Younger – Holding Out for a SHero

By: Ujjyani Banerjee

Maggie (Debi Mazar) is at her farm where she grows tomatoes. Liza (Sutton Foster) shows up. She’s on her way to give Kelsey (Hilary Duff) some emotional support as Kelsey has been ignoring her calls and texts. Maggie feels Kelsey needs time and asks her to visit Josh’s (Nico Tortorella) new shop instead. Liza can’t as she’s promised Charles (Peter Hermann) that she’d stop seeing Josh. Maggie coins Josh as her “sucker,” similar to sprouts on tomato plants that suck up water depriving the main stem and resulting in unhealthy fruits. One must pluck them off and so should Liza. She agrees.

At the office Diana (Miriam Shor) indirectly informs Liza that she wants a bachelorette party. Charles interrupts wondering where Kelsey is. Liza reminds him that the rest of the staff needs to know about the power change. Just then Kelsey comes in. Charles asks if she’s okay. She says she’s fine and also announces about the big change to all before resuming her setup of work. Liza goes to check up on her personally. Kelsey insists that she’s fine and says that she was just a temporary fix in Charles’ family business. Liza argues that she made Millennial and that saved the company. Diana walks in, appreciating Kelsey. Liza asks Kelsey if she’ll join for a pitch meeting, but she’s got setting up to do. Seeing Liza console her further, Diana moves her out to save Kelsey from suffocation.

The pitch meeting starts. Alice (Carrie St. Louis), the author, deplores Gen X’s zero-manners lifestyle, blaming it on the lack of boundaries and unfiltered sharing of one’s private life online. Employees shouldn’t have access to their boss’s private life or be obligated to “Like” and “Comment.” The  omnipresent ambiguity has segued into one’s dating life, too. People struggle to define their relationships and ghost exes in damaging ways. She concludes that manners are imperative and her book lists them out for the common millenial mind. Liza asks what’s the best way to sort things with an ex. Alice’s answer is being honest and clear and writing a “Dear John” letter wouldn’t hurt that bad.

Zane (Charles Michael Davis) meets Kelsey for lunch. He feels partly responsible as the video was meant for him. Kelsey stresses that she was the one who posted the video and given her inability to operate a mere social media account she shouldn’t even think of running a company. She breaks things off with him when he tries to hug her. She feels as if they’re cursed given the number of obstacles they’ve faced.

Charles asks Liza if she’s okay amidst these changes around. It turns out she’s still finding her footing. Diana comes in bearing flowers and a letter from Alice. Liza starts to read it. The letter starts with heartfelt appreciation but ends with her choice to go with some other publisher. Liza realizes that a handwritten letter does hurt less. She arrives home and pens one down for Josh, explaining how much he means to her and how hard is it for her to let him go.

Lauren (Molly Bernard) is crazed out that publication events are cancelling on Kelsey, but she hopes to turn things around by utilizing the popularity spurt. She wants to have a word with Kelsey on this. Josh offers her an Uber ride as he’s on his way to his new Inkburg Midtown shop. Lauren hands him some letters he’s received and they rush for the cab. Upon reaching the office Lauren tries to coax Kelsey into speaking at an all girls’ school about the dangers of social media and how the patriarchal society tears a woman down for a small mistake. Lauren calls her Gen X’s “Shero,” that is Hero with an “S.” Kelsey passes on it as she doesn’t want to be an example or a victim. She goes to the conference room for the team meeting. Charles and Zane discuss the seafarer book, one that Kelsey had rejected earlier. She realizes that all her Mercury rejections would be picked up now. She hates that Zane’s having a hoot with this. Unable to take it in, she storms out of the room. Liza follows. Both women find the rest of the staff enjoying Kelsey’s infamous video. Liza states that Kelsey is the reason they’re getting their salaries and that she’s a goddamn hero. Lauren calls Kelsey a “Shero,” finally getting a “Yes” out of her.

Shelly (Annaleigh Ashford) and Josh discuss paint colors for the shop. While Josh wants sober hues, Infinitely 21 suggests a rather tacky palette. Frustrated, Josh picks fluorescent. Shelly writes her personal number on a handwritten letter addressed to Josh and says that she’s available in case he needs to unload his corporate frustration on someone. Josh is puzzled. He soon starts to read the letter and walks out to catch some air, looking visibly hurt. He seeks privacy to take in this final rejection.

At the school talk Kelsey starts by playing one of the versions of her infamous video. After a brief giggle, she admits that she’s angry and stresses that it’s okay to feel that way. She soon starts telling about her social media blunder that ruined her career.

In the evening Lauren, Maggie, Kelsey and Liza pick up Diana for the bachelorette party. Maggie and Diana try enjoying the night while Kelsey and Liza repent about the video and letter they shouldn’t have sent respectively. Kelsey hates that the men finally won. While Liza doesn’t want it to be a man vs woman fight anymore, Kelsey doesn’t see any future at the company any longer. Bored, Diana interrupts the unhappy duo and says she wants to go wild.

Lauren takes them to Inkburg! Diana wants a tattoo but Josh won’t give her one as she’d bleed a lot. Bummed, Lauren takes them to the Metropolitan for karaoke. Liza tries to leave but Josh stops her. He cannot believe she’d end things so unceremoniously. Liza says she did so as she cared for him. Josh reminds her that she made him sign the lease by promising to stay in his and Gemma’s life forever. Liza is helpless as she’s got to give her relationship with Charles a shot. Josh asks if Charles means more than him. He lets her know that maybe she’s afraid of what they once were and probably still are and that she’s choosing the safer choice now. Liza asks him not to presuppose things and stresses that they need to let go of their glorious past. Josh asks her to just say that she loves Charles more than him. She does. Josh smirks as he’s sure that she is lying to herself. He tells her that she wrote a letter to the wrong guy and walks off.

Liza returns home and stares at her photo with Charles at a publication event while Kelsey writes a “Thank you” letter to Charles, bidding goodbye at the very end. It is time for her to move on.