By: Ava Rogha
The Fosters (2013 – 2018) is a family drama that tells the incredibly exciting life of two foster parents, Lena Adams (Sherri Saum) and Stef Foster (Teri Polo) who have welcomed five children into their home. This dramatic show explores plenty of important themes: from politics to romance, from sickness to health, and it even educates you on the American high school system and foster care. Additionally, all of these themes are portrayed in such a realistic way, that you get to live the characters' lives for five whole seasons!
This family started with Brandon Foster (David Lambert), Stef’s biological son who has been raised by Stef and Lena for as long as he can remember. His relationship with his biological dad, Mike (Danny Nucci) – who used to be Stef’s ex-husband, is not the best at the beginning of the show, but season after season, they form a stronger bond.
Brandon is the perfect child, who would never betray his parents’ trust. He is wise and artistic, and he has been playing the piano ever since he was five years old, with big dreams of attending Juilliard once he graduates high school.
Then there’s the twins: Jesus (Jake T. Austin/ Noah Centineo) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) , who bring you a lot of drama, trouble and humour throughout the series with their playful and youthful characters. The twins were adopted by Stef and Lena when they were five and have been raised by the couple ever since.
"We're okay. It's okay."
Just when Stef and Lena thought their house was full of love and warmth, they are introduced to their new foster children: the siblings, Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Jude (Hayden Byerly). The kids have been moved around in foster homes for as long as they can remember. Callie and Jude lost their mother in a car accident when Callie was ten, and six years later, she and her brother have finally found a safe place to live. But, when it comes to the actual adoption process, the siblings have to overcome unforeseen obstacles in order to live safely with the Fosters.
"The Fosters are my family and nothing's gonna change that."
We may have learnt that Brandon’s the perfect child, but that changes once he lays eyes on his new foster-sister Callie Jacob. This causes trouble for both teens, and that is a definite setback in Callie’s adoption process. Read more about their forbidden romance at https://reviewland123.wixsite.com/website/post/the-fosters-modern-day-romeo-and-juliet.
As the show progresses, the audience learns that the twins, Mariana and Jesus, were peacefully raised by their mothers, with no connection to their birth parents. However, the twins start looking for them at the age of 15. But their birth-mother, Anna (Alexandra Barreto), is not at all what they expected. In fact, it turns out she’s been using ever since the twins were born. However, as the twins are desperate to get to know her better, Anna uses that opportunity to take advantage of them financially.
In the meantime, Brandon is trying to get his birth-dad off of his alcohol addiction. His dad takes Brandon’s request seriously and tries everything to get better, including dating way younger women who are willing to put him on the right path…perhaps even young enough to be sexually attracted to Brandon?
"I need you to let me go."
Brandon is a kindhearted 16 year old who is willing to put everyone else’s needs before his, even if it means that he might get himself in trouble. He’s the perfect gentleman, which leads to older women taking advantage of him. You might find yourselves feeling mad at Brandon due to some of the choices he makes, but it's his kind heart that makes you care for him.
This family is full of secrets and as they slowly unveil, Stef and Lena do everything to protect their children from any harm and pain. And it definitely helps that Stef works for the San Diego police and Lena is the vice-principal at their high school, Anchor Beach Charter.
The Fosters are your ideal family, they make mistakes, but they stick together through thick and thin. And what makes this family even stronger, is that they do not judge one another, no matter what they’ve done. Their differences really teaches you that it's not blood that makes a family. It's love!
"Trust us, or trust this. That no matter how tough things get, that we're never going anywhere. Never. I promise you that."
What makes this show really worth watching, is the number of storylines that are told during each episode. The Fosters explores the characters' lives carefully, and I’m sure you will end up having your own favourites by the end of the show!
And if you love the show as much as I do, you can look forward to the spinoff called Good Trouble, which follows Callie and Mariana’s adulthood. Don’t worry, you will reunite with the rest of the characters too!
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