can’t help but include a passive-aggressive reference to distancing herself from Sally’s community garden project to avoid “perceptions of impropriety” before she tells Lena that some students don’t think Romeo & Juliet is an appropriate choice for Brandon’s senior project because the titular characters commit suicide. Brandon’s enraged (“Are you kidding me? It’s Shakespeare! It’s called tragedy for a reason!”), but the issue brings up a larger question of how far is too far in terms of applying trigger warnings. Mariana thinks that adding trigger warnings “to every book or play that could be upsetting to someone” would impede students’ ability to think for themselves, but would she feel differently if someone in her life had attempted or committed suicide? If a worrying voicemail left for Callie by Rita’s daughter Chloe is anything to go by, Mariana may find out the answer to that question sooner than she thinks.

The following day, Callie’s concern for Chloe leads to her visiting Rita, who explains that her daughter habitually uses threats of suicide to get attention and money. “Trust me, she is not going to kill herself, and nothing is going to change unless she changes,” Rita tells Callie firmly. “I thought that maybe since Chloe’s dad killed himself, you wouldn’t want to take any chances,” Callie snaps. Wow, she’s really crossing all kinds of lines with Rita lately. The conversation quickly becomes less about Chloe and more about Callie and Rita’s disagreement over Callie becoming the poster girl for Senate Bill 3301. Never one to let things go, Callie visits Chloe, who says she lost her job and needs somewhere to stay before asking Callie for money.

Back to the Romeo & Juliet debate. When Brandon finds out that Sally is one of the students campaigning to stop the play from going forward, he rips up her petition. In response, she accuses him of glamorizing a serious teen issue, then reveals her best friend’s sister killed herself. Brandon ends up in the principal’s office, and Monte declares that the students should be the ones to decide whether the play goes ahead or not.

In front of the honor board, Sally makes an emotional, compelling argument against romanticizing suicide, then Brandon counters that the play isn’t about love at all – “It’s about two rebellious, impulsive teenagers making really bad choices.” Just a wild guess, but I’m thinking his soured relationship with Callie has a lot to do with the way he currently views the play.

While the honor board votes against Brandon, Callie ignores a call from Chloe, who hangs up and contemplates a bottle of pills. Later, Callie checks her voicemail, hears a drugged Chloe admitting she “did something bad,” and calls an ambulance. Chloe survives, but her suicide attempt is a wake-up call for both her and Rita, and the mother and daughter decide to go to counseling together. Rita also attempts to mend fences with Callie, telling her, “About that foster care bill, we’re gonna have to agree to disagree, but know that even when I disagree with you, Callie, I am so proud of the amazing young woman that you’re becoming.”

Responding appropriately

Between Lena’s issues at school and Stef’s struggles with the members of her less-than-engaged EQ class, the moms decide a stiff drink is in order, but they get an unpleasant surprise: Someone’s been watering down the vodka. “Should we get [the kids] together?” Lena asks. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m a cop – I’m gonna dust for prints,” Stef responds grimly. Luckily, Gabriel saves her the trouble by showing up at the front door, an inebriated Jesus in tow.

With Foster’s Law in full effect (yup, I’ve given it a name now), the worst possible person – Mariana – comes home just as Gabe’s leaving. What a way to meet your birth father. Stef grounds Jesus indefinitely and takes what she calls a tough-love approach by spelling out that Gabe doesn’t want a relationship with him and ordering him to attend her EQ class. “I realize you’re having a rough time … but Jesus is not the only one who’s not responding appropriately,” Lena chastises Stef, “and that’s not coming from a critical place, it’s coming from a place of tough love.” At the next class, Stef approaches the topic of emotional intelligence in a more authentic and personal way, and the attendees respond more positively.

“I know that all of you have had something bad happen to you, and you’ve been hurt, disappointed, and angry, and you probably haven’t reacted in the smartest of ways, but that’s why we’re all here – to help each other become more self-aware and learn to express ourselves in healthier ways.”

Speaking of not responding appropriately, Mariana letting a boy she hasn’t known for long lead her into a deserted warehouse owned by his father probably isn’t the safest course of action – but it’s pretty funny when Nick’s aspirations of teaching her how to hoverboard are scuppered by Mariana being more accomplished at it than he is. He has another idea: She should sing something from the play. Her performance blows him away (did you know Cierra Ramirez sings in real life?) and he suggests holding the play at the warehouse. “You’re totally my hero!” Mariana exclaims, and they kiss.

In the final scene of The Fosters 3×16, Brandon re-hangs posters advertising the play around the school and a tearful Sally heads to Lena’s office. This time, however, it’s not the play she’s upset about – it’s her claim that Monte kissed her…