David Lambert talks ‘The Fosters’ and teases tonight’s mid-season finale

As the highly anticipated mid-season finale of The Fosters approaches, David Lambert (Brandon Foster) took some time to chat with a round table of reporters to share his thoughts on the season thus far and give us some insight into tonight’s finale.

When it comes to Brandon, the biggest questions are about his evolving relationship with Callie. In last week’s penultimate episode, Brandon and Callie finally gave into the feelings they’ve had since they met. Callie reveals to Brandon that she has most certainly sealed her fate and made her adoption by Stef and Lena impossible. With the possibility of being siblings off the table, there’s nothing holding them back. Watching these two together after all they’ve been through was very satisfying for fans of the couple–and even people who aren’t on board with their relationship had to admit it was done well.

Lambert says it “was definitely an interesting challenge, but also a dance that we choreographed. The last two episodes of this block were directed by our executive producers Joanna Johnson, who did Episode 9, and Peter Paige, who did the finale that will be airing on Monday. When we shot them, we were doing those two episodes almost as one. These two final episodes have a more even, cohesive feeling to them. With that scene, there is a part of that scene that will be picked up in the next episode. Peter and Joanna had hands on that scene together. It really was a pretty cool collaboration from everyone to make it as tasteful and as intense as possible and really gripping. In terms of comfort and whatnot, Maia [Mitchell] and I were focused on really hitting that high point in this time for Brandon and Callie and really showing that release and all of the time and tension that’s been building and building, sometime going away and then coming back really aggressively. It’s this ebb and flow that Brandon and Callie find themselves in. It was important for us to get that right.”

Certainly “Brallie” fans felt the actors did the scene justice. On why these two characters inspire such passionate fans, Lambert said, “There is always that romantic feeling when two people can’t be together. There’s that grass is greener on the other side, if you will, or the unrequited love thing. That epitomizes what Brandon and Callie have become. It’s a place they shouldn’t have gone, yet they couldn’t help it, and I think that whole idea appeals to people, because you’re acting on emotions that maybe you shouldn’t necessarily act on, impulses. It creates for very interesting situations. There’s a part of people that have the curiosity to know what will happen and somewhere along the way, they find that they like the two people, and find themselves rooting for them even against all the odds. It becomes this underdog story that you somehow hope will work itself out. I think all those qualities is exactly what Brandon and Callie have had to go through and will continue to go through. There’s something attractive about that subconsciously for us. It’s definitely an interesting dynamic for people to watch, and they like to watch it.”

So what can we expect from Brandon and Callie as this half-season comes to a close? Will they try and keep their hook up a secret now that Callie’s adoption in still a possibility? Lambert tells us “That’s definitely the ultimate question that they will be faced with [laughs]. She really thought that she had no chance of getting adopted. That alone was the death sentence really at the end. But that’s really what they’re going to have to figure out in this finale, and it’s an interesting task, one that they were trying to avoid the whole time, and now it’s staring them right in the face.”

Brandon’s relationship with Callie hasn’t been the only thing the character has been dealing with in season 3. He’s run into some trouble at music camp, though ultimately it all worked out for the best, and his father is looking into fostering a teenage boy, giving Brandon another foster sibling and forcing him to share his father in a way he’s never had to before.

When asked about Brandon’s relationship with his father, and how AJ may affect the dynamic, Lambert said “Brandon has a sensitivity with his dad that we’ve seen. It gets triggered. He might be a bit territorial with his dad but it’s also a really important relationship, and it’s one that Brandon didn’t necessarily always know how to deal with. Obviously we saw it back in Season 1, he didn’t always know how to deal with his dad being his dad, living away, and also having to live with his moms and have that family. That was something that Brandon grew up having to figure out. With an element like AJ, who is an entirely new person that Brandon’s dad connected with him in this odd way, it just threw Brandon for a loop. I don’t think he knew what was going on, but I think he felt a little pushed off to the side, put on the back burner. Ultimately he just wants to have a relationship with his dad and it’s not always easy. Mike and Brandon are pretty different people, which is also the funny part about it. Mike’s this sports guy, really guy cop, and he has this very musical son. It’s a funny relationship, but at the end of the day, neither of them are going to give up on what they have. They may have their fights or whatever, but they both truly want to be connected to each other. AJ was a curveball for sure and that’s definitely not fully resolved. It’s getting resolved now, but I think it’s still going to take some work and also some navigation probably by Mike as well, not just Brandon. Mike needs to step in and help define what it is, what’s going on here, who AJ is to Mike, who AJ is to Brandon, and how this dynamic will work. It’ll be interesting going forward to see that. The dynamics with Mike are some of my favorite stuff. Working with Danny Nucci, we have a very close bond, off set as well. It’s really fun for me to work with him, and we really try hard to get that relationship right and make it feel real. There will definitely be challenges for them ahead, but I think they’re always going to figure their stuff out.”

David also addressed fans’ concerns that Brandon gets away with all his bad choices without ever having to face consequences. He said “I understand how it looks that way in some senses but there’s also a perspective that actual characters in the show sometimes feel. Mariana has said things to that degree. Jesus has said things to that degree. I think it’s an awkward place that Brandon is naturally put in because of Stef and how they had a family before any of this began, even before Lena. There’s a subconscious very, very small space because of that. I think everyone just does their best to not talk about it and not acknowledge it. I definitely think Brandon’s had to pay his dues for certain things for sure. He has gone through quite a bit, and it’s not even to do with Callie. Just with music alone, he puts himself through hell every single time. That just comes from a place of him wanting to be passionate and do the best he can. He knows he’s skilled; he knows he’s talented. He may not always have the confidence, but genuinely, he is a good guy and wants to do well and protect his family. What makes it interesting, and maybe sometimes hard to understand, is how focused and specific he is. He already knows what he wants to do, and he’s going 100% for that. There’s a certain degree of people who can’t understand how he has so much focus with his music – It’s really all he’s about. It gives him a sense of a purpose, and I think a lot of kids in high school and into college are still figuring out their way. Brandon just got an earlier head start, so he knows what he wants to do and he knows what he has to do.”

What are you hoping to see from Brandon Foster on tonight’s finale?