The TV Chick

Last night, this TV Chick was exhausted and in a terrible mood. And then I watched Life Unexpected, and everything was better. Just when I was a bit frustrated in television (if you wondered, I didn’t love The Biggest Loser last night which is unusual — new format was not working for me), Life Unexpected restored my faith.

The episode starts out with Ryan and Cate getting in some early action. While I may not be able to decide who I think Cate should be with, Ryan and Cate have some amazing chemistry. Baze is up early for his new job. Math is going to coach Girls JV Basketball. This will be fun! Cate is pissed that Page drank all their milk and wine and is basically leaving their house a mess. Baze tells Page they have to talk because the insurance doesn’t pay for another beyond the structural damage. So essentially she owes him ten thousand dollars (half the damage). Baze wants Lux to play basketball because there is more to school than grades. Clearly, everyone is putting pressure on Lux from every direction. Supposedly Baze is late to his job and Emma lays the smackdown. Emma Caufield is great in this role. Baze tries to impress Emma by offering two basketball players to play in a golf tournament.

In her search for any sort of food, Cate finds banana bread. Of course it’s laced with pot. On her first day as a producer, she ate an entire loaf! High Cate is so hilarious though. Cate calls Baze to get “un-high” AMAZING! Annnd Cate insulted the new co-host on the air inadvertently in her high state because her mic was on. Cate is pissed about the pot bread, tells Ryan that Page has got to go.

Back in Lux school world, Jones is back and they are both playing basketball! He asks Lux to go out with him in a group. She politely declines. Then she overhears some classmates talking about test answers so she changes her mind. Lux is a good kid. She just gets tempted by things and has never known what it’s like to have a family and a school that cares. So while I was upset at her decision to get test answers, I think it’s completely natural. She doesn’t want to fail and disappoint her new family.

Later that night, Cate goes to pay for take out and realizes a big chunk of money from her wallet is stolen. Page! You suck! Lux and Jones are out on their non-date and the cheater guys are at the pizza place as well. Lux asks to get in on their “studying,” and gives them money. Did she steal the money? Lux might be a cheater but she wouldn’t steal. Cate asks Page if she stole the money, and of course, she denies it. Ryan tells her she has to ask Lux. There’s a whole debacle where Lux gets all defensive. She might have a troubled past but I can’t believe she would lie about this.

At the celebrity golf tournament, Page gives Baze three hundred dollars towards her debt. Ugh Page, you may be played by a Gilmore Girls actress but you are awful! Because Baze couldn’t come through with the basketball players, Ryan and Kelly end up playing in the tournament, but not for long. Cate hits her with a golf ball and she fills in. Emma is pissed at all the crazy drama going down on the golf course while she’s trying to sign a client. Baze is forced to come clean about Page’s cigarette. Ryan amazingly shouts at Baze: “He sleeps with everybody’s sister.” Love it!! Ryan confronts Page about everything. She’s sad but um, she totally had it coming. Later, Page gives Cate a lecture about how amazing Ryan is. She really knows how to push some buttons.

Back in school, Lux cheats on an essay test! They marked the booklets though so it’s game over! Jones is upset that she did that, and Math is equally disappointed. Cate, Baze and Ryan come into school naturally fight over Lux. Lux comes clean about all of the cheating. She gets upset and tells them how she hasn’t done any of the typical school things and if they want a daughter who is just like them they’ve got the wrong kid. Harsh words. After this outburst, Math and Lux have a very poignant scene together. I love these scenes. Lux needs advice and guidance sometimes from people that are not Cate and Baze. Math calls her out on her crap! He thinks she wants to be like Cate and Baze deep down. Insightful words, Math! I need pep talks like all the characters give on this show!

In the end, all of the characters end up coming around. Baze gets the client to sign with the firm. Cate and Ryan make up and Cate sees that Ryan is amazing and cares tremendously about his family. They decide to pay off Page’s debt to Baze. Lux softens a bit on Jones, and is open to the idea of them going out some time. Is it just me or does Jones look like Shaun Sipos. Maybe they are the same person?! They had no scenes together! Lux decides she really does want to be like her amazing parents and asks Baze to teach her basketball. And her new tutor? That’s right, hot teacher. The ending scene was the entire “family” playing basketball together. I laughed and I cried.

Life Unexpected continues to take me on an amazing, heartfelt, emotional journey week after week. There are no gimmicks, no cases to solve and no extensive amount of weight to lose. But that’s why I care so much about it. I am truly invested in all of the characters and their lives and their journeys. I want to know more about Lux’s past, and Ryan’s past — I’m sure he had girlfriends before Cate. What were they like? Did Cate date before Ryan and after her big crush on Baze?

I can’t praise this show enough. I’ve seen great shows get cancelled before. I’ve seen some of my favorites get the axe. But the CW Network would be foolish to let Life Unexpected go. It is well written, and is what all dramas should strive to be. There are wonderful pop culture references (Lux talking about Saved By The Bell’s awesome/bad-ness in this episode), hilarious antics and true relationships. Gilmore Girls wasn’t about anything in particular. It was about a family that changed, grew and expanded as the seasons went on. All great TV dramas are about the people in them, and Life Unexpected is as good as they come. Please, CW, give Life Unexpected a back 9. If anything, they deserve a proper story arc. I refuse to say series finale because it won’t be! We got a second season, we can get a back 9 and a third season!

Life Unexpected airs Tuesday nights at 9 pm on the CW.