As The Fosters winds down (sniff, sniff), I’m already beginning to think about my all-time favorite story lines. The twins navigating their relationships with both of their biological parents, Lena and Stef finally getting married, Lena and Stef dealing with Stef’s cancer scare, anything with Girls United, Aaron and his family, that time Brandon got high and Lena had to talk him down — ah, so many memories!
One thing I’m sure of: This immigration story line will definitely be on that list. Not just because it is so brutally emotional and thought-provoking, but also for one very surprising reason: It showcases just how far Callie Adams Foster has come. It shows us (and Callie) that she can stand up to the man and protect the less fortunate without putting herself in harm’s way or ending up in jail. Our Callie! “Let me go handle this pimp situation on my own†Callie! Who would’ve thunk it?
This growth is very much on display in “Makeover.†Callie sets aside her ennui over not getting into UCSD’s art program when she finds out that Ximena’s parents have been moved to San Diego and their deportation hearing will be in just a few days. Ximena is understandably upset: This hearing will determine the fates of her parents, herself, and Poppy. With that stress on her shoulders, all she wants to do is hug her parents, but she can’t. It’s all quite sad.
Ximena enlists Callie’s help in making another video about her family’s story — this time to illustrate their case that the Sinfuegos are good people who raised good children, they are not a drain on U.S. resources, and what ICE has been doing to their family is just plain wrong. Callie even has Brandon hop onboard to give the video some emotional heft through music! (This sends B on a little journey into discovering that maybe he’d like to pursue film and TV scoring, and it is very sweet.) Callie will do whatever she can to help.
While they perfect the video, Aaron asks Callie and Ximena to sit on a panel for the law school about the impact of social media in politics. Callie is a badass on this panel — I wish her moms could’ve seen it. Not only does she handle her first run-in with Aaron’s girlfriend like a boss (I mean, Amanda is very nice, so it isn’t hard), but she schools that Conservative Student Union leader on immigration case law like she’s been studying it her entire life. Aside from the magic that comes from realizing you’re watching a teen drama that is discussing U.S. immigration law, it is also moving to hear Callie speak about how she personally relates to Ximena. Growing up in the foster system, Callie could be pulled out of whatever home she was in without warning. She was powerless over her own life. And that is Callie’s whole thing, isn’t it? She is constantly fighting to find her power and dignity and help others find theirs, too. Guys, am I a Callie fan now? This. Is. Weird.
Aaron is impressed with Callie’s performance on the panel. So is Professor Kim, Aaron’s law professor. We can all see where this is going, right? Well, it takes one last push to move Callie in that direction.
At the deportation hearing, the video plays well. It is, let’s say, stirring. The Sinfuegos’ lawyer gives a nice speech about how they are a boon to this country, not a detriment. Things seem to be going in the direction the Sinfuegos want — they need a cancellation of deportation so they can attempt to get green cards — until the judge makes her decision. The judge agrees that the Sinfuegos are good people and don’t deserve to be unjustly harmed, which is why she is giving them 30 days to get their affairs in order before being deported. Poppy and Ximena are gutted. The Adams Foster family group hug they get upon their return is, for the first time, utterly useless.
The situation lights a fire under Callie. She is powerless to help the Sinfuegos, but she doesn’t want to feel this way anymore. So Callie goes to visit Professor Kim to see if he can help her appeal UCSD’s decision. Only this time, Callie isn’t applying to the art school — she is applying to the law school. What, like it’s hard?
It is the law of the universe that when one teenager does the right thing, another must be doing the opposite. This brings us to Jude.
During a streaming session, a commenter remarks that Jude looks like “a banker on vacation.†It is hilarious. Also, when Jude is a few years older, being called a “banker on vacation†will actually be a compliment. But that’s not the point. The point is that Jude finds it very upsetting and allows Declan to give him a Cool Guy Makeover (trademark pending). It basically means he puts Jude in skinny jeans. Voilà ! Jude looks cool. Even Lena calls him hot … but in a mom way, not a weird way. (Is there a not weird way for that conversation to go down?) Unfortunately, the kids at school are not so receptive to the new Jude and they torment the guy so much that he arrives at the next streaming session back in his old garb.
Declan is not pleased. Against Jude’s wishes, he brings up the makeover on the livestream and then forces Jude to change his shirt on camera. It is extremely uncomfortable to watch. It’s even more uncomfortable when Lena and Stef discover all of Jude’s inappropriate livestreams and confront him. Stef wants to call the whole thing off — Jude is giving predators an open invitation and she’s seen a lot of terrible things like this through her line of work. Jude pouts as Jude typically does, and Lena steps in to find a happy medium, as Lena typically does. Jude gets one more chance to clean up his act, otherwise they are pulling the plug on his gaming career.
Jude knows Declan won’t be happy about toning down the, as Taylor puts it, “not so G-rated†flirting. She suggests Jude talk to Declan, since he’ll know what to do. I mean, that kid seems like a punk, but what do I know?
Jude comes back to Lena and informs her that Declan won’t stream with him anymore, they’ve been dropped by the gaming company, and she’s ruined his life. You know, basic teen stuff. However, that evening Jude gets a text from Declan confirming that they’ll be streaming from Declan’s house. Jude is lying to his moms so that they can continue to work together. This is not going to end well. Get it together, Judicorn!
In other family news
• I really thought we were done with the whole Kyle Snow–Patrick Molloy–Detective Gray of it all, but, alas, it has returned. Since Stef wired Kyle and had him confront Patrick Molloy and almost bring down Detective Gray, Kyle has been harassed and stalked. He won’t leave his house. Stef secretly adds Patrick Molloy to a list of warrant requests she is writing up. She also lets Gray know that she’s watching him. Here we go again, I guess.
• When Callie tells Ximena that she can’t expect Aaron to wait around until she’s ready to be with him again, Ximena tells Callie that she would wait forever for her. This is getting very, very awkward.
• You guys, I honestly have no idea who Mariana should choose between Wyatt and Logan. They are both so sweet and treat her like the queen she is. I fear this whole thing is going to end badly for Mariana.
• It won’t be the only thing: Mariana is full, ahem, steam ahead on her STEAM internship application. She needs to come up with an idea for a robot fast and ends up getting inspired by the sketch of a maze she finds in Jesus’s room. We come to find out, it is Emma’s maze for her application. Did Mariana know this when she found the sketch? Should Emma just cut herself off from the Adams Fosters and never look back? Emma! Choose yourself!
• Brandon and Grace talk about how precious time is, especially as Brandon considers a future in Los Angeles. Grace is quick to remind B that yes, time is precious, but they also have a lot of it now that she’s getting better. She surprises him with tickets to Coachella for next year. This girl is a goner, right?