Feeny0902 Review of Life Unexpected

Life Unexpected (2010–2011)

good premise with a few questionable casting choices

[7/10 · 5 February 2010]

When I saw the previews for this show in the fall, I was really excited. It looked like a great family drama, and Kristoffer Polaha is one of my favorite actors who is so underrated (and a really nice guy in real life). I am generally happy with the show and its portrayal of the tension that comes with forcing characters into an awkward and difficult situation. I think Brittany Robertson is (1) age appropriate for the role and (2) accurately depicting a mature kind of teen angst, which is more than I can say for a lot of actors her age or portraying a character her age. Shiri Appleby and Kerr Smith...now don't get me wrong, I have been a faithful viewer of the CW (formerly the WB) for a LONG time, meaning I went through the Roswell and Dawson's Creek phases. I liked both the actors well enough. I have seen them in other productions and thought they did a decent job. So I am relatively confident that my opinion they were not the right actors for the characters they were given is not biased. I believe Shiri Appleby can pull off selfish/neurotic/and insecure part of her character...but I feel like it would be a better show if she were more likable, part of it is that the character history has not been fully revealed, but I think part of it is in the portrayal. Same thing with Kerr Smith - do I believe him as a young, moderately good looking, slightly masochistic in a lovable way kind of guy? Not really. Neither actor seems to have enough depth, which means their characters have no heart, and it is difficult to relate to them. Now - I understand that there is supposed to be a certain amount of immaturity with the adult characters that balances with Lux's "maturity". But the actors don't make their actions seem genuinely altruistic. When you look at Baze and Lux, I think you get better a sense of why the feel and behave the way they do. You don't get that kind of understanding from Cate and Ryan. That being said, it is a good drama. It has those unsatisfying arguments that you have with your parents and friends. Everyone learns as they go. It is not quite as well written as Gilmore Girls, but has the same emotional baggage (and when in real life do we ever find the words we want to say when we're upset?). Overall - I'll keep watching and hope that the Cate and Ryan characters find some soul and grit that I can grasp onto.