Freeform’s The Foster’s is back with the back half of season 5! This first episode back, ‘Sanctuary,’ is an incredibly well written episode and the importance of the story they’re telling really shines through. It was written by Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige and directed by Rob Morrow, ‘Sanctuary’ may be one of our favorite episodes of The Fosters to date!
Doing the Right Thing | The episode picks up directly where it last left off, with Callie (Maia Mitchell) and AJ (Tom Williamson) in the church with Ximena (Lisseth Chavez) while she claims sanctuary from ICE. Stef (Teri Polo) and Mike (Danny Nucci) are outside the church, dealing with ICE and getting their own guys to back down. Ximena’s parents and Poppy (Nandy Martin) get taken by ICE, even though Poppy is a citizen she’s underage so they’re taking her to CPS. While everything is going on Callie and Ximena decide to livestream them sharing Ximena’s story in the church, trying to get the story out there that what is happening is wrong.
Stef and Mike soon learn that even though ICE can’t get into the church to get Ximena, the FBI could potentially show up and arrest Callie and AJ for helping Ximena. They confront the ICE officers, who just tell them to bring out Ximena and the whole thing will go away. They decide to stick around and watch the ICE officers all night to make sure the FBI doesn’t actually show up.
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While in the church, Ximena reflects on her beliefs a bit before COMING OUT to Callie! She came out as gay, in a church, oh the irony. She also expresses her gratitude towards Callie for standing by her in all of this.
The next morning, the church is surrounded by people protesting ICE and supporting Ximena. The FBI does show up, but only to tell ICE to leave. Callie and AJ aren’t going to get in trouble. Now Stef and Lena want her to come home, she doesn’t want to but she begrudgingly goes. Aaron (Elliot Fletcher) is there waiting for her, and they have a chat. Callie’s decided they need to go back to just being friends for a while and rebuild their relationship.
That night Callie video chats with Ximena and surprises her with the news that they are fostering Poppy!
Sick Again | Brandon (David Lambert) is spending the night with Grace (Meg DeLacy), but she gets sick and he calls her mom to come over behind her back. When Grace finds out Brandon knows she has leukemia she makes him leave. He does, but after talking to Lena (Sherri Saum) he goes to see her in the hospital. He gets the answers he’s been wanting. The next morning the doctor tells her she could stay in town and try gene therapy, and Grace wants to try it. But her mother disagrees, she thinks Grace should really think about it and the side effects, which are life-threatening.
Everyone Else | Things seem to be going well for Jesus (Noah Centineo) and Emma (Amanda Leighton), who are now back together. Jude (Hayden Byerly) fills his siblings in on what’s going with Lena and her job, then later him and Noah (Kalama Epstein) exchange “I love you’s.” Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) finally discovers who has been sending her those mysterious texts offering to help save Anchor Beach, it’s Nick (Louis Hunter). She wants to know what he knows.
This was definitely a fantastic episode to bring the show back with! Keep watching to find out what happens with everyone’s stories!
The Fosters airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Freeform!