'Younger' Television Series Review
Some say life gets a little dull at 40, but for Liza Miller, that’s when life becomes luminous.
Freshly divorced with a daughter old enough to fend for herself (or so she thinks), Liza (portrayed by Sutton Foster of ‘Bunheads’, ‘The Angriest Man in Brooklyn’, and Broadway's ‘Anything Goes’) fakes her age to be 26 in order to secure a job at a leading publishing firm - Empirical Press.
Quickly, Liza’s best friend Maggie (Debbie Mazar) gives her a makeover, and soon befriends Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff like you’ve never seen her before) at the firm, embarking upon her new life, and unaware of the Titanic-like icebergs ahead.
From romance to laughter, touched by heavy drama and wit, Darren Star (‘Sex and the City’) and TV Land have touched down on a promising series that - much like faking your age - makes your life all the more radiant. Darren successfully reawakens his gift of creating bold and daring shows in ‘Younger’, simultaneously able to satisfy the cravings of his ‘Sex And The City’ fans.
Whether you’re 16 and looking to laugh out loud, or 40 and seeking to wonder, ‘Younger’ skews at all mature ages, providing something different for each person to take away from the show. Don’t let the name ‘Hilary Duff’ fool you into thinking its anything close to what Disney Channel has to offer; married, divorced and mother a gorgeous son, she is in fact all grown up now, and steamier than ever!
With so many television series on offer through free-to-air, Pay TV channels or online mediums such as Netflix, it’s easy to fall into watching the same dramas over and over again, just with a different context. However, ‘Younger’ is unique in its unpredictability, making for a show that stands out like a beautifully sore thumb.
Its fun and fast paced nature makes for a show that is changing the way we enjoy TV - by really feeling like you can connect with the characters. It is not often that a fictional program can make its viewers adore, despise and cry for the characters, but ‘Younger’ is simply one of those rare shows.
Maggie in particular, is crucial to the electric vibe to the show. As a lesbian best friend and borderline mother to Liza, Maggie is Liza’s safety net - her shoulder to cry on and her mentor, not to mention a real-life encyclopedia for all things sexual. Characters as delightfully vivacious as Maggie are sprawled throughout every episode, all uniquely blended into the drama that is ‘Younger’.
Its script is bubbly and creative, in-turn enhancing viewers’ colloquial language to remain current; this is highly reflected in Liza, whose journey from 40 year-old divorced mother to 26 year-old assistant who frequents night clubs with actual 26 year-olds is chronicled throughout the series.
The show’s music, and in particular its tempo, conveniently matches the happenings on screen, making it all the more emotional and fun to watch.
The drama that occurs is not just for drama’s sake; its there for viewers to relate to, creating empathy for its characters. It is a believable portrayal of a world where mistakes happen, and where humans are just that - not the centre of the universe; this makes for a thrilling series, and one that makes viewers want to be better, just like its characters who always seek to fix their flaws.
While its real and down-to-earth writing can arguably be a bit far-reaching and unlikely at times, the acting absolutely makes up for some of the slightly harder to believe scenarios, such as the lengths she will go to hide her big old secret (pun intended) from her co-workers.
Overall, ‘Younger’ is a thrill to watch, and the perfect show to brighten anyone’s day. Its life lessons and moral teachings extend to the audience in a way that is crucial and relatable - the importance of friendship and honesty has its place in everyone’s lives.
‘Younger’ has just concluded its explosive third season and will undoubtedly head into its fourth over the summer on TV Land (no date has been set but if the past season premieres are an indicator, this is when it should return).
The cast is very active on Twitter. Be sure to follow the show’s happenings with the hashtag #YoungerTV.
