Younger – Friends with Benefits

By starrymag | August 6, 2019

By: Ujjyani Banerjee

 

 

Diana (Miriam Shor), Lauren (Molly Bernard) and Liza (Sutton Foster) brainstorm over the title for their recent Mercury-Millennial merger press release. While Diana wants to emphasize on Charles’ (Peter Hermann) return Lauren wants Kelsey (Hilary Duff) in focus.

 

Just then Diana notices Charles in the office. She rushes to greet him. There is an entourage of packing boxes too. Charles reveals that he sold Pound Ridge as part of the divorce and Pauline sent back all of his stuff, hence the boxes. Diana recollects how the estate which once housed innumerable company picnics and sack races has now turned into a romantic cautionary tale. Charles says hi to Liza and gets back to setting up his office. Liza turns up to meet him and finds the room brimming with boxes. She offers hers to stack up the remaining ones and welcomes him back home with a bouquet. He returns the gesture with a kiss.

 

Zane (Charles Michael Davis) shares his displeasure about the merger to Kelsey. She hopes to have a healthy relationship with him now that she’s the publisher. Zane assures her that he won’t be her problem.

 

At their meeting Kelsey and Charles push each other’s buttons while discussing Mercury’s demographics. Kelsey feels Mercury is a male-focused imprint with a heart while Charles sees it as an imprint with unisex demographic catering to all age groups. Kelsey wants Exonerated to be a Millenial release and trades a new book called The  Third Leg in exchange. It’s a guide to keeping flames alive in long term relationships- a perfect Mercury book with its target demographic. Zane is annoyed. Charles appreciates Kelsey’s analysis, but states that Audrey Colbert needs to stay with Mercury. Period. Kelsey is forced to agree with his decision.

 

At lunch, Kelsey complains to Liza that she’s unable to say No to Charles who was once her mentor and that she’s intimidated by his death stare. Liza calls it a harmless male version of resting bitch face and sometimes, it’s smoldering. Kelsey cringes.

 

Liza gets back to her office and is surprised to see boxes everywhere. She drops a few manuscripts while moving a box. One manuscript catches her attention. It’s unpublished, unfinished and titled The Miseducation of Henry Cane. She scans through a few pages and immediately stops upon seeing Charles. He reminds her about The Reading Project fundraiser that they’re to attend that evening. He also offers to help unpack but Liza turns it down.

 

At the fundraiser Liza tells Charles about Kelsey being intimidated by him. He feels she’s got to learn to stand up against him. They soon bump into Bob (Grant Shaud) and Julia (Maddie Corman). They are proud of being the host of that Hanukkah party which got Liza and Charles together. Liza next bumps into Michelle (Heidi Armbruster) to whom she introduces Charles as her date and an editor at Mercury. As they settle for the night, Julia invites Liza and Charles to their Legal Eagle’s Gala that’s scheduled the very next day and Liza couldn’t be less thrilled. Michelle lets Liza know how proud she is of her to have passed that crazy phase with that young adorable kid and now settled for a keeper who is age-appropriate. Liza doesn’t like Michelle tagging her relationship with Josh (Nico Tortorella) as a crazy phase.

 

Liza gets home and shares about how she ran into Michelle and Tom at the fundraiser. Maggie (Debi Mazar). jokingly compares it to the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Liza admits that her two worlds are colliding and it’s oddly familiar. Maggie leaves to hang out with Josh and Lauren. Liza continues reading the manuscript.

 

The next day Liza meets Josh and learns that he’s selling his bike as it can be a fatal hazard and that now with Gemma his priorities have changed. He asks if she’s ready for a last spin. Liza has to decline as she’s getting late for work.

 

At work Diana arrives, impeccably dressed, her ensemble completed with a white lace hat. It turns out she is to attend Enzo’s niece’s christening in Staten Island.

 

Soon, they all gather for the daily meeting. Zane and Charles present their next Mercury book, a seafarer’s tale called The Arabian Sea. Already bored, Kelsey was expecting something romantic, sexy and a commercial hit. Zane mentions that it’s a love story between the sea and the captain. Kelsey rejects it. Later Liza hands over the unfinished manuscript to Kelsey and asks her to give it a read. It’s about a young boy working on a lobster boat who falls in love with a wealthy older woman. Kelsey is excited about all of it except for the fact that it’s unfinished. Liza persuades her to read it and if she likes it they could coax Charles into asking the anonymous writer to finish the story.

 

Diana is sitting besides Enzo (Chris Tardio) at the christening. He is the godfather to the baby and Maria (Marisa Hunter) is the godmother. They are soon called upon by the priest. Valentinia (Stephanie DeMaggio), sitting next to Diana, whiffs at them revealing how Enzo and Maria were exes who split up after the patented one year period. Apparently, Enzo breaks up when his romantic relationships hit one year. Diana gets worried.

 

Liza stares at Charles’ photo from last year’s fundraiser with Pauline by his side. She texts Josh to see if he’s still up for that last bike ride. He asks her to hurry. Kelsey approaches Charles to get the author to finish the manuscript. Charles reveals that he is the author and he is not keen on pursuing it.

 

After the christening everybody gathers for the family picture. Diana is pushed aside as they want the godparents to stand together. She feels awkward. in fact, the photo pushes her so far that she falls into a bush! Having had enough, Enzo spontaneously proposes to her. Teary eyed, Diana says yes.

 

Liza and Josh enjoy a stellar view of the cityscape. Josh appreciates that even though she’s with Charles,they can still enjoy moments like this. Liza shares the unfinished story that reminds her of them. Josh loves that the readers get to choose how it ends. Liza agrees. He asks about her opinion on the ending. Liza doesn’t know. Josh is sure that she does.

 

That night Liza comes to the gala. Charles is waiting for her. He asks where she disappeared to that afternoon. She says she needed to drift off for a while. To him, her timing was strangely coincidental to Kelsey approaching him with the manuscript. Liza admits that she was snooping. Charles reveals that when he was twenty-one years old he had an affair with a wealthy author’s wife who was dissatisfied and needed his validation to feel younger. Liza realizes he was the author but asks why he never finished. He says he realized that too many people would’ve been hurt and that he understands the psyche of being “that young guy.” Liza understands that he’s talking about Josh. Just then Bob calls them indoors for the gala. Both are dreading to attend it. Liza asks Charles that they should never do anything together that they don’t like, henceforth. Charles puts it to immediate effect. He grabs her hand and they escape!