After the popular family drama “The Fosters” came to an end in 2018, the spinoff “Good Trouble” was created, which follows sisters Callie and Mariana as they move to LA together. While in LA, the sisters deal with things like not being respected at work, struggling with being roommates together, and relationship drama. The show also contains a likeable cast of characters, most of whom live in the same building as Callie and Mariana and are all very well-developed and interesting. With many exciting storylines, realistic characters, and themes about the importance of fighting for what’s right, “Good Trouble” is a very entertaining show that’s definitely worth a watch.

When I first started watching “The Fosters” when I was younger, I quickly got attached to the relatable storylines and the many good-natured yet realistic characters. Callie and Mariana were some of my favorite characters, which is one of the reasons I was so excited to watch “Good Trouble”. Although the two had a bit of a rocky start when Callie first came to live with the Fosters, they soon bonded, and by the end of the original show they were some of the closest characters on the series. Although they still have occasional fights, their bond often grows even stronger in “Good Trouble” when they decide to become roommates once again, this time as young adults. 

Callie, an aspiring lawyer, is determined, hardworking, and caring. During this spinoff viewers watch her explore her passion for helping others, and seeing her continue to get closer to her goals was very inspiring. Mariana, a software engineer, is creative and passionate about her work. Mariana has always been an inspiring character for me, especially when watching “The Fosters” growing up, because of how she is both intelligent and embraces her femininity. Many movies and TV shows tend to deprecate femininity and make their more feminine characters seem unintelligent, so it was great to see a character who was dedicated, well-rounded, and not afraid to show her feminine side. 

Throughout “Good Trouble” Mariana deals with not being respected by her male coworkers because of her gender, and the situations she deals with are unfortunately very relatable for many women. It was really inspiring to watch her and the few other female coworkers she had create a plan to become more respected at their work, and it made me feel less alone about being underestimated because of my gender. There are many other characters in this show, such as Dennis, a resident in their building who struggles with mental health after a traumatic event from his past, and Alice, an aspiring stand-up comedian who deals with trying to break away from Asian stereotypes in comedy. Another main character is Malika, a former foster child who is passionate about activism and social justice. She is similar to Callie in the sense that they both want to fight for what’s right, and watching her continue to get involved with BLM protests despite the fact that it got her in trouble was very inspiring.

I really liked “Good Trouble” overall. I enjoyed how all the main characters were fleshed-out and given interesting yet realistic backstories, as well as fun personalities and many witty lines. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack and the way that the show uses its cinematography to make the audience better understand the character’s feelings. The occasional cameos from other characters that were in “The Fosters” are always enjoyable, and the nods to storylines in the original show can sometimes give “Good Trouble” a sense of nostalgia for those who enjoyed “The Fosters”. With that in mind though, I also think that “Good Trouble” could be enjoyed by those who haven’t seen “The Fosters”. 

As much as I enjoyed this series, there were some things I didn’t like about it as well. After sharing a room for so long in the original show with few problems, it felt a little unrealistic to me that they struggled so much with being roommates in “Good Trouble”. I also didn’t like the pacing of many of the episodes. A lot of the episodes began with an entertaining scene to grab the viewer’s attention, and then went back in time and showed what led up to that scene. Although this sounds interesting on paper, it can often feel a little confusing, especially when you’re not sure if the original scene was supposed to take place in the future or not. “Good Trouble” often either rushes through conflicts or spends too much time building them up, which also adds to the strange pacing of the series. I also think that if you’ve seen “The Fosters”, you should try to be prepared for this show to have a much different feel. This show obviously focuses a lot more on young adult life rather than family life, and it felt a little jarring at first after watching the characters in high school for so long.

Overall, I really enjoyed “Good Trouble”. I think that it has a talented cast and wonderful characters, and the storylines are always interesting, if a little predictable at times. I would especially recommend this show to people who enjoyed “The Fosters” or shows with a large ensemble of tight-knit characters such as “Sweet Magnolias”. You can watch the three-season show now on Hulu.