For very depressing and disturbing reasons, The Fosters Season 4 Episode 1 aired a storyline on Monday night that was especially relevant.
The Freeform drama entered the debate on gun control with “Potential Energy.”
How did it integrate this timely piece of storytelling?
At the close of last season, Nick witnessed Mariana kissing Mat. In response, he burned down his father’s warehouse and then brought a gun to school.
Did he plan on using it on himself? Or Mariana? On Mat? On a large number of students?
We’ll never know for sure.
But the episode did find Nick’s father talking about the responsibility of a gun owner and how there’s no such thing as a “safe” weapon when a child has access to it.
The premiere also tackled a point made by many gun advocates: that the best protection against bad guys with guns … for good guys to also have guns.
In this case, though, a frazzled substitute teacher actually pulled out his own gun on the SWAT team sent to rescue the teachers and student, placing the kids at even more risk due to his panicked state.
The premiere was written and filmed prior to the Orlando shooting that took the lives of 49 men and women inside Pure Nightclub this month.
But showrunner Brad Bredeweg told TV Line that, sadly, the premiere would be timely at nearly any point in the last decade orso.
“Orlando, obviously, is one of the most tragic things that has ever happened in this country. So this episode is very timely,” Bredeweg told TV Line.
“Unfortunately, I feel like this episode is timely no matter what point we’re at in this country. That’s why it’s so important for us to explore the subject matter on the show.”
What do you think of The Fosters taking on the gun control issue?
An important topic for a TV show to delve into? Or something entirely inappropriate for a show aimed at young adults to center on?