By Esme Mazzeo, Staff Writer
The promise of a delicious “Gilmore Girls” meets “Juno” television treat had me beyond excited for the “Life Unexpected” series premiere on The CW, January 18th. While the mere fact that the plot doesn’t center on oversexed teenagers rotating in and out of different love triangles definitely wins it some points in the originality department, “Unexpected” is not unpredictable, nor is it as funny as the work to which it was compared.
The show centers around a 15-year-old orphan named Lux (Brittany Robertson), whose fetal heart defect prevented her from being adopted into a loving home. Instead, she was shuttled around from one terrible foster home to another, and she’s had enough. A few days before her 16th birthday, Lux goes out in search of her birth parents, seeking the independence she’s always had, but never legally been recognized for, armed with an emancipation contract. After the initial shock that inevitably comes with finding out your child has been dragged around the foster care system her whole life, both Nate Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha), a playboy who lives above his bar, and Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby), a radio personality who is afraid of commitment (Kerr Smith plays her fiancé, and is rather boring in the straight guy role) sign the papers. But guilt about what their choices in high school has meant for their daughter drives both of them to the hearing to make sure she is taken care of. The judge notices them, and instead of granting Lux her freedom, releases her into her parents’ joint temporary custody.
From then on, the pilot follows a rather predictable script for a dramedy, complete with a spontaneous hookup between Cate and Baze and Lux’s first real birthday party. But, despite the lack of surprises, “Life Unexpected” is refreshing compared to the network’s other shows. It doesn’t quite have the spark that moved “Gilmore” through seven seasons, but it has potential. The characters are relatable, and can grow in many different directions as the series continues. The premise is relatable to many different age groups, which is another factor that gives “Life Unexpected” an edge among its competition, which only really focuses on the 18-30 demographic. I say, give “Life Unexpected” a chance, especially if you miss The Gilmores. It might not capture your heart just yet, but its just getting started.
A scene from The CW’s new show “Life Unexpected” (Photo courtesy of cwtv.com)