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Curtis: I don't think we would be having this conversation if you were looking for someone to agree with you. You're stuck in a loop, Callie. Playing out the same scenes day after day, year after year. Time for you to leave your safe cocoon and bet on yourself. It's time for you to believe that you can be more than just the Callie Adams Foster that we all know...and love.
Callie: What if I can't? What if this is the best I'll ever be? As good as it gets?
Curtis: I don't believe anything's as good as it gets. You have the power to make everyday better. To let go of everything and everyone who's holding you down. You deserve the moon and the stars. You just have to have the courage to reach for them. Is that why you're leaving?
Callie: I'm leaving?
Curtis: What's keeping you here?
Callie and Judge Curtis in a dreamscape


Closing Arguments is the nineteenth episode and season finale of Season 3 of Good Trouble. The episode aired on September 8, 2021.

Synopsis[]

Callie questions her choices. Mariana interviews for a new job. Malika considers an offer away from DPN. Gael is forced to put his priorities into perspective, and Alice must make a tough decision.

Plot[]

An empty courtroom. The main characters take turns on the stand while those closest to them ask them harsh questions. Characters from across the season reappear to call them imposters. Kelly finds them all guilty as charged.

Gael helps Isabella to bed but she just wants to rest. He helps her take off her shoes so she can curl up on the bed. He leaves to talk with Callie outside, apologizing for their dinner but she tells him to take care of Isabella. He thanks her and heads back into the loft to sit by Isabella’s side. She began to sob as she was scared she would lose the baby. He reassures her that she and the baby are going to be fine. He apologizes for not being there but she tells him it’s fine as she didn’t want to interrupt his date with Callie. She’s glad Dennis called him and so is he. Callie watches from outside the loft. She answers a text from Tony about the Decision.

Tommy’s family wants the lawyers to put Katie back on the stand to make her admit that she lied. Kathleen asks Tommy if it was a lie or not and his father answers for him. Julia interrupts to tell Ken to stop so that Tommy can answer. Kathleen repeats the question to Tommy who is emotional. Tommy admits that it’s true. Ken tosses a chair backward so Tony stands up to intervene. Tommy emotionally states that he’s tired of lying, breaking down in tears. Callie sits by Tommy and offers him a box of tissues while Julia consoles her son. Tommy apologizes for not telling the truth as he was scared. He didn’t hurt Zack because he loved him. The only thing Katie lied about was Zack breaking up with him that night. Kathleen carefully says that their only option is to put Tommy on the stand so the jury can see what they’re seeing - that Tommy loved Zack. Ken refuses as if there’s even one homophobic juror they could lose the entire case. Kathleen snaps that it isn’t up to Ken but Tommy. He asks Callie what she thinks so she looks to Tony, Rowan, and Kathleen before stating that he should do it. Tommy agrees but Ken asks to speak with Kathleen in private.

Callie responds to Tony’s text that she doesn’t know yet.

Kathleen is in her office when her old law firm partner enters to tell her that he cut a deal with the FBI to show them Kathleen’s books. She knows they’ll find that she took money from Albert Chen’s retainer so she’ll go to prison. It was either this or let the FBI subpoena all the firm’s books which wasn’t an option, as she knows. He can hold them for 48 hours in case she can cut a deal in that time. She calls him a sack of shit and walks back to her office.

She meets with Ken who leverages the location of his sister with proof of life if she refuses to put Tommy on the stand.

Callie walks in to ask Callie why her old law partner is there and she lies that he wants to sleep with her. Callie points out that she’s keeping secrets and still isn’t sure if she can trust her. She asks what they’re going to do about putting Tommy on the stand.

Callie gets dressed when Mariana walks in and asks if Isabella is okay since she went to the hospital. Callie remarks that she is but her blood pressure was just elevated so she’s on bed rest. Her date with Gael didn’t really happen which is fine. Mariana asks if that’s really okay since she knows Callie thrives on complications, telling her to look at history. She sought after every complicated situation she could find. She asks how Callie will feel when the baby is born and Gael has even less time. Unless Callie is hopelessly in love she needs to pump the breaks, as she might not even be over Jamie yet. Callie diverts to ask how Mariana’s life with the Fight Club girls are going, calling her Miss Take-The-Easy-Path. Mariana admits it isn’t great but now she has a new interview which will give her an easier path.

Dennis tells Davia that he has all his certificates for The Toast Truck as it’s all about the things you can make from toast. She remarks that he had her at bread. He rather emotionally admits that while he was at the hospital he visited the children’s ward for the first time since Jacob’s death. He had to go because he wanted to face the memories and be okay. He saw the parents eating crappy food out of vending machines and remembered starving when Jacob was admitted so many times. He’s decided to park the truck outside of the hospital once a week and bring the meals up to parents of sick kids to bring them comfort. Davia thinks it’s amazing. He knows grief makes people pull back and isolate when he really needs to reach out to others. She’s proud of him and how far he’s come. He tells her that she’s a big part of the reason why he could do it and why he’s still here.

Malika speaks with her DPN manager about the internship and the impending decision. She calls Malika an inspiration and also commends Dyonte's campaign. She admits it was very hard but they want to offer Malika the position.

Margaret coaches the CBTV group while Sumi and Ruby work on the unicorn costumes. Sumi is happy that Ruby is back with Alice and learns that the pair broke up. Magda tells everyone to check their phones as someone leaked an HR email that wasn’t meant for them.

Mariana meets with the rival startup and they gush over Zelda. The women have heard about Speckulate and its toxicity towards women. The women then talk about their app and detail the exact same thing that Bulk Beauty is doing. She remembers pitching the app idea during her budget meeting and reflects on the similarities to BB. Mariana lies that it’s original and asks who’s funding it. She learns Jackie Morris from the Hallis group is funding the whole thing. Jackie was the woman who said Vincent passed on the funding. Mariana states that the name sounds familiar.

At the courtroom, the defense shows the simulated video of a body falling down a hill on its back, striking the back of its head on a rock, and continuing to slide down. Kathleen asks how many times Dr. Mickelson ran the simulation, which was five-thousand. The fall as seen in the video occurred thirty times. It’s not bad odds as it’s better than a full house in poker. Kathleen asks if Zack could have fallen and hit his head. Nicolette asks Dr. Mickelson about the paper he wrote last year where his scientific process and use of data were discredited by his peers. He claims that was a different situation but is forced to say yes. Kathleen asks the coach if Tommy showed Zack any conflict over being replaced, but the coach claims they both took it as good players. Rothman asks if Tommy was happy about being replaced and the coach admits that Tommy was upset. Kathleen questions the medical examiner who found a .01 blood alcohol level in Zack’s blood, but it was hours after his time of death. She asks if his alcohol level could have been higher at the time of death. The ME says it is possible, she didn’t find anything inconsistent with the death being an accident, and she can’t say for sure that Zack Smith was murdered or accidental death. Kathleen returns to her desk where Tony and Rowan admit that this jury is hard to read but they both think it’s a draw. Callie asks if they should put Tommy on the stand.

Back at CBTV, the group reads the email from HR which names Alice as the recipient of the talent deal and the $70,000. Alice is confused and Magda continues to read the email which bluntly says, “it’s been a few years since an Asian has won the deal. Asian’s are hot this year. Shaun is Asian too, but also trans, which confuses things haha.” The email continues to mention Margaret Cho as a director and how that makes it best to reward another female Asian comic. Alice apologizes for how messed up it is. Lindsay isn’t surprised while Stacey believes that Alice deserves the deal. Derek doesn’t agree so Magda reminds him that the whole thing would have been called off if it wasn’t for Alice. Alice thinks they all deserve it and won’t take the deal. Lindsay tells her not to be a martyr and take the deal. Sanjana knows they can take advantage of the attention they’re getting from casting directors and agents to further their careers. Shaun wants to use them back. Alice asks Margaret for her advice and Margaret admits that offers aren’t always offered for the purest reasons but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t accept it. The group wants to do the showcase and support Alice.

Dyonte arrives at DPN now that he has a bunch of vendors to sing on for his rest campaign at a festival. He is happy that people are understanding his campaign. Malika praises his idea but he knows something is off with her. She admits that she got a job offer.

Flashing sideways to Douro, Malika serves Councilwoman Morales with a free drink as a thank you for her help. She had no idea Angelica's friend in the city council was an actual City Councilperson. Anjelica leaves to wait at another table while Malika thanks Morales again for the help. Morales wanted to meet Malika as well as she’s impressed by her and her passion. She needs someone like Malika on her team - someone with inside knowledge of the system. She wants Malika to join her staff. She wants to divert the money back into their communities devastated by incarceration. Malika agrees so Morales asks her to join the camp.

Now, Dyonte hopes that Malika isn’t considering it which surprises her. He tells her not to trust politicians as their jobs become dependent on maintaining the status quo. DPN Manager walks over and asks what’s going on. Malika remembers the job offer that DPN Manager gave her. She is honest about the other job offer from Morales who is passionate about funding her mini-campaign with public money. DPN Manager finds the offer interesting while Malika just wants to make sure Dyonte doesn’t think he came in second. DPN Manager promises not to say anything until Malika decides. Now, Dyonte wants Malika to avoid the dark side. DPN Manager reminds Malika that the government works slowly and they win very few of their fights. It can take years to come to fruition, but having someone on the inside advocating every day isn’t a bad thing. Dyonte asks what will happen if Malika gets the job at DPN but she doesn’t know.

Meanwhile, at court, Judge Martinez asks Kathleen if she has any additional witnesses to call. Kathleen states that they don’t have more. She looks to the jury and then back at Tommy before calling Tommy to the stand. Rothman tells his team that is a mistake. Kathleen wants Callie to question him as she will bring out the best in him.

Mariana rushes back to BB and is scolded for being late as her appointment wasn’t approved by the team. Her code also had some small syntax errors which Claire makes a big deal out of. Mariana snaps back that if it was a mess it’s because she was rushed by Claire, as she can either have things done fast or right. She doesn’t appreciate the way she’s been treated when she’s proven that she’s valuable. Claire tells her to do the work right the first time, prompting Rachel to tell Claire she’s being harsh. Claire retaliates that it was Rachel’s idea to cut Mariana loose, while Rachel argues it was everyone’s decision. Claire doesn’t see the point if they’re just going to let Mariana back in. Mariana argues that she can just lead because she can do more than just code.

Gael talks to Davia about Isabella’s job offer as he worries he won’t be there if something else happens. His relationship with Callie is complicated as he’s worried about both women when he’s with the other. He doesn’t know how to juggle it all when the baby comes. Davia tells him that if he really loves Callie he needs to split his time and affection between them and be okay with that. Gael asks if she’s chosen between Matt and Dennis.

Callie questions Tommy about the nature of his relationship with Zack. He admits they were involved romantically but wasn’t jealous that Zack replaced him as a quarterback because he knew Zack was better than him. They did fight at the party but not over that, but because Katie was flirting with Zack. He wanted Tommy to break up with her and it upset them both. They made up after and Tommy denies any involvement with the death. Rothman tells Jamie to interview Tommy since he can rile Callie up. Jamie refuses and states that if he doesn’t have a choice then Rothman should fire him. Rothman decides to cross-examine Tommy himself. Rothman confronts Tommy for lying but Tommy calmly states that everything he’s said that day is true. Rothman calls him out for lying over the fight, the nature of their lying, and his lie to Katie about him secretly hooking up with Zack. Rothman presses that Zack wanted Tommy to break up with Katie because he was tired of them pretending. He presses that Tommy murdered Zack but Tommy shouts that he loved Zack. Rothman asks why Tommy wasn’t at his funeral and accuses Tommy of not going because he killed the Smith family’s son. Tommy lashes out at Rothman telling him to shut up. He then breaks down in tears. Rothman asks one final question about his explosive temper. Kathleen objects so Rothman withdraws and takes a seat. Kathleen crosses again and asks Tommy if he needs to take a break. He assures her that he’s okay. Kathleen asks why he didn’t go to Zack’s family. Tommy didn’t go out of respect for the family. They knew the police suspected him and he didn’t want to make things harder for them. Kathleen asks what he did instead and instructs him to tell the jury what he did. Tommy drove around to the places they loved, listened to the playlist Zack made him and kept wishing he was alive. That they were in those places together and they would suddenly be together so it was all a bad dream. He breaks down that Zack is gone now. Kathleen thanks him for taking the stand and being courageous enough to do it. Kathleen emotionally states that the defense rests.

Malika talks to Anjelica about Dyonte not wanting her to take the job with Lucia. But Malika thinks the opportunities are tempting but she loves being an activist and working with DPN. She doesn’t want to take a chance away from Dyonte either. Anjelica finds it difficult and tells Malika that Lucia is passionate about changing the system. She thinks they would work well together. It wouldn’t be awkward for Anjelica if Malika worked with Lucia. The topic shifts to relationships as Malika admits that Isaac wasn’t comfortable with her being poly and seeing other people. Malika asks if Anjelica is cool with Malika being poly but Anjelica just wants to take things one day at a time. Anjelica tells her to make her work decision about what works for her and not think about Dyonte’s issues as he’ll land on his feet.

Malika goes to work the next morning to see the DPN Manager talking with Dyonte in her office. Malika sits at her desk and Dyonte joins her. He admits that Imani, the DPN Manager, just offered him the paid position at DPN. Malika tells him not to be sorry as it’s good news. Malika has decided to take the job with Lucia. He hates that she’s taking the job as a consultant. She insists she’s not as they both get to do their work.

Mariana meets with Jackie about Revitalize Beauty and the similarities in concepts. Jackie insists that similarities are purely coincidental. Mariana isn’t there too sure about Jackie but to ask for a job. She pitches herself to Jackie as she’s no longer working with BB. Jackie is worried that Mariana was part of the drama in the group, but Mariana has a glowing recommendation from Evan to prove otherwise. Flashing back to last night, Mariana texted Evan to ask for the recommendation which he happily gave. Now, Mariana tells Jackie that she’s the right person for the job.

Margaret welcomes everyone to the comedy showcase and introduces them to their talented comedians. Before the show, Ruby had called a meeting with the women in charge as the comedians quit the program after learning “Asians are in this year”. Now, the comedians fill the stage. Back with Margaret, she tells them that her big breaks didn’t come from networks or studios but from friends looking out for each other. If they aren’t happy with what happened today, they should do something about it. Now, the comedy troupe is hosting their showcase at the Palace as she has friends to support them. They thank Kelly for hooking them up with the Palace Hotel.

The groups perform their intended skits for the crowds while Davia watches Dennis laugh. She envisions herself singing on the stage as she remembers her moments with Dennis. Him coming to her in the night, spooning him, singing together, comforting one another, and then her moments with Mat. From their first meeting to dancing in the kitchen. She remembers fighting with Dennis over him wanting to be left alone and her refusal. She remembers kissing Matt in the kitchen, holding his hand after she revealed her disorder, seeing Dennis in the kitchen when he came back, and playing footsie with Matt under the table. Now, she smiles surely.

Alice performs her skit in honor of her mother and David tells their mother the skit is her and she frowns then realizes she is funny. Alice sees her family laughing.

Callie tells Tony and Rowan the jury has been deliberating for five hours. Rowan knows a non-reactional jury after an emotional closing isn’t a good sign. Rowan thinks they’ll find him guilty. Callie isn’t sure while Tony thinks it will be a not guilty verdict. For the first time, he saw Tommy as credible on the stand. Rowan and Callie remark that his instincts are usually terrible. Kathleen enters as the jury makes a decision and the verdict will be read tomorrow. They don’t know if it’s good or bad that it’s only been five hours.

The comedy troupe takes their final bow but Margaret tells them that the comedy group has something special for Alice to cushion the blow of losing the contract and 70k. They sing her a song they wrote for her as they praise her. Alice stands after and hugs her troupe.

Mariana returns to BB and publicly gives her notice that she’s quitting. Flashing back, Mariana tells Claire she wants a chance to prove she can change. Rachel stands up for Mariana as she thinks they should drop their grudge and let Mariana prove she’s changed. Claire relents as it’s exhausting. She agrees as long as there are no more secrets, schemes, or lies. Mariana confesses that she applied for another job. Now, Mariana states she got the job and will burn revitalize beauty to the ground. The girls hug happily.

Gael visits Isabella to talk about how involved he’ll be with the pregnancy and baby. He doesn’t want her to go to Santa Barbara after what happened and for her not to worry she’s taking him from anyone or anything else. She asks about Callie.

Alice and Sumi walk back to The Coterie as they discuss the showcase. Alice offers her a nightcap but Sumi declines. Alice admits she isn’t seeing Ruby but Sumi already knows. Alice wanted her to think that because she’s scared of Sumi because it was so hard to get over Sumi last time. It took her a long time to get her voice and stand up to people. She isn’t the same person that went on Sumi’s first date with Meera before they broke up. Sumi apologizes for doing that to Alice as she isn’t that same person either. She only wants to be the part that is still in love with Alice. Alice doesn’t want to fall into old patterns and doesn’t want to risk it.

Callie goes to the roof to meet with Gael. She asks about Isabella who is sleeping after the traumatic scare. He asks about the trial and she’s waiting on the verdict but isn’t sure how it will go. She asks what he wanted to talk about and he looks at her tearfully. He says he’s going to be a father and doesn’t know how to do that part-time. He wants to be the partner she deserves but isn’t capable of doing both. She knows that too and tells him that when he shines his light on someone it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world because he gives everything he has. She knows the light needs to be on Isabella and the baby. They cry together as it’s hard but they both know it’s right. They share a hug.

Dyonte wants to meet Anjelica but Malika wants to wait until they know where it’s going. He has to leave for an early day but she’s happy he stayed for the important part. They kiss and agree to disagree on her new job. He tells her goodnight as he leaves. She turns around just as Isaac rides the elevator up. He says her name and she turns around in surprise.

Alice thinks she and Sumi are better off as friends so Sumi emotionally agrees. They say goodnight with Alice going into her loft. Davia visits Dennis as she’s come to a decision and knows what she wants. Gael tells Isabella that he wants her to stay. Mariana texts Evan to thank him for the recommendation, but he needs to talk with her. Meanwhile, Evan sits with Jackie admitting that Mariana hasn’t responded yet.

The jurors fill the courtroom once again. The FBI agents wait in the back row for Kathleen, who exchanges a look with Callie. The jury has come to a verdict so the Judge reminds everyone to stay calm with the verdict’s reading. The defense rises and faces the jury. The jury states their verdict while Jamie and Callie exchange a look. He gives her a small smile.

In Callie’s courtroom, she talks with Judge Curtis about her career choices and how she makes excuses for her derailments. Callie’s always had to adapt to the situations she finds herself in. Curtis states that just because things happened in her young life that she had no control over doesn’t mean she has to be stuck in that reaction as an adult. He wants to talk about her actions. She loved Jamie but thought the only way to do the right thing was to betray him. She’s not the only one with convictions but with her, it’s “see it my way or hit the highway”. She doesn’t agree but he states they wouldn’t be having this conversation if she was looking for someone to agree with her. She’s stuck in a loop; playing out the same scenes year after year, but it’s time for her to leave her safe cocoon and bet on herself. It’s time for her to believe she can be more than just the Callie Adams Foster they know and love. She doesn’t know if she can and thinks this is the best she’ll ever be. He doesn’t believe anything is as good as it gets because she has the power to make everything better and let go of things holding her down. She deserves the moon and the stars - she just has to have the courage to reach for them. She asks if that’s why she’s leaving, which she didn’t know yet. He asks what’s keeping her there.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

  • Annamarie Kasper as Raisa
  • Jacy King as Elica
  • Jim Lau as Dr. Mickelson
  • Karen Lew as Medical Examiner
  • Scot Ruggles as Coach Wallace
  • Quinn Sullivan as Agent Haverman
  • Noel Arthur as Agent Nunn
  • Jordan Preston as Harris Everson / Juror #1
  • Mealany Smith as Shelly Smith
  • Blaine Gray as Trent Smith
  • Lisa Carswell as Jeanne Smith

Notes and Trivia[]

  • This is the only episode of Good Trouble to be 90-minutes in length. The Fosters series finale was also 90-minutes long.
  • The season finale scored a 103.48% uptick in views from its last episode, and a 100% uptick in demographic from its last episode. Additionally, it is the most watched episode of the season with 234,000 views and a 0.8 demographic.
  • Closing Arguments teases Maia Mitchell, and therefore Callie's, potential exit from Good Trouble.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Videos[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Featured Music[]

GT 319 Soundtrack
  • Space by Gracie Gray
  • White Line Fever by Cari Cari
  • Breakaway by Glassio
  • Different by Kalaino
  • Who Cares by Bryant Taylorr
  • You Got A Feeling by Caveman
  • Something to Say by Cherry Kola
  • That's My Life (C'est Ma Vie) by Heartbreak Kid
  • Back From the Dead by Le Bon
  • Terrible Light by Young Echoes featuring Leanne Hoffman
  • Unraveling by Frances Cones

References[]

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