Jasmine Sahu is well suited with this new American drama exclusive to Dave.
Lois Cameron explains why this series is much more than your average cosy period drama.
The last episode of this series sees Sherlock and Moriarty attempt to solve the final problem with devastating consequences.
With major cast changes afoot, Jacob Martin ponders whether Being Human can live up to its own scarily high standard.
Life Unexpected is the story of a family thrown together in the most unlikely of unforeseen circumstances. Driving the plot of the show is 15 year-old Lux, played by Britt Robertson, who discovers the identities of her birth parents in an attempt to break free of the foster care system. Two episodes in, Life Unexpected has shown that it’s got a really good sense of its tone and that it has a well-balanced and likeable cast. Personally, I’m really enjoying what the show has to say about family, relationships, love and life itself.
I’m not going to divulge loads of plot details but what I will do is provide the general gist of the story. Basically, Lux Cassidy has had an awful time in foster care, having been through seven different foster parents who weren’t very good at being parents. In an effort to leave that life behind, she applies for emancipation from the foster care system. However, to do this she needs signatures from both her real parents - radio-presenter Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby) and bar owner Nate Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha) - who were in high-school together...and had sex once in the back of Nate’s minivan. As you can imagine, the drama of the show stems from the sudden reconnection of these previously disconnected people.
It’s a good thing that Life Unexpected has a great set of leading characters because truthfully, there’s no way a premise like this could even hope to work without putting its characters at the forefront. Thankfully, the show is all about its character moments and interactions and it really succeeds on that level. The dynamic between the cast is superb and all the roles are well acted. The notable standout so far has got to be the brilliant Shiri Appleby as Cate. On a different note, the first episode also has this fantastic moment where Nate bonds with his daughter by flicking through YouTube videos, and seeing ‘Christian the Lion Reunited’ is always going to be a sure-fire way to tug at my heartstrings! (Something must be wrong with you if you don’t get just a little misty-eyed at that video.)
Tonally, it’s a bit like the film Juno in the way it manages to be both amusing and serious simultaneously. It’s emotionally resonant because it’s exploring the story of a young girl who has never been loved in her life. Yet it still gets its chances to be funny by showing us a group of adults who haven’t really quite grown up. It’s a tricky balance and the overly sentimental conclusion to the pilot episode didn’t really feel earned...although, by the end of the second episode, that balance does seem to have been achieved.
The medium of television always works best when it puts characters under the spotlight. Some of the best TV shows have focused on the coming together of an unlikely family unit. It’s an idea that forged most of the strongest aspects of Buffy and is also evident in more recent shows like Chuck. If I had any worries about whether Life Unexpected’s premise had longevity, they were gone by the end of the second episode (‘Home Inspected’) where there were some interesting conflicts presented and more complex stories told. Life Unexpected looks like it’ll be a rewarding show with a balanced atmosphere of drama and lightheartedness going forward - it’s worth tuning in for.
You can catch up with Life Unexpected on 4OD. Life Unexpected airs on E4 at 7pm on Sundays
Those two really don't look old enough to be her parents, even if they did have her in high school.
You must log in to submit a comment.
Report