Sunday, October 3, 2010

Life Unexpected: Season 2, Episode 2 "Parents Unemployed" Review


When we met Cate and Baze, they had their own way of succeeding in life, but there was still something missing. Yet here we have Lux as the missing piece and they are more lost than ever. Cate lives her entire life around her job, yet if I picture tuning on my radio station, hearing Cate's voice would have me quickly tune out. Somehow I did not get the duo between her and Ryan, but the Ryan and Kelly duo; I might listen too for a bit longer. Talk radio has an important connotation with this plot "Life Unexpected". In the beginning Cate and Ryan were Lux's favorite radio personalities, but now we hardly find Lux tuning in to them, even when Cate was co-host. Maybe she knows them too much and hearing them repeat the same thing over the air would just be ridiculous.

There were many plot and character changes; some that made sense and others that well seem inconsistent. One being Lux's sudden urge to be anything but the person she used to be, which actually goes against what she used to believe. Lux moved on from Bug and Tasha and it almost seems as though her Foster Care life doesn't exist, even when they remind us in the "Previous" that she tried to apply for emancipation. I actually missed her old life; it embraced her appreciation for life then. Now Lux has formed around an ideology of a Cate-Ryan and Baze reality. Her flunking grades and being summoned to the Principal's office does present a rebellious side, and cheating to maintain an average does push further to her old character, but if you are going to cheat at least aim for a 65 percent average, the 90's were too drastic.

There has been a shift to Lux's school life, completely contradicting last season's focus. I admired this series for telling a different story, and the Foster Care storyline was purely simple, but touching. I was impressed somewhat with Lux's adulthood at such a teenage time in her life, but the focus was placed on how childlike she was, still searching for a family she always craved to discover. The plot focus to school was to probably get a taste as to how she could live as a teenager and not grow up so fast. Cate reminds me of Lux on growing up; both searching to find deeper meaning in themselves. Cate handles losing a job like any fish out of water, and her yelling at Ryan made me express how much I resented him then for not sticking up for the woman he claimed to love. Really! What was he thinking still working where his wife was fired from? Scrubbing floors and relying on an agent to somehow predict her future career, and being talked into accepting her version of a demotion in her old position. There was no way Cate could have handled the situation better, she has a right to be upset.

Ryan and this mysterious Julia were not elaborated plots. I am not a fan of Ryan and this Julia is more trouble than is being let on. My guess, Cate would not become her best friend, whoever she is. Even more for screwed up situations, Baze sleeping with Ryan's sister only put the icing on the cake. He either has a knack for sleeping with sisters or simply crossing the borderline of family literally. First Cate's sister and the Ryan's? I doubt Ryan would give Baze a pat on the back when he finds out, especially now that he and Baze are such BFFs. I resent Baze for sleeping around with anyone, especially since he claimed to love Cate. It's as though, it was just one of his confused moments.

Baze was fascinating during his job interview; seriously I believed the boss lady would have hired him for just being hot. I wouldn't be surprised that the writers put a love chemistry between them. You don't just stumble into a woman's gym and expect it to just be that, like she would buy that Baze always went there. I was happy he got the job in the end, and discovering Ryan's sister by Cate's sealed the deal to that moment.

For some reason I am upset with Lux and her teacher (Eric). It seemed almost perfect, that Lux had probably met someone compatible, but why make him 'The Teacher', since that's the only title that is keeping them from making out again. The "I was real" talk between them was too mushy. Eric comes off as either good for being an adult in the situation by not acting on his emotions, or an idiot for thinking he could ignore his heart or whatever chemistry he and Lux had together. I am certain the writers would find ways to bring them together. If it's not with them living together, it would be something else.

I still appreciate some Cate and Ryan moments. I thought it was sweet him coming to her rescue for the speech, but I really liked the guest speaker before Cate, I don't know why anyone else did not clap.

Life unexpected still has a long way to go before it becomes one of my anticipated shows. There is just one ingredient missing, it's almost as though you need to taste every other ingredient to find out which one is best for this series. Something is still off with the recipe. I still appreciate moments like Lux and Baze playing Baseball together, exceptional Father-Daughter moment.

Picture Courtesy: TV Fanatic. com

Lexa

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Three Stars

Grade C+
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