The Fosters - Recap: Don't Speak

Ultimately, I'll be shocked if the reason Mike (Danny Nucci) is secretly meeting with Ana (Alexandra Barreto) is all that scandalous, as this is often a show that indulges in swerves, where melodrama is concerned. For example, we were teased in the season finale with the possibility that Brandon (David Lambert) might never play piano again after Vico's attack. But it was hardly an issue when we returned. Sure, there was the possibility that he'd never play as well as he used to, but almost from the moment we returned in the season premiere, it was made clear that Brandon would still be able to play. This isn't to say that the show always has these fake-outs, or that I don't ultimately prefer the fake-outs to whatever story they might have come up with, since I was never really all that interested in seeing an entire season of Brandon trying to redefine himself without the piano. But I do think this penchant for fake-outs will be employed again as it relates to Mike, since I just don't know that, even with his history of alcoholism, there's a scandalous reason for him to meet with Ana that is in any way in line with his established character. That said, what the hell is Mike doing with Ana? Why is he visiting her, and keeping it on the DL? This is the big question "Truth Be Told" left in its wake, but it's far from the only thing worth noting, as The Fosters delivers another solid outing.

Credit: ABC Family

The story isn't really centralized with one main plot. We get check-ins all over the place. For example, Sophia (Bailee Madison) drops by to deliver a jacket she bought for Callie (Maia Mitchell), who is touched by Sophia's thoughtfulness even though it's kind of apparent that the girl is really over-the-top in her affection for her newfound big sister. But while Callie has gained one sibling, she's losing another, as Jude (Hayden Byerly) still refuses to speak. A remorseful Connor (Gavin Macintosh) approaches Lena (Sherri Saum) at school and admits that his father thinks Jude is gay, which is why he isn't allowed to sleepover anymore. Connor wants to help Jude in any way he can, but there isn't much anyone can do. Hell, even a motherly pep talk from Lena -- in which she assures Jude that her love for him is unconditional, and that there's nothing he can't tell her -- doesn't do the trick. But Jude is shocked back into expressing himself once Callie returns home after a particularly disastrous day. She tries to consummate her relationship with Wyatt (Alex Saxon) even though it means risking the violation of her parole (which seems like a pretty gross, invasive rule to institute, even if I understand, in the abstract, why it was implemented). However, when she and Wyatt get down to it, Callie has a panic attack and forces him off of her, claiming she can't breathe. Although she promises Wyatt he did nothing wrong, he remains unconvinced. But not even Callie really seems certain why she freaked out. At work, she tells Daphne (Daffany Clark) that she thinks she might still be in love with Brandon, but it isn't until she sees someone who looks like Liam that she recognizes the origin of her panic: residual trauma from her rape by her former foster brother. In remembering her trauma, she tearfully seeks Jude's help, writing him a text about Liam that appears on the TV he's using, which finally breaks Jude out of his shell -- even if he still doesn't speak.

Okay, so that was kind of a rambling recap, but it's mostly in service of condensing quite a large story into its thematic components. Jude's has an issue he literally will not speak about, whereas Callie has an issue that she literally cannot explain. For one, it's a choice not to speak; for the other, it's a sense of powerlessness that robs them of the ability to name what's wrong. Perhaps Callie was just blocking out what happened with Liam, or maybe she just assumed she was over it enough to begin having a regular sex life with Wyatt, only to discover she isn't ready at all. It's hard to say for sure, and it's harder to contrast it without knowing what's eating at Jude. Callie assumes it's because she met with Sophia, but I have a hard time believing it's that simple. Then again, I also would find it strange if it has to do with Connor too. I mean, why would he suddenly decide that now is the time to be upset about Connor, especially after returning to something resembling a normal friendship in "Play"? I think Callie and Jude are often mirrors of one another, and these storylines suggest that they remain crucial to one another's well-being, even if only one of them recognizes this.

Credit: ABC Family

At the very least, they're more loving siblings than Jesus (Jake T. Austin) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez). The twins get into a row when Mariana, on the suggestion of the jealous, territorial, hypersensitive Hayley (Caitlin Carver), decides to tell Emma (Amanda Leighton) that Jesus has moved on. Jesus flips out, as he was essentially playing both sides until he could figure out a way to let one of them down gently. The show never once asks us to view this as anything other than a terrible idea, even though Jesus means well in wanting to keep either girl from getting hurt. That said, he chose a lousy way of going about it, as he delayed giving an answer to Emma's proposal that they get back together, while also stalling Hayley's suggestion that they finally go public with their relationship. It's a love triangle, and Mariana is caught in the center as the moderator of all the drama. Her position on the dance team is at stake, as is her friendship with both girls, which puts her in an understandably awkward spot. However, Jesus rationalizes that this has nothing to do with Mariana's moral high ground, and everything to do with being a "sheep," trying to blend in with the other girls on the dance team. While the racial connotations aren't made explicit, the use of the term "sheep" could also be a reference to Mariana's desire to make herself appear more white. Sure, she recognized last week that her being chosen for the dance team had nothing to do with her race and everything to do with being the vice principal's daughter, but that doesn't mean that race doesn't still weigh heavily on Mariana's mind. The fact that she hasn't dyed her hair back is evidence enough, I'd think. This Mariana/Jesus story is kind of shallow on the surface, but I think it has the potential to flower into something really special if these questions of identity gradually come to the fore, as opposed to remaining mostly on the periphery.

After all, I find it more interesting than the interminable business of Brandon's guilt over having slept with Dani (Marla Sokoloff). She tries to warn him against coming clean to anyone about what happened between them, since Mike will know that Brandon wasn't screwing her so much as he was screwing his father for all the times he let him down. It's this sense of internal conflict that leads to Brandon sampling a pot brownie while on a writing excursion with his bandmates. In his stupor, he calls Lena and, after a fairly comical series of scenes depicting Brandon's slow detoxing process, spills the beans about sleeping with Dani. Naturally, this is a difficult position for Lena, as she can't exactly keep it a secret from Stef (Teri Polo) the way Brandon wants her too, but she also risks the complete and total destruction of her family if she doesn't keep the secret. As Brandon explains, Stef just might go berserk on Dani. And who knows what Mike will do once he finds out? He could fall off the wagon, turn violent, or even cut off all ties with his own son. So what does Lena do? It's a predicament similar to what Stef faces. She could let sleeping dogs lie and stop investigating Ana's disappearance, but she can't let go of the idea that Mike had something to do with it, especially now that a Jane Doe has turned up matching Ana's description. Implored by Dani to look into it for Brandon's sake, since they're all going to be dealing with the Mike situation one way or another, Stef tracks Mike down to a motel and follows him to the room he ducks into -- only for Ana to open the door. So...what the hell is Mike doing, exactly? That would be the million dollar question, although I'm not entirely sure if I'm as interested in the answer as the show wants me to be. But that's only because I find myself rolling my eyes at most stories having to do with Mike.

Credit: ABC Family

But even a Mike-heavy mystery doesn't prevent "Truth Be Told" from being a damn fine installment of The Fosters. The show has really found a rhythm with its characters this season to where this feels like an organic, functional family. Callie and Jude feel as if they've always been a part of this clan, and it speaks volumes for how far the show has come that the ensemble feels this natural and lived-in. It's a huge boon to the storytelling, as it's easier to become invested in Brandon detoxing with Lena, or Callie and Mariana hanging out in their room together, or Jesus wondering how they can help Jude, since they all feel like people who genuinely care about each other beyond whatever interconnected story they're facing in a given week. I think it's a strength that will carry The Fosters forward for the foreseeable future.