The Fosters Season 4 Episode 7 Review: Highs & Lows
Jasmine Blu
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Let's just get the cringe-worthy out of the way, shall we?
Does it get any more awkward than Callie and AJ being caught rolling around in the hay by Mike and Brandon?
That has to be pretty high up on the list of embarrassing moments. Kudos to Mike for being the "cool" dad and managing to diffuse the situation quickly and efficiently.
That delightfully painful moment was about as light and comedic as The Fosters Season 4 Episode 7 managed to get. Tensions were high and the storylines were heavy in this latest installment.
There were so many emotional moments to unpack.
Somehow the episode managed to seamlessly fit in not one, but two individual drug-related storylines. An overwhelmed Mariana taking Jesus' Adderall to deal with the stress of STEAM being one. A usually reserved and at times anxious Jude taking weed, being the other.
I can honestly say the Mariana one didn't surprise me. In fact it felt a bit redundant. Hasn't Mariana had an issue with taking Jesus' pills before? I felt like we covered this storyline with her already. Yet, given the history of both of her birth parents, it's something they could realistically revisit many times.
Emma: Are you alright?
Mariana: I still have this headache.
Emma: Maybe it's empathetic pain. What? You know like twintuition.
The meds made her more high strung and bordering on manic. It was definitely a change of character and everyone noticed. Emma in particular. I was relieved when Mariana confided in Emma that she took them.
Emma may not always be the best and most supportive girlfriend with Jesus, but she has proven to be a great friend to Mariana. Sadly, despite the headaches and Mariana promising to leave them alone, it doesn't look like she will. Mariana probably won't stop until one of the Moms notices.
Callie: Hey!
Jude: Sup.
Callie: Are you stoned?
Jude: Uh, a skunk sprayed me.
Jude's situation is surprising. Sure, he had a decent time experimenting with edibles when he was with Noah. It just didn't seem like something he'd pursue recreationally on his own. Smoking pot before a test? No bueno!
It was difficult to empathize with him when he blew up at Callie. While many of the points he made were valid, he's still her little brother. I would have responded similarly if I was Callie. She didn't rat him out to the Moms, but she did have a necessary conversation with Noah's mom, Nicole.
We uh, we're selling the house.
Stef
Between being worried about Jesus' accident and processing the news that their home was going up for sale, I could understand why Callie reacted the way she did.
There couldn't have been a worse time to tell the kids that they were losing their home. Jesus was out of it, Mariana and Jude were both high, and Brandon was poorly managing a disruptive toddler.
The entire situation is such an unfortunate and difficult one. I can understand why Lena wants to save her parents, but I also get why Stef would feel like it's not their responsibility. The tension between them on the issue is subtle but there. Stef's mom selling her condo to help them out won't make things better.
Brandon: Where are we moving to?
Jesus: Why do you care you don't even live here anymore.
Brandon: Hey I lived here longer than you.
Jesus: Oh yeah? And now you're shacking up with your MILF.
Jesus has easily become one of my favorite characters on the show. That is not something I would have said two season ago. He has really grown and developed as a character, and it has served him well.
Jesus covertly working on the garage in an effort to cover for Gabe was expected. Their relationship is new and complicated, but it's obvious that he cares about Gabe. Jesus is clearly protective of that and doesn't want Gabe to be iced out or end up on his Moms' bad side.
What shocked me was the serious nature of his injury! When the kickback on the nail-gun knocked him down, I was sure he just had a concussion. I had no idea he would be walking around the rest of the day with a nail in his brain! Jesus, Jesus, talk about a scare!
That easily could have went wrong. In fact, when he started incoherently mumbling and stringing together random words, I was genuinely worried we might end up with a tragic new storyline. There's never a dull moment with The Fosters and rarely a moment that doesn't involve a Kleenex or two.
I have been a huge Gabe fan since he first appeared. I'm genuinely rooting for the guy and love the fact he's being immersed in this family that he so desperately needs. That aside, I totally thought he had fallen off the wagon and was abusing drugs again. Would it have surprised anyone after all he's been through?
Its stupid for men to feel this way...I thought that when I got off that list that everything would be normal. But all I keep thinking about is how much of my life was wasted and how I'm not going to get any of that time back.
Gabe
It was such a relief he wasn't using, but the relief was short-lived when he begrudgingly agreed with Stef that he was suffering from depression. Gabe is such a compelling character and great addition to the cast. My heart broke for the man with that confession.
Given all of his experiences, it was bound to catch up to him and take a toll. The shame he felt being a man suffering from something like depression was so sad. There is already enough of a stigma placed on mental illness without having to deal with toxic expectations of masculinity thrown in.
Masculinity wasn't the only issue that came up in the episode. Motherhood played a role, too. It seemed one thing Mike, Brandon, and Stef had in common was questioning Courtney's parenting skills. Yikes! I'm not a Courtney fan, but even I felt for her after Brandon flipped out.
Stef: you have got to tell Courtney to get her kid under control.
Brandon: I'm not going to tell her how to parent her kid.
Stef: Someone should.
This situation is just not good for any of them. It was about time they brought Mike into the fold, but it sucks that so much happens with his kid and he doesn't have a clue until much later. I get how he can feel like the odd man out, and from the looks of it that won't be changing.
Courtney spilled the beans about Callie and Brandon. She may have made a point that Brandon feels like he's being unfairly blamed for everything. He's still behaving immaturely, though. It'll be interesting to see if Mike will do anything with this information or end up taking a passive role.
AJ: I know how much you care about people Callie, but maybe this time you should just..
Callie: What, give up?
Callie is completely incapable of making it through a season without pissing someone off. I watched, dumbfounded, as she once again put herself in harm's way and potentially brought danger to herself and her family. Not only does she go rogue and fly off the handle, but she never tells her moms what's going on until it's too late.
It is really sad about Kyle. The system is working against him and it's absolutely vile that this pedophile was able to take a deal and be scott-free. AJ may have a point, though. This might be too big for Callie, and she might need to let it go.
So what did you guys think about "Highs & Lows"? Is Callie going too far? What do you think will happen with the Foster home? Hit up the comments below and don't forget you can watch The Fosters online right here at TV Fanatic!
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
