The story of Life Unexpected takes place in Portland.

After spending most of her life in foster families, Lux Cassidy (Brittany Robertson), on her 16th birthday, decides that it’s time for her to become an emancipated minor, which means that she’ll be freed from control by her parents and guardians and she’ll be able to live her life all by herself. To get emancipated, she needs the signature of both her biological parents on an official paper.

After researches, she tracks down her biological father, Nathaniel “Baze” Bazile (Kristoffer Polaha).
He tells her he had no clue he had a daughter but says he probably knows who the mother is. Lux asks him to sign the paper quickly and, on her way out of his house, he announces that he’ll help her find Cate Cassidy (Shiri Appleby), her mother. She’s surprised but doesn’t decline the offer, even though she already knows who Cate is. Cate is a famous radio host and Lux adores to listen to her in the morning, on the bus on her way to school.

Baze offers that they take his car and he’ll drive to the radio station. On the road, he turns on the radio and they listen to Cate’s show. Instead of waiting at the radio station until the end of the show, Baze decides to call Cate directly on the radio.
He tells her that he’s a friend from high school and that he’s with her biological daughter, in the parking lot of the building.

 Shocked, she leaves the show and meets them downstairs. Embarassed, she apologizes many times because she feels so bad about the fact that she has abandonned Lux at a very young age. At the time, she was facing many health problems and Cate wasn’t able to take care of her properly. Lux says it doesn’t matter, that she only wants her signature. Confused, she signs the paper anyway.

A few days later, the time has come. Lux is expecting everything to go the way she has planned : the jugde will emancipate her and she’ll be free. Cate and Baze are even there with her to support her.
But the way things turn out is not the one Lux hoped of. Instead, the judge decides that she isn’t ready for emancipation and rather, she puts her under the joint custody of Cate and Baze.

The awkwardness of the situation is real, but both of them have no other choice than to accept the custody.

The story goes on for two seasons with a total of twenty-six episods, where Lux attempts to find a way to live with both her parents, trying to find the connection every normal kid has with her parents.

_______________________

RECOMMANDATIONS

This show is recomended for teenagers and adults. The seasons are not too long, not too short either which is, I think, a good point. The characters are endearing and we get to know them pretty well all throughout the story. Funny, charming and sometimes heart-breaking, Life Unexpected will make you laugh, think and cry.

Both seasons are available on Netflix.