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.
… 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. …
… 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. …
… 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 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. …
… 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. …
… 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.
… 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.
… 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.
… 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 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.
… 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. …
… 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. …
… 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. …
… 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. …
… an unexpectedly warm and heartfelt introduction to complex relationships and complex people. … "Life's" clean, clear storytelling is worth a go-around. …
