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SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Tuesday’s episode of Good Trouble.
Freeform can’t say goodbye to Good Trouble without bringing back a few familiar faces.
Maia Mitchell has returned to the series for a multi-episode arc that sees Callie return to Los Angeles and The Coterie, not only to help Mariana through her current turmoil with Silas and the farm, but also to host an engagement party with her fiancé Jamie.
Tuesday’s episode was all about Callie and Jamie, as their families and friends celebrated their love.
But, Mitchell isn’t going anywhere just yet, as Callie will be sticking around through the series finale in early March.
The actress, who left Good Trouble as a series regular in Season 4 but has returned on several occasions, spoke with Deadline about coming back one final time to give the series a proper sendoff.
DEADLINE: You stepped away from being a series regular a bit ago, but how did you feel when you heard the series was actually ending?
MAIA MITCHELL: I think I did some of my letting go in a day-to-day sense when I left the show as a series regular, but coming back as often as I’ve been able to has been so amazing. I’ve always known that it’s here when I’m available and that I get to come back and play with everyone. So, I was honestly pretty heartbroken when I found out, just because it is such a family and it’s been such a constant in my life. So, it was absolutely devastating if I’m honest. I’m just really glad that they were able to shoot a proper finale and that I was able to be there for that and end the journey with Cierra. I’m super grateful and I think we’ve got a really great finale now. I’m excited for everyone to see it and just see all these storylines wrapped up in a really nice way.
DEADLINE: I really love that you’re back for a multi-episode arc this time. How did that come about?
MITCHELL: I was wrapped on another show I was doing, and so I knew I had some time. So I just let the writers know, ‘Hey, I’m down to come back for a few episodes.’ Or maybe they came to me. I don’t remember which way, but either way, I told them that I would be happy to come back and do a multi-episode arc. It’s always fun coming back and doing one episode here and there but getting to really hang out for a while and get settled in is really nice, and to have storylines that you know are a little more involved. So that was really fun. And at the time, I didn’t know that that was going to be toward the end of the final season. That was kind of just a really nice coincidence. So it worked out perfect. I had told them always that if I had time off I’d want to sneak back in and play Callie, because it’s the best job.
DEADLINE: When you jump back into the story, do you have any conversations with the writers about what Callie’s been up to that we don’t get to see? I feel like this time around especially, she seems like she’s grown so much since moving to DC and really found what she was looking for there.
MITCHELL: It’s definitely a conversation I have with Joanna Johnson. I wanted to show a version of Callie that is a little more grounded and has found her agency and found some independence. I really wanted that to come across in these episodes. So yeah, we definitely talked about how her job is going, how her and Jamie are doing while she’s there. She making friends. It’s real conversations that we have just to create a little bit of backstory that, of course, the audience doesn’t see, but I’m glad that came across.
DEADLINE: What do you think it meant for Callie to be able to help Mariana through this really traumatic situation with Silas, not just emotionally but also tangibly with that restraining order?
MITCHELL: Callie’s always been very protective of Marianna, and she’s not that much older, but she definitely feels like an older sister. She’s always been protective. So I’m seeing her be able to use her legal chops against Silas is very satisfying. She’s definitely a mama tiger, and, of course, the girls will always be there for each other, especially I think you see in this season. When they need [each other] most, they show up for each other. But it’s horrible to see Marianna in that state, and Cierra’s work throughout the storylines…. I’ve just been watching, and I’m so impressed with her. She’s just doing the most beautiful work…Of course, she needed Callie.
DEADLINE: Callie does always seem to come back right when Mariana really needs her.
MITCHELL: They have sister-sister intuition.
DEADLINE: My favorite episodes are always the ones where the whole Adams Foster family comes back together. How was it to shoot this engagement party episode with everyone?
MITCHELL: It was so special. I’m so glad we got that episode. And when we did. It was so fun. It’s always really great to see everyone again, And it just ends up being like a wild party. The poor AD department trying to wrangle everyone, because we’re just in the green room catching up and you kind of forget that there’s work to do because everyone’s like, ‘Oh my god.’ So excited. It was really fun. I think it’s a really fun episode. I’m really excited for everyone to see. It’s just nice for the family to be together celebrating Callie and how far she’s come. I’m really glad we got that moment with the family.
DEADLINE: It was so funny to me that Mariana was panicking about being Callie’s maid of honor, because to me it was so obvious that Callie would choose her.
MITCHELL: Of course you would ask Marianna. Callie really doesn’t have a lot of friends. She’s not the most like social girl. So there’s really no one else that would even be an option. And so I think in her mind, she probably wasn’t thinking that Marianna would even be questioning it, but it is funny to see Marianna kind of spiraling over something so obvious to Callie and it’s kind of perfect. But no, I think it’s really cute and that little scene with the surprise and the bracelet is very cute.
DEADLINE: When you think back to your time on The Fosters, how do you feel about all the stories you were able to tell?
MITCHELL: They were so groundbreaking. We’ve come so far in terms of representation and storytelling in the last, I guess, 10 years since we went to air with The Fosters. But I remember how groundbreaking it was at the time. Even just having a biracial, two mom couple at the helm of the show… I think we maybe had one of the first sex scenes between a trans man and my character Callie. There’s been so many storylines that have been really impactful, particularly from The Fosters. It’s good to see that the rest of the world has kind of taken it on and is adopting the same kind of storytelling now, but it was really groundbreaking and I’m really proud of that.
DEADLINE: Since you were also there to film the finale, what can you tease about that?
MITCHELL: It’s really emotional for everyone. But I think we’ve got a really beautiful finale. I’m really glad we were able to get back to set and really close off everyone’s chapters in a really nice way that just feels satisfying and just really lovely. I’m so glad that I was able to be included for it, and we get a nice little sister moment in there too, which is really special. think everyone should have their tissues ready. I mean, we were just crying all day. So it’s very emotional, but really, really moving and very satisfying, I think, for the fans. I’m really excited for everyone to see it, but it is bittersweet.
