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Last night the Foster family said goodbye… until January 2014. The finale was a beautiful display of love and affection from the characters we’ve grown to love all summer long. Check out our recap for a look at what storylines will keep us hanging until January.
January suddenly feels years away, not months.
The season finale of ABC Family’s, The Fosters, was a true event that touched upon the complex issues we’ve followed the family through all summer long. Stef’s hesitations to marry to Callie’s feelings for Brandon to the truth about the shooting all culminated against the backdrop of Stef and Lena’s wedding. It was beautiful, realistic, and heartbreaking, not only because the Fosters has left us until January, but because some of our beloved Foster family hang in limbo and their future remains unseen.
What stories will have us counting down the days until the show returns in January? Technically, all of them, but for recap’s sake, let’s get more specific.
Photo Credit: ABC Family
Lexi is leaving America, unaware she won’t be returning.
She and Jesus have continued their relationship – although he put a stop to any further sexual action – but she won’t be back anytime soon. After blackmailing her parents with their illegal status, they’ve managed to turn things back around on her. They told their daughter, her grandma was sick and they needed to go back to Honduras to visit. Whether she is or not has yet to be seen, but her parents have no plans of returning stateside. Heartbreak is in Jesus’ future. Not to mention that Mariana will lose her childhood best friend.
Mike wants Stef to lie about the shooting.
It didn’t take long for Stef to confront Mike about what really happened during the shooting. She maintained that Mike did nothing wrong. The gun may have been on the ground, but Anna’s boyfriend hadn’t raised in arms to surrender. While Mike may be right on a technicality, he doesn’t believe their boss will see things that way. He says he’d rather come clean and let Stef pretend that she has no idea what happened. After all, she has the family to take care of.
Liam was found not guilty.
Despite her lawyer’s suggestion that Callie lie and say the sex was consensual in hopes of putting Liam away because of their age difference, she chose to tell the truth. Liam raped her. She knows that and he knows that, but unfortunately the court didn’t see it that way and he was found innocent. However, the look of heartbreak and pride from Lena and Stef when Callie chose to tell the truth was one of the most beautiful moments of the episode.
Photo Credit: ABC Family
Stef confronted her marital issues.
In one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the episode, Stef confronted her father about his hatred of her sexual orientation. She was so hesitant about getting married that it brought distance between she and Lena. Examining her feelings led her straight to her father where she told him there was a voice in her head telling her that marrying another woman was wrong. She decided she was done feeling guilty about his beliefs and she was going to marry the woman she loved.
She also advised her father not to come to the wedding unless he 100% supported their marriage. Unfortunately, he didn’t show. Will these two ever work through their issues? Will he ever accept who his daughter is?
Callie and Jude are going to be adopted by the Fosters… except Callie’s in love with Brandon.
On the day of the wedding, Callie pulled Brandon aside and thanked him for believing in her when she didn’t believe in herself. (Since she wasn’t adopted yet, I can still ship it, okay?) The two shuffled feet toward one another as Brandon told her that she deserved to be happy until they were finally in one another’s arms and kissing like their life depended on it. It was perfect… until Jude busted them.
Photo Credit: ABC Family
Callie broke the number one foster rule. If Stef and Lena find out, it’ll ruin everything. Instead of letting everything get ruined, Callie soaked in the familial atmosphere at the wedding and then disappeared into the night, assuring that Jude would get the life he’s always wanted.
What about Callie? She’s moving to Indiana with Wyatt, who’s being forced to go live with his grandparents. Whoa!
And the hands down best moment…
Lena and Stef got married!
These two may fight over normal things that couples fight over, but they love one another even harder. After Stef confronted her father, she came home and made sure that Lena knew how much she wanted to her. How sexy was that post makeup scene?!
Even sexier? The moment when Lena pulled Stef into the bathroom, unbuttoned her shirt, and touched her gunshot wound, vowing to make her peace with it and accept every part of it. That is what love and marriage is all about.
Photo Credit: ABC Family
At the wedding, Lena’s father gave a beautiful speech that I wish I could recite here, but I was too busy crying every time I watched the scene to copy it down. It made me so gleefully happy, not to mention proud that America is slowly seeing the light when it comes to gay marriage. Watching Lena and Stef get married was like watching my own family get married. I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a television couple so damn much.
And if that didn’t cause enough tears, Marianna dancing with her two moms to Macklemore’s Same Love and the rest of the family joining in – THIS IS WHAT LIFE IS ALL ABOUT, PEOPLE. Those moments when you’re surrounded by those you love and doing exactly what you want and knowing that life just couldn’t get any better. It was a beautiful moment of love, acceptance, and peace. If you weren’t crying, you’ve probably missed everything this show is about.
I, for one, cannot wait to see what marriage brings Lena and Stef and their children.
What were your favorite parts of the finale? What story are you most anxious to see play out when the show returns?
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