In the wake of Jesus’s coma at the beginning of The Fosters season 4B, Stef and Lena gathered ye children around and gave them one simple rule: No more secrets. Okay, it wasn’t that simple … and also they removed all of their bedroom doors. But still, the Adams-Foster clan were told once and for all that honesty was to be priority No. 1 in the house. Naturally, this meant that the kids would keep even more secrets from their parents and each other, as is the nature of life (and television). Now, as we approach the season finale (flew by, didn’t it?) all of those secrets are beginning to come to light. Some play out much more effectively than others.
Take Callie for example: After a strategy meeting with her lawyers in which they dress Callie like a young, conservative girl (if looks could kill, you guys), Callie realizes her lawyers want to prove that Callie was manipulated by Kyle Snow, who, Callie is instructed to say, she now believes did actually murder Martha Johnson. As if the clothes weren’t bad enough, that last part really gets Callie close to flipping-a-table territory.
It’s why she finally reveals what went down in Troy’s car that day — that she had just received a call from Aaron telling her that they found a male relative’s DNA on the Martha Johnson murder weapon when everything went down. So, no, Callie won’t say Kyle was correctly convicted, because Callie knows it was Troy, and that’s why she fled the scene of an accident — to get away from a killer.
Everyone is pretty much in agreement that it’s kind of a leap, and also that Callie is on trial, not Troy. The phone call alone can go toward proving Callie’s state of mind while in the car, but it’s risky to bring up the fact that she was checking DNA on the down low. It’ll for sure bring up that she also had Doug Harvey’s DNA tested … which led to the fact that she broke into Harvey’s house to get that DNA sample. Not a good look when they’re trying to prove Callie’s youthful ignorance and naïveté.
Later, the mamas have their own news to drop on Callie. Stef has learned that when Kyle was arrested there was an illegal search done that turned up some evidence. It wasn’t admissible in court, but it gives him a solid motive and places him at the scene of the crime. In other words: There is a very, very strong possibility that Kyle did kill Martha and that he’s been playing Callie this entire time.
Well, that’s a big ol’ twist in the story right there. Callie, because she’s Callie, has to go and see Kyle for herself. Their meeting at Folsom Prison only makes things worse. Kyle is brought in and he’s covered in gang tattoos, including a teardrop under his eye. Sheltered Brandon Foster may not know what that symbol means, but most other citizens of this world and/or people who have watched television a few times know the teardrop tattoo means he’s killed someone. Kyle never outright says he killed Martha, but the almost-smile on his face when Callie asks him point blank pretty much says it all. And now, Callie could be going to prison because she tried to help this guy.
It’s a smart move on The Fosters part to flip this story on its head. The fact that Callie may have been manipulated this entire time is infinitely more interesting (and will certainly lead to deeper character development) than just allowing it to be another of Callie’s righteous crusades gone wrong. Regardless of whether Kyle or Troy (that guy still seems shady) is the guilty party, Callie’s worldview has been shattered once again. I’ll still be thankful when this whole dragged-out thing is over, but this development makes me like 10 percent less mad that this story line still hasn’t wrapped up.
Oh, and that whole paranoia about the prosecution realizing Callie got Doug Harvey’s DNA by less-than-legal methods comes to fruition. Detective Gray sends Stef security footage of Callie inside Harvey’s house. So, this trial should be super fun.
The other big secrets getting put on blast in “Who Knows” have to do with everyone’s favorite sex-crazed TBI patient, Jesus. Seriously though, everyone seems way too understanding when Jesus repeatedly brings up how unfair it is that he can’t have sex while on his medication. YOU ARE 16. YOU ALMOST DIED. TAKE THE MEDS. Yeesh. Parents of teenagers: How do you do it? Discuss in the comments.
The one adult who does seem alarmed by it all is Gabe. Yes! Hot/Sad Dad Gabe is moving into the garage with Jesus’s help. I’m happy to report that he is just as hot and sad as ever. Jesus’s speaking has gotten noticeably worse, and there’s a moment while moving Gabe in that Jesus gets very confused and can’t remember what he’s doing there. He lets Gabe in on his little secret: He stopped taking his meds because of the side effects… mainly the impotence one. Jesus thinks Gabe will be totally cool with keeping that secret from Lena and Stef because Gabe recently admitted to not staying on antidepressants due to all the side effects, even though he is obviously struggling with his mental health. Thankfully, Gabe is not cool with it. He’s not cool with it at all.
He outs Jesus to Lena, which is completely the right thing to do, but Jesus is angry. Jesus lets his biological father HAVE IT, and Gabe just stands there and takes it. Which, again, is probably the right play here since we all know Jesus is frustrated with everything and lashing out at whoever seems to be around. The big fight does, however, lead to a very nice conversation between Jesus and Brandon, who is around to witness the entire thing. Sure, it’s awkward to watch one teen talk to another about vVagra and “taking care of” his girlfriend, but the overarching sentiment — that Brandon knows Jesus will get through this — is touching. Also, who doesn’t love a brother hug?
Of course, it is just one more knife being twisted in anticipation of the moment when Jesus realizes Brandon was helping Emma keep her abortion a secret. A moment that is quickly approaching, by the way. Emma shows Jesus a screenshot of some anonymous Twitter account (we know it’s Mariana’s) posting about Anchor Beach being turned into a private school — a rumor that Jesus knows only the people in his house are privy to. He looks into the Twitter account and realizes it has to be Mariana’s. Eventually, he gets to Mariana’s old tweet about her BFF not telling her she’s pregnant. Jesus quickly puts things together (see, dude, you are smart!) and realizes the BFF in question must be Emma.
It’s about to go down, you guys.
In Other Family News:
• Does anyone care about this “Anchor Beach gets turned into a private school” thing? I guess Lena and Monte do? But no one else. NO ONE. Anyway, they go on a stakeout (!!) and discover Craig Stratos (of Nick Stratos fame) is funding the whole thing. This time, it’s personal. But also, still boring.
• Hey, at least all of Callie’s solo teenage detective-ing gone wrong has taught her something: When she discovers that Diamond has a cell phone from her pimp stashed outside Girls United (still can’t believe I’m writing sentences like this), her first instinct is to call Stef. I’ve never been so proud. Of course Stef then has Callie plant the phone and wipe her prints off it, which seems confusing lessons-wise, but … baby steps.
• Callie and Daphne aren’t always the best influence on each other, but I’m glad the show still highlights their friendship from time to time.
• Speaking of friendship, I, like Stef, get nervous when B and Callie are alone together, but admittedly, their little chat about missing their friendship was surprisingly aww-inducing.
• Mariana and Emma finally have it out over Emma keeping her abortion a secret. Thanks to an earlier convo, Mariana thinks Jesus would’ve wanted to keep the baby. She agrees that it isn’t really Jesus’s choice, but she does wish Emma would’ve at least acknowledged the fact that the twins were adopted. Yet again, The Fosters reminds us that most issues aren’t black and white. Here’s hoping they dig into this further.
• Mariana’s murky relationship with her birth mother has always been one of the more interesting and less explored ones on The Fosters. Mariana confronts Ana in a therapy session, but Ana feels ambushed and storms out, leaving a devastated Mariana behind. So, maybe, more of this and less of the “Stef busts pimps” stuff?
