Season 3 (Good Trouble)

Season 3

3A
3B

Premiere Airdate

February 17, 2021 (3A)^[1]
July 14th, 2021 (3B)

Finale Airdate

April 21, 2021 (Spring)
September 8, 2021 (Season)

No. of Episodes

19^[2]

Slogan

Speak Up. Speak Out.

Episode Guide
Previous	Next
Season 2	Season 4

Season 3 of Good Trouble was announced on January 17, 2020.^[3] The season premiered on February 17, 2021, and aired for ten consecutive weeks until its Spring finale on April 21, 2021. The remaining nine episodes of the season started airing on July 14, 2021.^[4]

Synopsis

Good Trouble follows the residents of Downtown Los Angeles’ The Coterie as they juggle career, love, and friendship and learn that standing up for what you believe in requires making a little noise and getting into trouble. Season three picks up as Callie moves back into the Coterie, Mariana feels torn between Raj and Evan, Malika prepares for her hearing after breaking Judge Wilson’s restraining order, Davia and Dennis explore the future of their relationship, Gael looks to get back to his true passion, Alice takes her comedy to the next level, and Jamie wonders if he can ever forgive Callie for betraying him.^[5]

Cast

Episodes

#	Title	First aired
1	Capoeira	February 17, 2021
1	With Jerod’s case on the line, Callie takes a job with a high profile defense lawyer. After sleeping with Evan, Mariana has to make a decision regarding her relationship with Raj. Meanwhile, Malika’s future is on the line with her impending trial.
2	Arraignment Day	February 24, 2021
2	Callie receives some big news. Meanwhile, Mariana’s app becomes popular with the wrong crowd. The Coterie members join BLM in taking a stand to free Malika.
3	Whoosh, Pow, Bang	March 3, 2021
3	Callie discovers there’s more to Jerod’s case than she had anticipated. Mariana and the girls come up with their own app. Meanwhile, Davia finds a way to help her students, and Gael takes a job with a renowned artist.
4	Klompendansen	March 10, 2021
4	The Fosters and the Hunters get together for a Dutch themed goodbye party for Brandon and Eliza; Callie has an awkward encounter with Jamie; Mariana struggles to tell the moms the truth.
5	Because, Men	March 17, 2021
5	Callie questions Kathleen’s methods regarding Jerod’s case. Meanwhile, Mariana and the girls pitch their new app idea. Malika learns a surprising fact about Dyonte, and Davia deals with her feelings towards Dennis.
6	Help	March 24, 2021
6	Callie learns a secret about Kathleen. Mariana tries to hide her relationship with Evan. Meanwhile, Malika comes to a realization about her mother, and Alice thrives within the comedy program—but at what cost?
7	New Moon	March 31, 2021
7	A surprise intruder interrupts Malika’s New Moon ceremony, wreaking havoc and disrupting relationships amongst the Coterie members.
8	Trust	April 7, 2021
8	Callie and the team take on a murder case while Mariana and the fight club girls struggle with their pitch. Malika reveals her feelings towards Dyonte, and Davia comes to a realization about Matt. Gael struggles with his latest assignment, while Alice tries to take control of her relationship with Ruby.
9	Driver's Seat	April 14, 2021
9	Callie juggles the murder case and her feelings towards Gael. Mariana helps Alice take control of her life; meanwhile, Davia struggles with her feelings towards Dennis and Matt. Gael faces an ethical dilemma regarding his boss.
10	She's Back	April 21, 2021
10	Callie questions whether to help Kathleen; meanwhile, Mariana comes clean about her relationship with Evan. Malika makes a decision about her relationship with Isaac and Dyonte, and Davia gets a win at her school. Gael gets some unexpected news while Alice comes to a decision about the comedy program.
11	Knocked Down	July 14, 2021
11	Callie and Gael decide to give their relationship a shot. Meanwhile, Malika is blindsided by Isaac’s news, Alice returns to the comedy program thanks to help from an unexpected source, and Dennis’ return has Davia questioning everything.
12	Shame	July 21, 2021
12	Callie wonders if allowing Mariana to work for Kathleen was the right decision; Gael reveals some big news to everyone. Malika opens up about Isaac. Meanwhile, Alice and the CBTV comedians are surprised by a familiar face.
13	Making a Metamour	July 28, 2021
13	Callie and Mariana work together to figure out what really happened the night of Zack’s death; Malika pumps the brakes on her relationship with Dyonte; Gael learns that his relationship with Yuri is not what it seems.
14	Picks and Strikes	August 4, 2021
14	Callie and Mariana team up to find the right candidates for Tommy’s trial. Dennis ventures into a new business; Gael and Isabella realize co-parenting is not as easy as they thought it would be; Alice decides to take the reins.
15	Lunar New Year	August 11, 2021
15	Alice hosts a Lunar New Year celebration at the Coterie; Callie and Gael address their communication issues; Malika and Tanya forge a new relationship; Davia struggles with her feelings for Matt and Dennis.
16	Opening Statements	August 18, 2021
16	As Tommy’s trial begins, Callie sees Jamie in a new light. After running into some old colleagues, Mariana wonders if she can ever make amends. Malika must learn to establish boundaries; meanwhile, Alice and Ruby’s relationship is revealed.
17	Anticipation	August 25, 2021
17	Callie receives an anonymous tip during the trial. Mariana lands a big client at work. Malika explores new feelings toward a co-worker. Davia’s physique has her slipping back into old habits, and Gael introduces Isabella to his family.
18	Blindside	September 1, 2021
18	Callie and Gael struggle to make time for each other. Mariana tries to redeem herself with the Fight Club Girls. Malika realizes there are other ways to help people facing incarceration injustices.
19	Closing Arguments	September 8, 2021
19	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.

Notes and Trivia

Filming and production for Season began on March 5, 2020.^[13]
On March 5, 2020, it was announced that Beau Mirchoff had been upped to a series regular for Season 3. He was previously a recurring character in Seasons 1 and 2.^[6]
On March 14, 2020, production was shut down indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 corona-virus pandemic.^[14]
- Production resumed in September 2020.
The season was slated to premiere in Summer 2020, however, due to the COVID-19 virus, the season was postponed until 2021.
Cierra Ramirez (Mariana Adams Foster) and Maia Mitchell (Callie Adams Foster) were the only series regulars to appear in every episode of the season.
Rhea Butcher as "Lindsay" returned for Season 3.^[15]
Black Lives Matter continued to be part of the storyline, and more specifically, the George Floyd movement.^[16]
Season 3 stayed in the pre-COVID world for the first half of the season, though the second half might explore COVID more.^[16]
Troian Bellisario returns to Good Trouble to direct an episode. She previously directed Swipe Right and Fragility.^[17]
Constance Zimmer, who plays new character Kathleen Gale, directed an episode this season.^[18]
This season celebrated Mariana's birthday. This is the third time her birthday has been celebrated, following The Fosters episodes, Quinceañera and Sixteen.
- However, her birthday was a lie and forced her actual birthday to not be celebrated due to her lie.
Several teaser trailers and clips were released exclusively on the Good Trouble Twitter account. This did not occur for Seasons 1 or 2.
On February 14, 2021, Joanna Johnson did an interview with TVLine where she spoke about Season 3.
- Mariana’s work at Speckulate leads into a story, “how a lot of these sort of right-wing activist hate groups will overtake certain apps to communicate with each other. The question of, what is freedom of speech, and what is hate speech? And should that be protected?”
- Callie stands up for “the mistreatment of mentally ill patients who are incarcerated, but really shouldn’t be."
- "Callie’s dealing with the demise of her relationship, largely because of a moral choice she made that, definitely at least from Jamie’s point of view, felt like a personal betrayal." As well as questioning if she did the right thing but, "you can’t compromise your morals, even for someone you love."
The love square between Raj, Mariana, Evan, and Isabella was very prevalent in the first half of Season 3.
- "We’re still talking about how Black activism is seen in a criminal way, and Black protest is criminalized, as opposed to being a freedom of speech and the right to carry arms, as it is when you see people that are white activists on the right.”^[19]
The Adams Foster family, including Stef, Lena, Brandon, and Jude, made an appearance this season. They appear in a Dutch themed episode in which the Hunter family is requiring everyone to wear Dutch-themed clothing. From the Hunter family, confirmed appearances include Eliza, Connor, Jim, and Diane. Brandon and Eliza having a "big surprise" was teased.^[20]
- Joanna Johnson teased the episode saying, "The episode is Brandon and Eliza’s going-away party ahead of their move to Amsterdam, executive producer Joanna Johnson previews. Eliza’s parents, Jim (Robert Gant) and Diane (Susan Walters), are hosting the themed shindig, which features a lot of fun surprises."^[21]
- The episode is directed by Bradley Bredeweg.^[22]
A season three featurette video was posted by TV Insider, and can be viewed here.
A new Coterie resident is introduced this season, and serves as a love interest for Davia.^[23]
A case is taken to court for the first time since Jamal Thompson's case in Season 1.^[23]
Sherry Cola spoke on Alice's journey in Season 3 saying, "in terms of Alice’s personal journey, it’s very much about breaking stereotypes--the Asian stereotype. We are constantly put in a box and she is just discovering when the right time to stick up for yourself is."^[24]
Zuri Adele spoke on the importance of Malika's journey in the series and Season 3, from her BLM activism to being allowed to wear her natural hair. She said, "it’s a complete game changer. Our hair is our crown and the number one top form of our expression despite the flawed pedagogy in education that we’ve been a part of. It’s such a statement to embrace our natural hair for ourselves and such a way to love on ourselves."^[25]
A Season 3 featurette can be viewed on Twitter by clicking here.
Jamie's disheveled look in Season 3 was due to Beau Mirchoff filming Narcos: New Mexico and being unable to shave for the part. According to Joanna Johnson, "Part of his disheveled look was because we were sharing him with Narcos: Mexico — we couldn’t have him shaving. But it worked for our character perfectly. I see Jamie as someone who really got burned by someone who he really loved and trusted 100 percent. Going forward, they’re going to find themselves, again, working professionally and personally at odds. They can’t seem to get out of each other’s orbit."^[26]
When speaking on the possibility of the show being too political for Freeform Joanna Johnson said, "Freeform has been amazing, brave, bold, supportive in this storytelling. I’ve never been told I couldn’t do something. But we’re also a soap. At the end of the day, this show is about relationships and the struggle for identity in your twenties, and the family that you make out in the world. I think as long as you focus it that way, it doesn’t become a show about issues. It’s still a show about people."^[26]
To promote the series, the main female actress participated in Celebrity Family Feud in which they competed against the cast of fellow Freeform series, Grownish..^[27]
- The Good Trouble cast played for Dignity and Power Now, which has a major plotline in Season 3. They ultimately won the competition.
Despite being billed as a main cast member, Josh Pence only appears in five out of the aired ten episodes in the first half of the season.
This season averaged a 0.06 demographic, down 34.21% from Season 2, 168,000 viewers, down 31.77% from the previous season.^[28]