I’m not sure I get the character of Lux just yet. As she said, she “didn’t want to go to that school.” But despite the sentiment, she seemed hell-bent on being accepted half of the time, and we see a young woman that is incredibly self-sufficient and world-weary. Then, we see a girl that needs the approval of her new high school’s mean(ish) girl clique. Sure, some of it can be chalked up to insecurity, but I think there was a bit of overkill. She needs to settle down and become comfortable with who she is, so she can figure out — and I think we all know which way she’ll come down on this — if she wants to be a part of this new life.
It almost seems like she was seeking validation, and was using a life that would never stand up to scrutiny. She’s smart enough to know that, so the only logical conclusion that one could come to is that this was just one more tactic in trying to burn down her new life. Sure it’s not perfect, and there’s a lot of work to be done (by all three parties) to make the family work. But … worth outing your mother’s real life, and putting her job in jeopardy? Methinks not. Obviously by the end of the episode she’d made her peace and was back home, but for how long this time? She’s never had to face reality as a real daughter of someone, which means (gasp!) being wrong every once in a while.
I do have to say this: Shiri Appleby continues to impress as Cate. Maybe it’s the “realness” behind the character (and all of the characters, actually), like when she plays her emotions, and especially when she admits — weekly, it seems like — to Lux about her struggles of trying to figure out motherhood in a day.
I guess it’s time to start meeting and/or developing some of the secondary customers. Jamie (Reggie Austin) we’ve met before, but it is nice to see more of him. I’m a fan of Keegan Connor Tracy, so I wish there wasn’t a change (or not a change, depending on how you look at it). There’s probably a reason for her arrival, though. Heck, if she weren’t married (a point made at least twice), I would be asking myself (and you, gentle readers) how long before Alice was set-up as a love interest for Baze.
Notes & Quotes:
Ivey, despite all her early maturity and world-weariness, Lux is still a teenager and teenagers don’t always act smart/logical/responsible/etc. I thought it was really well done when she did something angry and impulsive like outting Kate and Ryan as a couple.
Truthfully, I’m really loving this show, although I’m a bit fearful of where things will be say at the end of the season, cause atm there’s a limit in how long they can draw out the current storylines, in my opinion.
Also, Erin Karpluk FTW! It’s awesome to see this amazing and beautiful actress on Life Unexpected.
*POST AUTHOR*
Eli, I don’t disagree that outing them was totally within character, but its the need to integrate herself into the clique at Westmonte that really puts me off.