7 reasons you should be watching the Fosters

The Fosters does not start slow. In the opening scene, you see Callie being released from a juvenile centre, but the other kids don’t take very kindly to that.

Callie is then placed in a foster home with a lesbian couple taking care of three other children, two of them adopted and one biological son. This complex family unit is what drives the series, and beautifully shows that unconventional does not mean unhappy.

7 reasons to watch The Fosters on Showmax

1. The ratings

• 97% on Rotten Tomatoes
• 7.9/10 on IMDb
• 8.2 User Score on Metacritic

2. The empathy

It’s not easy for foster kids growing up. They often bounce from one home to another, and you never know what kind of environment you might be placed in. The Fosters taps into the precariousness of these kids’ situations in a very real, heartfelt way.

3. It portrays a modern blended family

A modern family does not mean the standard mom and dad combo plus the average of 2.4 children. Families are complex, same-sex marriage is not taboo, and adopting kids from diverse backgrounds may be challenging, but not for the reasons you might think. This show does brilliantly in squashing the archaic idea of what a happy family looks like.

4. It’s about forbidden love

We don’t want to give anything away, but forbidden love stories are always good!

5. It’s inclusive

This series deals with important issues of gay rights, same-sex marriage, biracial relationships, feminism and foster care. It’s refreshing to see a series tackling these sensitive issues head on.

6. It’s hilarious

Seriously. While the show deals with topical and often delicate issues, there’s a lot of humour to it. And the witty banter between the family members is sharply written.

7. It has a sequel

When you’re done with The Fosters, watch Good Trouble, the follow-up that traces Callie and Mariana as young adults, attempting to make their own way in LA. Good Trouble scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes so it’s also well worth checking out.