'Life Unexpected' creator Liz Tigelaar on finale: 'By the end, they all get to where they are supposed to be'

It’s a life cut short somewhat unexpectedly.

Though the CW's “Life Unexpected” hasn’t officially been canceled,  creator Liz Tigelaar isn't too optmisitc about the fate of the show given the network's decision not to order the remaining back nine episodes needed for a full season. 

She's fashioned an ending to the sophomore series about two unlikely parents  (Shiri Appleby as Cate and Kristoffer Polaha as Baze) whose lives get turned upside down when their teenage daughter  (Britt Robertson as Lux) re-enters their lives.

The two-hour finale airs Tuesday and Tigelaar is confident it will leave fans of the show feeling content.

Tigelaar spoke to ShowTracker about the show, the idea of taking it to another network and tying up loose ends.

What do you make of the fact that the folks behind the show keep stressing it's the 'season finale' not 'series finale'?

Well, I think it’s a little more certain than whatever we’d like to think. I don’t think it bodes particularaly well for us but, yes, we’re always very hopeful and obviously would love to keep going if we could. That would be amazing. I don’t feel like that will happen ... but, you know, maybe. Stranger things have happened.

What do you think went wrong?

I think it’s a combination all around. I do think it was a show that needed some support. We were only on for 13 episodes in mid-season. We didn’t really have the numbers behind us to kind of come back on our own as a second season show. We definitely  needed more support [from the network] than what we got.  But  that’s how it works on the CW. They promote their brand new shows.  We were not exactly a special case or treated any different. I think that our ratings weren’t that much lower than other series but maybe still low enough to be the lowest … I don’t know. Overall, I think that our show was so inexpensive and our ratings weren’t that much lower than the other shows. I think it comes down to just 'want.' If they wanted the show, they would have kept it. If they didn’t, they won’t … so …

Also, I don’t think it matches their brand perfectly. I think it’s a little bit outside of the box for them.

Have you explored the option of taking it to another network? Where might it fit, in your opinion?

The likelihood of something going from the CW to, like, ABC or NBC is impossible … I think it would have been a great show for those networks, especially now with shows like “Parenthood” and networks just trying to do more family stuff. I would love if DirectTV would pick it up the way they did with “Friday Night Lights” or “Damages.” If a cable channel wanted it, that would be great. But no one’s approached us. I think once you're canceled, it’s hard to get people excited about you. It’s kind of like when someone gets dumped. You’re kind of like, ‘Well, you didn’t want to date her so why would I?’ It kind of feels a little like that. I’m also happy to go down with a show that will hopefully be remembered fondly and as something of quality.

How many seasons did you see it going for? How did you envision the characters evolving?

I think I always thought of it as a five season show. But, really, that was only in my biggest fantasy. A part of me also saw it as a three-episode show because I was like, ‘We’ll probably be on the air and then canceled.” I never really knew. I kind of just wanted to take it one season at a time. I definitely approached the second season as if we were going to get a third season and I really honestly thought we were going to get a back nine just from looking at the numbers. We weren’t that different, and what else were they going to put on? Our phrase was 'surely we’re better than nothing.' And now we’re, like, 'Wow, we’re not even better than nothing.'  That’s shocking. You know you’re bad when you’re not better than nothing. We kind of laugh about it.

I was totally surprised. I always thought that we would keep going and I thought that we would get to our end game, which is with Cate and Baze eventually finding their way together on some level.

But there wasn’t much time to tie up loose ends on the show, right?

I got the news officially the night before we started prepping the very last episode so it didn’t give us a lot of time to readjust so that was disappointing. It was kind of hinted at a couple weeks before that, but then kind of taken back. I was kind of starting to get the feeling but you have to keep going; you have to act like you’re still going. So we were planning on [episodes] 14 and 15 at that point. You have to act like the show is still going because techinically it was. It wasn’t official.

In the weeks that I kind of had a feeling, I started thinking with the writers on what we would do if. So I wasn’t totally caught off guard in that I had an idea and had to implement it pretty quickly. But it wasnt enough time to really arc out the last four episodes and significantly change them. I think that was most disappointing. Had we known that it was 13 and we were going to cancel from the beginning, this whole season would have probably been told differently. But we didn’t and you always have to prepare for success, and even with the finale that wasn’t a finale, it kind of ends in a final way. Not that we couldn’t come back, because we could … I said, ‘What if we air this and then come back.’ I was, like, should we leave it more open ended? But the studio was, like, ‘no.’ We want it to be satisfying. That’s what we want.

So will fans get a sense of closure? Will we see relationships end and/or blossom?

This will definitely provide closure.There’s a lot of twists and turns. A lot happens. There’s humor, definitely.  But we’re in it with these characters so there’s drama. A lot of things come to a head. Secrets come out, people have to deal with the truth and repercussions. And these last two epsiodes really change their lives. Old secrets return. It’s big. These episodes feel epic to me. And the very end is killer.

Will we see Bug [Rafi Gavron] make a return?

No!!! We won’t see Bug. We could only get Rafi for one episode this season. We planned to have him the entire season but then we weren't able to do it.

Was he working on something else?

He was out for a lot of stuff.  There was a lot of different factors.  Yeah, it was a bummer.We had a great arc with Lux and Baze and Bug planned at the beginning of the season. We just love him as an actor and as a character.

So who would you say got the best goodbye ... if this turns out to be the series finale?

Behind-the-scenes, it was definitely Kristoffer Polaha. We were going to wrap our five original people from the pilot at the same time. They were going to be our last scene of the last night. Reggie Austin [Jamie], Austin Basis [Math], Shiri, Britanny, Kris and Kerr Smith (Ryan). Kerr got laryngitis and couldn’t speak so we had to rearrange our whole schedule. So Kris ended up wrapping up on the second-to-last day and it was right before Britanny has this huge, emotional scene. She was a total, complete wreck. I was a wreck, I couldn’t even look at him. Something about Kris wrapping … it felt like he should still have one more day with the rest of us. I don’t know. It made it really real. Shiri jokes about when she and Brittany wrapped, she was waiting for Brittany to burst into tears and Brittany was like “Haha! See you in LA.” It was kind of funny. But Kris was the super emotional one.

In terms of goodbye on camera, the end doesn’t feel like goodbye at all. It’s not like ‘Growing Pains,’ where they’re all moving to a new state. It’s not that type of ending. It’s a satisfying ending that feels … it almost feels like it could launch into a new series. I was kind of, like, ‘Oh, can I pitch this new show?’ It more feels like an ending and a beginning. It felt like everyone was in this really great place … where they belong.

Talk a little bit about the Kate and Baze relationship. How do you wrap things up?

The way I always felt is that Kate and Baze seemed like the obvious ending from what the pilot sets up in TV show world. Who’s to say they are really soul mates and belong together? I think what we would have liked to have done, had the series continued, is really explore them as a couple and their relationship. There’s a part of me that thinks they are the endgame of the series; there’s also a part of me that thinks they’re not the endgame of the series … but Kate and Baze as a couple is a part of their story … whether they would have worked out or not is another story. Maybe the end of the series is just that they have a really strong friendship. It kind of depended on the life of the series.

I feel like it was a coming of age story for Kate, Baze and Lux. And I think by the end, they all get to where they are supposed to be. I think that people will be really happy with it.

--Yvonne Villarreal

twitter.com/villarrealy

Photo: (top) Kerr Smith, Shiri Appleby, Kristoffer Polaha, Britt Robertson and Austin Basis; credit: the CW. (Middle) Liz Tigelaar; credit: Getty Images.

Comments

[Chelsea]

I loved every second of the show! Im sooooo sad to see it leave CW. I dont understand how anyone could not love it!!! the cast really had a great connection, one that is very rare. It will be missed my many!

[Vickie]

I am sorry to see the show go. I thought it was a good show with wonderful characters, but it received almost no support from the CW. None of the networks are willing to give a show the opportunity to grow an audience. This is another good show that was allowed to fail.

[Amanda]

Great show and character development... Something I really looked forward to watching each week. So sad to see it go.

[Samantha]

CW is dumb for letting this show end. Who the hell gives one sh!t about Nikita or however you spell it, dumb move. Shows like these need to be on the air.

[Diane F]

I am so sad to see the show ending it was one of my favorite shows I couldn't wait until Tuesday night to see it. all of the characters fit there parts so well. I will truly miss it very much.

[Pam]

Oh come on. This show better come back for a third season!! I love the show and the actors/ess' on the show. Every good show that brings up actual family problems gets cancelled but shows like Simpsons goes on for 25 years. Does anyone else see the problem here???

[jess]

That season finale was so shocking!! jumping ahead 2 years into an unexpected life and relationships!! I loved it all! The characters in this series are the best and most interesting than any other series on CW. Life unexpected is defiantly my favorite!

I seriously hope it does NOT get dropped.

[Elijah]

I always looked forward to seeing this show every week... i'm really sad to see it go and i wished it was coming back. I really hope that it can get picked up from another network.

[Maria C]

I can't believe this might be the end of this show I haven't been so excited to come home and watch a show as much as I have for Life Unexpected in a long time. I will miss it greatly.

[Ryan]

Series Finale Unexpected?

I'm probably one of the few admitted male watchers who enjoyed the show from pilot to finale. I was shocked to see a "2 years later" scene jump, prompting a web search upon the "Season Finale" only to find out this could be very well the end of the series. I do hope the show will go on and get picked up by a network that truly wants to give them their full support. The actors have great chemistry and the shows topics were tangible, real and relatable while keeping the overall feel dramatic, entertaining and funny; nice roller coaster of emotions to keep you intrigued. I guess networks are only interested in comic book heros, remakes and monotonous reality shows. Here's to a great show that was.

[Joanna]

The finale was amazing, loved the twist and turns, I really hope with all my heart that the network is listening to the fans and this show will reappear for another season, I mean One tree hill should have been cancelled years ago and it continues to live on in TV land, why can Life unexpected, unexpectedly received the same... GREAT SHOW, I will miss it so much, I love the chemistry of the cast.

[Tammy]

Absolutely love Life Unexpected...it is my favorite show...can't wait for Tuesday nights to watch. Please listen to the fans and do not cancel this show.
The actors/actresses are the best. This is the best show on CW!!!

[Boogie]

I am disappointed to find out that this show was cancelled. It is upsetting that a great show w/real topic and realistic outcomes was cancelled and might be replaced with so ridulious reality show or so series of re-runs. I LOVED this show from the beginning to the end. I really wish the netwks would listen to it viewers.

[Tawana]

I think it totally sucks that the show has ended. I did watch the last episode and the writter ended it perfectly you couldn't ask for a better one. But when one door closes another one opens and god will make a path for all of you. I hope and pray that you open with a new show based off this one. Or just return with a third season. god bless

[Tina]

i love this show i hate to see it go so i really hope it dont this show is a family show and my whole family watches it there gonna be reallt upset to see it go its like the only one we all really watch. i could watch it over and over again its so good! so i hope it stays id LOVE to see more!

[Linda]

I really loved this show and I'm sad that it had to go. I swear, there are a bunch of other shows on the CW that I don't even bother to watch because they are stupid (like 90210, Nikita...One Tree Hill) and unrealistic. Life Unexpected was real.

I guess sex truly sells even if it doesn't have any concept and are unrealistic. Seriously though, 90210 and Nikita makes no damn sense! It like the same stuff, different week. And One Tree Hill went down the drain!

[Amanda]

I really hate that this show is being canceled! I really liked this show...it became one of my favs very quickly. I loved all the characters, and the actor/tress worked so well together. I couldnt believe it when the show jumped two years, I didnt know the show wasnt going to continue! So sad, I really hope to see more from this show...please keep it going..It was a great show to look forward to

[Flavia]

i came online to google it and found this. It felt so wierd when i saw the 2 year jump there that was a big flashing light. alot of tv shows arent given the chance to blossom. maybe it it was about drunking, sex, drugs or killing it would have gone farther. what does that say about our society? i have seen many great shows cancelled but i believe that tv does need these tv shows that arent about drugs, drinking, sex, or killing to keep tv balanced a bit. I will miss life unexpected i really enjoyed it i loved kate and ryan.

[Jasmine]

I want another season. I love that show. I want to see more of Lux, Cate, Baze, and everyone!!!!! This is one of my favorite shows on the CW. CW has to renew the show!!!!!! I really want another season!!!!!!!

[Kelly]

I cannot believe this show is going to be canceled. I looked forward to this show every week and was so excited it was back only to find out out it was the last two episodes...but oh my the ending was perfect! Possibly the way we always wanted it :)