The Fosters is by and large a family drama with the major twist lying in the fact that this family not only includes five children, but five teenagers. Family drama, meet teen television! Of course how this family should include so many kids hovering around the same age is explained by the many smaller twists that comprise the set up for this incredibly unique series:
Steph and Lena are a lesbian couple raising Steph’s biological son from a previous marriage, Brandon, their adopted twins, Mariana and Jesus, and new fosterlings Callie and Jude. They are foster kids… get the title now? Oh no wait, Steph’s last name is Foster… Get it?!
Add to this uncommon family set up issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, foster child trauma, drug-addicted biological parents, and weird near-incestuous foster sibling attraction, and what comes out is an interesting, generally progressive ABC Family drama.
The show has to be at least somewhat inherently progressive. You can’t focus the camera lens so intensely on these two mothers’ relationship without defending their human right to collect this family of eclectic misfits.
But what really stands out in this series, aside from the necessary diversity that results from telling a story about these characters, is the way in which issues arise and are talked about. Because anything that might come up gets a conversation.
Conversations about being black between a black mother and her bi-racial daughter. Conversations about being gay between a lesbian and her republican father. Conversations about what makes a family between foster parents and kids. Conversations about what makes you Latina, parents or parentage?
On top of teen issues galore (sex, dating, friendship, humiliation) come these issues closely tied to parentage and family, not to mention discussions of mixed-race families, questions about sexual orientation, and conversations disclosing sexual assault. Serious issues that all require some serious attention, and get at least a little bit.
All the issues get some time to be talked over, and these aren’t the feel-good talks of a Full House dénouement. They aren’t always the clear-the-air talks releasing potential harm from bottled up emotions, à la Parenthood. This is a melodramatic series – perhaps more so than many teen dramas whose protagonists don’t have these unstable family histories to draw on for character development.
But there isn’t a topic that arises that is not discussed in a way that gives credit to the validity of personal experience. No one is brushed aside as less than real or human – although many perspectives may be questionable or selfish – everyone (except I guess a couple of real villains, and possibly that alcoholic lady) is whole.
Maybe that is what makes The Fosters feel so progressive – not because of two moms and their understanding (realistic) attitudes towards teen sex, but because characters, flawed as they are, are flawed in that incredibly human way that lets you see their inner struggles.
If the show itself has a flaw (aside from the TERRIBLE pun in the title) it is, for me, the character of Brandon and his incredible, mind-numbing selfishness (perhaps he inherited a little too much self-righteousness from his 90210 namesake?). But like all poorly conceived plot lines, his issues will (surely) pass, and Mariana’s adorable sassiness will get me through. Plus, for teen drama aficionados, stick with it for a chance to see Dance Academy‘s Jordan Rodrigues wearing his best American accent!
