The Nine Lives of Chloe King is a three-book series by Celia Thomson that was adapted in 2011 as a 10-episode mini-series by ABC Family. The book series features Chloe (Skyler Samuels), a young girl who seems to fall to her death at the beginning of the first book. After a mysterious recovery, she finds that she's changing and may not actually be human, but rather a member of a catlike race, the Mai, who can never truly co-exist with humanity. Moreover, she may be the reincarnation of the race's destined leader with nine lives and new powers, and the existing power base is not happy with that fact.
The television show was cancelled as of August 16, 2011, although for time it was reported to get a Made-for-TV movie. However that never happened, but the script was leaked online to give fans closure.
The show provided examples of:
- Adaptation Dye-Job: In the books, Chloe was a brunette.
- Anyone Can Die: The season finale alone had Brian die as well as leave Jasmine and Valentina's fate ambiguous as they lay dying.
- Brian ended up surviving, according the creator and the released screenplay
- Brian ended up surviving, according the creator and the released screenplay
- Asian and Nerdy: Paul
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Chloe makes a birthday wish that things would be different. Cue her developing cat-like powers, prompting an assassin to try and kill her.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Chloe and Alek (with Alek on the sexual side and Chloe on the belligerent).
- Beta Couple: Paul and Amy.
- Betty and Veronica: Chloe between Brian and Alek. Although by the end of the series the situation appears to have reversed.
- Blessed with Suck: Chloe.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Alek describing the effects of the Mai's venom:"Paralysis, death, paralysis and death.
- Catchphrase: Whenever Chloe's mom says "I love you" to Chloe, Chloe responds with "Implied."
- The Chosen One: Chloe is the Uniter of the Mai and is blessed with nine lives because of that.
- Dangerous 16th Birthday: Chloe discovers her heritage on her sixteenth birthday.
- Demoted to Extra: Brian. In the books Brian knew that Chloe was a Mai, and was a member of the order trying to kill her. He also didn't die in the books.
- Disappeared Dad: Chloe's dad, although he does communicate with her by e-mail.
- The Empath: Chloe. ("You, my child, are an empath.")
- First Kiss: Chloe claims the one with Paul years ago didn't count so the one with Xavier officially marks the first one.
- Genre Savvy: Paul
- I Just Want to Be Special: And boy did that wish come true!
- I Thought Everyone Could Do That: Chloe does this a few times in the pilot, not realizing that balancing on the back of a sofa or hearing an un-plugged-in iPod are things that ordinary humans aren't capable of.
- In the Hood: In the beginning of the first episode, the visible diversion operatives are wearing sinister black hoodies over their heads.
- Killed Off for Real: Brian, due to the Kiss of Death mentioned below.
- Kiss of Death: Chloe and the Mai.
- Living Lie Detector: Chloe can use her empath ability to tell if a person is feeling something that's different from what they're saying, as demonstrated in "Responsible".
- Long Lost Sibling: Zane is revealed to be Alek's brother. However that was left ambiguous even by the follow up movie script. However Whitney is the confirmed case for Long Lost Unknown Half Brother for Alek.
- Meet Cute: Brian and Chloe.
- Missing Mom: Since five years ago, poor Brian has been raised by the guy who's attempting to exterminate his son's crush and the rest of her civilization.
- Part-Time Hero
- Perma-Stubble: Brian doesn't shave, even when going to a black tie event.
- Product Placement:
- Chloe just really wants that Kia Soul.
- The camera spent a lot of time focusing on Paul's Marvel t-shirts, which happened to coincide with that year's movie releases.
- Relationship Upgrade: Subverted in an episode where Amy and Paul both want this but have very different ideas of what this would mean. It does not end well.
- Secret Public Identity: Chloe uses her real name in public despite generally keeping her nature as Mai secret from humans. note . Perhaps justified, as the members of The Order seem to be able to recognize Mai even when they don't use their powers, so it's unlikely that hiding her name or face would do anything to protect her.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Supernatural Powers!: The Brazilian Mai think they can do whatever they want, including kill humans, because they are the Superior Race
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Between Alek and Chloe. It grows more obvious by the episode.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Brian with his dad, Jasmine with her mom.
