Cool News
Hercules’ Rock-Like Heart Unexpectedly Turns All Mushy For The CW’s New Orphan Dramedy LIFE UNEXPECTED!!
SPOILER ALERT !!
I am – Hercules!!
A superior CW comedy-drama created by “Brothers & Sisters” writer-producer (and real-life adoptee) Liz Tigelaar, “Life Unexpected” follows an Oregon teen named Lux who grows up unloved in an unpleasant foster-care system – and what happens when her estranged biological parents learn, 16 years too late, that a medical condition prevented Lux from snagging adoptive parents.
It’s been a while since a TV pilot had me welling up, but this one stuck a monster lump in my throat. “Swingtown” vet and real-life teen Brittany Robertson is ruthlessly endearing as the orphan, and former “Roswell” star Shiri Appleby (who less than eight years ago was playing a teenager herself) is a welcome presence as Lux’s horrified biological mom.
CW ad copy keeps plugging “Unexpected” as “Juno meets Gilmore Girls.” I wish. The comedy in “Unexpected” is not in those leagues, but the pilot tells a moving, compelling story and I encourage even the angriest virgins in talkback to give it a look.
Entertainment Weekly says:
… The writing is sharp, and the cast is full of faces you'll be happy to see back on TV ... The real revelation, though, is Robertson (late of CBS' Swingtown), a magnetic actress who plays Lux as brainy, self-assured, and someone you'll love spending 60 minutes with. …
USA Today says:
… a smart, sweet family drama with romantic comedy overtones. …
The New York Times says:
… sharp writing and appealing performances, particularly from Mr. Polaha. …
The New York Post says:
… very, very good new series … You will go in scoffing at the inanely manipulative plot -- foster kid seeking legal emancipation must find her birth parents to sign off to get her out of the revolving-door, foster-home system -- and end up crying and looking for your old mix tapes. …
The Los Angeles Times says:
… so oddly sweet and smart and pure of heart, so very much more "Gilmore Girls" than "Gossip Girl," that you have to wonder if the CW is in possession of a time machine. If so, it has used it to good advantage, giving us a heroine so sassy and yet emotionally grounded she could be the child Ellen Page's Juno gave up, if that child had been a girl and Jennifer Garner hadn't been around. … just when it seems we are going down the well-worn primrose path to banality, things make a U-turn. If Tigelaar can continue to resist the standard happy ending and instead explore its many alternates, "Life Unexpected" could turn out to deliver just what it promises.
The Washington Post says:
… the show seems to be in good hands, with strong writing and an adorable cast. It's a pleasant mix of a little "Juno" hipitude and a lot of "Everwood" glow, and just when it comes dangerously close to feeling like an excessively cool tampon commercial, its characters compel you to keep watching. …
The San Francisco Chronicle says:
… in many ways "Life Unexpected" does recall the faintest traits of "Gilmore Girls" in that the daughters are sassy and smart and cute in that I-know-everything-but-I-still-need-hugs kind of way. And the parents are young and ill-suited for the task at hand (another way to empower the young viewer at home - you don't want the parents to be too smart, strict or good at their roles). But that's where the comparison ends. Every "twist" in "Life Unexpected" could be seen from a vast distance. The resolutions are too pat. And pulling heartstrings is one thing, hitting the audience over the head with saccharine hammers is another. …
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:
… As Lux, Robertson is a find. She capably plays both Lux's world-weary, snarky attitude and her vulnerability. She's a large part of what makes "Life Unexpected" a minor delight, even if its charms are entirely expected.
The Newark Star Ledger says:
… a warm, sweet, fun family dramedy. The three leads are very likable, the stakes just high enough for the show to not seem inconsequential, and the number of adults suddenly thrust into Lux's life (also including Kyle, Baze's two best friends and Kate and Baze's parents and siblings) suggests a lot of potential combinations, ala "Modern Family." … as someone who spent a lot of time in the last decade watching the adventures of Buffy and Lorelai and Angel and Rory and the rest, I couldn't help but smile at the introduction of Lux.
The Denver Post says:
… intelligent family drama … given what passes for teen characterizations on TV these days, articulate dialogue within a writerly drama is less a problem than bonus.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says:
… actually is an unexpected pleasure.
The Toledo Blade says:
… a smart and funny show, full of quick, punchy dialogue and flawed but likable characters. It's reminiscent of some of the groundbreaking series in the early days of the WB …
The San Jose Mercury-News says:
… The lead characters in "Life Unexpected" are so likable, and the interactions between them feel so natural, that you find yourself willing to give the show lots of slack. Creator Liz Tigelaar also helps her cause in the early episodes by opening up the story and taking it places that are, well, quite unexpected. None of it would work, of course, if Robertson weren't a thoroughly appealing combination of spunk and vulnerability. Such is the gravitational pull of her performance that you simply want to reach out and give her a hug.
The Palm Beach Sun-Sentinel says:
… a series with substance, depth and a lot of heart. Britt Robertson shines as Lux … If this new series has a flaw it's that Shiri Appleby, as Cate, looks more like Robertson's sister. They are less than 11 years apart in real life. …
The Boston Herald says:
… Late in the hour, teenager Lux (Brittany Robertson) interrupts one of their spats. “You can’t be parents. You both need parents.” Smart kid. Sad, disturbing show. …
The Boston Globe says:
… works, in its own hokey, feel-good, alt-soundtrack way. The CW’s other series - “Gossip Girl,’’ “90210,’’ “Melrose Place’’ - tend to avoid emotional realism in favor of high melodrama and plot twists. They maintain their cool. But “Life Unexpected’’ aims for the kind of teary bonding moments that drove old WB series such as “Gilmore Girls’’ … Robertson is lovely and soulful as Lux, playing her with an independent streak that doesn’t quite obscure her need for a sense of belonging. She’s more of an adult than her parents, like so many kids on TV, but she’s not terminally clever. The rest of the cast also has promise - not necessarily to become breakout stars like Robertson, but to gel into a perfectly warm TV ensemble. …
Variety says:
… tilts more toward "Gilmore Girls" territory in both tone and topic, but despite a first-rate cast and some heart-warming moments, the first three episodes seldom rise above tired teen angst and adoption-politics melodrama. …
The Hollywood Reporter says:
… an unexpectedly warm and heartfelt introduction to complex relationships and complex people. … "Life's" clean, clear storytelling is worth a go-around. …
9 p.m. Monday. The CW.
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Jan 18, 2010 8:58:21 AM CST
I bet Teh Creepy Thin Man doesn't like this
by richard_gere_raped_my_gerbil
Not enough wife beating and female torture for him, methinks.
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Say it isn't so!
That MUST be one of the signs of the end of the world. -
Herc, they don't come much softer than you.
You are virtually in love with Whedon, and you express your love quite often.
Speak to Beaks about rock like heart and getting off on rape in movies -
Sure, there are some annoying people now and then, but if if all the people that post in the talkback are virgins, faggots, nerds, etc... then what does that make the admins? Posting in a talkback doesn't even require any effort. Now maybe if we were playing World of Warcraft (or any video game for that matter) 5-15 hours a day, I could see the ridicule. But taking a few seconds to post our thoughts on a message board? I don't get it.
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Sorry, man- you cannot butch yourself up and get away with it.
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I resemble that remark!
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Twat. Did my comment make your cooter cry Herc?
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Surrrre...
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I like it already
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Oh hai!!!!!!
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... I'm doomed.
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Of course most of the pleebs here won't like it..
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Jan 18, 2010 1:54:17 PM CST
If it's Oregon the cast must be underdressed and overfed
by quin the eskimo
Or super skinny and missing a tooth or two. Or really liberal and pretty cool. Or a conservative libertarian. And lots of pot.
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Go Ducks!
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I don't call anyone "faggot." I do refer to myself pretty much constantly as a "nerd" because I'm legally required to by law.
Just to be clear though, I don't think every AICN talkbacker is an angry virgin. I just think the very VERY few angry virgin talkbackers who visit the site (gotta be maybe .00001 percent of readership, right?) might -- like the non-angry virgins -- enjoy "Unexpected" despite its dearth of werewolves and giant murderous robots. -
Those days are long, LONG gone in Coax. The editor who forgot to give a shit about anything to do with spies, superheroes, spaceships, and everything of that ilk. I'm not here to call Herc a "fag" - that shit is stupid and thoughtless and weak - but damn, once again this section is sullied by a lack of news that fits the question "Ain't it Cool?" No, this is not cool, there is nothing cool about this news article. For shame. It's Monday afternoon, yet no news of Chuck or Heroes, not even comment on the geek-happenings over on The Big Bang Theory. When I look through Coax now, there's nothing whetting my geek-whistle, nothing to look forward to, no sci-fi or comic book shows or ANYTHING remotely "cool". Maybe it's time to hang up the hat here and go write for a regular TV site where teary-eyed dramas rule the roost.
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Yeah, I'm sure that makes sense somehow.
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Conflict of intrest much?
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I don't know what Website you're looking at, but there's a story about "Chuck" and "Heroes" exactly six stories below this one. And you'll find a few hundred more if you type the words "Chuck" or "Heroes" into the AICN search box.
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Herc
Can a 51 year old male enjoy this show? -
1. his affection towards friday night lights.
2. his championing of arrested development.
2. his mancrush on my so-called life.
things i don't like about herc:
1. his deleting of my posts!!!
c'mon hercules! don't be so sensitive. now you're making me feel bad. now i'm all girl-ish. damn. (weep). -
Is there such a thing? Isn't surliness a symptom of virginity?
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really looking forward to this show.
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Like, seriously. On a hamburger phone.
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I'm proud to be called an angry nerd virgin fag (and at least half of those adjectives don't even apply to me). none of those things are "bad", unless your existence is based on other people's opinions (and if it is, surround yourself by people who don't hate you, and you might have some sort of illusion of happyness)
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is a story about nothing, and certainly not something for an editor to crow about. I'm not intending to harp on the Chuck thing, but it's a good example since it airs this day... where is a story about this week's episode of Chuck, a geek-friendly show airing tonight? In the ether. Yet here you are blubbering about a ladyparts tearjerker. At least balance it out with as many of YOUR words written about something that better fits the question "Ain't It Cool News?" because, again, I have to argue that your column has been largely thin in that department for far too long. I defended you in TB over the focus on the Leno Ratings stories, but this Very Special Series you're pimping in this article crosses the line even for a TV-glutton such as myself. Look back on the Coax page, you can go a month back easy and, aside from your fetish for Dollhouse, you won't find any geek material or anything that really can quantify the term "cool news".
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Good show. Yes, not as good as Gilmoreness, but a good show. Look forward to seeing how they navigate the various relationships.
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Where the hell have you been? If it isn't Whedon, or Reality Tv news, or something bad about Leno, then it simply isn't covered.
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Thanks for always mentioning how good Supernatural is... I finally picked it up and I am half way through season 2! Now,I have to ask the obligatory question, HERC, why don't you follow this show? It's quite good!
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is between his ears.
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*cough*Supernatural*cough*
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don't get me wrong, I give a shit about the ratings or Jay Leno as much as I give a shit about Chuck or Supernatural (not much). So no Chuck and no Supernatural is a good start. Now lets get rid of the other boring stories
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