15 Reasons You NEED To Watch 'Younger'
If you are not watching the hilarious show Younger, you definitely should be. The series is based on a book by Pamela Redmond Satran and is about a fortysomething mom who is having a hard time supporting herself and her daughter due to her ex's gambling addiction. She decides to return to her publishing job roots, but oops, her skills are pretty outdated and she is much older than anyone in the workforce. When a tattoo artist mistakes her for a twentysomething, she gets the idea to lie about her age in order to fit in with her millennial coworkers. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Yes, it definitely is. In addition to being hilarious, the show tackles the gender issues and ageism that older women face, particularly in this industry. Oh, it has Hilary Duff, too! But that is far from all of the reasons. Here are 15 reasons that you should be watching Younger.
15 Sutton Foster
The show is all about Liza Miller, played by Sutton Foster, who is an amazing actress. Liza is in her early forties and struggling to start over after divorcing her gambling addict husband. Her daughter is away in India and she has to find a way to bring in a steady income, so she uses her youthful appearance to score a job at a publishing agency. The plot seems a little out there, sure, but Sutton Foster really brings Liza to life. A lot has changed since she first graduated from college and she has to do a lot of adjusting to the way that things are done today in the workplace. She has to learn new technology, social media, and new lingo, too. She easily brings the naive charm that Liza needs to pull off her rouse and it's so much fun to watch. Oh, and she's gorgeous, too! Of course being vain is not always the best idea but in this case, her youthful appearance is what makes the show so believable. We totally want to know what moisturizer she uses!
14 Hilary Duff
If you grew up watching Lizzie McGuire, then you should definitely watch Younger! Hilary Duff's character, Kelsey Peters is exactly the person that a lot of us thought Lizzie would grow up to become. Hilary is just as relatable here as she was over a decade ago, and we're convinced it's because she's just amazing. Kelsey is a little neurotic, a lot fashionable, and she definitely knows what she wants. She has control issues, sure, but she's also a sweetheart. Because of her work ethic, she starts out as a twentysomething editor, but eventually gets to run her own imprint, which is super great. Her relationship with Liza is also really fun to watch. The two hit it off almost immediately, although Kelsey is younger than her (and holds a senior position). It's also fun to watch Liza keep her real age from Kelsey, who is definitely not fond of people lying about their ages. Kelsey adds a little oomph to it to the series.
13 It Addresses Ageism
Even though the premise of the show seems fun and fresh, when you think about it, it's actually a little depressing. Society gives people expiration dates, right? The idea is that the older you are, the less you're worth. It's that kind of thinking that causes Liza to lie in the first place and we can't blame her if we're being totally honest. After all, she has a daughter to put through college as well as bills to pay. She does anything that any normal person in a desperate situation would do. Though things get kind of blurry as she develops relationships with people based on half-truths, you still really feel for her. A person's age should have no bearing on their ability to gain employment as long as they have the skills, but in Liza's case, she wouldn't be seen as desirable thanks to her age. She kind of had to lie. Not many shows will address our world's obvious problem with ageism, but Younger doesn't just address it, it's the entire premise of the series.
12 Amazing Fashion
Younger has been compared to SATC since it first premiered a few years ago. Some people say that it can't compete fashion-wise but we don't think that's true at all. The fashion on this show is insane! To be fair, publishing is a pretty cool and hot industry and you kind of have to know your p's and q's to make it. But even so, the costume department on this show went all out when it came to dressing the characters! All of the pieces are super current and each character has a unique style. Kelsey, for example, is a total hippie one day and a fashionista the next, while Liza definitely embodies a trendy twentysomething trying to make it in the world. The colorful wardrobes make the show way more appealing and realistic. If you're ever in a fashion funk, then watching an episode or two will give you more than a few ideas! Seriously, it's envy inducing.
11 It's 'SATC' For Young People
We may be way too young to have grown up watching SATC but of course, we've made up for lost time. We all know whether we're a Carrie, a Samantha, a Charlotte or a Miranda and we've seen each episode multiples times. We definitely get its cultural significance and we love it. We know how groundbreaking and iconic this show was and always will be, even though we might not be able to relate to the storylines since some of them are a bit dated. Younger, on the other hand, can be to us what SATC was to a previous generation. In fact, it's produced by Darren Star, the same man who produced SATC as well as 90210 and Melrose Place! Based on his track record alone, you should know that Younger is pretty much one of the greatest shows currently airing on television. He has a knack for creating quality television for young women, and Younger definitely falls into that category.
10 Steamy Relationships
You have probably noticed that dating today is a whole lot more complicated than it used to be. People are so guarded with their feelings that they are hesitant to put concrete labels on anything, leaving you wondering where you stand with them. And that does not even account for dating apps, which are definitely a special kind of torture. Younger is not short on relationship drama, one-night stands, and even cheating fiances, and we love the drama! Liza initially gets into a relationship with Josh, which quickly evolves into a love triangle and who does not love those? She can't choose between Josh, her young lover, and Charles, who is her age and also her boss. Both are great partners for Liza, but she obviously will have to choose at some point. Seriously, it is so juicy and messy and amazing and you really need to tune in.
9 Pop Culture/ Literary References
If you love shows that are chock full of pop culture references like The Big Bang Theory or The Flash, then you're going to absolutely and positively fall in love with Younger. For a show that centers around the publishing industry, it sure has a lot of fun. The series picks on well-known authors and sometimes other public figures. It would be a total shame if they didn't take advantage of that, right? Over the course of the show, Younger has poked fun at everyone from Lena Dunham to Katniss Everdeen to J.K Rowling. And that's just the very first episode! The show references the big hitters in the publishing world in a way that's super hilarious. The first season also name drops Cosmo, Goodreads, Entertainment Weekly, Random House, and Rick James. But if you're worried that the show is glossing over the publishing world in favor of drama, don't worry, that's totally not the case here.
8 Life Lessons
Liza is absolute proof that just because life throws you a curveball, you do not have to give up! After her divorce, she could have licked her wounds and cried about how she wasted her so-called best years on her ex-husband. Instead, she decided to try something new and it actually paid off. Sure, she might not have gone about it in the best way, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. Younger shows that life is hard (and sometimes life totally sucks) but if you keep the right attitude, then everything will be okay. It also shows the importance of surrounding yourself with good friends and staying positive. More importantly, probably, is the idea that it is never too late to live your dreams (which we love). We definitely appreciate that super positive message, especially since at face value, it is just a funny show.
7 It Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously
You wouldn't imagine that a show like this would really work, but it definitely does. That must be because it embraces some of the more ridiculous aspects of the premise. In the real world, a 40-year-old woman pretending to be a twentysomething would probably be judged and shamed once the secret is out. Younger, however, just does not care! Liza knows that she's being a little bit ridiculous trying to re-live her youth, but she plows ahead anyway. As she tries to get used to having the social life of a younger person, she realizes that it's not all that it's cracked up to be, which is hilarious to watch. But she learns that there are some parts about her youth that she misses. There's also the fact that her secret is almost exposed too many times for comfort. Liza has to avoid her real-life friends, with the exception of her BFF, in order to keep her cover from being blown and must lie to everyone around her.
6 Job Stuff
Sadly, we can all relate to having awful jobs in our twenties. And if not awful jobs then definitely awful bosses. Those bosses that make you want to give up on making a living for yourself and just go sleep under a bridge or something. Younger has plenty of those bosses. Liza has a great job, but her boss, Diana Trout, is definitely a B-word. She is completely terrible and she could definitely give Meryl Streep's character from The Devil Wears Prada a run for her money. They must be totally long-lost cousins or something. Though Liza does her best to please Diana, the boss is just never satisfied. She is rude and crude and does absolutely nothing to encourage Liza. She criticizes her wardrobe and makes ridiculous demands. Not to mention, she uses Liza's (fake) age as an excuse to look down on her. If she only knew! But we still love her!
5 It's So 2016
There's an old saying that goes, "Can a show really be for millennials if it doesn't mention Twitter or hashtags or one night stands?" Okay, so we made that up, but it's still a relevant question. Our culture is so heavily focused on social media and hooking up and dating that a show about us has to incorporate all that stuff to some extend. Younger wouldn't feel authentic if it wasn't stuffed with this stuff. One of the best parts of the show is when Liza has to get familiar with social media and all of the other things unique to our generation. Oh, and she's severely lacking in the emoji department. She also has to adjust to re-entering the dating scene and dating someone half her age, which we're sure she's not complaining about, but it's still a big deal. There's so mistaking whether or not this show is for us millennials. It definitely is!
4 The Best Cast
Younger is honestly a super fun show with a great cast. As stated earlier, it has great source material to pull from, but it would be nothing without the actors that bring those character's stories to life. Sutton Foster is the glue that holds the show together with her portrayal of Liza. Disney Channel alum, Hilary Duff, completely embodies Kelsey Peters, the motivated millennial trying to navigate her way through love and life. Then there is Debi Mazar's hilarious portrayal of Liza's zany friend, Maggie, who is the mastermind behind the entire rouse. The cast makes the show enjoyable. It is easy to fall in love with the characters, but the actors make it extra, extra special. Not to mention, in addition to the main cast, Younger also has some pretty great guest appearances. To date, they have had people like Bobby Flay, Michael Urie, Jennifer Weiner and Ice-T.
3 Nico Tortorella
Talk about eye candy! Nico Tortorella plays (one of) Liza's love interests named Josh. He is an incredibly hot tattoo artist and is definitely responsible for Liza's decision to lie about her age. Well, at least indirectly. Josh is a tattoo artist and when he and Liza meet, he mistakenly assumed that they were the same age: twenty-six. Liza does not correct him and her friend, Maggie, convinces Liza to pose as a twentysomething. As the show progresses, they start seriously dating, but as you probably have guessed, he does not know how old she really is. Which ends up jeopardizing their future once he finds out, naturally. Plus let's face it, Josh is the best TV boyfriend ever because he spends a whole lot of scenes totally shirtless. Now why are you not watching right this instant?! That is enough of a reason, right? Definitely! You will agree once you start!
2 Women Supporting Other Women
Raise your hand if you are over female characters being pitted against each other. Raise your hand again if you are tired of them going to extreme methods to just be evil and nasty to one another. Great. Tune into Younger. It does not have any of those problems. Yeah, there is a little competitiveness, but that is not really a big deal. At its core, Younger is all about embracing people for who they are and having friends to fall back on when times get tough! It is an excellent example of well-written and well-rounded female characters. There is Liza and Kelsey's friendship, for one thing, and they have no time or desire to be catty because they are too busy loving, working, and living life. Hopefully, Younger's success will motivate other shows to explore more female centric shows that are not based on them competing. It works, obviously.
1 Liza And Kelsey's Relationship
Liza and Kelsey's friendship is one of the best reasons to watch the show. They are funny, they are supportive, and they tell it like it is. Well, as long as they don't bring up the whole age thing. When Liza finds out that Kelsey's fiance was cheating, she tells Kelsey and it puts a strain on their friendship. Luckily, they are able to get through the rough spot, which proves how strong their bond is. Liza and Kelsey's friendship dynamic is great to watch, but you end up waiting for it to crash and burn. Not because you want them to but because relationships built on lies rarely ever work out. Though they have become close, Kelsey will no doubt freak out once she learns of Liza's big secret. So now that you have all these awesome reasons, you definitely have to watch so this can become your new favorite show.