Seven seasons of Unexpected have given fans weddings, breakups, and surprise babies. But ask the fandom one question — which dad actually stepped up? — and the comment section explodes. Here they are, ranked on fatherhood alone: who showed up for their kids when nobody was filming.
1. Lawrence Bishop: The Gold Standard
If there is a blueprint for beating the odds on this show, it is Lawrence Bishop. He started dating Lilly Bennett in 2019 knowing she was already a mom to little Aaliyah — and he embraced that, becoming a steady father figure to both her daughter and their own son. He proposed in a sunflower field in October 2020, welcomed son Lawrence Charles Bishop IV that November, and married Lilly in 2023. In March 2026, they celebrated their third wedding anniversary, and Lawrence won his first MMA title in November 2025, according to reports. Husband, stepdad, dad, champion — it is hard to argue with that resume.
2. Nate Alden: The Quiet Comeback
Nobody expected Nate Alden to rank this high. When viewers met him in Season 6, he was just 16, two years younger than Emalee Lenhard, and their maturity gap drove a season-long storyline. Fans worried he was too young to handle fatherhood. Instead, Nate married Emalee in May 2024, and they now live in Oregon with 3-year-old son Westley. In July 2026, Emalee announced a baby girl is due in February. No drama, no cryptic posts — just a young dad who grew up in front of everyone and never left.
3. Jessie Kistler: The Redemption Arc
Jessie Kistler had the hardest road of any dad on this list. When viewers first met him, Mia Quebedeaux’s dad Keith openly admitted he did not like Jessie — and gave him a famous ultimatum: just two weeks to stay under his roof. Jessie never left. He won Keith over the hard way, by staying and showing up day after day. Then, in January 2026, the family survived a house fire that destroyed their home. Four months later, on May 10, 2026, Jessie proposed in New Orleans — after asking Keith for permission first — while Mia held daughter Oakleigh, born in June 2025. From “I don’t like this kid” to co-conspirator in the engagement: a redemption arc no scriptwriter could invent.
4. Graham Grissom: The Survivor
Graham Grissom and Kayleigh Weathers were just 15 when son Easton arrived in March 2023 after a 50-hour labor and an emergency C-section. They broke up after the Season 6 finale, and fans wrote them off. They reconciled in September 2024, graduated in 2025, moved in together, and welcomed a second son in January 2026 — parents of two at just 19, according to reports.
5. The Ones Fans Still Argue About
Then there is the tier that splits the fandom down the middle. Jason Korpi, the Season 5 dad, remains the show’s most controversial father figure: his behavior during Kylen Smith’s labor — objecting to her epidural and getting removed from the hospital, according to reports — is still talked about years later. As of a 2025 update, Jason and Kylen are still together, parents of two: son Xavier and daughter Oakley, born in October 2024. Supporters call it a family finally living privately; critics say quiet is not the same as changed. Elsewhere, Mason Ramirez keeps the lowest profile of any Unexpected dad, still together with Emersyn Potter and raising son Mateo, according to reports.
YOU MAY LIKEUnexpected Couples Ranked: Who Is Still Together in October 2026?So, Who Is Unexpected’s Dad of the Year?
Every dad here became a father before he could legally order a drink. Now it is your turn: is Lawrence still untouchable, or has Nate’s quiet comeback earned him the crown? Does Jessie’s redemption arc beat them both? Drop your pick — TEAM LAWRENCE, TEAM NATE, or TEAM JESSIE — and tell us which dad we ranked too high.
