In many ways, it feels that the show, while good, is still trying to get its footing when it comes to what it wants to portray and how it wants to portray it. In this episode, we once again talk about what it is like to be a lesbian, but in this episode there is communication about how being a lesbian effects families, especially when religion plays a role. Stef's dad is a religious man who just based on his daughter cuddling with a girl decided to bring a priest in and seemingly alienate his daughter from religion. However, with this man being her father, despite him not being fond of her choices, he remains her dad and you can tell she loves him.
Now, in terms of the topic of sexuality and religion, what I liked was they had someone who is conservative with their religious beliefs, and someone liberal with their religious beliefs. Realize though, while I split the beliefs between how religious Stef's dad and Lexi's parents are between conservative and liberal, it is more so traditional vs. open-minded. Stef's dad and Lexi's parents, Sonia and Ernie, sort of represent this transition in religion, with Stef's dad being Christian and Lexi's parents being catholic, of how the religious doctrine, and even the leaders, aren't necessarily as tied to a person's religion as their faith in a higher power. With Lexi's parents, they accept Stef and Lena's relationship for at the end of the day, they are raising a beautiful family, and have thus far done well. At the same time, they hold traditional values, be it cultural or dealing with religion, in which they want their daughter and Jesus to not have a lot of opportunities for alone time, much less temptation.
There is even a moment when the topic of sex and contraception could have came up, but unfortunately that was not gone into. Either way, it was quite nice to see a conversation really fleshed out for once on the show. But, it wasn't just the topic of religion and sexuality that was focused on, but also of loss. Wyatt, like many people, finds himself dealing with his childhood home being taken from him due to foreclosure and he goes through grief by destroying what he loves so that if he can't have it, no one can. Which seems to be the motto of someone else possibly, but I'm not really sure on that. Back to the point though, watching Wyatt and Callie dealing with a very serious issue, and seeing him and Callie interact, was a sort of golden moment on the show. For, to add onto characters really talking about what they've gone through, or at least allowing us to understand what they've gone through, we get a bit more out of Callie when it comes to being in foster homes, and even a bit into her past. With Wyatt we see and hear what it is like, to her, to be disconnected from a place and really only have whatever memories you can retain. Then, during a counseling session, we get to hear a bit from a girl named Sara who maybe at a place temporarily, but is finding the bliss to be all she has wished for. The duality of the issues Callie has gone through and this sweet girl, makes it so we begin to really get a more three dimensional view on what it is like to be in the foster system.
Their stories aside, as for Brandon and Mariana, I must admit that while they have their own stories and directions: with Brandon focusing on music once more as well as his dad's issues; and Mariana seeing Ana and trying to deal with normal teenager issues, I do find them to be almost out of place at times, especially Mariana. For, Brandon to me has a self-contained story which doesn't interact much with the others and seemingly may focus on the struggles of internal pressure and a dad who is seemingly falling apart; Mariana, on the other hand, I feel in comparison isn't given as much with her story with Ana. To me, Mariana is sort of the odd one out for outside of Ana, she hasn't really been given some type of arc or long term story yet. And while you could name the issues she is having with Lexi, compared to what the writers got for everyone else, she seems almost underdeveloped and hardly utilized.
Overall though, I quite liked the episode and feel like there is a bit more understanding between character and the audience with most of the characters. We understand Stef a bit more, due to her dad being involved; we understand Callie a bit more through Wyatt; we are reintroduced to Brandon in a way; and though Jesus really was just a pawn in a bigger game of chess, the situation he was in opened up a dialog. Hopefully, Mariana is given something more to do than being the young girl looking for something to do on a Saturday night, for the tone of the show doesn't really cater too well to ho hum normalcy thus far.
Now, in terms of the topic of sexuality and religion, what I liked was they had someone who is conservative with their religious beliefs, and someone liberal with their religious beliefs. Realize though, while I split the beliefs between how religious Stef's dad and Lexi's parents are between conservative and liberal, it is more so traditional vs. open-minded. Stef's dad and Lexi's parents, Sonia and Ernie, sort of represent this transition in religion, with Stef's dad being Christian and Lexi's parents being catholic, of how the religious doctrine, and even the leaders, aren't necessarily as tied to a person's religion as their faith in a higher power. With Lexi's parents, they accept Stef and Lena's relationship for at the end of the day, they are raising a beautiful family, and have thus far done well. At the same time, they hold traditional values, be it cultural or dealing with religion, in which they want their daughter and Jesus to not have a lot of opportunities for alone time, much less temptation.
There is even a moment when the topic of sex and contraception could have came up, but unfortunately that was not gone into. Either way, it was quite nice to see a conversation really fleshed out for once on the show. But, it wasn't just the topic of religion and sexuality that was focused on, but also of loss. Wyatt, like many people, finds himself dealing with his childhood home being taken from him due to foreclosure and he goes through grief by destroying what he loves so that if he can't have it, no one can. Which seems to be the motto of someone else possibly, but I'm not really sure on that. Back to the point though, watching Wyatt and Callie dealing with a very serious issue, and seeing him and Callie interact, was a sort of golden moment on the show. For, to add onto characters really talking about what they've gone through, or at least allowing us to understand what they've gone through, we get a bit more out of Callie when it comes to being in foster homes, and even a bit into her past. With Wyatt we see and hear what it is like, to her, to be disconnected from a place and really only have whatever memories you can retain. Then, during a counseling session, we get to hear a bit from a girl named Sara who maybe at a place temporarily, but is finding the bliss to be all she has wished for. The duality of the issues Callie has gone through and this sweet girl, makes it so we begin to really get a more three dimensional view on what it is like to be in the foster system.
Their stories aside, as for Brandon and Mariana, I must admit that while they have their own stories and directions: with Brandon focusing on music once more as well as his dad's issues; and Mariana seeing Ana and trying to deal with normal teenager issues, I do find them to be almost out of place at times, especially Mariana. For, Brandon to me has a self-contained story which doesn't interact much with the others and seemingly may focus on the struggles of internal pressure and a dad who is seemingly falling apart; Mariana, on the other hand, I feel in comparison isn't given as much with her story with Ana. To me, Mariana is sort of the odd one out for outside of Ana, she hasn't really been given some type of arc or long term story yet. And while you could name the issues she is having with Lexi, compared to what the writers got for everyone else, she seems almost underdeveloped and hardly utilized.
Overall though, I quite liked the episode and feel like there is a bit more understanding between character and the audience with most of the characters. We understand Stef a bit more, due to her dad being involved; we understand Callie a bit more through Wyatt; we are reintroduced to Brandon in a way; and though Jesus really was just a pawn in a bigger game of chess, the situation he was in opened up a dialog. Hopefully, Mariana is given something more to do than being the young girl looking for something to do on a Saturday night, for the tone of the show doesn't really cater too well to ho hum normalcy thus far.
