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Editor’s Note: Spoilers ahead for ‘Younger’
In the groundbreaking and critically acclaimed dramedy series Younger by Sex and the City creator, Darren Star, freshly-divorced 40-year-old Liza Miller (Sutton Foster) embarks on an unexpected second chapter of her life when she decides to return to the workforce after a 15-year absence. With a marriage behind her and the prospect of raising her teenage daughter alone, Liza tries to find a job with her wealth of publishing knowledge to support the two of them. But as it goes, her age is a major hurdle. After a chance encounter one night with the young tattoo artist, Josh (Nico Tortorella), she laughs off his assumption that she is in her 20s. But following encouragement from her artist friend and roommate, Maggie (Debi Mazar), she takes a risky plunge: Pretending to be a millennial to land the dream job!
Armed with a fake ID and a reworked social media profile, Liza finally secures a position as an assistant at Empirical Publishing, one of NYC’s most prestigious publishing houses. What follows is a journey of love, lies, and personal discovery across seven very vibrant and funny seasons. But with the show having wrapped in 2021 and getting a second life on Netflix, it’s back to picking up steam with audiences and rightfully making its mark. So the question remains for the former TV Land and Paramount+ series: Did Younger stick the landing or fade out in a haze of deception?
Liza Miller Is Finally Getting to be a Grown-Up
When Liza first interviews for her new job in Season 1, she impresses her boss Diana (Miriam Shor) by telling her that “she’s not special, she’s a grown-up.” Liza’s not trying to stand out — she’s trying to blend in. Throughout the series, Liza spends much of her time acting like she doesn’t deserve to be Younger’s plucky and charming protagonist. As she navigates life and love as a fake millennial, she consistently questions her own decisions. Many of her actions are driven by her desire to keep her secret, especially in her relationships. Throughout her choices in Younger, she acts as though her time posing as her millennial self has a limited shelf-life. This mindset leads her to adopt a sidekick mentality, constantly considering how her choices will affect others — like Josh.
Meanwhile, Kelsey (Hilary Duff) works hard to prove herself with Millennial Imprint at Empirical across the show’s seven seasons. But after all the effort and growth, she eventually trusts her instincts and decides to leave Empirical after creating her own app-based publishing brand called Inkubator, which garners the investor attention of Hello Sunshine — Reese Witherspoon’s production company. She announces her decision to leave during the company’s 100th-anniversary dinner after a tearful thank you to her boss and mentor, Charles (Peter Hermann). While Kelsey had a hard time adjusting to Liza’s secret following the initial reveal in Season 3, the duo are still best friends by the finale as they consistently helped each other find their way in the industry. Kelsey’s step out West also helps her move out of Charles’ shadow to finally see herself as more than a former assistant.
Despite All of Liza’s Obstacles, It Was Josh All Along…
As Liza grapples with the judgment and criticism she faces after her secret is revealed, her long-time love interest, Josh, proves to be more complex than he initially appeared. Fans will recall Liza and Josh first met during a hilarious moment in the series premiere when she tries to throw a shoe at a bartender to get a drink. Josh, the tattoo artist, is passionate about the meaning of his body art, similar to Liza’s love affair with books. Throughout the series, it’s pretty clear that the pair are crazy about each other. But after he learns her secret at the end of Season 1, she tells him their relationship has an “expiration date.”
Liza sees their sees her age difference as holding Josh back. But in the finale, as Liza is moving forward with Charles, Josh and Liza’s connection remains a testament to how their love for one another transcends age. Not only does Josh not seem bothered by her secret, but everyone in her life loves him. Even when they are apart, Liza supports Josh — encouraging him to invest in himself, which ultimately leads him to franchise his tattoo shop, Inkburg. Despite all the reasons they shouldn’t be together, the series finale ends with them back at that same bar, where Liza attempts to throw a shoe at the bartender for a drink, just like in the very first episode.
Is Charles Still in Charge at the End of ‘Younger’?
There was always an unspoken flirtation between Charles and Liza. He was a metaphor for how Liza could regain her old life, one where she didn’t have to lie. He spends much of the series under the impression that Liza is a 26-year-old assistant. Much like Liza, he loves the written word but is often preoccupied with the business side of things, having taken over his grandfather’s publishing company. While the other characters go through a period of adjustment to Liza’s secret, in the final season, all the main characters now know her secret. Except for Charles, who never really got over the lie, and is just unable to move past it. Moreover, he ultimately sees Empirical as “his” and has trouble sharing power with those ready to take their dues. After he gives Liza and Kelsey their own imprint, he also pivots authors to his side of the brand when it’s convenient.
Charles represents what Liza thinks she wants — an age-appropriate guy who will encourage her dreams. She even has a good relationship with Charles’ kids. While this sounds good on paper, it is all tied back to Liza’s lie. She fully commits to her relationship with Charles, even giving Josh a Dear John letter to focus on this new chapter. However, even with her efforts, he just can’t see past Liza’s lie. Charles ultimately names Liza as the new Editor-in-Chief of Empirical while he attends a prestigious Writer’s retreat to get his long-lost novel published. Though all seems well at first, the lie begins to fester and their relationship doesn’t survive.
What Would Lauren Do? Own It With a Big Necklace
While many characters in Younger play fast and loose with the truth, two characters always tell it like it is: Lauren (Molly Bernard) and Diana. As a favorite character for this author, the unfiltered way she crashes through life should inspire Liza. Whether she is having an adult bar mitzvah or sitting naked in a park, Lauren does what she wants. Lauren’s romantic life has always been gender-fluid, even having a short fling with Maggie. She begins to re-evaluate her feelings for her ex-boyfriend Max (Ben Rappaport) after she begins having dreams about him. When Max contacts her out of the blue, she thinks it’s time to rekindle their romance. However, he reveals she helped him realize he was bisexual, and starts a relationship with him and his new fiancée, Greg (Josh Cooke).
Lauren also has a stronger presence as Empirical during its final two seasons. She takes over Diana’s role as head of marketing and even adorns herself with Diana’s trademark necklace. Diana, who had been portrayed by Shor since Season 1, was cut as a series regular starting in Season 6 and of course, her absence is notably jarring. On the writing side of it all, her sabbatical is explained by her decision to remain in Italy on an extended honeymoon with her husband Enzo DeLuca (Chris Tardio), a local plumber.
Maggie’s romantic future also concludes in the finale, with her settling into a traditional relationship with Mags (Janeane Garofalo), who had once hired her as a teacher at New York’s College of the Arts. This conclusion feels like a direct result of Maggie taking notice of Liza finally following her heart instead of her head. Overall, almost everyone gets a happy ending in Younger, though many of those endings depend on one’s perspective. In the final moments, there’s a suggestion that Liza and Josh might end up together — though it could also be a poignant moment between former lovers who are now friends.
Younger is now streaming on Netflix.
Younger
- Release Date
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2015 – 2020
- Network
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TV Land, Paramount+
- Showrunner
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Darren Star
- Directors
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Peter Lauer, Steven K. Tsuchida, Todd Biermann, Andrew Fleming, Jennifer Arnold, Tamra Davis, Tricia Brock, Brennan Shroff, Darren Star, Miriam Shor
- Writers
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Joe Murphy, Rick Singer, Lyle Friedman, Sarah Choi, Jessie Cantrell, Terri Minsky, Eliot Glazer
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