The Fosters: What was Callie and Jesus’s relationship?

As a series about family, The Fosters made itself very clear from the start that the mothers, Stef and Lena, played a major role in the group’s foundation. All the teenagers held a unique and significant relationship with Stef and Lena, respectively. But, the same could not be said for every variation of the Adams-Foster siblings.

Some sibling dynamics are front and center in the series, such as Jesus and Mariana, Callie and Jude, or Mariana and Callie. While essential to the series, Brandon and Callie’s relationship bounces between romantic and familial or friendship.

Although Brandon’s bond with Jesus and Mariana is not the biggest part of the show, it is clear that the trio grew up together and had a relationship before Callie’s arrival. While dynamics such as Brandon and Jude take a backseat to other connections, there is one Adams-Foster sibling relationship that is by far the most under-developed.

Callie and Jesus spend 5 seasons acknowledging each other as siblings, yet spend absolutely no time together. While they are seen in family-centric moments and have shared time in the same room, other people are usually present. Jesus and Callie have barely any one-on-one scenes together, preventing them from gaining a bond. But, unfortunately, this also stops the audience from understanding what type of dynamic the two hold together.

Perhaps with so much going on in Callie and Jesus’s lives, no one behind the scenes could figure out a storyline or moment when they could have scenes alone together. But, given how many other character combinations The Fosters made work, it really does not make sense that they went 5 seasons with barely any interaction.

If it was not strange enough that Jesus and Callie were never shown developing any kind of bond, the fact that the series directly references their lack of connection multiple times makes things even weirder. Callie makes comments and jokes about how little she and Jesus communicate. By doing so, The Fosters’ writers are blatantly acknowledging that two of their main family members never interact and don’t really have a unique relationship.

Callie and Jesus had the potential to develop an intriguing dynamic. But, instead, they are never given a chance to see what their connection could be. Even when Jesus appears on Good Trouble, his scenes do not clarify the extent of their relationship.

For a series that emphasized the meaning of family, The Fosters disregarded the opportunity to give Callie and Jesus a meaningful sibling bond. As a result, while they individually hold intense and exciting relationships with others, Jesus and Callie’s dynamic pales in comparison to the other family relationships the show portrayed.

While The Fosters and Good Trouble may claim Callie and Jesus have a good relationship, it was never truly shown on-screen, and thus there were several missed opportunities to explore what their dynamic could have looked like.