In typical ABC Family fashion, the Season 2 midseason finale the terrific drama The Fosters ended with plenty of shocks and even more tears: Lena quitting her job, her heartwarming speech to Mariana ("You only carry a baby in your belly for nine months, but you carry your child in your heart forever"), Callie's public acknowledgment of her father. But nothing had us on the edge of our seats during "Someone's Little Sister" more than the revelation that Callie's half-sister Sophia (Bailee Madison) had ruined any chances for Callie to be officially adopted by the Fosters.
Look, it's easy to love Madison and be kind of obsessed with her friendship with Maia Mitchell (who plays Callie), but I just can't get behind Sophia's decision to rip up Callie's adoption papers. The half-sisters have always had a complicated relationship, but that was definitely a step too far. At first, Callie was mildly miffed; it was just a matter of getting Robert to sign new ones. But it turned out he had come to regret his decision, and so he saw Sophia's actions as a second chance: he refused to sign them again.
Furious, Callie called a tearful Sophia a "spoiled little brat," and the younger sister locked herself in the bathroom with a hopeless look on her face. Was that the last we'll see of Bailee Madison on The Fosters?
Not so fast. While details are scarce surrounding the Christmas Episode and Season 2B's return in January 2015, Madison herself has confirmed that she's not done with The Fosters just yet. The day after the midseason finale aired, the actress tweeted the following:
So if Sophia is indeed returning, what's she going to be up to? Here are some possibilities:
Sophia is in intensive care after a suicide attempt.
As Sophia was closing that bathroom door, the implication seemed clear: the young girl intended to do harm to herself. It seems pretty doubtful that Madison would be ecstatic about returning to the show to play a corpse, so if Sophia does indeed do something drastic, chances are fairly good that she'll survive. What kind of an affect would seeing her half-sister in the hospital have on Callie? Would she still resent Sophia for being a "brat"? Would she blame herself for Sophia's attempt? Would she forgive the girl who just ruined her life enough to help her get better?
Sophia and Callie become mortal enemies.
Perhaps instead of hurting herself, Sophia will emerge from that bathroom with a new haircut, a bad attitude, and a vendetta against her ungrateful half-sister. The girl's already proven she can be remorselessly manipulative — is it that far of a stretch to imagine her as the show's new villain? I can totally see Madison being excited about getting to play evil, and it would be fun to watch Sophia and Callie face off against each other in a battle of wits... but such a transformation would probably be a little too soap opera-y, even for The Fosters.
Sophia and Callie reconcile.
Than again, maybe Sophia will just have a good, long cry in there and come to realize the error of her ways. I like Sophia and Callie as friends, and I'd hate to see them angry at each other for too long. Madison's next appearance is on the Christmas Episode, after all — perhaps Sophia will get in the holiday spirit and decide to do something to make it up to her sister. Being the one to convince Robert to finally sign the adoption papers would go a long way towards reconciling her relationship with Callie, don't you think?
Whatever form Sophia's return takes, I'm just excited that Madison is still on the show. She was lovable on Once Upon A Time and on Trophy Wife, and now she's lovable on The Fosters. Even if Sophia isn't so lovely sometimes, it would've been sad to lose Madison as an actress. Here's to many more days geeking out over Madison and Mitchell's adorable friendship.
Images: ABC Family (2)
