Explained: Why did Maia Mitchell leave Good Trouble during season 4

Good Trouble, the fan-favorite spin-off drama series of the show The Fosters, is set to return with season 5 episode 1 on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10 pm ET. The highly awaited season five will air exclusively on the Freeform TV Network.

However, that's not where the good news ends as the new season will also bring with it the beloved character, Callie Adams Foster, played by Maia Mitchell. The actress ended her nine-year-long journey with The Fosters franchise in the second episode of Good Trouble season four.

The episode, titled, Kiss Me and Smile for Me, saw Callie on an airplane as she left to pursue her dream job at the ACLU in Washington, D.C. It also saw Jamie (Beau Mirchoff) boarding the same flight and sitting right next to his on-again-off-again girlfriend Callie.

Maia Mitchell made the decision to bid farewell to Good Trouble to return to Australia to visit her family, whom she hadn't seen for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

---

Good Trouble actress Maia Mitchell penned down an emotional note after she left the show in season 4

As she left the show to go visit her family in Australia, the 29-year-old actress wrote a heartfelt note to her fans on Instagram, which said:

"10 years ago, I auditioned for a little pilot called ‘The Fosters.’ I was 19 with no clue of the luck I had stumbled upon. Years later, I was able to continue my journey as Callie when we formed the ‘Good Trouble’ family. Two shows, 156 episodes, and a chosen family for life. Lucky me."

She added that although she is "beyond fortunate" to have the career and the job she does, she felt a pull to return to Australia to be close to her family. Mitchell's note even said that she understands that the years of COVID-19 had been trying for everyone and that she fully recognized the "privilege of being able to work" during the pandemic.

However, she noted that it meant that she was separated from her family and loved ones when they needed each other the most and added:

"Thus came the need to create the space to split my time between both countries."

As she expressed her gratitude to her fans, Maia said that she is thankful for their consistent support and loyalty. She even said:

"Fact: We have the best fandom in television. You will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know our paths will cross again in the future."

One of the Freeform show's creators, Joanna Johnson, said that it was really hard to let go of Mitchell. Johnson said that Mitchell has been an inseparable part of The Fosters and Good Trouble family.

Johnson also said that they tried to convince her to stay a little longer but the actress decided to leave as she desperately needed to reunite with her family.

After the actress' exit from the series, Johnson said in an interview with Variety:

"She’s always going to be part of the family, and I don’t think it’s the last we’ll ever see of Callie. Callie’s journey is happening off camera, but we’ll catch up with her."

The creator kept her promise to catch up with the character as Mitchell re-joined the cast of the series' upcoming fifth season. The premiere episode, which will display an appearance by the actress as Callie, has been titled, Shot in the Dark.

Don't forget to watch episode 1 of Good Trouble season 5 on Freeform on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10 pm ET. The episode will also be available on the streaming platform Hulu the very next day.