The Fosters

10 Worst Episodes of The Fosters

Stef Foster, a dedicated police officer, and her partner Lena Adams, a school vice principal, have built a close-knit, loving family with Stef's biological son from a previous marriage, Brandon, and their adopted twins, Mariana and Jesus. Their lives are disrupted in unexpected ways when Lena meets Callie, a hardened teen with an abusive past who has spent her life in and out of foster homes. Lena and Stef welcome Callie and her brother, Jude, into their home thinking it's just for a few weeks, until a more permanent placement can be found. But life has something else in store for the Fosters.

Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 30, 2023.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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The Fosters - S2E9

#10 - Leaky Faucets (Season 2 - Episode 9)

The Foster kids attend a Mexican street festival, but the fun day takes a turn when emotions flare up. With help from Wyatt, Callie works to overcome her recent bout of panic attacks by learning to trust her instincts, but an encounter with someone from the past threatens to violently derail her progress. Mat surprises Mariana with a date at the festival and is confused when Mariana seems offended. Jesus tries to impress Hayley but she wants him to prove he’s with her for more than just sex. Meanwhile, Mike and Ana make plans to right past wrongs.

The episode was rated 7.63 from 219 votes.

The Fosters - S5E3

#9 - Contact (Season 5 - Episode 3)

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Callie and Aaron go on their first official date; Mariana and Jude spearhead an underground school newspaper; Noah and Jude question their compatibility; Brandon and Grace take their relationship to the next level and the new neighbors come over for a family dinner party.

The episode was rated 7.62 from 507 votes.

The Fosters - S5E16

#8 - Giving Up the Ghost (Season 5 - Episode 16)

Stef confronts her demons and finally comes clean to Lena about what’s been troubling her. Mariana and Emma find themselves going head to head, putting Poppy and Jesus in an awkward position.

The episode was rated 7.61 from 225 votes.

The Fosters - S5E2

#7 - Exterminate Her (Season 5 - Episode 2)

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Callie gets control of her life and starts auditing art classes at a local college; Jesus distances himself from Mariana and Brandon so he can build his tree house with Gabe alone; and the Fosters get a new neighbor who has history with Stef.

The episode was rated 7.60 from 543 votes.

The Fosters - S5E8

#6 - Engaged (Season 5 - Episode 8)

Brandon's party goes south when secrets come out; Mariana and Jude attempt to convince students to vote against their school going private.

The episode was rated 7.58 from 429 votes.

The Fosters - S3E12

#5 - Mixed Messages (Season 3 - Episode 12)

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Brandon is upset when he learns that his shared secret with Callie is in jeopardy. Lena and Stef’s mother, Sharon, disagrees over how Stef should handle her diagnosis. Meanwhile, Mariana’s run for junior class president heats up as the simmering resentment between her and Lexi comes to a head.

The episode was rated 7.58 from 345 votes.

The Fosters - S5E7

#4 - Chasing Waterfalls (Season 5 - Episode 7)

Lena's parents return for a visit; Callie and Aaron grow closer; Mariana's attempt to get closer to Logan backfires when his girlfriend catches wind of it.

The episode was rated 7.57 from 450 votes.

The Fosters - S3E11

#3 - First Impressions (Season 3 - Episode 11)

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Former foster teen Callie is now officially adopted into the Adams Foster family. She must put aside any romantic feelings for Brandon and does so by throwing herself into her “Fost and Found” website, even drawing the interest of an investor. After his performance at Disney Hall, Brandon is approached by a recruiter from Juilliard. Mariana launches her campaign to run for junior class president while Jesus tries to hide the reason why he doesn’t want to go back to wrestling school. When Mike discovers a secret his foster son, AJ, is keeping, he is torn about what to do with the information. Jude must face the fact that his boyfriend has decided to move away, and a serious medical issue for Stef results in a clash of opinion between her wife, Lena, and her mother, Sharon. Meanwhile, Sharon introduces the family to her liberal-minded friend, Will.

The episode was rated 7.56 from 340 votes.

The Fosters - S5E5

#2 - Telling (Season 5 - Episode 5)

The Fosters kids attend a party at the Derby warehouse, but things escalate quickly when the cops show up. Lena struggles when Stef starts to become obsessed with an ongoing case at work, and Brandon's relationship with Grace is put in jeopardy.

The episode was rated 7.46 from 477 votes.

The Fosters - S3E7

#1 - Faith, Hope, Love (Season 3 - Episode 7)

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Stef and Lena hesitate to give their blessing when Mariana's biological grandfather tells her she must be baptized in order to be her new half-sister Isabella's godmother. Callie's actions at her birthday party are called out by Stef, and they make a big decision in order to avoid jeopardizing her adoption.

The episode was rated 7.43 from 265 votes.

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