The Fosters' Maia Mitchell Previews Callie's Growing Bond With Brandon, 'Huge' Liam Reveal

On Monday’s episode of The Fosters (ABC Family, 9/8c), Callie’s troubled past comes back to haunt her in a big way.

The reappearance of the mysterious Liam sends the foster teen through the emotional wringer, leading her to rely on her new family — including foster bro/potential love interest Brandon — for support.

So will the sorta siblings cross the line? Or will Wyatt continue to win over Callie’s heart? And just what is the deal with Liam? Below, star Maia Mitchell answers those burning questions and more.

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TVLINE | What does possibly having Liam back in her life do to Callie?
It forces her to face things that she’s really shut away. She’s just been in survival mode. Everything she does is a survival mechanism. She gets through each day and can only deal with so much. She’s a young girl. Without the support of family and friends, she really had to deal with all of her misfortunes completely on her own. So Liam really forces her to face some big things that she hasn’t worked through and hasn’t really processed properly. She’s holding onto a lot of guilt and anger and upset. She learns that she can’t face those [things in her past] alone and she begins to really open up to the people around her. That’s a huge, huge, huge thing for Callie.

TVLINE | So instead of this threatening her and Jude’s placement, does it make her a little more ingrained in the family?
It does. It really does. She’s always going to be wary of that. I don’t think that you’re going to see Callie completely feel comfortable in that house any time soon. She just can’t get there yet. But it definitely does help her feel closer to the family. The way that they handle it and the way that they support her definitely makes her feel safe on a level that she hasn’t really felt before.

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TVLINE | We don’t know too much about Liam yet, and the mind goes to some really dark places when trying to fill in Callie’s backstory with him. What can you say about the trauma there?
It is something that is quite huge and definitely will give you some answers as to why Callie is the way she is, why she’s so callous and so harsh, but also as to why she’s so vulnerable. It definitely gives you a much bigger understanding of Callie.

TVLINE | According to the episode description, Callie confides in Brandon. Does this bring them closer together?
Absolutely. The romance is put on hold because of what Callie’s going through and dealing with. It’s so huge. What’s really amazing about Callie and Brandon’s relationship is the unspoken connection and trust. She really does feel safe around Brandon, whether it’s romantically or just in terms of friends and being there for her. She knows that he has her back. He’s the first person that she’s really been able to trust. He, in the episode, really does help her deal with what’s going on. He’s the first person she’s really been able to talk to about it and confide in. That’s huge for Callie.

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TVLINE | Talya said in the last episode that Brandon was interested in Callie, but it’s not the other way around. Do you think Callie has any feelings for him or is it all one-sided on his part?
I don’t think it’s one-sided. Because of the way the foster system works, you can’t have any kind of relation with a foster brother. Even if there were any feelings on Callie’s end, she’s not even able to face them because the risk of Jude not being in the foster house anymore is just too great. She would never do anything to risk Jude not being safe and that house and those parents. Lena and Stef are the best thing that’s ever happened to these two kids. It’s kind of irrelevant as to whether she does have feelings for him or not. It can never be romantic, so she brushes it off.

TVLINE | Callie also has another guy in her life. How serious are things going to get between her and Wyatt?
They’re definitely taking another step in their relationship. I think they can call each other boyfriend and girlfriend at this point. They understand each other. They’re the two outcasts, and there’s something very attractive about that to Callie. She can feel more comfortable around him.

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