Life Unexpected (s1ep9): Formal Reformed – ***
SPOILERS BELOW 

Previously: Lux is adopted. Baze and Cate are her parents and Ryan is her mom’s fiance. Lux argues with bf Bug and he leaves town. Lux’s BFF Tash is moving and Cate won’t let her move in with them, so Lux leaves to live with her dad. Cate lets out the secret and Ryan leaves her, too.

[+] Ryan and Cate are at their radio show, and Cate says she doesn’t like eye contact during oral. Ryan, “If we don’t work out, you should write a manual on the ‘Dos and Don’ts of Cate Cassidy.” Cate, “Yeah… if we don’t work out.”

[+] Lux arrives at school and Jones and Jones asks her to the winter formal. Back at the station, Ryan and Cate discuss how everyone is out of her life and Lux won’t even talk to her. Ryan suggests that she doesn’t have to deal with ‘no’ from her. Cate: “Only with you?”

[+] Back at home, Baze wants to hang out with Lux that night, but she admits she’s going out with Jones to the formal and doesn’t know what to wear. Math is still clearly upset with Baze over everything. Ryan, “How was I supposed to know that after all these years you were still serial-killer obsessed with her?” Just then, Cate walks in looking for Lux and asks “Who?” Math: “Cher! But not in a gay way.” Baze: “Is there another way?”

[+] Cate is there to make nice with Lux and finds out she’s going to the formal. Baze suggests Cate help her get a dress. Not to help out Cate of course, but so he doesn’t have to pay for it. Cate and Lux are getting along…mildly well while dress shopping. Until Cate asks how long she’ll be mad at her and that no responsible parent would have taken in Tasha. Lux says that Baze offered. Cate: “Yeah, exactly.” Lux accuses her of just wanting to slam Baze all the time and storms out. Brat.

[+] Baze is apologizing to Math with a sandwich and suggests he ask out Cate since she’s single again. They then begin discussing Lux’s formal and Math suggests he talk to Lux about sex. Baze: “I’m not going to talk to Lux about sex, that’d be weird.” Math: “You know what would be even weirder? Being a grandfather.” Meanwhile Lux is trying on the dress she got and Bug is back. He says he left because he didn’t want to be the person he was with her.

[+] Math shows up at Cate’s suggesting she accompany him as a chaperon for the formal. At first reluctant, she then agrees. Meanwhile, Baze arrives home with Cate’s sister Abby to help out Lux, who rushes to put her clothes back on and tries to hide Bug. Abby’s first words? “Sex.” Lux is astonished. Abby: “There are many ways to get the same feeling without actually having sex. Flexible showerheads. Vibrating back massagers. The spin cycle of a front load washing machine.” Bug listens on, hearing about Lux and Jones.

[+] Math and Cate are getting ready for the formal. Too cute. Jones arrives for Lux, and Baze lays down the sex talk to him. Lux and Jones arrive at the formal and see Math and her mom. Baze finds a wrapped condom by the couch, immediately suspecting Jones. Lux and Jones dance. Cate reminisces about high school and then sees Baze show up with Lux’s ‘purse’ in tow. They argue and Lux and Jones overhear, so they leave the formal. Baze and Cate follow them out.

[+] Baze and Cate confront Lux and Jones who are adamant that nothing was going on. Baze: “Right, right, I know where that leads. A little Spin Doctors, some Zima, the next thing you know you’ve got a crazy chick tracking you down a football field holding a stick that she peed on!” He presents the condom which Jones insists it isn’t his. Baze: “It’s Mr. Bazil now.” Lux: “There’s no de-virginizing ok? That speech that you and Abby gave me? A little too late.” Baze is shocked. Jones is upset and leaves.

[+] Lux: “Last week, how not to set your kid up on a blind date. This week, how to pawn a sex talk off on someone who knows even less to someone who doesn’t even need it. So, don’t worry, Cate. In the parent of the year category, Baze is batting a big fat zero, too.”

[+] Cate and Baze argue over who is worse and Cate blames him for everything. Including, him telling his friends when they were in high school that he wouldn’t have slept with Cate unless she had a bag over her head and tape over mouth — that way he wouldn’t have to see or hear her. She had thought it meant something and they’d date. He says he didn’t mean it. That she does mean something and is worth something to him. He claims he’s changed, Cate accuses that he still thinks he’s god’s gift.

[+] Lux and Jones have a falling out. Lux leaves and finds Cate, they have a heart-to-heart and work things out. Bug shows up at the dance with flowers. He admits he felt inferior to her new friends. They also work things out. Math and Cate have their dance and also work things out. Baze goes back to his bar and Abby is there. She tells him just what he wants to hear. They sleep together, and who cares about the rest of the details. Lux finds them and tells him Cate is waiting for him. She apologizes and says she knows he’s different now. They also make up. Well, for now.