TV Land's Younger - Episode 6.11 "Holding Out for a Shero"
Millennial is left reeling after another regime change. Kelsey deals with the aftermath of her social media mishap. Liza tries to be polite while letting go of the past. The gang celebrates Diana.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of TV Land's Younger.
"Holding Out for a Shero" was written by Joe Murphy and directed by Peter Lauer
This season has absolutely been trying to suggest that Liza and Josh have more sexual chemistry than she does with Charles. It's the same exact dynamic that played out when the situation was reversed. When Liza and Josh were together, she was long plagued by thoughts of what could be with Charles. And now, she is actually with Charles and wondering whether or not she loves Josh more. She wants to believe she can just cut Josh out of her life entirely. That's not easy to do. It's absolutely horrible that she tries to do so with a "Dear John" letter. That's not appropriate for the situation. The two of them have remained close friends. It was nice and relaxing to see them go shopping for baby supplies. That's the kind of dynamic they could share. It didn't always need to be a story defined by sexual tension. And yet, the show feels the pressure to keep this love triangle alive. When Josh confronts Liza about what she does here, he needs to know definitively that she loves Charles more. It's not so easy for her to say because she really doesn't know. She sees Charles as the safe and reliable choice. She has always positioned him that way because he was age appropriate. But life has changed for all of these characters. Sure, Charles is once again the publisher of his family's company. But Liza's secret has been outed and Josh is a father now. There was the idea that everyone could move on. However, that also pushed against the demands of the show because it needed these characters to stick to the same basic premise. This season has shaken things up with Kelsey being the publisher. And yet, things are once again in turmoil at Millennial were it seems as if the show just loves shaking things up. That can grow tiring over time. Every significant twist needs to resonate with the characters and the audience. There has to be a reason why Liza is feeling this way. Does she actually want something more to happen between her and Josh again? Is she so committed to Charles out of love that she is willing to push Josh away? These are all sensible questions. One where it is also important to call out Liza's actions as someone who doesn't truly know what she wants. Because she doesn't, it isn't really fair to anyone. But again, the show employs this wishy-washy mentality towards its decision-making because it wants to keep the choice active for as long as possible. The same goes to Kelsey and Zane's dynamic. They have gotten together romantically and broken up so many times. It's no longer believable when the show tries to lure the viewer into thinking it could still work out for them. The audience shouldn't fall into that trap. This dynamic may never be seen as viable again. And yet, the show is still pushing those emotions where it is suppose to sting when Kelsey lashes out at Zane and Charles for completely rejecting the decisions she made as publisher. They had to respect her decisions and her position of power in the company. And now, she doesn't know how to move forward. She lost everything because of one mistake on social media. She doesn't want to be propped up as a hero or victim. She wants to do her job. She just may no longer have the confidence to continue working at the place that has been her publishing home for her entire career. That too represents a significant shakeup. But it also comes from luring the audience into the idea that it is Liza who is writing that letter dumping Charles the same way that she did Josh. Instead, it is actually Kelsey writing her resignation from the company. These decisions could have major ramifications but only if the show allows them to. It can be so easy to relax into what has always been in this world. But it should never be quite as simple as that because the audience has already seen that for six seasons. It's more enjoyable when all of the girls go out for Diana's bachelorette party.
