Younger Review: Holding Out for a SHero (Season 6 Episode 11)

Younger Season 6 Episode 11, “Holding Out for a SHero,” throws almost everything we know and love about this show into the unknown and I’m still not completely sure how I feel about it. 

Kelsey adjusts to her loss of power and Liza makes the choice to separate herself from Josh entirely. It’s also Diana’s bachelorette party, which allows for a few lighter moments in this otherwise pretty heavy episode of Younger. 

Everyone expects Kelsey to take this loss a little harder than she’s taking it. To me, Kelsey’s reaction makes complete sense–if she pretends that everything is fine then maybe it won’t take as long for everything to actually be fine. It’s a lie anyone in her position would tell themselves. 

She reacts with split-second decisions distancing herself from everything that hurts; she makes the announcement to the company, breaks up with Zane, and then ultimately writes her own resignation letter. 

Though it makes me sad to see her break up with Zane (again) just after they’d finally resolved the tension between them, I completely understand Kelsey’s instincts to blow up everything in her life and start fresh. 

This change in her life comes from a tiny mistake and all of the fall out from it is pretty sexist, and while there’s an undercurrent of fear, I’m honestly proud of Kelsey for the way she handles this and the leap she decides to take at the end of this episode. 

Kelsey is more than capable of running an empire, and I’m excited to watch her build her own. 

Kelsey: I’m here to tell you it’s okay to be angry. This is the story of a woman who rose to be publisher, made a tiny mistake on social media, and lost it all. 

Meanwhile, Liza decides to make some pretty big changes of her own and I’m not entirely sure hers are the right ones. As much as I am admittedly a fan of this love triangle, the back and forth of it all has really reached a fever pitch that is almost too much. 

I am very glad that Charles isn’t the one making Liza choose between him and Josh, but I wish I was more proud of the way Liza is handling this herself. 

She made a commitment to Josh and to Gemma to stay in their lives, and while I can respect her need to figure out how to handle her complicated feelings for him, I don’t think this is the right way to do it. 

Liza has been in a relationship since she was actually in her twenties–she went from her ex-husband to Josh, and then she got with Charles before she even really ended things with Josh. In the entirety of this series and all of her adult life, Liza hasn’t really been single for more than about five minutes. And while I do think she has a pretty good idea of who she is, it’s clear she has no idea what she really wants. 

We’ve watched her struggle over and over with choosing between Charles and Josh, but what I really want is to see Liza choose herself. 

I think in order to know what it is she wants, who she wants to be with and how she wants to spend the rest of her life, she needs to know herself without trying to be with either of them. Both Charles and Josh have changed Liza’s life for the better in different ways, they both bring things to their relationship with her that make her happier than she ever was before and they make her a better person for it. 

At the end of the day, I would be happy to watch Liza get her happily ever after with either of these men. We can go back and forth on Team Josh and Team Charles forever, but either way, I’m always going to be Team Liza. 

Josh: You forget Liza, I know you, I know when you’re lying, especially to yourself. 

OTHER THOUGHTS:

• I love the way that Diana and Liza’s relationship has evolved since Liza’s age came to light. Diana is still her boss but they are much more like friends and peers now in so many subtle ways. I’m completely here for it. 
• I hate that Zane and Charles immediately start bringing back books that Kelsey passed on. It’s so insulting to her as a business leader. No wonder she hates sitting in that conference room now. 
• I wish the girls had had a little more fun at Diana’s bachelorette. She’s getting married to the best guy on the show if we’re being honest and that deserves to be genuinely celebrated. 
• Is Clare okay with staying in New York? Josh framed it in a way that made it seem like now she doesn’t have to leave, but she did get a pretty great job offer. Will there still be a choice to be made here for Josh and Gemma?
• The best line of the episode is “here’s a fiver, you should smile more.” This show needs 100% more Lauren. 
• Who do you think Liza’s second letter is for?
• If this season’s big finale is Liza and Kelsey both setting out on their own I won’t be mad about it. 
• I know it’s responsible for Josh to turn Diana away from getting a tattoo, but I’d still love to see her get one! 

 

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

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Younger airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on TVLAND.

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