'Life Unexpected': To have and to hold

The season finale opened with a classic fakeout. Lux (Brittany Robertson) was helping Cate (Shiri Appleby), who was wearing a white dress, get ready. Baze (Kristoffer Polaha) was wearing a suit. Everyone looked dressed up and happy. But of course we knew what seemed like a setup for a wedding wasn't so. It was far too early in the hour and the series for Cate and Baze to be walking down the aisle. Instead, they were being reinstated as Lux's parents. It was a picture-perfect moment with Lux standing between her parents as they held hands. Cue the first waterworks moment. I counted at least six during the hour.

“It's almost like I like you,” Cate remarks about how well they're getting along. But she has no idea just how much Baze likes her, so the arrangements for her wedding to Ryan (Kerr Smith) continue. But things immediately start to go wrong before the first commercial break even hits. Cate's mom (Cynthia Stevenson) has made tacky shot glass wedding favors. Abby is sick with food poisoning. (In reality, actress Alexandra Breckenridge got sick and couldn't make her flight for filming of the season finale, creator Liz Tigelaar tells the Cornell Sun.) And to top it all off, the venue for the rehearsal dinner is flooded. Lux, knowing full well about Baze's feelings and his refusal to admit them to Cate, offers up his bar as a replacement.

Meanwhile, Alice (Erin Karpluk) has presented Cate and Ryan with a five-year contract that the station would like them to sign. It's not a typical wedding present, but the line between boss and bridesmaid gets ever so blurred these day. Ryan doesn't want to be locked into a five-year contract. Cate takes his hesitance to mean he doesn't want to be locked to her. Will the same be true of their marriage? But I see Ryan's point. Mixing work and personal relationships is dangerous territory. Cough, costars who date, cough. It's already caused them so many problems in their professional and personal lives. Cate's mom takes over as pseudo-psychologist from Abby this week and suggests that Cate is projecting her issues onto Ryan because she doesn't want to marry him.

At the world's worst rehearsal dinner, which Cate aptly describes as a roast, each guest's toast is worse than the last. Cate's mom is drunk. Ryan's mom suggests he settled. Math (Austin Basis) reenacts a Paula Abdul video. (Why are you trying to kill my love for you, Math?) But hey, we did learn Ryan has a sister who's on a self-indulgent “Eat Pray Love” tour, so it wasn't all for naught. I really hope we get to meet her if there's a Season 2, which there better be. You hear me, CW?

Back at home, Lux spills the beans to Cate about Baze's feelings. Cate goes back to the bar to confront him and admits she's felt something even before their morning hand holding. But Baze has been talked back into reason by Math, who basically tells him the right thing to do is to let her go and let her marry Ryan. So Baze lies and says he doesn't love her.

As Cate and Ryan prepare to get married, Lux runs into Ryan outside the church. Introspective guy that he is, he recognizes her desire to fulfill that childhood fantasy of wanting your parents to end up together. Even though he might be marrying Cate, “You guys are a family,” he says of Cate, Baze and Lux. “All I want is to be a part of it.” Ryan even tears up, giving you a feel for just how much he must sometimes feel like an outsider amidst all the chaos and how badly he wants to belong. We've seen Baze being threatened by Ryan's position, but Ryan must be just as threatened by Baze's position in Lux and Cate's lives. Ryan offers to postpone the wedding if this is all too much, but Lux realizes what Cate and Ryan have is real, not a fantasy.

“Baze is never going to be the guy that you want him to be. And thinking that he is? That's a fantasy,” she tells Cate. They both want something real and so the wedding moves past another roadblock. Ryan even sends Cate a new contract written on a note. He promises he'll still be around in five years, 10 years. Did anybody else get “Grey's Anatomy” post-it note marriage vibes? Unlike “Grey's” though, Ryan and Cate actually walk down the aisle and exchange vows. But just after they say their I dos, Baze storms through the church doors.

Apparently, Baze and his father are back to being angry with each other. I'm not sure what happened between the turtle racing episode and now to break the peace. The explanation that Baze hasn't called in a month and didn't invite his parents to the adoption ceremony seems jarring, as does the whole sudden reinstatement of the Cold War between them. But they make up and Baze's father finally tells him he loves him and urges him not to make the same mistakes. Cue racing to the church, but he's too late! Ryan and Cate both stare at him and then, in what seems like a declaration to Baze, Cate kisses her new husband.

Readers, is this how you thought the season would end? Are you glad Cate and Ryan made it official, or were you hoping Baze would get there in time to stop the wedding? Before I watched the episode, I took a very informal poll on Twitter asking people if they wanted Cate to end up with Baze or Ryan. In passing weeks, the series has made it increasingly hard to choose just one guy in no small part thanks to winning performances from both Polaha and Smith. I got every answer from neither to both to Math, but Baze got the most votes. Personally, I have to go with @sayiarly, who said, “Ryan for now and Baze for later!” I've always been open about my love for Cate and Ryan, especially Ryan, so my choice probably comes as no surprise. I think there's still a lot left to explore in the idea of Cate and Ryan trying to give marriage a go. As Lux says, they are real. They do love each other, even if the idea of Baze seems like a more romantic fantasy. TV has taught viewers to identify and zone in on will they or won't they couples, but Cate couldn't have put it more perfectly. Is the guy who knocked her up in the back of a minivan really her soulmate? Well, probably since this is TV, but for now I want the show to explore the guy you'd probably pick in real life. Plus, as I said earlier, it's too soon for the show to put Baze and Cate together. Let the tension grow. Just no extramarital hijinks, please. What would you like to see in a possible Season 2? Perhaps more of Jones and Bug, who were both absent tonight?

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

Related:

'Life Unexpected': Hit the road, dad

'Life Unexpected': Creator Liz Tigelaar talks about the final episodes and a second season

Complete 'Life Unexpected' coverage on Showtracker

Photo: Cate (Shiri Appleby), Lux (Brittany Robertson) and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha) become a family. Credit: Jack Rowand / The CW.

Comments

[Naazneen]

Im actually all for exploring Cate and Ryan. I love Ryan too. And the problem is, good guys finish last. As an end game, we are probably going to see Cate and Baze. So MARRYING Ryan for me.. that was a problem. Because the tension between Cate and Baze is real and in anyone's face who is ready to see it. So extra marital affair.. perhaps not. But emotional connection to another man, hell yeah. And i dont think Ryan is worth that. That saddens me. Because he loves her. And she loves him. But i dont think they are "meant to be" - in TV land of course. The endgame is Cate and Baze. And a divorce will have to happen before than can come to fruition. So i guess my point is that i wouldnt have wanted them to get married. Cos we know it aint going to last...

[Sarah]

Cate shouldn't have married Ryan. That marriage is going to be doomed. You don't question if you are in love with someone else the night before your wedding!

Cate & Baze FTW!

[TKB]

After watching the entire season, this is my first post. Great show – interesting story characters (struggling against their flaws and weaknesses to become better people); well-cast with strong performers; all supported by nice writing. I’m conflicted about the Cate/Ryan/Baze triangle – it’s been entertaining to watch unfold but there really doesn’t seem to be any resolution that would feel appropriately RIGHT – especially since I’m in the position of rooting for all three of them. That being said, it was satisfying to see Cate choose Ryan in the end (of this season) – it seemed the cards were stacked against Ryan so much of this season - I felt so bad for him – he’s been more than a good sport and has been so good to Cate and Lux. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with Baze. The funny is, Baze is most appealing when he's suffering and struggling. He’s far more intriguing when he’s pining away for Cate from a distance. I’m just glad that we finally got to see something that we’ve been waiting for all season – Baze hugging his daughter Lux. What I’d like to see – Lux interacting more with her grandparents – especially Baze’s dad (“Gramps”) – I think there’s a positive, interesting dynamic there. Also, perhaps more insights into Lux’s past. Is there more to explore between Cate and her estranged father? Poor Math – can the show please get this guy a girlfriend? What would happen to EVERYTHING if Cate and Ryan had a pregnancy?

[KriZia]

This is my first post as well. I'm surprised by how much I've enjoyed this show, as it's not my typical cup of tea. As for the choice between Ryan and Baze, I've usually been 50/50 - I think this is because they each serve different functions in the Life Unexpected "family." Regardless of what might have been my initial choice between the two, I think Cate going through with the marriage made me feel satisfied at the end of this season finale. I have two strong opinions that I base this one from two separate scenes in the episode. First is the scene between Ryan and Lux right before the wedding, which I have to give Smith much credit for portraying his emotions perfectly. His comments really shed light on how much he has been left out of the "family" the last couple of episodes, and the fact that he was willing to sacrifice his desires (again), really showed me that he is ultimate the right person for Cate at least for right now. I think that was part of what made Lux change her mind about what's reality and fantasy. The second scene was the post-Ryan conversation between Lux and Cate, where Cate utters what I feel is the biggest truth about her situation with Baze: "How am I supposed to marry Ryan when some part of me...has even an ounce of love for a guy that doesn't even have the guys to admit that he loves me back." It might be just me, but she realizes that Baze loves her and recognizes his continued immaturity when he can't even admit it regardless of any reason why he might not to. That seals it for me and further emphasizes Lux's point, which is that at this point Cate just has to make a choice. And she did, thankfully.

I will concede that I can see Baze improve in his character and actions enough to win my heart back over, especially since Ryan seems doomed to continue to serve as the fourth-wheeled outsider of the group. I desperately hope that this show gets picked up for a second season, because it still has so much more to show us.

[Vlada]

TKB -- That's very true about Baze being more appealing when he's suffering from afar. The tortured, pining hero is far more sympathetic than the childish manwhore. It also gives the character more emotional dimension.

I'd like to see more of Lux with her grandparents, as well. Baze's parents could really benefit from more screentime and attention. They still feel too arch to me. And just more Cynthia Stevenson in general because she's awesome. There's definitely still more to explore between Cate and her dad. When I interviewed creator Liz Tigelaar, she said they'd like to bring him back.

A pregnancy is a really interesting idea, but I fear it would make things too complicated and messy. Plus, Cate just needs to focus on being a mother to the kid she already has.

[Erin]

Throughout the whole episode I felt so sorry for Ryan! Over the past few episodes I've been a Cate/Baze shipper but before that I was Cate/Ryan coz let's face it, Ryan is the greatest boyfriend ever!
But Monday's episode, especially during Lux and Ryan's talk outside the church, I couldn't help but change back to Cate/Ryan!
The ending was perfect because it would've been way too convienient if Baze had shown up in time (as much as fans may have wanted it to happen) plus the cliffhanger better make the CW think a little bit more about renewing it!
In other words, WE NEED A SECOND SEASON!

[Jenna]

The Ryan/Lux scene was brilliant! Here's a guy who's saying "I'll give my dream up for yours." It was heartbreaking. He's the only character who is not overly self-absorbed.

[Athena]

I was disappointed with the way this ended. I couldn't believe they actually got married, I thought for sure Baze would get there in time, even if the season (and possibly) show had to end with everyone having awkward faces, just so Baze had somewhat of a chance. Wasn't the show supposed to be somewhat "wholesome" in that, Ryan and Cate should not get divorced. Plus Ryan is too good of a guy for there to be huge problems in the marriage later on. Maybe its my disappointment, but I don't see where the show can go from here? Its not a soap, its considered a family show, there just shouldn't be a three way love triangle now that they're officially husband and wife. What I want to see next season (if and when) is a rewind of the minutes leading up and "oh alternate reality Baze makes it in time"....lol

[Shirley]

I didn't like the ending. Marrying Ryan is a huge mistake since Cate has feelings for Baze. What if he (Baze) had said I love you back? She probably wouldn't have walked down the aisle the next day. So maybe she shouldn't have, period.
I am getting very annoyed with this show in general and with Cate in particular because of her indecisiveness. Some may say it's part of her charm and that it's a result of her feeling insecure, but I for one am sick of it. My favorite part of the season was when Ryan had dumped her, and she was faced with herself. Alone, nobody else to blame for the mistakes she had made.
What Cate needs isn't yet another crutch to blame all her issues on or to commiserate with her... She needs to be single and figure which way is North. She is EXTREMELY immature for a 32 years old. She needs to learn who she is before she can be with someone else.

In the end I would love to see Cate end up with Baze (so Lux can have the perfect family she dreams of) but for now I hope the show is renewed and we get to see Cate be single for a while. I would have loved the single parents angle and would have loved to see Cate work to win Ryan back because she had taken him for granted but hey.... What we need is more child/parent bonding next season. Less fighting over Lux and more connecting with her.