Why You Should Be Watching ‘Younger’

Full disclaimer: Hilary Duff is my spirit animal. Actually, I just have the biggest girl crush in the history of girl crushes on her!
Okay. Now that that’s out in the open, it’s time to talk about what you really came to read about: Younger. If you’ve never heard of Younger before, maybe you just need to start watching TV Land. Before you stop reading and think, “Why on Earth would I watch TV Land? All they do is Happy Days reruns,” let me cut you off right there. TV Land has gotten with the times and fully rebranded themselves. They are now home to a whole bunch of shows that you need to take a chance on. Case in point: Younger.

This series stars Sutton Foster as the lead character who goes by Liza Miller. We’re introduced to Liza as a 40-year-old single mom trying to get her life back to “normal” after a failed marriage. She attempts to hop back into the working world. Seeing how difficult it is to get hired when you’re much older, she lies to her current employer by saying she’s a 26 year old. You can only imagine the trouble here. She befriends Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff), works for a Devil Wears Prada-type of boss named Diana Trout (Miriam Shor) and finds herself a twenty-something-year-old boyfriend named Josh (Nico Tortorella). The only one who knows her secret is her best friend Maggie (Debi Mazar)… SPOILER ALERT: And now Josh.
Phew.
Now that you’re familiar with this twisted show, let me explain why you should give it a chance. Where to even start? I think the big thing is that this show tackles ageism, which not many shows talk about except, okay, maybe Cougar Town? I’m nowhere near 40 years old, but I could only imagine how hard it is to get a job when competing with millennials, a very sought after hiree. The show not only speaks to audience members who were born with a digital device in their hand but to women who have to deal with getting looked past since they’re not young enough.
Men, look how hard it is for women of age to be accepted into society after reaching a certain age. Millennials, this show could be a reality check to you who feel like they can rule the world. Kelsey Peters portrays a driven, can-do/will-do anything type of character but I don’t know, sometimes I find myself thinking, “This is really what millennials are like. They feel like they are entitled to everything.” Granted, Kelsey paid her dues but there are some boundaries to be taken no matter what age.
I think it’s awesome to see Liza juggle these two completely different lives, but I feel for her when she has to lie through her teeth in order to keep up with this lifestyle. It’s not easy being young, but it’s not easy being old. You get to see the pros and cons of each life. When Liza learns something new in her 26-year-old lifestyle, the audience learns with her.
Another great thing this show is doing is really speaking to the digital world. Face it. We’re always on some kind of tech device, and we surround ourselves with social media or texting. The show and characters live in the same world as we do. They don’t act like hashtags, stupid terms like “ghosting” or weird Craigslisters don’t exist. It speaks to what’s relevant, what people are talking about. It pushes the boundaries to make it as relatable as possible.
It was just announced that a season 3 of Younger has been confirmed, which I was thrilled to hear about. The show has so much potential to become bigger than it already is. I cannot wait for more great storylines and genius writing.
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Why You Should Be Watching ‘Younger’: Photos courtesy of Younger/TV Land