Younger

Overall I enjoyed this show as a simple but somewhat captivating cast of characters with a fun premise. I was looking forward to the last season but will say as I watched it I couldn't wait for it to end. I was bored most of the time and I don't consider myself a prude but this last season was over the top with blatant vulgar scripting and storyline. It didn't need to go that far. These writers sometimes forget the old adage of sometimes a little less is more.

Is this show great? No. Does it have a ton of silliness and unbelievability to it? Yes. Do they try too hard sometimes to present the "dorky 40-year-olds" versus the "super irritating (yet infinitely cooler) millennials? Absolutely! Does Sutton Foster look 26? Of course not! But do you know what I say to all that? SO WHAT! This is just a fun entertaining light-hearted show, and I can't stop binge-watching it!

I find this show is like a bag of potato-chips. You can't just have one! You want to keep on going until you feel sort of sick (from greasy bad-for-you junk food) and the bag is almost empty. I watched this show a few years ago, and just recently discovered it on Hulu and decided to watch it again. And I'm having so much fun with it...even the second time around!

Is this show as good as Sex and the City (which it has been compared to)? No. Absolutely not. Sex and the City had amazing insight, incredible humor and wonderful character development. Younger is definitely more in the strictly silly entertainment category. But sometimes you need that. And yet, for a silly comedy, it actually does have some character development. Plus, the relationships amongst the woman are solid, which is nice to see. Especially lately, when it seems like there aren't a lot of good shows out there geared specifically for women.

As far as Sutton Foster (who plays the main character Liza..(.a 40-year-old divorced woman lying about her age to make it in the cut-throat publishing industry in New York) not looking 26, well here's the thing. She's 40. She is a 40 year old woman trying to LOOK 26, via her clothes and make-up, hair, attitude, etc.... So it actually makes more sense that she really looks older, although I don't think she looks 40...at least not in the first season. More like 30-something. If they had hired a younger person to play the main role...like say, a real 26 year old, then everyone would be complaining that the main character doesn't look 40! Besides, it's fiction. You just have to "go with it." How she really looks isn't even the point. The point is the cr...p women have to deal with in the world.

Others have complained that a 40-year-old wouldn't be so dorky when it comes to technology, and I have to agree with that. Then again, that "take" on things just adds to the comedy of the show! They do present the "millenials" on the program as being especially annoying, and they may be over-doing the "annoying factor." (I have a daughter who acts nothing like the young people on this show). Then again...that just adds to the humor. Sometimes, the show itself is trying to be "too cool" with its dumb music and idiotic clothes, but the good news is that the whole story is actually seen through the eyes of an "older woman" (yes, 40 is "old" in this show) so that makes it all so much more watchable if you yourself are not a millenial! (And don't forget...Carrie Bradshaw also had some crazy outfits on Sex and the City)!

It could be that I enjoy the show because it deals with publishing; a maddingly elusive industry that I have tried to push my way into with various things I've written. I love to see how cut-throat and commercial this industry is which makes me happy that I switched over to art instead of writing! (The only writing I do anymore is for reviews...whoo, what a relief)! So yea...you have the main character lying about her age in an industry that demands youth (and I used to think that was just the fashion and make-up industries and Hollywood, but oh well) and you also have interesting side-plots with the side characters who you get to know very well...along with Liza's various relationships...and then you have the over-riding publishing stuff going on, like Liza's company trying to sign a certain author who is very eccentric...there's a lot going on. The episodes zip by quickly, and then...you want another, and another. It's addictive! And I always seem to laugh at something while I'm watching. There are a lot of funny lines.

So yes, I would recommend this show, but don't expect anything really deep and insightful. It's strictly just for fun. But hey...fun is good. I gave the show 8 stars for the fun factor! I believe the show set out to be a fun watch, and it accomplishes that.

I'm not sure if this is true for others, but the first review that comes up for me describes the show as unrealistic and promoting sleeping around, lying, and other debauchery- the main complaints I've seen about this show seem to be that it promotes sex, lying, sleeping around etc. or is ageist and sexist. What these reviewers seem to believe is that the show is either a guide to life that must teach morals directly, or that it is apparently not a tongue-in- cheek comedy using stereotypes to make social commentary in a humorous way. It is not a how-to guide on being a woman in today's world, and since it isn't a children's show, I don't see why anyone would be concerned that the characters are not all traditionally moral, conservative individuals. I, personally, prefer characters that make mistakes, grow, learn, and change, and have diverse viewpoints. This show has that, and for what it's worth, the main protagonist is neither 'slutty' nor wildly amoral and evil, but is instead rather 'normal' and sympathetic.

I would say that the show is witty, humorous, and at times thought- provoking. The characters are, in fact, more complex than the stereotypes they portray, and anything seemingly sexist or ageist is done deliberately and self-deprecatingly. Yes, it IS unrealistic that a woman over 40 would have to pretend to be in her 20s to get a job. That's the point. Would anyone really go into watching a show with the premise that a 40 year old divorcée is successfully passing as a 25 year old college grad in order to get a job and expect realism?

The show takes little kernels of reality and makes them more absurd, extreme, and unrealistic in order to present a charming, funny show that still provides some insight into social perceptions.

Also note that I managed to watch and enjoy the entire season without feeling the need to sleep around, lie pathologically, or mock anyone over the age of 40.

No secret that COVID put a sizable crimp in any and all forms of entertainment, and many of us waited patiently for our favorite series to catch their breath and regain their momentum. The first six seasons of "Younger" fell into a fine, if not groundbreaking, rhythm, but the final season did not air on TVLand, so unless viewers had a premium streaming service, they were left hanging. I finally caught the final season on DVD and was floored by what I saw.

Apparently the writers had to work with whatever cast members they had at their disposal, and when Miriam Shor decided not to return for the final season, the decision was made to unofficially - and literally - put Molly Bernard in her place. For six years, Bernard was, footage-wise, a smallish contributor to the total sum, a mosquito you could endure to get to the true picnic that was the show. But in season seven, she is everywhere, in almost every scene, for some reason no one can explain, acting as an executive in the publishing house. It was a toxic decision. If you're not a Bernard fan - and I am decidedly not - the final season of "Younger" is pure, unadulterated murder.

Rewatching this series again and thoroughly enjoying Miriam's portrayal. Younger has so many things that differentiate from other series that make it an enjoyable watch. Filled with a lot of unique characters what really surprised me is how unlikely Diana Trout would end up a redeemable villain and yet they pull it off so well and Miriam Shor is the reason. The words may have been scripted, but every sentence was performed with different nuance and comedy. Truly such a joy to watch her although her story is mostly sub plot. I don't know if anyone could have played the part as well as she did. Love you Miriam!