8.5/10357 votes#1 - Potential Energy
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 6/20/2016
Callie admits her past relationship with Brandon to her moms. But before Stef and Lena can even process the information, the school goes into a “Code Blue” lockdown when it’s discovered Mariana’s boyfriend Nick showed up with his father’s gun after seeing her kiss her ex-boyfriend Mat.
Director: Rob Morrow
Writer: Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
7.6/10262 votes#2 - Safe
Season 4 Episode 2 - Aired 6/27/2016
After being given the all clear to head home, tensions are still running high in the Adams Foster household. Fragile and skittish from the school lockdown, the family sticks close, but their secrets keep them apart. Callie and Brandon anxiously wait for their moms to address their behavior in Idyllwild while Stef warns everyone to stay off their phones and computers due to the rumors swirling around their family.
Director: Rob Morrow
Writer: Joanna Johnson
7.3/10220 votes#3 - Trust
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 7/11/2016
In the aftermath of the school lockdown, Mariana is called out by other students who blame her for Nick’s actions. Callie is also taunted at school and her inappropriate reaction gets her suspended. But what starts off as a punishment turns into an adventure when she meets Aaron, a handsome young law student who knows nothing about her or her past.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.3/10225 votes#4 - Now for Then
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 7/18/2016
Callie starts her senior project of photographing the outside of her and Jude’s seven former foster homes. But, when an unexpected encounter with a former foster mother brings her inside, Callie decides to reach out to other people who have fostered her and is shocked to learn that a 17-year-old former foster brother has been convicted of murder. Stressed out by the hardships of supporting himself and Cortney, Brandon throws a house party and things take a turn for the worse. Stef and Lena offer to pay for an attorney to help get Gabe off of the sex offender registry, which is currently putting Lena’s job at risk and causing friction between Mike and Ana. Meanwhile, Mariana tells her moms that, in order to feel safe again, she wants to visit Nick and put an end to their relationship once and for all.
Director: Silas Howard
Writer: Constance M. Burge
7.5/10221 votes#5 - Forty
Season 4 Episode 5 - Aired 7/25/2016
Lena is excited that her family is coming together to throw her a 70s-themed 40th birthday party. But, when Lena’s mom Dana shares her suspicions about Stewart’s behavior, it threatens to put a damper on the festivities. Convinced her former foster brother Kyle has been wrongly convicted of murder, Callie and Aaron try to track down a witness in the case. Mariana and her female STEAM club teammates compete for an invite to the Regional Robotics Competition. Meanwhile, Jude is hurt to discover that Connor came to town and didn’t tell him, and Brandon considers drastic measures to make extra money.
Director: Velvet Andrews-Smith
Writer: Megan Lynn, Wade Solomon
7.4/10213 votes#6 - Justify
Season 4 Episode 6 - Aired 8/1/2016
Lena is shocked by the news that her dad has been hiding something that directly puts them all in jeopardy. Additionally, she uncovers a major secret that Brandon has been keeping. Mariana continues to be pressured by Nick and must deal with direct opposition from the male members on her STEAM team. Meanwhile, Jesus grows resentful of Emma’s behavior, and Jude discovers Noah has a medical marijuana card.
Director: Kelli Williams
Writer: Cristian Martinez
7.1/10207 votes#7 - Highs & Lows
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 8/8/2016
When Jesus’s birth father, Gabe, doesn’t show up to work on Stef and Lena’s garage, Jesus takes on the job himself and gets injured in the process. An exhausted Mariana, deep into her robotics STEAM project, takes Jesus’ ADHD medicine for a boost. Callie and AJ find themselves in an awkward situation when Mike and Brandon unexpectedly come home early. Meanwhile, Stef lets Mike know that Brandon gave his hand injury settlement money to Cortney.
Director: Chandra Wilson
Writer: Kris Q. Rehl
7.1/10192 votes#8 - Girl Code
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 8/15/2016
Mariana and Jesus compete in the First Robotics Southern California Regionals, but when Mariana gets too competitive under the stress, Lena grows alarmed. Callie gets a warning from the police to stop harassing Patrick Molloy. Brandon practices for his fast-approaching Julliard audition.
Director: Aprill Winney
Writer: N/A
7.7/10203 votes#9 - New York
Season 4 Episode 9 - Aired 8/22/2016
Brandon travels to New York City for his Julliard audition and meets a girl who forces him to take a hard look at his life, including his relationship with Cortney. Meanwhile, Stef and Lena make an unexpected announcement that leaves the family in shock. And Callie’s friendship with Aaron causes friction between her and AJ.
Director: Joanna Johnson
Writer: Joanna Johnson
8.2/10243 votes#10 - Collateral Damage
Season 4 Episode 10 - Aired 8/29/2016
Callie and the family set up a “Justice for Jack” booth at a music festival in order to gather signatures to stop Justina’s foster care bill, but Callie’s persistence in advocating for both Jack and Kyle lands her in a dangerous situation. Additionally, Callie’s efforts are sidelined when the tensions between her boyfriend AJ and her friend Aaron come to a head. Mariana, still taking Jesus’ ADHD prescription medication, sees Nick and runs away from the festival, sending the family into a frantic search for her. Meanwhile, Stef discovers that her inquiries into Kyle’s case will have repercussions at her job.
Director: Peter Paige
Writer: Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
7.6/10192 votes#11 - Insult to Injury
Season 4 Episode 11 - Aired 1/31/2017
In the aftermath of Jesus’ fight with Nick over Mariana, Jesus is knocked out. On the way to the hospital, things take a turn for the worse, leaving him fighting for his life. Meanwhile, Callie finds herself in a dangerous situation after taking a ride with Troy and Mariana is guilt-ridden over the fact that her actions led to Jesus’ current condition.
Director: Rob Morrow
Writer: Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
6.9/10181 votes#12 - Dream a Little Dream
Season 4 Episode 12 - Aired 2/7/2017
As Stef and Lena stand vigil over an unconscious Jesus, he dreams of an alternate world wherein he tries to save Mariana but can’t get to her. Already stretched thin, the moms receive news that Callie is in serious legal trouble. Mariana seeks comfort in Mat’s arms, while Brandon tries to hold the family together.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.4/10169 votes#13 - Cruel and Unusual
Season 4 Episode 13 - Aired 2/14/2017
Callie tries to keep to herself and focus on getting out of juvenile hall, but when she refuses a guard’s propositions, she ends up making an enemy. As Stef and Lena work to get Callie out of juvie, her biological father Robert turns up, angry for being kept in the dark. Meanwhile, Brandon’s questioning of a situation has consequences for Mariana. Jude gets a second chance with Noah, and Mike makes several life-changing decisions.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.2/10162 votes#14 - Doors and Windows
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 2/21/2017
After Brandon confesses to Stef that he didn’t get into Juilliard, she decides she’s fed up with all of the kids’ secrets and removes their bedroom doors. Mariana starts seeing a therapist to deal with the trauma of Nick’s actions. While Jesus struggles with physical therapy, Brandon realizes that music might be a good way to help get through to him. Callie’s biological father Robert brings in his highly paid attorneys to handle Callie’s case, which causes a conflict with Stef and Lena.
Director: Susan Flannery
Writer: Constance M. Burge
7.4/10175 votes#15 - Sex Ed
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 2/28/2017
Jude feels uneducated about gay sex ed, so he tries to gain some personal experience through a phone app. Callie presents her senior project to her class, but the school admin disapproves of the concept.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
7.7/10170 votes#16 - The Long Haul
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 3/14/2017
Sharon and Will return to the Adams Foster home with news that they are engaged. In an effort to come clean with Jesus, Emma writes him a letter but learns he is hiding a secret of his own. Meanwhile, Jude is teased at school when Lena organizes an LGBTQ-friendly sex ed class for students.
Director: Bradley Bredeweg
Writer: Megan Lynn, Wade Solomon
7.4/10161 votes#17 - Diamond in the Rough
Season 4 Episode 17 - Aired 3/21/2017
Stef starts a new assignment in human trafficking where she meets a teenaged girl named Diamond who is turning tricks on the streets. Lena deals with repercussions for holding an off-campus LGBTQ sex ed class for Anchor Beach students. Callie’s relentless pursuit of justice starts to impact her relationship with AJ. Meanwhile, Mariana tries to cheer up Jesus with a special project after he’s prescribed a special pair of glasses due to his traumatic brain injury.
Director: Lily Mariye
Writer: Cristian Martinez
7.5/10150 votes#18 - Dirty Laundry
Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 3/28/2017
As Stef works longer hours in her new position, Lena feels overwhelmed trying to keep up with the complicated lives of their five teenagers in addition to the pressures of her own job. Jude, fed up with being bullied at school, resorts to bullying tactics of his own. Callie heads to Los Angeles with Aaron to visit his parents, who are struggling with Aaron being transgender.
Director: Laura Nisbet Peters
Writer: Megan Lynn, Wade Solomon
7.5/10146 votes#19 - Who Knows
Season 4 Episode 19 - Aired 4/4/2017
It seems just about everyone in the Adams Foster household has a secret, but unfortunately for each of them, they all start spilling out. With Callie’s court date inching closer, Robert’s attorneys present a defense strategy that Callie vehemently opposes. Monte and Lena join forces to stop Drew’s underhanded dealings. Stef works to bust Diamond’s pimp. Jesus asks Gabe to keep a secret from his moms.
Director: Joanna Johnson
Writer: Joanna Johnson
8.3/10180 votes#20 - Until Tomorrow
Season 4 Episode 20 - Aired 4/11/2017
Callie faces a life-changing decision to take a plea deal and go to jail for three years, or go to trial and risk an even longer sentence. Even though Callie struggles with her own situation, she tries to help Diamond out of hers which becomes extremely dangerous. With only 24 hours to make a difference in Callie’s case, Stef and Mike ramp up their investigation into the Martha Johnson murder bringing in as many leads as possible. Lena confronts Drew about his campaign to make a major change at Anchor Beach Community Charter School, while Mariana rallies her fellow students to protest. Meanwhile, Jesus starts to put together the pieces about Emma.
Director: Peter Paige
Writer: Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige
The Best Episodes of The Fosters Season 4
Every episode of The Fosters Season 4 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of The Fosters Season 4!
Stef Foster, a dedicated police officer, and her partner Lena Adams, a school vice principal, have built a close-knit, loving family with Stef's biological son...
Genre:Drama
Season 4 Ratings Summary
"Potential Energy" is the best rated episode of "The Fosters" season 4. It scored 8.5/10 based on 357 votes. Directed by Rob Morrow and written by Bradley Bredeweg, Peter Paige, it aired on 6/20/2016. This episode is rated 0.9 points higher than the second-best, "Safe".