Younger – A Kiss is Just A Kiss

By starrymag | October 1, 2016

By: Taylor Gates

 

Liza (Sutton Foster) is helping her daughter (Tessa Albertson) pack for college when Maggie (Debi Mazar) gives her a little going away present: condoms ranging from medium to magnum. Josh (Nico Tortorella) comes over, bringing donuts, in order to prove to Liza that he really is all in this relationship. Liza assures a confused Maggie that she’ll fill her in soon.

 

Caitlin feels Josh may be more than just a midlife crisis for Liza, but Liza is hesitant to jump back in with him. Maggie doesn’t understand the issue—he’s a hot guy who will lie for her. Liza admits that Charles (Peter Hermann) kissed her at the mall, which has left her conflicted.

 

At work, Charles tells Liza how happy he is that she is back and wants to find a time to talk to her. However, Diana (Miriam Shor) interrupts their conversation saying she hopes to see Charles at their meeting with author Kiko Kagami (Joy Osmanski) and complimenting his tie, which Liza picked out.

 

Kelsey (Hilary Duff) Skypes with Chad (Dan Amboyer) about shutting down Thad’s Facebook account. Chad is having trouble with the password, but Kelsey is determined to figure it out. Chad gets upset when she raises her voice at him, saying they need to be comforting each other and asking her if she has plans that night. Kelsey assures him that she’ll call later.

 

Kelsey complains to Liza about her situation, showing her Thad’s highly unflattering and inappropriate profile picture of the two of them. Lauren (Molly Bernard) invites her to a bereavement group at her temple that evening and reminds her of their equestrian therapy appointment the next morning. Liza tells Kelsey she’s there whenever she needs support.

 

Kiko tells Empirical the main theme of her book, which is a bestseller in Japan: every object has a spirit and humans can lighten their loads by releasing things no longer valuable to them. She makes everyone in the meeting do an exercise where they write down the four most important things in their lives, telling them whatever they listed last will destroy them and that they must let it go. Liza has written “Josh? Charles?” and understandably panics when Kiko wants to use her paper as an example. In order to avoid being exposed, she shoves the paper in her mouth.

 

Lauren takes Kelsey to equestrian therapy, where she is instructed to tell a specially trained horse anything she might be embarrassed to confess to a therapist. She finally does and the horse responds in kind by taking a large poop. This supposedly is a good thing in therapy terms.

 

Charles invites Liza to The Carlisle to clear the air, saying if she decides not to show up that’s perfectly okay too. Josh texts her, inviting her to see a band, but she replies that she is stuck at work.

 

Maggie doesn’t understand how Liza is torn between the two guys, as she is Team Josh all the way. Plus, she’s kissed plenty of people inappropriately and it turned out fine. Liza feels like she needs to at least go in order to make things less awkward. The only things that matter are Caitlin, her friends and her job—anything that gets in the way of that is just a distraction. Maggie predicts that Liza won’t be able to help herself and will kiss Charles again.

 

Diana sees Kelsey at the office late and accuses her of burying herself in work to avoid loneliness. She convinces her to go out to a bar with a large group of drunk gay men singing showtunes and buys them both double vodkas.

 

Charles runs into his attorney and his wife at The Carlisle, who also happen to be the parents of one of Caitlin’s friends from orientation. When Liza sees them talking, she runs from the restaurant. After hearing his situation, Charles’ attorney suggests he keep his relationship with Liza professional or find her somewhere else to work. Liza shoots Charles a text saying she won’t be able to make it and Charles sadly asks for the check.

 

Kelsey and Diana are having a great time singing some songs from Mary Poppins when Diana starts feeling ill. Kelsey frantically texts Liza to come help her take care of Diana and the two get a cab and walk Diana to her apartment. Diana’s apartment is gorgeous and she gives Liza and Kelsey another shot of vodka before giving them a drunken grand tour. Most impressive is her closet, filled with dozens of designer shoes, bags and even her former wedding dress. On a whim, she decides to chuck it out the window thanks to Kiko’s mantra.

 

Liza and Kelsey walk home together with Kelsey admitting that she has been burying herself in her work. She confesses that she might have been marrying Thad just to spite everyone else and a tiny part of her is relieved he is dead so she doesn’t have to go through with it. Liza tells her that doesn’t make her a bad person—it just makes her human.

 

On her walk to work, a hungover Diana sees a homeless man wearing her dress. At the office, Diana instructs Liza to get her aspirin, a Diet Sunkist and to never speak of the previous night again. Liza apologizes to Charles for standing him up, but Charles freezes her out by telling her to let the kiss go.