Chasing Life - A View From The Ledge - Review “Live Your Life”

Every rare now and then a show arrives on the scene that not only entertains us but can also inspire its viewers. Chasing Life is one of those rare shows, and its first season allowed us to watch April’s inspiring and courageous journey unfold week after week. In the incredibly gifted hands of Italia Ricci (April), and her supporting cast, this show spoke to the courage one person can find when faced with overwhelming odds.

Last season we witnessed April’s journey, but we also got to watch her family fight valiantly by her side as their love for her never wavered. An unsuspecting viewer may think this show is just about fighting cancer, but it’s not, sure that’s part of it, but the message of this show is so much greater and inspiring than just that. We watched as Brenna (Haley Ramm) learned what it means to love unconditionally and watched as she discovered her own courage. Sara (Mary Page Keller) found the strength to move on with her life after the loss of her husband and love again. Leo (Scott Michael Foster) found a reason to fight for his life and fight for love. Dominic (Richard Brancatisano) learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is let them go, but through the pain he found himself and his own strength. Beth (Aisha Dee) inspired us all by standing so faithfully at April’s side and by taking the leap to follow her dreams. Emma (Rebecca Schull) taught us that no matter your age you have to keep on living life to its fullest and enjoy every moment. Natalie (Jessica Meraz) found her place with her sisters and offered up the greatest gift to April…hope for the future. We got to witness these amazing journeys unfold and we are here now to watch what comes next for these incredibly brave characters.

This season starts with a what if dream scenario, in it April is a star reporter and in a relationship with Dominic. It was an interesting way to start the season, but it worked to contrast the what ifs with the here-and-now of April’s world. When she wakes up in her hospital room she has to take a moment to survey her surroundings. It was one of those too good to be real dreams that no one ever wants to wake up from. Yet, her reality is actually better, as she wakes to Leo’s makeshift ring on her finger and him faithfully by her side. They have a cute moment as they wonder who to tell about their engagement first. It is all rainbows and sunshine, minus the toxic drugs, before a knock on the door interrupts them. Now this is an awkward meeting of the past and the present as Dominic walks in to see the happy couple cuddled together on April’s bed. By virtue of this, Dominic becomes the first lucky person to learn of their engagement. Respect to him for keeping things so drama free for April even though it was obvious the news hurt him.

One month later and Sara is being Sara as she demands the house be germ free for April’s return home. She is driving Emma crazy, but a murder by household cleaning supplies is halted when April returns home early. Being the great big sister she is she wanted to get home in time to see Brenna before she had to go to school. Let’s be honest though, while that was indeed one of her reasons for rushing home, she also wanted a little alone time with her fiancée. They head upstairs as the others share knowing glances.

Emma doesn’t believe the engagement between Leo and April should be allowed to go on. She approves of Leo, but given the circumstances she doesn’t think it’s what April really wants. Sara for her part supports the engagement, sort of, as it is bringing April happiness that she needs to keep fighting. Besides, seeing as April’s engagement ring is a makeshift biohazard tape ring she doesn’t believe this engagement is serious.

Apparently Leo didn’t get that memo because in April’s room he gives her his great grandmothers’ ring. It is a truly stunning ring that shows his commitment to her. To these two this engagement and their love are very real. Beth is the first one who gets to see the stunning ring as the two of them meet up to catch up. Talking about catching up, April has a lunch date with Danny (Abhi Sinha) who she enlists to help get the word out that she is looking for a new job. He owes her, so he promises to help her look.

At the hospital Sara meets up with April and Leo as they wait for the results of April’s last tests. Sara gets to see April’s new ring and all are saved from addressing the engagement situation when Dr. Hamburg (Merrin Dungey) enters the room. Unfortunately, the news she brings is not good. April is not in remission, and the performance Italia delivered in this scene was the first of many heartbreaking moments she gives us throughout this episode. Italia cares about making her performance as real as possible, and in that moment she tapped into the terror so many people must experience when forced to face that terrifying news. It was truly an amazing performance and she was well supported by her fellow actors.

When April and Leo are on the roof we get to witness love in its purest form as Leo fights to get April to live her life to its fullest. He loves her and all he wants is to give her the best life possible, no matter how long that is. The message this scene delivers is the core message of this show and one we should all aspire to.

April: “Live your life like you know you’re gonna die.”

Brenna and April finally get time to catch up. April finds out that Natalie was true to her word and has been supportive of Brenna and the entire family while April was away, but she is definitely no April. Natalie really stepped up her game and seems to have come through for everyone. This is definitely a much more mature Natalie then the one we first met in Florida. Since the last time we saw Brenna she has joined a film club with Ford. Greer (Gracie Dzienny) did major things to change Brenna because the Brenna from the pilot would have never joined a club. She would have made fun of the club members, but never set foot near a club. To be honest, it’s a little surprising she managed to drag Ford along for the ride this time. Greer did a number of very good things for Brenna and apparently even, to a much smaller degree, Ford as well. These two are now fully engaged and studious members of Charton.

Speaking of Greer, the show surprised me and made sure to mention her. I really like the dynamic Brenna and Greer had last season and it’s nice to know they still talk every day, because it provides hope for a reunion. After the season one finale various interviews revealed that we may see Greer again this season, so I’m hopeful the Grenna journey isn’t completely over. I believe their story is still far from over. With that said, Brenna can’t wait around forever and it appears that the only other out girl at school, Erika (Tahlena Chikami), is taking an interest in her. Brenna is stuck on Greer still, so for now Erika may want to lighten up on the stalking for just a bit longer. She may want to take a different approach if she wants to win over Brenna. By the way, on an interesting note, the credits got the spelling of Erika’s name wrong. After a whole dialogue set, later in the episode, about people spelling Erika’s name with a “ck” instead of just a “k” the credits spell her name as “Ericka”. I only caught this because Google couldn’t tell me who the actress was, but luckily she was listed in the end credits. I found it to be a funny little snafu in the creation of the credits.

Brenna isn’t interested in anyone right now as she’s too focused on school and her upcoming stem cell donation. She has a set of injections she has to take a few days prior to the procedure and she’s a little overwhelmed by everything. Dr. Hamburg has told her she can get updates on the recipient, but she’s not sure she wants to know. Based on several interviews we will likely get to know Finn (Parker Mack) this season, so it will be interesting to see how the show handles the connection Brenna will share with him. I hope they don’t go a romantic route seeing as Brenna has several very eligible female suitors, but I would like to see her have a new friend to confide in, so he could fill that role for her.

The scenes Italia and Haley share are always emotionally spot on for siblings. They have a very natural sisterly bond that plays very well on screen. I’m glad the show gave us all a nice catch up sequence to find out what happened in that skipped month. April may have been in the hospital, but life had to go on as is what happens in real life. I’m glad Chasing Life tries to keep things as close to reality as they can and by doing that they don’t dilute the important message of the show.

Brenna declaring that she doesn’t want any regrets in her life sends April to Dominic’s door. They have been avoiding each other, so it’s time to set things right with him. Of course he opens the door without a shirt on, so thankfully April thought better of the situation and did not hug him. They do manage to salvage their friendship and remain in each other’s lives. April gets her hug when Dominic finally locates a shirt to cover himself. Mid hug Natalie enters on cue. April takes this opportunity to let Natalie know she is off the hook on donating for now. When she tells them that she is not in remission the reactions were very genuine and you can see the concern they both have for her.

While everyone else has to be at work Natalie doesn’t, so she can hang out with April. This was a necessary sequence to reconnect Natalie and April after the issues they encountered at the end of last season. Natalie, for all her rebellious faults, has a good heart hiding under all her bravado. She has this ability to know what her half sisters need even when they don’t know it themselves. She gets April to cut loose and focus more on living in the moment. It’s the same thing Leo was coaching her on earlier, so the tag team effort apparently worked because April starts to dance in front of a couple guys basking with their instruments. April needed this moment to cut loose from her bad news and it was great that Natalie helped her get there.

At the hospital, April is seeking out a transfusion to boost her energy level before her big job interview. Here we meet Vanessa (Krysta Rodriguez) who tries to befriend April, but when she asks about April all she gets is a job resume in reply. April should have known that wasn’t going to work for a woman who enjoys reading the obits in the paper. When April has nothing not career related to say she shuts down and retreats into her prep work for her interview.

Sara finally meets with Leo’s parents and she is still not enthused about their engagement. Leo’s parents are surprisingly on board with the whole thing. They’ve experienced a big change since when we first met them last season. Through them Sara learns that Leo devised this plan after April relapsed and didn’t think she’d get to see her own wedding. It was by no means a pity engagement, but it does seem that he sped up the process to make sure he could fulfill the dream of the woman he loves. This news does absolutely nothing to convince Sara this is a good idea. If Sara doesn’t work through this, and fast, she’s going to cause a rift with her daughter, and given April’s love for Leo, that kind of rift may be hard to repair.

While Sara is trying to alter April’s current path April is moving full steam ahead on getting her life back on track. She has the interview with Sitegeist that Danny set up for her. The interview goes well and she gets the job on the spot. After hearing the job pitch I cannot see this being a good fit for her.

But like any person who just got a job after being laid off, April and her friends rent a party bus and head off to a concert to celebrate. Amongst the party guests are Dominic and Natalie. April and Dominic are holding true to their promise to be friends, but Leo does not like how close Dominic keeps getting to April. The closer Dominic gets the closer Leo gets and then Leo starts trying to one up Dominic. It is rather a fun exchange as Leo calls himself and April the “Bonnie and Clyde of cancer” since they stole a car, and the entire time April is just sitting there wondering what she has gotten herself into with these two. The exchange gets notched up to another level when Dominic states that “Leo loves to steal things” and both April and Natalie catch the hidden meaning. I felt bad for Natalie, because she does not deserve to be constantly reminded by Dominic that he still has feelings for her sister. It’s especially unfair since Dominic broke up with April in the first place. Beth came to the rescue and got her lame date and Danny to provide the necessary distraction to break up the awkwardness.

This all leads to an uncomfortable morning as Leo tries to discuss what happened the night before. He just wants to be sure he has nothing to worry about, but before April can answer him the entire family starts to file in. As April goes to leave Leo gives her a bagged lunch and it is a sweet gesture by him. April barely avoids having to have a talk with her mom by making a hasty exit. As Leo’s future sister-in-law Brenna instills come wisdom in him by telling him to remember to put the toilet seat down. The poor guy is massively outnumbered by women in that house, so he’d better take Brenna’s advice.

At Charton, Brenna is trying to be polite to Erika, but she is not the least bit interested in this girl. While Erika does not peak Brenna’s interest the film club mentor, Margo (Aurora Perrineau), definitely does. Margo is a former Charton student who just graduated from film school. When Brenna breaks down what she is trying to do for April, in making her an engagement party video, Margo jumps on board to help without hesitation. Margo is no Greer, not by a long shot, but she does have some potential for Brenna. She might be a nice spot holder until Greer can find her way back to Brenna. While the chemistry is there with Margo it has been hinted at that Erika may be the new love interest for Brenna, so we’ll all have to wait and see how this plays out. After all Brenna did find Greer annoying before getting to know her, so I guess it could be possible for lightening to strike twice.

April is at the hospital getting another treatment when she encounters Vanessa again. We finally get to learn more about April’s obit loving fellow cancer patient. Vanessa used to be an EMT, but after she got cervical cancer she decided to stop helping other people and start helping herself. She wants to live her life for herself, because as she’s discovered, your career is only a very tiny line in your obit. I work for a newspaper and I see obits in our paper on a daily basis. This sentiment, made by Vanessa, is very true because once you read through a few obits you come to realize very few mention anything about the career the person had. Sure, doctors and other wildly accomplished people will get a few sentences about their careers, but even they are usually easily forgotten words. What people remember are the bonds you make with others and the deeds you do. This is a good message for the show to put out there. Live your life in a way where that career line isn’t your defining moment. This conversation had an impact on April and I think this friendship with Vanessa could be good for April as she tackles this latest setback.

Vanessa’s words are still ringing in April’s head when she heads into Sitegeist to turn in a story. While the report is factually correct it isn’t “fun” and the editor gives her a list of articles to look over including one about Katy Perry thinking she’s Katnis Everdeen. Yeah, this job is not a good fit for April. So, she does what any smart journalist would do, she publishes a list of things she’d regret if she died tomorrow, which included working at Sitegeist. Not surprisingly she gets fired and couldn’t be happier about it.

Beth is helping April prepare for her engagement party and the two women have a thoughtful chat about life and living your life with no regrets. I’m glad at least Beth is on board for April’s wedding to Leo because Emma and Sara are still rallying against it.

At the engagement party Natalie catches Dominic eyeing April. When Natalie wants to go explore he won’t let her out of respect for April. Again, Dominic has made me feel bad for Natalie as he’s being supremely unfair to her. If he’s not committed to their relationship he just needs to tell her instead of using her as a substitute for April. To try and deal with the situation Natalie downs her glass of campaign and calls out to the barkeep for more. I'm glad to see that Natalie isn't taking this out on April and is appropriately annoyed at Dominic for the situation he keeps putting her in.

While that drama is going on, Leo and April begin to make their rounds around the party. They come upon Sara talking to Leo’s cousin and uncle only to find out that neither of them really knows anything about April. Sara chimes in about how successful April is as a journalist, only to be corrected when April reveals that she was fired. Both Sara and Leo seem a bit surprised by this news. It would seem that Beth is the only one who is aware of April's return to the ranks of the unemployed.

Sara isn’t taking all of these changes well, so she decides that it’s time she has a conversation with April. She drags her outside where she tries to convince April to stop living like she’s dying, but that is exactly what April wants and needs to do right now. It’s a hard thing for anyone to hear and even harder to accept about a loved one, but April needs her mom’s support now more than ever. She needs Sara to accept that this is how she has to live her life in order to face the obstacles ahead.

April: “This is my life and I don’t…I don’t wanna die, and I don’t wanna stop living my life…I just need to start living it differently.”

Major respect to Mary Page Keller and Italia Ricci because they both delivered this powerful scene with so much conviction and heart that they made the moment real and true to life. They both gave it their all and it played powerfully on screen. Sara has always, and always will, put her daughters first and this will be hard for her, but I know she’s going to do everything in her power to support April in this endeavor. This is by far one of the best mother and daughter relationships on television right now.

Back in the party Brenna presents April and Leo with her gift. She has videoed some of their closest friends and family to cut together an engagement video for them. A special guest appearance is made by George (Steven Weber), which gives me hope that we’ll see him in the flesh soon. Dominic also makes an appearance in the video which does nothing to reassure Natalie after she sees the way he smiles every time April is on the screen. My prediction is this couple will be lucky if they make it to mid-season.

Sara gives a moving toast that brings both her and April to tears. Having April changed her perspective on life and she learned to cherish every moment with her daughters. This moment played beautifully after the conversation she’d had with April not long before. She was telling April, in her own way, that she was there to support her and had heard every word she’d said outside. It was an emotional moment full of hope and support and it was just what this episode needed as it nears its close.

At Natalie and Beth’s place Dominic is trying to be romantic with Natalie, but she’s not having any of it. She’s over Dominic still being hung up on April, so she tries to dump him. He’s convinced that she’s just drunk and will come to her senses, so they’ll talk about it later. I may have been wrong about my prior prediction; they may not even make it past the first couple of episodes of this season.

At the Carver home, Brenna is heading out to give her stem cell donation. She has decided that she does want to know about how the stem cell donor does. And that is our setup to meet Finn, on a more personal level, very soon. Again, I hope the route the show chooses is a strictly platonic friend’s path, but Brenna is bisexual so the door is open for them to go the romantic path with him. I just hope they choose not to.

Brenna and Sara are running late, so Sara rushes her youngest daughter out of the house. A moment later Sara returns, she may be in a hurry but a mother is never in too big a hurry to hug her daughter. Sara and April share a loving hug before Sara turns and leaves. They’ve spent the entire episode trying to get on the same page and connect and this was the final culmination of that journey.

Natalie is going through her dad’s things when she comes across a manuscript from his never published last book. She reads a stunning passage that seems a lot more autobiographical then any of us may be prepared to accept. It would appear as though Thomas may have planned his own death if you consider the topic of his last book.

Except from the book “Chasing Life” by Thomas Carver:
“My name is Timothy Carson. I have two families, who know nothing about each other. This is the story of how I lived my life…and planned my death.”

Natalie is appropriately shocked, as I imagine are most of the viewers, about the prospect that her father’s death was not an accident. The big question will be what she does with this information. Will she tell her sisters or Sara or will she keep it bottled up to herself. This sets her up for an intriguing journey this season and I look forward to watching her discover the meaning of Thomas’ final book.

This was a very strong start to this season of Chasing Life. Every week the show brings us into the life of April and her family as we journey with them through this emotionally trying time. They are in this fight together and no matter what the world, and life, throws at them they will face it as a united front of powerful Carver women. It was an emotionally raw episode and I have a feeling this is just the beginning of what we can expect this season. Prepare for the journey and get ready to stand strong with April on her journey.

This is an inspiring story that gives courage to so many people fighting the same battle as April, so be sure to promote this show amongst your friends and family. Every viewer will help ensure the future of this show, if April can find the courage to battle cancer we can all find the strength to fight for this show. Tune into ABC Family at 9pm EST next Monday then be sure to return to SpoilerTV for my detailed take on the episode.

The show ended with a PSA involving Haley Ramm as she tells everyone about the meaning of being a stem cell donor. See how you can help by going to BeTheMatch.org and finding out what you can do to help real life people like April.

Hit the comments with your thoughts and theories about this season. What will April's journey be this season? Will she ever get to have her wedding? Will Brenna find new love or is she holding out for Greer to return to her? Will Natalie be able to figure out the mystery hidden in her father's final manuscript? We've got an amazing season ahead, so join me each week to analyze and discuss this great show.

About the Author - Aimee Hicks

Aimee works for a local newspaper and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. A list of her favorite shows includes (but is not limited to) the following: 12 Monkeys, Orphan Black, Outlander, Chasing Life, Scorpion, The 100, The Night Shift, Bitten, Black Sails, 2 Broke Girls, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Continuum, Lost Girl, Faking It, Falling Skies, Finding Carter, Once Upon A Time, Orange Is The New Black, Switched At Birth, The Fosters, The Flash, The Originals, Teen Wolf, Under The Dome, & Z Nation. The upcoming shows she is most excited about are: Supergirl, Dark Matter, UnReal, Blindspot, Lucifer, Legends of Tomorrow, Stitchers, Recovery Road, Shadowhunters, Quantico, Code Black, Heartbreaker, and Chicago Med. She has a large and passionate dislike of ""reality"" TV, espeically ""reality"" dating shows, but has a weakness for Americas Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance. But those two don't really count as ""reality"" shows, at least that's how she justifies those guilty pleasures. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operting under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.

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