Life Unexpected

Plot

Lux Cassidy (Britt Robertson) had been through the foster care system for almost her whole life. Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby) had given birth to her while at age 16, but gave her up for adoption after being promised by Social Services that the baby would quickly be adopted. Due to heart problems as a baby (she had ventricular septal defect), and countless surgeries, she was not a desirable candidate for adoption, and instead ended up in the foster care system and in and out of group homes. Just before her 16th birthday, Lux is petitioning the court to become an emancipated minor, but before that occurs, she must get signatures from her unknown birth parents. She first finds her father, Nate Bazile, operator of the Open Bar, a business he operates out of a building given to him by his father. Baze lives a semi-fraternity boy lifestyle above the drinking establishment with two roommates, Math (Austin Basis), a high school teacher and Baze's childhood best friend, and Jamie (Reggie Austin), who also works at the bar. However, even when he signs the papers, Baze discovers that he is already bonding with his newfound daughter, and realizes that she has his eyes. He introduces Lux to her mother Cate Casidy, co-host of the "Morning Madness" drive time show at Portland radio station K-100 and Baze's former one-night stand from high school. Lux has been listening to Cate's voice on the radio as long as she can remember, so she feels an instant connection with the mom she's never met. Baze takes Lux to meet Cate, who is shocked and saddened to learn that Lux has grown up in foster care instead of the adoption she believed would take place, and is reluctant to commit to her daughter. Eventually, Cate wants to be a part of Luxs' life, and she shows that she really does care.

When a judge decides that Lux isn't ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the awkwardness. Cate, due to her job as a radio host, and the fact that she has a suitable house, is given primary custody of Lux. Ryan Thomas (Kerr Smith), her radio broadcast partner, as well as her fiance, also takes to Lux and has bonded with her as well, sometimes being able to get through to her better than her parents, due to similar issues that they have had.

As the series progresses, though, Baze becomes more responsible, and works harder to get the bar and the loft apartment above it in shape so that Lux can be able to visit and stay with him. He eventually succeeds in this by setting aside a corner of his loft as a bedroom for Lux. Due to their close bond, Baze, the one that was considered to perhaps be more of a slacker, had proven that when the chips are down, he inevitably comes through for Lux, giving her support and love. Cate, despite constantly disappointing Lux, still means well. Her radio show is produced by Alice (Erin Karpluk), who often serves as her confidante.

Ryan, in some ways jealous and insecure because of Baze's constant presence in his fiancee's life, gets resentful and has physically fought Baze. Ryan, finally fed up with Baze's continual interference, breaks it off with Cate. Eventually though, Ryan and Cate reconnect, and their engagement is back on. He also relents a bit towards Baze after the two have drinks and Baze explains that all he is to Cate is the father of Lux, and nothing else. By the series end, though, Baze and Ryan are good friends.

Baze's bar is owned by his father Jack (Robin Thomas), who considers Baze a disappointment, but softens towards him somewhat in later episodes, due to Lux's entrance in their lives. Baze himself later buys the bar. Also seen is Cate's four-times-divorced mother whose idea it was to convince Cate into giving up Lux; and Baze's level headed and more understanding mother, Ellen (Susan Hogan). Both of them meet Lux, and both of them love her, although Ellen seems to have the stronger grandmotherly bond with her.

After attending Longfellow High, a rough high school in Portland, Cate registers Lux at Westmonte High, the school she, Baze and Math all attended (and where Math himself works as a teacher), this development, at first, infuriates Lux; but she adapts, makes friends and meets her later boyfriend, popular student, Jones Mager (Austin Butler) who, like his father, is also very good at running track.

Lux has several friends from her old life, including her childhood best friend Tasha Siviac, whom she has known since she was seven (they had met at Sunnyvale, the foster care home); Lux' first boyfriend Bug, and Tasha's boyfriend Gavin. She must decide whether she can continue to have her old friends in her life as she attempts new friendships. Sometimes, Bug is known for doing things which brings her in trouble with the law, and that sometimes imperils Lux's life with Baze and Cate. Her case is handled by her longtime social worker, Fern Redmund, who is also instrumental in helping Cate and Baze get their parental rights reinstated, which does happen, and they become a family, officially. Due to this, Fern becomes a family friend.

Baze, at variant times, incurs Cate's wrath when it is discovered that he is sleeping with her younger sister and Lux's aunt, Abby, who is a neurotic therapist and practitioner of yoga. Baze also slept with Ryan's sister Paige after a drunk incident in season two. Lux meets a young man at Baze's bar, Eric Daniels, and goes on a date with him, only to later find out he is her new teacher.

The second season deals with Lux's affair with her teacher, which was ended when Eric left town on Cate and Baze's orders that they would call the police if he didn't resign his job and leave Portland; Cate and Ryan's new marriage and their attempts to have a child, and Baze's relationship with his coworker Emma Bradshaw and her son Sam.

Later on, Tasha (who lives on her own now, due to independent living) becomes more of a part of the family's life (Bug and Gavin both are no longer seen, Bug having left town after Lux turning down his engagement) and is often seen with her best friend Lux.

Cate miscarried her child with Ryan because of some condition that she developed after having Lux and that, due to the condition, Lux would be the only child she would ever have. This news created a stronger bond between Cate and Lux, and Lux finally realizes that her mom loves her and won't let any harm come to her. After nearly giving in to his desire for her, Baze breaks it off with Emma in the wake of learning from Lux that Emma had had an affair with his dad; not when he was going out with her, but his dad cheated on his mother. Baze stated that he could never be with Emma without thinking of his father.

The show then fast-forwards two years at which point Lux is delivering the commencement speech at her graduation. It is revealed that Ryan and Julia are together and have a young son from their affair. And, of course, Baze and Cate are finally together as a couple, kissing to reveal it. Math and Alice are married and are expecting a child. Jones also kisses Lux, revealing that they end up together and Tasha is happy for them. Lux and Tasha prepare for college in Eugene. At the end, the family and friends take a photo together.

Cast

Background

Creator Liz Tigelaar came up with the idea for the show in 2007 and developed it with director Gary Fleder. Tigelaar and Fleder pitched the show, then titled Light Years, to ABC Studios who accepted it. They then sold the show to The CW. In September 2008, The CW ordered the show to pilot. After the pilot was ordered, ABC then dropped the show for financial reasons. The show was then picked up by CBS Television Studios. The pilot was filmed in January 2009, being written by Tigelaar and directed by Fleder. Both also served as executive producers.

The CW announced the series in January 2009 under the working title of Light Years because the main character Lux's name means Light. According to Tigelaar, the title "tested way too sci-fi" and it was changed to LUX (the name of one of the lead characters) in April. This was quickly changed again into Life Unexpected, but at The CW Upfronts in May, the series was promoted as Parental Discretion Advised. That June, the network reverted to the name Life UneXpected, again highlighting the name of the main character in capital letters. Initial advertising for the series in fall 2009 listed it without the capitalized "X", which became the final version as it appears now.

Production

While the show is set in Portland, Oregon, most of the filming is done in Vancouver, British Columbia. Scenes of Westmonte High are filmed at Sutherland Secondary School in North Vancouver and H. J. Cambie Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia. The exterior of Baze's bar is located on Granville Island and the Ironworks Building in Vancouver. North Shore Studios, formally Lionsgate, was used as the primary studio for season one while Coast Mountain Film Studios housed the show for the second and final season.

The show premiered on The CW on Monday, January 18, 2010. The 13-episode first season run ended on April 12, 2010. The series was picked up for a second season, for an initial thirteen episode order, which premiered on September 14, 2010, airing on Tuesdays at 9/8c following One Tree Hill.

In October 2010, The CW ordered two additional scripts. In November 2010 The CW declined to order the back 9 episodes for the show's second and final season, leaving the season's episode count at 13. Members of the cast campaigned to save the show. On December 6, 2010, series creator, Liz Tigelaar made the TV show's cancellation official via Twitter.

One Tree Hill crossover

In an attempt to improve Life Unexpected's ratings by attracting One Tree Hill viewers, The CW aired a crossover event involving both programs on October 12, 2010. Beginning with One Tree Hill installment "Nobody Taught Us to Quit", Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Lenz) and Mia Catalano (Kate Voegele) traveled to Portland (where Life Unexpected is set) to perform at the Sugar Magnolia Music Festival hosted by K-100. Haley and Cate meet in the crossover and are "surprised to learn that they share a similar back story [as] mothers." "Music Faced," the Life Unexpected episode of the crossover, also featured Sarah McLachlan, Ben Lee and Rain Perry whose song "Beautiful Tree" serves as the series' opening theme.

Reception

The first season of Life Unexpected scored a 69 out of 100 on Metacritic. The series has garnered mostly positive feedback, with many reviews favorably comparing the show to the critically acclaimed series Gilmore Girls and Everwood. Maureen Ryan, from the Chicago Tribune, stated that the show "recall[s] the good things about shows like Gilmore Girls and Everwood," and similarly, Hank Stuever from The Washington Post called it "a pleasant mix of a little Juno hipitude and a lot of Everwood glow." Furthermore, the Chicago Tribune review called Life Unexpected a program "that parents and their older kids could enjoy together without feeling condescended to," and The Boston Globe's Matthew Gilbert states that "the show works, in its own hokey, feel-good, alt-soundtrack way."

Show writer Liz Tigelaar (who has also worked on Brothers & Sisters, American Dreams, and Once and Again), has received much praise. A review in the Los Angeles Times called Tigelaar's writing smart and insightful. Similarly, Randee Dawn, from The Hollywood Reporter stated that Tigelaar "has a delicate, spot-on feel for dialogue." The Futon Critic's Brian Ford Sullivan singled out writer Liz Tigelaar and director Gary Fleder for adeptly exploring Lux's perceived lack of love in her life.

On a negative note, a review in the Chicago Sun Times by Paige Wiser called the show "somewhat predictable" and The Post's Stuever adds that Life Unexpected "burns off its most interesting plot twist [...] in the first 20 minutes."

Home media releases

In April 2011, a DVD for the show was released which contained both seasons.

Season 2: 2010-2011

The series was renewed by The CW for a second season on May 20, 2010. It was also moved to Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m.

Broadcast

In Canada the show premiered on the free-to-air channel CBC Television and on the pay TV channel YTV Canada.

In Europe the show premiered on E4 for the United Kingdom from September 19, 2010, on Sixx for Germany from January 4, 2011 and on RTÉ Two for Ireland from August 2011.

In Oceania the show premiered on MediaWorks' C4 for New Zealand from October 2010 and on Network Ten for Australia from November 5, 2011.

In India the show premiered on Big CBS Prime from February 2013.