Good Trouble is Freeform’s new spinoff of The Fosters, a family drama you might not have realized existed, despite it running for more than 100 episodes (many of which pulled over 1 million viewers). And the new show makes some rookie mistakes in its first five episodes. Its liberal use of flashbacks to fill in storytelling gaps clashes with its just-as-liberal use of quick cuts to what a character wishes they could say in an awkward social situation, before viewers are presented with the more polite response they actually gave in order to save face. It’s the kind of situation where the show should have opted for one or the other but probably not both, because the constant flashbacks and quick cuts to alternate responses keep yanking the proceedings away from the main storyline in a way that hurts it. Rating: 4 out of 5 vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark vox-mark But really, that’s my only complaint with this show so far, because across those first five episodes, Good Trouble is my favorite kind of young TV show, one that overcomes any missteps with kindness and empathy toward its characters. They might be young and stupid, but we were all young and stupid once. Good Trouble cuts them a little slack. Good Trouble is set in a downtown Los Angeles full of social justice discussions and sexy complications The series picks up from the finale of The Fosters, which aired in 2018 and leaped five years into the future, to a point where two of its foster kids — Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) — have embarked on their careers and are headed off into the sunset. (The five-year time jump adds an amusing inconsistency to Good Trouble, with one character specifically saying the events are happening in 2018, despite The Fosters’ events wrapping in 2015 or 2016, which would make Good Trouble set in 2020 at the earliest.) “The sunset” turns out to be downtown Los Angeles, where Callie and Mariana move into a former movie palace downtown that has been converted into living space, but a living space where people share bathrooms and kitchens and communal areas. This arrangement, as you might expect, leads to some sexy complications and farcical misunderstandings (also what feels like the 15 zillionth iteration of the “somebody accidentally consumes edibles” plot on television), as the sisters are surrounded by a large group of diverse, attractive young people. Meanwhile, both are faced with career troubles as they spend their first few weeks in the workforce. Callie, a new clerk for a federal judge, finds herself attempting to make progressive arguments about police brutality against a much more conservative judge (a very good Roger Bart) while also occasionally having to realize that both she and the judge aren’t black and are debating a very emotional issue in a much more intellectual fashion than others might like. Mariana, meanwhile, navigates the bro-centric sphere of a tech company, trying to find space as one of the company’s two female engineers. All of that might make the show sound very feel good-y, but I like how Good Trouble isn’t afraid to let both girls screw up in ways both big and small. They each commit very believable workplace faux pas that reminded me of how dumb I was at my first job. [Insert editorial note about how nothing has changed here.] And I like how the show balances a bunch of tones, from earnest, progressive do-gooderism to outright sexy soap operatics. Plus, Good Trouble’s visuals, established in the premiere by Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu, define downtown Los Angeles as undergoing a kind of eternal reclamation, a once-grand space reduced to something shabby, now in the process of being rebuilt. (The show, disappointingly, doesn’t yet have too many thoughts on gentrification, though I assume they’re coming.) It’s an effective visual metaphor for Callie and Mariana, who both come from troubled backgrounds but are doing their level best to create something amid the ruins. As envisioned by series creators (and The Fosters masterminds) Joanna Johnson, Bradley Bredeweg, and Peter Paige, Good Trouble strikes me almost as TV’s first good Gen Z drama. It’s forthright and earnest, and it wears its politics on its sleeve. It understands that the world is filled with junk, but sometimes you can make something beautiful out of that junk. And it knows that even if the end is near, it’s not quite here yet. There’s still time. Good Trouble premieres Tuesday at 8 pm Eastern on Freeform, though you can already watch the first episode here.<doc-sep>Second-hand embarrassment is real. If you made it through Good Trouble Season 1 Episode 2 without covering your eyes, grabbing your head, or making the Chrissy Teigen cringe face, then I applaud you. I feel for all of my Coterie babies. I feel for them all so much. Let's talk about sex, or rather sexuality and how the return of one of the most universally beloved characters from The Fosters led to some of the most honest, raw, and enlightened discourse on bisexuality in quite some time. Jude is about 37 years old and 17 feet tall now, but he'll always be Judicorn to me. He'll also forever remain the wisest, most reflective and intuitive Foster kid out of the bunch. His conversation with Callie about sexuality and what it should and shouldn't mean was classic Jude once he realized why Callie inquired about the topic in the first place. Good Trouble takes a more realistic and grittier approach when tackling the tough topics. It presents viewers with the real sentiments, errant comments, political incorrectness and problematic aspects of society, and it uses likable, seemingly unproblematic characters to do that, and then it casually but effectively shows viewers why they should reconsider. Callie: Remember in the Turks when you said you hooked up with a lot of guys who had girlfriends? Were they bisexual or gay and in the closet? Jude: They were gay when they were with me. Permalink: They were gay when they were with me. Permalink: They were gay when they were with me. It's informative without being preachy. It presents another way of looking at something and allows the viewer to process that and maybe shift their viewpoint because they understand an issue better than they did when they went into the show. People, in general, are flawed, and there is an unfortunate tendency these days of permanently writing off people for every single error they make and not giving them the space to learn and grow. We're all capable of growth, otherwise, what's the point of trying to educate and advocate if we don't genuinely feel the people we're trying to reach are capable of change? Related: Good Trouble Season 1 Episode 1 Review: DTLA Callie was trying to sort through her feelings about Gael's rendezvous with another guy, and what was beautiful about how the series wrote this was Callie was given the space to be confused and curious without seeming like a terrible person or biphobic. It was a surprise, and she had a right to be surprised without having to feel compelled to defend herself for being caught off guard. Then there is Mariana whose sentiment that she would feel insecure about not being able to give a bisexual lover something that a guy could is a common viewpoint by many including the most open-minded and "tolerant" people, and it suited Mariana who has always felt insecure in her relationships. She's not a terrible person for feeling that way, despite how problematic and uninformed she sounded. It's nothing a conversation couldn't resolve down the road where she expresses why it makes her so insecure, and someone bisexual could explain why they don't think of it that way and why it's a non-issue. If Callie represented someone who was hyper-focused on checking off a category for her peace of mind (which is human conditioning), and Mariana represented the ignorance surrounding bisexuality and biphobia, Jude -- at first -- represented bi-erasure. Don't you think he should have told you that he was bisexual? If it was me, I would be super insecure dating a guy who is into both sexes. Knowing that I couldn't give him what another guy could? It would just drive me crazy! Mariana Permalink: Don't you think he should have told you that he was bisexual? If it was me, I would be super... Permalink: Don't you think he should have told you that he was bisexual? If it was me, I would be super... Jude took Callie's inquiry as overconcern and judgment about his healthy sex life and questionable partners during his sexually-liberated phase in college, so he was defensive when she asked. He was also horribly biphobic and snarky when he suggested that the straight guys he slept with were gay when they were with him. It was an off-color remark that was too simplistic and potentially harmful. It reminded me of that quote about how it's not the first thought that comes into your head that defines you. That's what you have been conditioned to think. It's the second thought that determines who you are. Fortunately, the moment Jude realized that Callie was seeking his advice based on her experience with a guy she was interested in, he immediately went to do damage control and have what was one of the hour's beautiful, poignant discussions. Shouldn't it be about the person? Why should we focus on categories and labels or run down a checklist of specifics and what makes a person one thing over another? Love who you love and be you, and screw everything else. It's a particularly striking message as it pertains to bisexuality since they are often told to "choose a side." They're not "straight enough" or "gay enough," and it's a unique plight for the B's in the LGBTQ community. As expected, the show is handling it beautifully. Jude: So these straight guys you hook up with who have boyfriends, what do you think? Are they bi or really straight? Callie: Where is Mariana? I'm going to kill her. Jude: Look, I shouldn't have said what I said about the straight guys I hook up with really being gay. They could have been bi, or pan, fluid, questioning, or drunk. So do you like this guy? Callie: Yes, I like him. Jude: But? Callie: But I don't know how I feel about having sex with a guy who has sex with other guys. And I'm not bi-phobic, it's just ... Jude: It's new. Bisexuality is a hard thing for people to wrap their heads around. Why do we have to put ourselves in boxes because of who we want to be with? Shouldn't it just be about the person? Callie: Were you like born a wise old man? Jude: Kinda. Someone had to be the mature one. Permalink: Bisexuality is a hard thing for people to wrap their heads around. Permalink: Bisexuality is a hard thing for people to wrap their heads around. For example, the scene with Gael and Callie speaking to one another about it was also poignant and striking. What stood out most in that scene was Martinez's performance during that conversation. Did you notice how guarded Gael was when Callie told him what she saw? Gael is not ashamed of being bisexual, and that was obvious in how affectionate he and Bryan were at the party, but he was bracing himself for Callie to have an issue with him being bisexual, and that was heartbreaking. You could tell that he's used to it being a problem or a dealbreaker, so he was preparing himself for rejection. You could visibly see the wall he was putting up as he prepared for a hurtful blow and the surprise and relief when Callie didn't deliver it. Those two are intoxicating in their scenes together. We all 'ship it, right? The tender way he tended to her at the pool was sweet, and their underwater make-out session was sexy. Bryan and Gael have sizzling chemistry too, though. They're supposed to be casual, but I can't figure out if Bryan is intrigued by Callie or threatened by Gael's attraction to her. I also can't figure out why Gael is downplaying whatever the nature of his relationship is with both of them. Callie: I saw you having sex with a guy last night. You might want to think about closing your curtains. Gael: Is that why I haven't seen you all week? Callie: I just didn't know what to say. Gael: Does it freak you out that I'm bi? Callie: No. I was just surprised. Gael: Yeah, well, you wouldn't be the first person it's an issue with.<doc-sep>A spinoff of “The Fosters” debuts on Freeform. And a scripted drama series begins on the History channel. What’s on TV GOOD TROUBLE 8 p.m. on Freeform. By the time “The Fosters” wrapped up last summer, fans were already itching to keep the drama going with this spinoff series. After graduating, sisters Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) move into a shabby communal home in downtown Los Angeles where dinners bring the residents together and rats roam free. They take up new jobs — Callie works for a conservative judge (Roger Bart) and Mariana joins a male-dominated start-up — that leave them wanting more. True to coming-of-age fare, their new reality proves that “adulting” comes with plenty of battles. “Good Trouble” echoes the social consciousness of “The Fosters,” the creator Joanna Johnson told Variety, but it is on the lighter side and draws out the story through a more complex, nonlinear narrative. LINDSAY LOHAN’S BEACH CLUB 8 p.m. on MTV. Lindsay Lohan has been out of the limelight in recent years. This new series highlights one of the projects that has kept her busy: opening Lohan Beach House, a sprawling beach club in Mykonos, Greece. In “Vanderpump Rules” format, the show follows a very serious Lohan as she manages the club’s eight employees at the sun-drenched tourist destination.<doc-sep>
For five years and a little over 100 episodes, “The Fosters” told emotional and oftentimes topical stories stemming from a blended family in Southern California. Now, seven months after “The Fosters” came to an end, its spinoff series “Good Trouble” sets out to further explore such themes, but in a new setting and with a new ensemble. “When you leave home, you go out in the world and you create your chosen family of friends and people that you work with, and that’s what this show is about,” executive producer Joanna Johnson tells Variety. “It’s still a family show, but it’s the family you choose to surround you and support you.” “Good Trouble,” which was created by Johnson, Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg, starts by following “The Fosters” characters Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez) as they move into the coterie — a communal living space in Los Angeles. Inspired by the real-life places popping up around L.A., Johnson says research showed millennials and Gen-Zers care significantly about a sense of community, sharing resources and needing the support and creative inspiration from each other. But from a creative standpoint, it also provided an easy “in” to the sense of family that they had known and loved on “The Fosters.” “In ‘The Fosters,’ the kitchen table was so important,” Johnson recalls. “They would sit around the table and be all together, and we wanted that again.” Communal dinners will be a big part of “Good Trouble,” Johnson shares, with characters cooking and eating together and talking about everything from relationships to politics, allowing the show to grow into an ensemble in a way Johnson admits she hadn’t originally anticipated. “I was sort of resisting it becoming an ensemble show, I think because I felt so attached to ‘The Fosters’ and that ensemble, and I thought, ‘How am I ever going to love another ensemble the way that I love “The Fosters”‘?” she says. “But it’s been really fun to have fresh character points of view to have them play off of. It’s a new toy chest.” Recently graduated from MIT, Mariana has a job at a tech startup, which adds additional members to the ensemble cast through her co-workers, while Callie has graduated from law school and taken a job working for a conservative judge (Roger Bart). “In ‘The Fosters,’ Callie struggled with who she was and wanted to be, but when we see her in ‘Good Trouble,’ she’s built this confidence, and you see her self-assured and coming in guns-blazing,” Mitchell says. “She’s going to have to figure out how much influence she can have on him and deal with a guilt of being involved with a conservative judge.” There is more at stake for both young women on-screen, and in many ways off, as well. Mitchell and Ramirez are not only leading the cast in “Good Trouble” but also serving as executive producers. “It’s been a lot more pressure, but it’s also been equally rewarding, and we’ve learned so much,” Mitchell says of working behind-the-scenes to shape the show. “It kind of feels like our baby for me and Cierra.” Both Callie and Mariana are in places in their lives where they are intending to put careers above relationships. Mitchell says Callie hasn’t been in a relationship in a while, but says someone catches her eye pretty quickly in “Good Trouble.” Mariana, too, is focused on “trying to change the culture as best as she can without ruining her career” at the startup, but adds that as Mariana feels “unfulfilled at work, she’s going to get a little bit more wrapped up” in “playing” in this “new, exciting city, with all of these new friends.” Johnson admits that writing stories for this version of Callie and Mariana is “freeing” — because “the girls have matured, so the storylines can be more mature.” Additionally, the storytelling on “Good Trouble” is not told in a completely linear fashion, instead using certain lines of dialogue to trigger flashback moments for the characters, offering more insight into certain relationships for the audience. The inspiration for this style came from not wanting “to write another show in the same style of ‘The Fosters,'” says Johnson. With the desire of making the show feel “fresh and modern” in both the writing and visual style, she came up with the idea of “creating suspense over surprise” with the non-linear structure.