Music Monday: Brave by Sara Bareilles

‘Brave’ by Sara Bareilles continues my obsession with the songstress.  The song’s concept is not revolutionary; there are many songs telling people to stand up for their rights. But the catchy beat, playful nature and clear vocal talents of Bareilles makes this song a must repeat on my music players.  It is one of those songs that whenever it comes on,  I stop and dance (making the video more appropriate).  I live in a metaphorical box, so I didn’t discover the song until Bareilles’s new album was released last month (which, I highly recommend you listen to ). But now the song is getting a lot of mention recently because of comparisons to Katy Perry‘s ‘Roar.’ I personally think the songs have very different styles, but a similar message. Therefore, to me, the comparisons are ridiculous. However, I am glad that more people are hearing ‘Brave’ because of it.

Take a listen to ‘Brave’ by Sara Bareilles and try not to dance. You can’t. It’s impossible.

The Fosters Season 1-Episode 8-Foreshadowing & Speculating

The eighth episode of The Fosters foreshadows what happens in the summer finale, everything from Stef and Lena’s wedding to Mike probation over the shooting.  New viewers will not know how pivotal  ‘Clean’ is to the remainder of the first half of The Fosters season 1.  Which makes us wonder if there are other things foreshadowed in this episode to come.  So as we draw closer to the end of The Fosters rewatch, lets speculate on possible upcoming storylines hinted about in The Fosters episode ‘Clean.’

1. “Why didn’t you have kids?”

Lena’s ex Gretchen mentions Lena wanting to give birth to a child. Lena quickly responds that she already has children. But this makes us wonder if a possible storyline for later episodes of The Fosters could involve a sixth member of The Fosters clan. Maybe Lena will try to get pregnant by using a sperm donor. This could be another revolutionary storyline handled by The Fosters. No show, that I know of (though The New Normal had a similar storyline), has shown a lesbian couple trying to have a baby through a sperm donation.

The Fosters makes sure to not classify  a family by DNA, but maybe Lena wants a biological child.  It’s a natural desire. This possible storyline allows a discussion on the logistics of gay couples going through the process of one of them giving birth.  Personally, I would like to see this storyline, but it could have just been mentioned to show Lena’s ex believing Lena was not living the life she wants. But one can dream it’s a foreshadowing of a future storyline.

2. “I don’t think I’ve  ever even had the kind of pain he’s talking about”

In this episode, Brandon’s piano instructor tells him to play with emotions.  Nevertheless, Brandon believes he does not have the feelings his instructor wants from him. However, viewers know that Brandon has a lot of pain involving his father and his feelings for Callie.  Therefore, Brandon thinking he lacks pain may be a sign of him suppressing his issues, or the writers trying to tell us something. They may be telling us that a bigger storyline (not involving Callie or Mike) will force real deep issues to surface for Brandon.

As Brandon is the only Fosters’ character that I feel lacks some emotional depth, I would love to see a more intense storyline involving him. I even channeled my creative side to offer one:

Brandon begins dating a new girl. She’s a darker, wilder, more messed up version of Callie. He dates her after Talya and him breakup, and after he gives up on dating Callie.   Brandon’s new girlfriend stays on the show for at least five episode,  which should be enough time to get fans to like her, if done right.

However, The Foster family never  completely wants Brandon and her to last. Mainly because Brandon rebels a lot because of their relationship, and even experiments with drugs, steals, etc. But he never totally loses control. However, his girlfriend does.  Eventually, Brandon turns back into the model son, and he wants his girlfriend to take a similar path. She tries to, and it even looks like she’s becoming a ‘good girl.’  Then, one episode begins with Brandon getting a calling informing him that she has died, either by suicide or drug overdose.

The Fosters has covered very dark topics, but in realistic, emotional and relevant ways. This could take the show’s impact even further by covering teen suicide or teen drug addiction. I am unsure if The Fosters plans to give Brandon a darker storyline to help his emotional growth, but I would  love to see him tackle a storyline of enormous magnitude. David Lambert is fully capable of handling the material very well. One of the best things about The Lifeguard was seeing his acting during  the suicide scene.

So maybe I’m stretching my imagination, but I hope The Fosters ‘Clean’ foreshadowed a darker, emotional storyline for Brandon, and a Lena pregnancy one for The Fosters  season 1 part 2 or season 2. They already laid a trail of breadcrumbs that they could use to justify these storylines.

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 7-The Fallout of Foster System Trauma

The Fosters episode ‘The Fallout’ deals with the literal fallout from Mariana revealing that Lexi and Jesus had sex, and some of the emotional fallout resulting from Callie and Jude being in the  foster system. Both Callie and Jude undergo journeys of healing. They do this through overcoming some of the scars left because of different foster homes. By the end of ‘The Fallout,’ they find the strength to release some of their demons.  With this blossoming they make new allies.

In this episode of The Fosters, Jude has an assignment with his friend Connor.  While preparing it, Connor asks Jude about his room, past and parents. Jude discloses many things, including that his dad is in prison.  At first he tries to make up a story about his father getting out of jail and being rich. When Connor reassures him it is okay to tell the truth, he does. The end of ‘The Fallout’ shows Connor and Jude’s friendship growing.

Throughout the episode, there are a few subtle signs of Jude’s emotional damage because of the foster system.  Besides his lack of confidence, he also fears being scorned or not liked. We see him afraid to ask Lena and Stef something so small as  permission for a friend to come over to the house. Then we see him frightened that Connor won’t like him. Therefore, he lies about his life. Eventually Jude becomes comfortable enough to express himself with Lena, Stef and Connor. This allows him happiness and acceptance.

Callie tells Brandon more about her relationship with Liam. At first she only gives him the basic information about how their romance progressed and their age difference. Nonetheless, by the end of the episode, she reveals that Liam raped her. By telling Brandon this, their bond grows, which allows her to approach Stef and Lena about her past. Callie has not fully let her guards down,like Jude, but she’s building stronger bonds with the Fosters. This can help Callie finally find happiness if she continues to be vulnerable with them.

The foster systems can be a hard, tough and even dangerous environment for some children. On ‘The Fallout’ we see some of the emotional implications of it. However, we also experience these characters healing from the bonds they make with this new family.  The pain they feel can be healed by loving and allowing themselves to be loved.

Us & Them (2013) First Look: Can it Live Up to Gavin & Stacey?

Recently, the Fox network announced their fall 2013 lineup. One of the programs that stood out was Us & Them (2013),  because it’s a remake of a very popular British comedy called Gavin & Stacey (2007).   Us & Them stars  Rory Gilmore herself, Alexis Bledel,  and Jason Ritter as Stacey and Gavin. America has attempted to adapt Gavin & Stacey before, but it has never made it as far as being picked up by a network.

When America attempts to adapt a British show, it usually ends badly. Such tragic attempts at American remakes  include Skins (2011), Coupling (2003),  and Inbetweeners (2012). However, there have been quite a few American adaptations that have gone on to reach global success. Here are some of them: Shameless (2011),  House of Cards (2013),  Queer as Folks (2000) and of course the most popular American adaptation, The Office (2005).

A problem that plagues many American attempts at adapting British shows is the failure to translate the program to our audience.  Because the UK and America have different cultural values, beliefs and norms, what works for them does not work for us.  Our sense of comedy, drama, romance and danger vary from the UK’s. Therefore, these elements need to change in order for the American audience to give a show a chance. Us & Them feels like another try at completely duplicating a British show’s format without taking into consideration the American marketing differences. 

What made the original Gavin & Stacey hilarious, romantic and quirky was the brilliant ensemble cast. Each character possessed a unique, special and weird trait that kept them fun to watch. Us & Them contains some of those factors, but it doesn’t quite feel authentic on the trailer. Bledel doesn’t show the same sweet but feistiness that Joanne Page showed playing Stacey.  Ritter plays Gavin in more nerdy, awkward way than Matthew Horne characterized him.

The biggest trouble with the trailer is Nessa and Smithy.  Both Ashlie Atkinson and Dustin Ybarra don’t play them even 1 degree as funny as Ruth Jones and James Corden did.  Nessa and Smithy were kind of the scene stealers of the show, so it’s critical the remake has two people who can carry these characters, and from the trailer,  we’re not convinced.

A positive of the Us & Them trailer is the changes made to Stacey and Gavin’s parents, which works beautifully.  We’re excited to see Jane Kaczmarek as Pam (Gavin’s mom), Kerri Kenney as Gwen (Stacey’s mom) and Michael Ian Black as Brian (Stacey’s uncle). All talented actors who we believe can capture and adjust the characters effortlessly. The trailer has us even more convinced of this.

Overall, We’re not sure Us & Them  can  translate the charm of Gavin & Stacey to a North American market. However, we will still watch it in the fall to make our final decision. Hopefully, the trailer is not an indication of the series as a whole, because we believe Gavin & Stacey has enough universal appeal to be a huge hit in America.  It just needs to find the right balance of staying true to the original story and becoming its own thing.

Check out the Us & Them trailer below: 

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 6-Love and Religion

Before The Fosters premiered,  the One Million Moms group called for a protest of the show by advertisers because, they claimed the series tries to ‘redefine marriage and family with two moms raising these children together.’ With such a strong reaction from a religious group, you may assume the creators would portray religion and religious groups in a negative manner.   However, on The Fosters  ‘Saturday’ episode, the series represents the two sides of religious extremes in a honest, tolerant way. On ‘ Saturday,’  Frank Foster represents the intolerant side of the religious debate on gay marriage. Stef’s father shows a man who intensely follows the teaching of the church and bible. So much so that he never fully accepts his daughter’s homosexuality.

On this episode, Stef reveals that her father  tried to scare her about her sexuality before she even defined it. He sees being gay as a choice his daughter made, not as part of her imbedded DNA. Frank is not categorized as a horrible man, but one who cannot understand anything beyond his religious beliefs.  If anything he is shown as a sad, lonely man.  By The Fosters not using this episode to make judgmental, religious individual monsters,  they show that acceptance of those who don’t accept you is a better method of combat than slander.

Lexi’s parents,  Sonia and Ernie Rivera, demonstrate the more understand side of the religious debate on gay marriage.   They take religion just as serious as Frank, but they do not see anything wrong with Stef and Lena’s relationship. Ernie even says ‘what’s more Christian than family.’  They  comprehend that the bible has room for interpretation.

Nonetheless, Sonia and Ernie are not portrayed as perfect people either. They are close-minded to teen sexuality and  delusional about Lexi’s behavior.  The Fosters carefully displays that just because someone is comfortable with homosexuality, they are not flawless individuals. The series equally gives all the characters saint and sinner traits, no matter  where they side on the gay marriage debate.

The Fosters ‘Saturday’ highlights that being extremely religious and open-minded does not make you an angel, nor does being extremely religious and close-minded make you a demon.  Either characteristics will make you a human with negative and positive traits. The show once again handles a hot button topic with  passion and forgiveness.

Additional information:  If you want to read more about the One Million Mom protest, you can find it here. 

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 5- Wear Blue for Jude

The Fosters (2013) episode ‘The Morning After’ contains many memorable moments. One in particular involves Jude and Lena discussing identity.   During her speech, Lena assures Jude that he deserves no shame for his differences. The ones who should feel ashamed are those who judge others. This defines one of the major messages in ‘The Morning After’ about self-acceptance. This episode of The Fosters revolves around the idea of self-expression sparking fear and loathing, but being a necessary step towards loving oneself.

The Jude and Lena scene–which is one of my favorite moments so far on The Fosters–can be viewed below.

Though ‘The Morning After’ highlights other characters facing fears about self-expression, like Mariana, Brandon, and Wyatt to a lesser degree, Jude’s blue nail polish storyline is the most relatable.  As children, we experiment with different forms of changing our looks, and sometimes that means dressing outside of gender specific norms. Doing this can often lead to bullying.   Many children would fear having the gay label placed on them for this sort of behavior. However, the writers tenderly do not classify Jude as gay for his actions.

Wearing dresses or makeup does not make a little boy gay nor does it may a  little girl straight. The child may later identify as gay, but their activities as a kid should not force them to declare their sexuality. The Fosters’ writers executes the concept of Jude being a child who may later be defined as gay, but for now is just one who likes blue nail polish.  Too often society tries to label children before they are ready to label themselves. The Fosters shows that it’s okay to like something and not have it define you.  Jude overcomes his fear of the being bullied because of the polish  (by accepting Mariana putting the nail polish on him),  which grants him the ability to find a family not trying to categorize him in any way (shown by members of the Fosters being okay with him painting his nails).

Originally, Jude’s fear prohibits him from expressing himself. However, Lena’s speech gives him the freedom to allow this part of himself to shine. This then leads to his friend Connor showing support by wearing the nail polish too.  Through his self acceptance, Jude  finds peace and happiness, and people that really accept him.

Jude’s story is a minor one in this Fosters episode, but it represents a globalized issue of feeling fear about being oneself because of societal norms. Nonetheless, by letting  go of fear and showing individuality, people discover those who love their differences.

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 4–It’s Not Where You Come From…

A major, continuous theme in The Fosters is familial belonging.  The 4th episode of The Fosters takes the idea of belonging deeper by exploring four different aspects of it. The Fosters ‘Quinceaňera ‘episode digs into the ideas of belonging to a racial group, to someone romantically, where loyalty belongs and family belonging. All these ideas coordinate to deliver the message of the emotional consequences of lack of belonging.

‘Quinceaňera’ highlights racial belonging through the development of Mariana’s party and its relation to Lena.  Because Lena is biracial, and she does not feel welcomed in the white or black community, she worries that Mariana shares these feelings of isolation due to her lack of connection to her Latina heritage. Lena’s mother, Dana, furthers her feelings of ostracism by claiming Lena has an easier life because of her lighter skin.    This lack of having roots in either racial community creates a barrier in Lena and her mother’s relationship. Additionally, it causes Lena feelings of segregation her entire life.

Mike’s only connection to the Foster family is his biological ties to Brandon. Otherwise, he’s as much of—or more so—a stranger to them as Callie and Jude.  The reveal of Mike’s drinking problem is contributed to his feelings of being an outsider to his ex-wife and son in ‘Quinceaňera.’ He confirms this sentiment when he tells Brandon, while drunk, that he wishes he could do it all over. Mike substance abuse directly relates to lack of belonging in Stef and Brandon’s life. This idea is explored further in the season.

Mariana discovers Lexi betrayed her by dating her brother in secret. She also learns that Lexi did not defend her when Jesus calls Mariana selfish.  Because Mariana feels her friends are being disloyal by engaging in their romance, she pushes them out of her life.  This lack of clear definition of where Lexi’s loyalty belongs causes an emotional strain for all three of them, because of the breaking of their bonds.

Both Callie and Talya have romantic connections with Brandon, but neither of them knows whose bond is stronger for him.  By the end of this Fosters episode, he makes it clear that Callie has a bigger pull on his heart. Nevertheless, Callie still cannot find where she belongs in his life. She is not his romantic interest—just yet—because there is still the possibility of them becoming siblings. This dilemma between lover, family or friend will continue to plague their relationship until Callie has a clear title in his life. Their distress over  a romance potentially could ruin Callie’s placement in the Foster home, which consequently wrecks her possible safety and happiness.

The fourth episode of The Fosters shows how important acceptance and belonging is the psyche of anyone. And without it, there are emotional implications that can destroy an individual or a community.

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 3–The Power of the Written Word

In the third episode of The Fosters (2013) titled ‘Hostile Acts,’ the Fosters use writing to release guilt. However, their acts result in hostile retaliations.

Jesus feels guilty about his secret affair with Lexi.  But when he discovers Mariana is still communicating with their birth mother, despite her promise, he no longer has this burden. Therefore, he embraces his romance with Lexi completely.  Because of this, Jesus risks the repercussions of Mariana finding out.  The act of writing in this part of the episode involves instant messaging. These messages show Jesus his sister’s betrayal, which allows him to act on his desires.  This then will result in some form of revenge from Mariana in the future (the reveal about Jesus and Lexi having sex in episode 6).

Jude cannot attend Anchor Beach elementary school if he fails his exam. If he fails it, this puts Callie and him in jeopardy of being separated again. Lena while grading his test, changes one of Jude’s answers. This guarantees that he passes it. The physical act of writing a different number on the exam allows Lena the freedom of not worrying about Jude and Callie’s separation. However, there are many consequences that can arise from her actions. For example, she could lose her job if this act is caught. Lena temporarily solves the problem but has put herself in danger of a bigger one.

Callie’s teacher Timothy forces her to write about guilt as part of her English class assignment.   She reluctantly participates in the assignment, and she briefly finds freedom from her guilt.  Nonetheless, Talya reads Callie’s journal and now knows her secret. Talya’s knowledge could damage Callie’s chances of staying in the Fosters’ home. We do not lean who this Liam is that Callie writes about, but  we do know—from Callie’s reaction to Mariana possibly reading about him—that whatever she wrote about puts her foster placement in danger.  We also know enough about Talya that she will use her information to keep Brandon and Calle apart.

Everyone in ‘Hostile Acts’ experiences or participates in aggressive actions, whether verbally or written, but it is the written actions that spark the most potential damage on The Fosters. 

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 2- Callie the Catalyst

The Fosters (2013) episode titled ‘Consequently’ shows the deconstruction of the Foster family by Callie’s presence.  At least this is how it appears initially but, as Callie states, “she’s the easy target” to blame for this family’s troubles.  Nevertheless, there are on-going issues that Callie catalysts but does not cause.

The first scene of ‘Consequently’ demonstrates the changing dynamics. In this scene the family no longer seamlessly eats breakfast together, but instead they face difficulties getting ready in the morning. Several things have changed from the previous morning to the next, but the biggest change is the existence of Callie and Jude in the Foster household. Viewers and characters blame Callie for disrupting this family unit. Even Lena discusses her dissatisfaction with Callie’s appearance in their home because of how it’s affecting Brandon.

However, in the climax scene of the episode, where Callie is implicated in stealing Jesus’s pills, shows Callie expressing how everyone views her as the easy choice of guilt, because she is the outsider and criminal.  Every consequence in episode 2 of The Fosters directly or indirectly relates to Callie being in the home. On the other hand, they are rooted in bigger familial issues.

The first issue is the parenting of Brandon. After Brandon risks his life to help Callie, Lena and Stef need to decide how to punish him. They conclude that punishing him is not the best option.  When Mike finds this out, he becomes agitated about not having a voice in this decision. This results in a confrontation between Brandon and Mike, where Brandon accuses Mike of being an absent father.  Callie entering the house, and her bonding with Brandon, is the direct start of this issue being raised, but it is one that has plagued the family for years. Lena, Stef, Mike and Brandon all vocalize this in different dialogues throughout the episode.

Another issue is Mariana selling drugs for Ana. This issue has no straight link to Callie, but the false accusation causes her to indirectly spark the exposure of the secret.  Though Stef and Lena do not acquire the entire truth on ‘Consequently,’ they discover enough to know that this is a problem going on in their home. Without Callie being falsely connected to the crime, both twins would not have faced discipline for their actions.

There are other instances in ‘Consequently’ where Callie causes a bigger problem to be addressed. For example, Talya’s jealousy over the Brandon and Callie relationship is not so much about Callie living in the Fosters’ home as it is about Talya’s insecurity issues.  Callie’s friendship with Brandon acts as the stimuli to reveal this characteristic of Talya. Nonetheless, her relationship insecurities have continuously existed, as highlighted by Jesus discussing it with Brandon later on in this episode of The Fosters.

The audience is given a romanticized view of the Fosters family, but through Callie’s entrance, we see the instability of this family structure, and how these issues will be explored throughout the season.

The Fosters Season 1 Episode 1–A Different Kind of Family

The Fosters (2013) pilot episode introduces the Fosters family by showing that they are “not the Brady Bunch.” Moreover, this family is not like any you’ve seen on television before.  The Fosters portrays a realistic image of modern families. Families who face real problems, including divorce, but love each other wholeheartedly.

A show that The Fosters is sometimes compared to is The O.C (2003).  On the surface there are many overlapping elements between the programs.  However, the characters connections and their characteristics make these two shows very different.

Though there are intertwining characteristics between Seth and Brandon, and Callie and Ryan, overall, these characters are very dissimilar. Seth is the stereotypical, socially awkward, geek boy. Brandon is neither a geek nor a popular kid. He is somewhere in-between. In most family shows, teens are characterized as being geeks or popular. In reality, most teens fall in the middle of those two traits. Therefore, Brandon is a more realistic portrayal of a teen than Seth.

Callie represents Ryan in that they both had difficult lives until they were taken in by loving families.  However, Callie is craftier than Ryan.  She analyzes everything and chooses her actions wisely. On the other hand, Ryan seemed ruled by his emotions, whereas, Callie fears letting hers dictate her behavior.

One of the most charming things about The O.C was the brotherly relationship between Seth and Ryan. In The Fosters, the Ryan and Seth dynamic is shown through Callie and Brandon, except it takes a romantic tone. Callie and Brandon’s relationship intrigues like Ryan and Seth’s did, but there is an element of danger to it. Viewers clearly see the sexual tension between Callie and Brandon. This makes all of their interactions a bit dangerous, because succumbing to their sexual desires puts Callie at risk of losing her new home.  This gives their interaction a darker tone than Ryan and Seth’s relationship.

Besides the clear structural differences of two women raising five kids vs. a male and female raising two children, the way the Cohens and the Fosters interacts and relate to one another do not correlate. The Fosters discussions are deeper and bolder. They discuss sex, abuse, drugs and are unafraid to use aggressive language. The O.C had these elements but usually in a secretive or cautionary tale way.

Stef and Lena actively participate in their children’s lives in a way that Sandy and Kristen did not. Sandy and Kristen were often shocked to learn of their kids’ actions, but Lena and Stef seem aware of their children’s behavior. Until the pilot episode, the Fosters appear as a family without secrets, because they are more honest and upfront about their deeds than other families. In The Fosters, the parents aren’t blindsided by the actions of their teenagers through a third-party reveal, because they confess their mistakes.

The Fosters and The O.C  both show families who love each other unconditionally, but The Fosters tells a grittier and truer story about family.