Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Life Unexpected: 'Pilot' Review


Life Unexpected deals with the very same issues we face, in our everyday lives; teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, adoption or abortion and basically anything that goes with your life being cut short and leaving you with the responsibility of raising a child out of high-school, or choosing to part ways with your child so you could have a life.

Here Cate was faced with the latter; she was forced to choose as a teenager to adopt her child and live her life with the expectation that she would be well taken care of. What Cate did not anticipate was her daughter's heart condition and being forced herself to grow up, because her foster parents couldn't give a crap about her.

Cate herself is still growing up, she hasn't decided where she's going with her life. She is moving in with her boyfriend, but really didn't intend on settling down and getting married. She even lost touch with her ex from high-school and still hadn't worked up the nerve to tell him he was a father and face what she did. In fact, Cate couldn't even handle facing her daughter after so many years, I don't blame her. When you're sixteen, your mindset is in a completely different area. Instead of worrying about the household and trying to earn a living, at sixteen you're still into clubbing with the guys and finding a dress for prom. I really don't believe that Cate has fully grasped what being a grown up, with responsibility is. Cate is the co-host of a successful radio feed, which her daughter (Lux) listens to with a passion, but I sensed an inner child that was suppressed (or something like that).

Lux herself leaves a few question marks; she wants to emancipate herself, but doesn't want to get to know her real parents? Lux knows the name of her father and not her mother? That doesn't hamper the unique appeal this series delivers for the pilot. It is engaging and would leave you wanting to know more about their lives. I still don't understand how Cate could sleep with her ex one night and claim to be in-love with her fiancee the next, so I know I would have some problems with that triangular relationship.

It would also be good to follow through Lux's lifestyle and learn what challenges she faced in foster care. I am certain there were moments when Cate saw her daughter and she was filled with regret. In my opinion, being a mother doesn't leave you. Even if you gave that child away, you would still feel the absence of parenthood. In the guy perspective, Bazile handled being a father the moment he found out well, but I believed he was too quick to sign the papers his daughter gave him. He hardly even read what he was signing into, he could have been signing away his life there. It also was curious how certain he was about who her mother was, he didn't even give it a second thought.

This series shows great potential. It is good to watch Shiri Appleby, back in her game. I mean it is the first time I have officially noticed her since 'Roswell'. Let's hope my expectations for this series keep climbing as the weeks go by and it meets a new season.

Lexa

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Four Stars

Grade B-
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