Finding Carter: Season 1/ Episode 12 “One Hour Photo” [Season Finale] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

As Lori lurks in the shadows like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Max says goodbye.

Review (with Spoilers)

As the season comes to a close, honestly I feel this maybe the last episode of Finding Carter I may watch. For while I still consider myself a fan of Kathryn Prescott and Alex Saxon, I lost my will to continue watching this show halfway through the season. If just because I lost interest in Carter’s self-caused drama, especially in terms of Crash. Add on Lori doesn’t make you feel conflicted about her motherhood by the end of the episode, and really what are you left with? Especially since it seems Saxon’s time on the show may have come to an end.

Topic 1: Back To How Things Used to Be – Carter & Elizabeth

With Max stuck in the hospital, everyone wants to be by his side during his recovery. To the point Taylor is thinking about taking a leave from school and Grant’s grades are slipping, and Max is put back into the position of feeling like a burden. But as for everyone else, while they deeply care about Max, they don’t want to drown themselves with his misery. Though when it comes to Carter, Elizabeth feels she is trying to bounce back a bit too soon. To the point where when a trauma counselor calls, Elizabeth pushes for Carter to maybe consider it. After all, Carter hasn’t gone to a therapy session since the last family one; is still the victim of being kidnapped for 13 years; has been arrested; had a very dangerous relationship with Crash, which she ended is a less than ideal way; she and her father still are on slightly bad terms; and then her ex, and current best friend, Max got shot because of her. All of which seems a bit much to keep held up inside you and not talk about. Especially for someone like Carter who, to relieve stress, usually in a grandeur way acts out.

But while Carter’s attempts at going back to life before Max got shot, or even Crash came into her life, David is trying to really take things back to Elizabeth by doing the things he used to before she was pregnant with Carter and Taylor. Such as him leaving cute little notes around the house for her. Something which, combined with him getting a job finally, seems to be what may really help their relationship mend from all of Elizabeth’s cheating, and David’s lies.

Topic 2: I Have to Get My Life Together, And You Do Too – Taylor & Max

At this point, Max has almost lost everything. It’s doubtful his job is going to hold his spot; with his recovery likely being months, it is unlikely he will be able to keep his apartment; and while he has a weak grip in his hands, he has lost access to controlling most of his body. Making the only major thing he hasn’t lost being Taylor. Who, in the pursuit of being a dutiful girlfriend, is seemingly losing herself to Max. Something which he isn’t that fond of because, never mind all he is going through which is making him increasingly agitated, but now with Taylor putting a pause on her life to be with him all the time, to the point of him not really having space, it is slowly turning our favorite carefree, stoner-like, person into a bit of a butthead.

Something which Taylor does her best to handle for, after all, Max has every right to be upset about his predicament. Though with her starting to make her life about him and his recovery, you see him really get those feelings of becoming a liability back. For never mind he has a ton of therapy to get through in order to regain his motor skills, but now he is slowing everyone else down, if not, in Taylor’s case, stopping them. All of which creates a sense of guilt for he doesn’t want to impede anyone’s progress in life, if anything he wants to progress with them. So, noticing how he is slowing Taylor down, and pushing her away maybe the only way for her to refocus on herself, he decides to breakup with her. Leading to me wondering if the show may dump him in season 2, slowly write him off, or if he may stick around? I mean, there is always the chance of them getting back together, but I don’t know how much of an investment there is in Max to know if Alex Saxon may stick to this, The Fosters, or maybe an entirely new show.

Topic 3: You’ll Always Be My Baby/ Did You Even Want Me? – Carter, Elizabeth, and Lori

Leaving us with the sudden return of Lori, someone who seemingly has been lying in wait as Crash took over Carter’s life. But with Carter finding out the would-be phone number was an exact zip code, which lead to a picture shop, the show finally decides to start digging into the question: why was Carter kidnap? For with the pictures being from before Carter was born, and then Lori showing up with a picture of David in bed, it makes you wonder was Carter a pawn, who became like a daughter to Lori, or maybe Carter was supposed to give David a reason to join Lori in their make believe family? It is really hard to say because Elizabeth and David claim to not known anything, and Lori is adamant on them, though more so David likely, to reveal all that happened. Either way, with no answers, and then Lori kidnapping Carter again, honestly I feel like cleaning my hands of the show.