Spoiler alert!
No, but really, if you haven’t seen the first episode of the latest season of Younger and you’re not keen on reading about all the juicy details – abort, abort, abort.
You have been warned.
It’s been an agonising wait for fans of Younger, who have patiently stood around while Season 5 was scripted, filmed, and then finally released into the big, wide, world for our binging pleasure.
Except, you know, Younger isn’t on Netflix… awkward.
While the premiere had plenty of hilarious Diana lines (of course) and Kelsey’s fashion was bold and fabulously-sleeved as always, the main theme of the first episode centred around Edward L.L. Moore’s sexist and inappropriate behaviour towards Liza and pretty much all the young women he’s ever come across throughout the series.
#Lizagate? #Lizatoo?
When Charles steps up to take action against an anonymous sexual harassment claim involving Moore, he puts Empirical’s new multi-book deal (inspired by Liza’s Princess Pam Pam cosplay) in jeopardy.
This leads a furious (and let’s face it, guilty as hell) Moore to do everything in his power to discredit every potential claim made against him.
Flashes of Weinstein.
Moore cajoles Charles into a face-to-face meeting and for some reason Charles agrees. That’s when things finally start to get interesting.
Just as we were prepared to settle in for a season of ‘it’s her word against mine’, Moore, the dirty bugger, reveals the surprise of the season – proof of Liza’s real age and identity, which he smugly hands over to a shocked Charles.
"We did some investigating. She represents herself as a young woman in her 20s. The fact is, she's a divorced 40-something housewife from New Jersey." Mic. Drop. #YoungerTV
— #YoungerTV (@YoungerTV) June 6, 2018
OH MAN, IT’S ON.
Naturally, Charles’s jaw hits the floor and the end credits start flashing just as we’re coming to terms with the brutal and unflinching way Moore revealed Liza’s big secret.
Damn, Younger. I haven’t been this hooked on a soap opera-esque ending since Passions!
So, while we were all hoping this season would focus on whether Liza would choose between Josh or Charles, it looks like we might have to wait a little longer. This season has a bigger fish to fry.
But I have questions…
Will the season focus on indirectly addressing #MeToo? Will it explore the ways a powerful man can blackmail others into staying quiet? Is Moore’s character a fictionalised Weinstein that will eventually be brought to justice?
Or is this just a lazy way for the creators of Younger to further the scandalous plotline between Charles and Liza?
Of all people to reveal Liza’s big secret, I’ll be honest, I never thought it would be L.L. Moore. None of us did, and that’s the beauty of the surprise.
It’s also nice to see something onscreen that reflects where we are right now as a society, especially with Weinstein recently pleading not guilty to multiple rape and sexual assault charges.
The Younger Season 5 premiere concept eventually makes for great viewing, but the moments leading up to the reveal feel really rushed and for the most part, unbelievable. Things would never go down that easily and quickly in real life.
Let’s hope the creators tread carefully as they broach this topic, and they move forward with respect and insight throughout the rest of the season.
After all this isn’t just about entertainment. It’s real, and there are women living with the consequences of #MeToo every day.