The Fosters – Safe

By starrymag | June 28, 2016

By: Taylor Gates

 

This episode picks up right where the last one left off. The entire family gathers in the living room for a family meeting. Immediately, Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) and Jesus (Noah Centineo) start bickering because they’re 16-year-old twins and that’s what they do. They argue about whether they really Nick is in possession of a gun and the fact Mariana kissed Mat goodbye until Stef (Teri Polo) orders them to get along, for the love of god. Mariana starts getting anxious, worrying that Nick could possibly come to their house, but Stef reassures everyone that the entire San Diego PD is squad goals and will catch Nick in a jiffy.

 

Stef tells everyone to keep the doors locked and hand over their technology so they won’t be tempted to look at all the gossip infesting the world wide web. The kids are all, predictably and understandably, appalled. Lena (Sherri Saum) encourages all the kids to talk about their feelings about the lockdown.

 

Stef throws massive shade at Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Brandon (David Lambert) by telling them all to keep their doors open and the two teens stay behind. Stef says she’s too exhausted to deal with that mess at the moment and orders them to go to their rooms for the night/for the rest of their lives.

 

Lena is worried the technology ban is a little extreme, but Stef disagrees. She’s worried that if Nick tried to contact Jesus or Mariana, they would try to handle it themselves. This is kind of valid considering every single one of their kids has done something illegal and lied to their faces about it at one time or another. Stef places a hand on Lena’s knee, telling her everything is going to be okay. I melt into a puddle on my couch.

 

Brandon goes to the garage to get his keyboard, unlocking the door with the key on top of the light literally two feet away from the door. Those Adams Fosters are so sneaky. The camera pans up to see Nick (Louis Hunter) sitting in the upper part of the attic. Yikes.

 

Callie is chilling in bed when someone sneaks up behind her. It turns out just to be AJ (Tom Williamson), wanting to chat about the rumors on Fost and Found. Mariana walks in, demanding to know what AJ means. Mariana, Callie and AJ sit in the bathroom with the shower running, singlehandedly causing California’s drought. Mariana tries using AJ’s computer to log into Fost and Found, but she can’t get in. Mariana gets frustrated, saying Justina is ruining Callie’s reputation and stealing what they created, but Callie harshly orders her to drop the subject.

 

Mariana stomps off, leaving Callie and AJ. AJ tells Callie that he should have believed her when she said it was over with Brandon, as he and Cortney (Denyse Tontz) looked awfully cozy on Brandon’s birthday. AJ tells Callie that, whenever she’s ready, he’s here for her.

 

The family is trying to have a nice, G-rated movie night, but instead everyone is at each other’s throats. When Stef gets up to make more popcorn, she sees the garage door opening and closing shut, as the wind is whipping around. She goes to investigate, but finds nothing.

 

Back in the living room, Lena is fed up with everyone talking during the movie. She tells them if they don’t want to pay attention to the little animated worm’s adventures, they can just go up to bed.

 

Stef goes up to the bedrooms to search the house again. She’s spooked by a creepy metronome, but there is no sign of Nick.

 

Poor Callie is scared in bed, AGAIN, this time at the hands of Brandon. They sneak into his bedroom because doing the opposite of what Stef tells them to do is their favorite hobby. Brandon wishes the moms would just address their behavior, but Callie is more concerned about the next step. She’s worried they’ll reverse her adoption, but Brandon tells her she has to stop thinking nobody wants her.

 

Stef comes in and tells Callie to go back to her room because that was literally her only job that night. Brandon decides that the middle of the night sounds like the perfect time to talk about his situation with Callie, but Stef disagrees. Brandon announces he’s helping Cortney move the next day and Stef can’t keep them locked up.

 

Jude (Hayden Byerly) hears the commotion and Stef accidentally shines a flashlight in the poor kid’s eyes and almost blinds him before going to tuck him back in. Jude asks Stef is she ever dreamed about her dad after he died, and Stef tells him about the “Padre” episode dream—she and Frank were sitting in the living room watching a Padres game and reminiscing about the first time Stef saw snow and mistook it for dust.

 

Jude admits he had a dream about Jack (Tanner Buchanen), who told him he was still in the system and nobody wanted him. Jude asks Stef if he thinks dreams are a way those that have passed away try to communicate with the living. Stef honestly says she doesn’t know, but the day she buried her dad it snowed right there in San Diego. Stef says she’s sorry for all the loss Jude has already had in his young life and the two exchange I love you’s.

 

Stef leaves, hearing a rustle in the attic on the way to the bedroom. She tells Lena she thinks there are rats up there before breaking the news that Callie and Brandon were having a little powwow in the bedroom. Lena tells Stef to take a little chill pill because she’s positive nothing is happening between the two anymore. Ever the optimist, Lena assures Stef they’ll figure this out just like they do everything else. The two plan to keep it a secret from the other kids, because the last thing they need is more sibling drama.

 

Of course, the very next scene is Callie confessing to Mariana that she and Brandon did get it on. So much for keeping it under wraps.

 

The next morning, Stef hears a report that Nick was possibly spotted in his car. She and Lena agree to relax the rules a bit and Stef goes to the attic to take care of the rats. (By rats I mean actual rodents in this case. Not Justina Marks.)

 

Jesus asks Stef why Brandon gets to leave the house, as the car is gone. Stef—the definition of “so done”—abandons the rat project to ambush her son.

 

Around the breakfast table Jude asks Lena if they could find out where Jack is buried. He wants to visit Jack’s grave and Lena promises to try and find his aunt’s phone number.

 

Mariana gasps while getting out of the shower in a very Psycho-esque scene. It turns out to just be Callie brushing her teeth. Mariana admits that, while the fact she and Brandon did the nasty while she was at the cabin grosses her out, she has no room to judge considering the history of her sexual escapades.

 

Mariana is determined not to let Justina (Kelli Williams) get away with stealing Fost and Found. Callie remembers she does have a picture of a check Arbiter made out to Justina. Mariana states this proves Justina works for them, thus making her liable for Jack’s death. Ethically, this could really hurt her.

 

Lena calls Jack’s aunt, but she informs them the state cremated the body. It would cost her $400 to pick up the ashes and she doesn’t have that kind of money. Plus, she and her sister weren’t close and she hadn’t even seen Jack since he was a baby.

 

Lena goes to talk to Stef, who just got done searching the attic and determined the noise she heard much have been the wind. The two discuss where Jack’s body might be and the camera pans over to Nick hiding in the closet.

 

It’s clear Brandon and Cortney having been moving more body parts than boxes. The two are naked in bed together, relieved they don’t have to worry about anyone walking in on them anymore. Ironically, about two seconds later Brandon spies Stef through the window while he’s on top of Cortney. Awkward, much?

 

AJ, Mariana, and Callie set the plan to get Fost and Found back into motion. Callie calls the website company, pretending to be Justina. The man on the other line asks her security questions she needs to answer in order to reset her password (hello, Snakey the Snake) and she eventually answers them all correctly with a little help from Daphne.

 

With this information, Mariana uses her computer skills to reroute all the traffic from Fost and Found to a site called Justice for Jack. They plan on sending a link to lawmakers in California in order to stop Justina’s bill. Exhausted, Mariana heads upstairs to take a nap.

 

Back at Cortney’s house, Brandon is pulling the “I’m an adult now” card and Stef is having none of it. Brandon argues that he and Callie weren’t real brother and sister and she ignored him when he professed his love for Callie. He tells her they don’t tell her anything because she never listens and wouldn’t understand. Stef shoots back that he knew what he was doing was effed up and he’s being held responsible because Callie was in a vulnerable position. She tells him to get home, but Brandon pulls a Jennifer Hudson and tells her “there’s no, no, no, no way he’s going.” Brandon says, legally, he can live wherever he wants and he’s going to move in with Cortney. Stef is half hurt, half “bye Felicia” at the news.

 

Nick finally makes an appearance, sneaking into Mariana’s room. He covers her mouth and orders her not to scream. Nick begins to rant about how there are voices in his head and how he hates everything and everyone, including himself and Mariana.

 

Lena and Jude arrive home, Jack’s ashes in tow. Jude timidly asks Lena if he could bury them under Frankie’s tree; Lena responds that sounds like a lovely idea. Stef gets home, telling Lena that Brandon is moving in with Cortney. Lena face palms at the fact Stef went over to her house.

 

Meanwhile, in Mariana’s room, Nick is telling her about how his dad physically abused and humiliated him, just like Mariana humiliated him. He briefly points the gun at her and she begs him not to hurt her. He promises he won’t, instead aiming the gun at his own head.

 

Callie hangs out in Jude’s room, the two talking about their fear during the lockdown. Jude admits he misses Connor and Jack, asking why back things keep happening.

 

Mariana pleads with Nick not to hurt himself. Nick asks why he shouldn’t—he’s all alone, after all. Mariana says that he has her in his life, bringing attention to the fact she’s still wearing the necklace he gave her as proof she loves him.

 

Lena and Stef continue arguing about her walking in on Brandon and Cortney when Mat knocks on the door. Stef gives him permission to go upstairs and check on Mariana.

 

Callie accepts Jude’s apology for calling her a liar, giving him a forehead kiss and going to the bathroom. She spies Nick’s reflection in Mariana’s mirror, running to the hallway and whispering to Mat to go get Stef.

 

Nick rants about how he’ll end up in jail for setting fire to the warehouse, his father doesn’t care about him and the pain is never going to stop. Mariana promises the pain will stop if they’re together, but they can’t if he hurts himself. She starts crying, saying she needs him and doesn’t want him to leave her alone. She beckons him to come sit with her.

 

Stef walks into the bedroom, where Mariana is cradling Nick’s head on her lap, the gun behind her. Stef grabs the gun and takes out the bullets, putting the safety on and slipping it in her back pocket. Stef hugs Mariana, telling Nick everything is going to be okay.

 

The family watches from the porch as the police escort Nick to the cop car. Jesus tells Nick goodbye before resting his head on Stef’s shoulder.

 

Mariana is slumped down next to her bed when Jesus comes to join her. She wonders out loud what would’ve happened had Nick shot himself in her bedroom. She doesn’t know how she got him to stop from hurting himself—she just kept talking until he cried in her arms. Jesus gives her a hug, telling her everything is okay.

 

Lena watches from the kitchen window as Jude and Callie bury Jack’s ashes. Lena tells Stef she wants to invest in a house alarm and Stef soothes her fears saying they’re all safe now. Lena asks what they’re going to do about Callie.

 

Jude finishes burying Jack’s remains. “Now you have a home,” he says, looking up to the sky. Callie gives Jude a hug and she and the moms make eye contact through the window.