The Fosters season finale and 100th episode made for a night filled with tears and heartfelt moments. While this two-hour finale wasn’t the end of the series (a three-episode series finale is coming to Freeform this summer), this ending was carried out beautifully.
“Just Say Yes” begins with Callie fighting for her chance to get into UCSD’s five-year law program, despite being told she has to wait a year to apply for it. Callie’s realization that law is the path she wants comes from her drive to help others. Callie spends the episode trying to help find a way to keep the Sinfuegos’ in the U.S. Working with Aaron’s law professor and class, they are able to get ICE to grant Ximena’s parents a stay of removal. Helping to keep a family together, all in a day’s work. As a reminder of how far Callie has come, her moms tell her how incredible it is for her to be going off to college; foster kids rarely do.
Meanwhile, Mariana and Emma are competing for the internship of a lifetime. Emma is having trouble building her robot, and Mariana doesn’t want to help the person that can keep her from an opportunity that can define her future. In the end Mariana realizes that helping her friend and another woman is the right thing to do. Uplifting other women is a victory for all. Emma ends up getting the internship and not Mariana, but her always-supportive twin reminds her of her brilliance and all that she is capable of accomplishing. In this episode, Jesus is upset about having to be held back a year and not being able to graduate with his class. The previously mentioned badass Mariana surprises Jesus with the entire family there to help him build his tree house, completing his senior project ahead of time will give him the credits he needs to graduate on time!
Jude gets a much needed reality check in this finale. As he’s continued streaming with Declan, the online attention has gotten to his head. Noah points out the reason Jude started streaming in the first place was to be a role model for other kids like him. Jude realizes that Noah is right, that he’s started to lose the part of himself that made him so great. One of the many heartfelt moments in this finale comes when we see Jude painting his nails with blue polish, a throwback to the first season, and Lena coming in to have a heart-to-heart with her son.
Let’s not forget about the matriarchs of this show. The 100th episode sees Stef and Lena head out on a couple’s retreat, where we get to see the ladies participate in goat yoga and canoe challenges; that in and of itself was pretty great, I have to say. As reluctant as Stef is to go to this retreat, it does so much to help the couple work on the issues they have been facing. Stef is forced to confront the shame that she has carried her entire life. Shame built up from being rejected by her father. It’s an important moment that helps Stef realize that she has to love herself first.
And to finally speak about Brandon is the most heartbreaking moment of all. Brandon and Grace spend a beautiful day in LA after his interview at the Musician’s Institute: playing music, taking selfies, and watching sunsets. It is only when they get to Grace’s mom’s house that Brandon realizes Grace was lying about being in remission. The weekend of graduation arrives as Grace’s health deteriorates and she passes away with her parents by her side and Brandon playing their favorite song. Brandon decides to take a detour and skip graduation and it is ultimately Callie who convinces him that Grace would’ve wanted him to be there.
The graduation ceremony is the best part of this finale, a moving speech by Principal Lena Adams Foster about the beautiful and crazy journey of life. We finally get to see Brandon and Callie graduate from high school. And then in Fosters fashion, a beautiful scene unfolds showing a time jump to Jesus and Mariana’s graduation and then to Jude’s. The final scene shows the family back together again, celebrating Jude’s acceptance to UCLA and Brandon’s engagement! The best part is a call Lena receives from the same social worker that called her about Callie, another kid needs a home and I’m betting Stef and Lena will be willing to open their doors.
Don’t forget to check back in for the three-night series finale of The Fosters beginning on June 4, only on Freeform!
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