Life Unexpected backdrop
Drama

The Best Episodes of Life Unexpected

Every episode of Life Unexpected ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Life Unexpected!

Binge this in 18h 13m•Peaking at 8.3/10

16-year-old Lux was given up for adoption at birth but never adopted. When she is put back into the custody of her estranged-since-high-school birth parents, Cate and Baze, the three form an unlikely family.

Airs on
The CW
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons2

All12

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 11 - Storm Weathered
    8.3/10(116 votes)

    #1 - Storm Weathered

    S1:E11

    Lux is forced to face her complicated feelings for Jones when she sees him kissing another girl at a party. When a storm hits Portland, Ryan and Lux find themselves stranded at the radio station, and Ryan learns more than he ever knew about what Lux went through as a child. Cate goes to Baze's bar looking for Lux, but the storm traps her there with Baze, Math, Jamie and her sister, Abby.

    Director:Rick Bota
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 11 - Stand Taken
    8.2/10(109 votes)

    #2 - Stand Taken

    S2:E11

    Lux and Tasha are forced to deal with the fallout of their recent actions and the potential outcome could change the course of both their lives. As a result, Lux can no longer hide her past from Cate and Baze.

    Director:Gary Fleder
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 8 - Bride Unbridled
    8.1/10(117 votes)

    #3 - Bride Unbridled

    S1:E8

    Cate and Ryan are forced to put on a happy face as the hosts of a wedding expo, but the unfortunate situation becomes even more unfortunate after Baze and Math show up at the event. After watching Lux mope around the house for days, Baze solicits help from Jones in an effort to cheer her up.

    Director:David Paymer
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 12 - Father Unfigured
    8.1/10(126 votes)

    #4 - Father Unfigured

    S1:E12

    With her wedding on the horizon, Cate decides to take a road trip with Lux to find her father, Gordon (guest star Peter Horton), who abandoned her when she was a little girl. Meanwhile, when Bug’s “friends” trash Baze’s bar, Lux invites Baze to join her and Cate on the road trip, allowing Bug some time to repair the bar before Baze discovers the truth.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 7 - Camp Grounded
    8.1/10(108 votes)

    #5 - Camp Grounded

    S2:E7

    Cate, Ryan, Baze, and Math volunteer to chaperon Lux's school camping trip. During the trip, tension rises between Cate and Ryan, while Baze grows closer to Emma. As Lux gets more intimate with Eric, Tasha urges her not to take that risk with her future.

    Director:Bobby Roth
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 10 - Thanks Ungiven
    8.1/10(99 votes)

    #6 - Thanks Ungiven

    S2:E10

    When everyone ends up at Baze’s loft for Thanksgiving, it isn’t long before a few big secrets are exposed. Baze worries that his father, Jack, will discover he is dating his boss, Emma; Lux worries that her parents will find out she is spending time with Eric; Tasha worries that something very dark from her not-too-distant past will be discovered; and Cate worries that if she tells Ryan the truth it will further complicate their already complicated relationship.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Life Unexpected

    READ
  7. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 3 - Criminal Incriminated
    8.0/10(101 votes)

    #7 - Criminal Incriminated

    S2:E3

    Worried she may not pass an important exam that will help her stay in school, Lux contemplates buying the answers to the test from one of her classmates. Cate has an “interesting” day at the radio station after she accidentally eats banana bread laced with pot. Meanwhile, when a large sum of money is missing from Cate’s wallet, Ryan and Cate argue over who may be responsible for taking the money.

    Director:Nick Marck
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 9 - Homecoming Crashed
    8.0/10(102 votes)

    #8 - Homecoming Crashed

    S2:E9

    Baze and Emma attempt to sign a high-profile client, Candy, who is clearly attracted to Baze. Lux hopes to run into Eric at her homecoming dance, but the evening takes a turn for the worse. Elsewhere, Cate digs into Lux's past and is shocked by what she finds.

    Director:Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 12 - Teacher Schooled
    8.0/10(91 votes)

    #9 - Teacher Schooled

    S2:E12

    Eric confesses that he is dating Lux while Baze comes to terms with the fact that his father cheated on his mother with Emma prior to their relationship.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 13 - Affair Remembered
    8.0/10(137 votes)

    #10 - Affair Remembered

    S2:E13

    Unaware of the affair between Emma and his father, Baze considers buying a house and planning a future with Emma. Lux makes plans for a romantic dinner with Eric when she feels like he's pulling away from her, but she is shocked when Cate and Baze show up.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 1 - Pilot
    7.9/10(255 votes)

    #11 - Pilot

    S1:E1

    After spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another in Portland, Oregon, Lux as decided it's time to take control of her life and become an emancipated minor. Her journey through the legal system leads Lux to her biological parents, local radio personality Cate Cassidy and thirty-something Nate "Baze" Bazile, who had a one-night stand back in high school. Although they haven't seen each other in 15 years, it doesn't take Cate and Baze long to fall into the same contentious relationship they had as teenagers. However, when a judge decides that Lux isn't ready for emancipation and unexpectedly grants temporary joint custody to Baze and Cate, they agree to try to get past the arguments and awkwardness and make a belated attempt to give Lux the family she deserves.

    Director:Gary Fleder
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 3 - Rent Uncollected
    7.9/10(168 votes)

    #12 - Rent Uncollected

    S1:E3

    When Baze tells his parents about Lux, they insist on planning a dinner at which they can meet their granddaughter and Cate. Cate reluctantly agrees to go to the dinner and is further annoyed when her overbearing mother and neurotic sister show up unexpectedly. Meanwhile, when Cate hears about a gang fight at Lux's school, she immediately decides to have Lux transferred to her and Baze's alma mater, Westmonte.

    Director:Gary Fleder
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 2 - Parents Unemployed
    7.9/10(101 votes)

    #13 - Parents Unemployed

    S2:E2

    When Cate and Baze are summoned to the principal’s office at Lux’s school, they are shocked to learn that Lux is failing and must make a drastic improvement in her grades or risk being kicked out. Meanwhile, after having the rug pulled out from under her at work, Cate starts the difficult process of looking for her next job, and in an effort to be a grown up, Baze decides to interview for a position at his father’s firm.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 5 - Music Faced
    7.9/10(110 votes)

    #14 - Music Faced

    S2:E5

    Haley Scott and Mia come to Portland to play at a concert hosted by the radio station Cate works at.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 6 - Truth Unrevealed
    7.8/10(144 votes)

    #15 - Truth Unrevealed

    S1:E6

    Pressured by radio station management, Cate and Ryan reluctantly agree to let Baze join them on air for what turns into a public therapy session. Lux tries to get Jones to drop the charges against her boyfriend, Bug.

    Director:Nick Marck
    Writer:Janet Leahy

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 13 - Love Unexpected
    7.8/10(140 votes)

    #16 - Love Unexpected

    S1:E13

    With her wedding fast approaching, Cate must confront her true feelings for the two men in her life, Baze and Ryan. To complicate Cate’s already conflicted feelings, on the day of the wedding, Lux reveals something that threatens to change all of their lives forever.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 1 - Ocean Uncharted
    7.8/10(114 votes)

    #17 - Ocean Uncharted

    S2:E1

    Cate and Ryan return from their honeymoom only to discover that major changes have been made at the radio station in their absence. A very confused Baze struggles with his feelings for Cate, and ends up hooking up with the hot new bartender, Paige, at his bar. Meanwhile, Lux and Bug find themselves at a major crossroads in their relationship.

    Director:Gary Fleder
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 4 - Team Rebounded
    7.8/10(100 votes)

    #18 - Team Rebounded

    S2:E4

    Cate tries to bond with Ryan's new on-air partner; Tasha returns and tells Lux she is living with a new foster family; Baze convinces Math to ask Paige out on a date.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 10 - Family Therapized
    7.7/10(122 votes)

    #19 - Family Therapized

    S1:E10

    After Lux and Bug are picked up by the police for a curfew violation, Lux's social worker decides it's time to meet with Cate and Baze to reevaluate their custody of Lux. During a meeting with the social worker, Cate, Baze and Lux agree to put on a happy face to ensure that Lux isn't placed back in the foster care system. Meanwhile, in an attempt to show Lux that she supports her, Cate offers to find Bug a job at her radio station, but winds up disappointing Lux once again.

    Director:Michael Katleman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 6 - Honeymoon Interrupted
    7.7/10(103 votes)

    #20 - Honeymoon Interrupted

    S2:E6

    Cate and Ryan go on a staycation to a local hotel to help make up for the fact that they never had a proper honeymoon. Unfortunately for them, Baze’s work retreat is at the same hotel.

    Director:Sanaa Hamri
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 4 - Bong Intercepted
    7.6/10(152 votes)

    #21 - Bong Intercepted

    S1:E4

    When Lux gets suspended from school, Cate does her best to convince Principal Dugan to give Lux a second chance, but, unfortunately, her efforts may have made the situation considerably worse for Lux. Meanwhile, Baze is insulted when he finds out that Cate and Ryan are hosting a radio station event at the bar across the street.

    Director:Jeff Melman
    Writer:Emily Whitesell

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 5 - Turtle Undefeated
    7.6/10(152 votes)

    #22 - Turtle Undefeated

    S1:E5

    Off to a rocky start at her new school, Lux offers to throw a party in Baze's loft in an effort to impress the high school quarterback, Jones, and his friends. Cate worries that her relationship with Lux will never measure up to the bond Lux has so easily made with Baze.

    Director:Allan Arkush
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 9 - Formal Reformed
    7.6/10(126 votes)

    #23 - Formal Reformed

    S1:E9

    Jones asks Lux to be his date for the Winter Formal. Baze finds a condom in Lux’s room, and thinking it belongs to Jones, shows up at the dance to try and stop Lux and Jones from having sex. Cate agrees to chaperone the dance, but being at her old high school for Winter Formal brings back painful memories about the night Lux was conceived.

    Director:J. Miller Tobin
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Life Unexpected Season 2 Episode 8 - Plumber Cracked
    7.6/10(92 votes)

    #24 - Plumber Cracked

    S2:E8

    Cate takes Paige out for some drinks, hoping that she'll spill some information about Ryan's ex-girlfriend, Julia. At the same time, Ryan joins Baze, Jamie and Math for a guys' night out, but Baze is depressed about the current state of his relationship with Emma. Meanwhile, Lux and Eric take a big risk with their relationship, which threatens Lux's friendship with Tasha.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writer:Liz Tigelaar

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Life Unexpected Season 1 Episode 7 - Crisis Unaverted
    7.5/10(135 votes)

    #25 - Crisis Unaverted

    S1:E7

    In the midst of feeling like he is being pushed out of Lux's life by Cate and Ryan, Baze wins the chance to compete against Ryan in a radio station contest and is determined to be the last man standing. Cate contemplates finally telling Ryan the full truth about Baze, but can't bear the thought of what might happen if she does. When Tasha tells Lux she may have to move three hours away to a new foster home, Lux decides to help Tasha track down her mother who is still living in town.

    Director:Jerry Levine
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"Storm Weathered" is the best rated episode of "Life Unexpected". It scored 8.3/10 based on 116 votes. Directed by Rick Bota and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/29/2010. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Stand Taken".