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‘Life Unexpected’: It’s raining feelings

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Get out your Snuggies and flashlights because there’s a storm in Portland. After proposing to Ryan (Kerr Smith) for the second time, Cate (Shiri Appleby) suggests eloping to avoid dealing with their families. Kerr Smith told me that Ryan’s family is just as crazy as Cate’s and our first glimpse of them, albeit through a one-sided telephone conservation, did not disappoint. There’s a pervy uncle and a family feud involving turducken, which if you’re not familiar with it is a turkey stuffed with duck, which is stuffed with chicken. I feel disgustingly full just thinking about it. But as soon as Cate suggested eloping that night, I knew they weren’t going to go through with it. Whenever the word is uttered on TV, the couple never keeps their promise.

Cate drives to Baze’s (Kristoffer Polaha) in the middle of a storm to pickup Lux (Brittany Robertson), who Cate has asked to be her maid of honor. Earlier in the episode, she discovered that Baze and Abby were together when he smacked him with a yoga mat during Abby’s yoga class.

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“You’re the guy that my sister is sleeping with?!” she exclaimed. Oddly enough, after being initially startled, the class didn’t seem to pay much attention to the drama going on in the back of the room. Now, that’s concentration.

Cate’s not the only one who is unhappy about the relationship. Math (Austin Basis) and Jamie (Reggie Austin) aren’t too fond of Abby for erasing their programs to DVR “Jersey Shore” and creating a meditation corner in the game room. Abby may practice yoga and mediation, but according to Math, she’s not so quiet in the bedroom.

“It sounded like cats being drowned in more cats.” Oh, Math. I heart you.

Math and Jamie finally convince Baze to breakup with Abby, but instead of doing the right thing, he lies and tells her he has feelings for Cate to cut her loose. Cate, who’s trapped at Baze’s because of the storm, overhears this and freaks out. Abby suggests she’s upset because she has feelings for him too. You can see Cate processing the idea and being a little scared by it. She goes to confront Baze, who admits that he lied to Abby. He doesn’t have feelings for her. Or does he? Abby seems to think so. Apparently, your go-to lie says a lot about you. I hope she didn’t learn that in the online therapy class. Baze’s light bulb, maybe-she’s-right moment actually causes the lights to come back on.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Lux are trapped at the radio station. She called him to pick her up from Jones’ (Austin Butler) party. Note that Lux did not bring Bug (Rafi Gavron) to the party even though Jones said she could. Jones sucks and blows at a game of Suck and Blow and kisses Lux, who pushes him away.

“You’re not an easy person to walk away from,” he tells her, but he’s not going to sit around and wait for her either. When Lux spots him making out with another girl, she gets upset – she’s a lot like Cate that way -- and has Ryan pick her up. At the station, she tells him the story of how she and Tasha (Ksenia Solo) first met, which is shown in flashback with two precious, little girls playing Lux and Tasha as kids. The whole flashback would have been even more adorable if it wasn’t so sad that a 7-year-old Lux already knew Tasha’s mother wasn’t coming back for her. It’s sad to think such a little child could have such an acute awareness that they’re motherless. I really hope we see some more flashbacks with them.

Lux also reveals that at age 15, she almost turned down a prospective adoptive family because she was still holding out hope that her real mother would come for her. After saying yes, the couple changed their minds and Lux set her mind on emancipation, which ironies of ironies, brought her mother into her life. Ryan, who missed his calling as a call-in radio therapist, points out that Jones was rejected by someone he does want, which hurts even more than being rejected by someone you don’t want.

“I’m glad Cate’s marrying you,” Lux says.

“Me too,” Ryan replies. Me three, I say! I really do love those two together. I think Cate needs Ryan’s calm to keep her grounded.

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Lux goes to Jones’ house to make amends. Isn’t this the second time she’s done that? His parents must be getting suspicious of the weird girl who keeps showing at the front door to explain herself. Cate also makes amends with Abby after she reveals that a part of her was dating Baze just to be in Cate’s life. She and Lux will both be maids of honor at the wedding, which will now be in the city with their families, but not in June. Cate and Ryan have decided they don’t want to wait any longer to be a family with Lux. The wedding is in two weeks! Don’t choke on your toast, Baze!

Readers, do you think Ryan and Cate will go through with the wedding or will Cate and Baze’s feelings for each other get in the way? Did you like the flashbacks to Lux and Tasha’s childhood? And do you think the show missed an opportunity by not trapping Ryan and Baze in the same room? I’m not saying this because I want a confrontation. I actually want to see them bond after their truce a couple of weeks ago.

-- Vlada Gelman (Follow my TV musings on Twitter: @stayingin)

Related:

‘Life Unexpected’: The family that does therapy together stays together

‘Life Unexpected’: Let’s dance

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Complete ‘Life Unexpected’ coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Brittany Robertson as Lux. Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW.

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