Younger Review: Big Little Liza (Season 5 Episode 5)

Liza’s lie is getting harder to cover on Younger Season 5 Episode 5 “Big Little Liza” as Vanity Fair nearly gets ahold of the truth.

First of all, I take back every nice thing I said about Don Ridley and I want Liza to stay as far away from him as possible. I do love the way Younger shakes up this storyline though and I adore the way Liza handles confronting Ridley.

In telling Ridley the truth after he sees her IDs, Liza gets to make some excellent points about why she lied in the first place, why she’s still lying, and the necessity of it all. At the same time, she acknowledges the problems with what she’s done.

Liza: I’m nobody’s hero, I’m a fraud. But you do what you have to do.

Ridley takes her advice and tries to sell her story for himself, nearly destroying her entire career and threatening to bring down Millenial. Liza manages to talk her way out of being caught this week, but there’s only so much she can do to stay ahead of her lie at this point.

Ultimately, I’d love to see Liza use her agency and her creativity find a way to come clean all while keeping her job and Millenial’s reputation intact. But I think we’re still a few seasons off from that mystical happy ending.

For now, it’s satisfying to see her tell off people like Don Ridley and navigate the highs and lows of human relationships.

Ridley represents the thousands of men who think that other people finally getting the same opportunities they’ve been afforded all their lives means they’re being punished somehow.

Liza: I think I know why you can’t find work…because you’re an asshole, Don.

On “Big Little Liza” Josh contemplates closing up Inkburg and moving away to find another life somewhere. After losing Liza and then Claire, he’s in a dark place where he doesn’t know who he is without love.

I’ve been Team Charles for a while, but Younger always manages to lure me back into Team Josh too. Liza’s flat-out refusal to let him vacate his shop and her promise to always be a part of his life shoot straight to the heart of both the audience and Josh himself.

It’s been a while since they were together romantically, but there’s still love there, especially on Josh’s end. And he’s good for Liza, he knows the whole truth, he sees her and he understands her. However, Liza knows she’s can’t give him everything he needs and wants, and her feelings for Charles haven’t gone away. So they’re stuck at this stalemate.

Josh: I’m not ready to give up yet.

I had fully given up hope that these two would ever find their happy ending with each other, but if Josh isn’t ready to give up then neither am I.

Meanwhile, Kelsey is flirting with some danger of her own. For the first time on Younger Kelsey is into two guys that seem like they’re both actually good guys. The problem now? Zane is her co-worker and Jake is her author.

Zane acknowledges that Kelsey is too smart to risk Millenial for romance, and I believe that he’s right. Kelsey knows how to navigate her business, but she’s also no stranger to risky relationships. I hope she can find a way to balance all of this without jeopardizing her career.

OTHER THOUGHTS:

• Lauren is as per usual over the top, but I love that Younger is including things people who are non-binary. It does so in a way that is simultaneously educational and endearing, yet still within the confines of sitcom shenanigans.
• This episode was directed by the show’s own Miriam Shor! More lady directors!
• I like that the show remembers that Caitlin exists, but I also don’t really care for her as a character? It’s great to see Liza maintaining that part of her life too though.

What did you think of this episode of Younger? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Younger airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on TV LAND.

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