Younger Season 4 Episode 3 Review: Forged in Fire
Carissa Pavlica
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There was a lot packed into Younger Season 4 Episode 3.
All three storylines were given significant time to blossom and freak me out. That's not too bad considering the density of some of the issues on hand.
It's even possible there is an end in sight for the feud between Kelsey and Liza.
Situations always get worse before they start to get better. Isn't that the gist of the saying?
Liza and Kelsey have to be on the mend, because "Forged in Fire" made Kelsey almost unbearable. Maybe it's because I'm the Liza in their scenario that I've "sided" with Liza in their argument, but I can't condone any of Kelsey's behavior before the end of Bonfire.
Of course, Kelsey is angry and upset. All of us would be, and Liza would be out as a personal friend. When it comes to Millennial, though, Kelsey made her decision to keep Liza on board, even if it was self-serving. They have to make the best of an awful situation for Millennial to succeed.
Liza has always given 110% to Millennial and Empirical. She continues to do so, but Kelsey is swatting it away. It wouldn't be so bad if she was doing it in private, but doing it in their morning meeting was irksome. Her gut reaction to Charles' recommendation that Liza receives a promotion was petty and sad.
Charles: What do you two think about giving Liza a promotion?
Diana: What would that look like for me?
Charles: I don't plan on leaving you without an assistant, but I think she could use some more responsibility.
Kelsey: Actually, I think Millennial could use someone a step above Liza. We are growing really fast.
Charles: Well, in my opinion, Liza is open to the task, but I am open to exploring other options.
I was bristling with embarrassment for everyone during that meeting. For Kelsey for allowing her personal feelings to power through her professional behavior and for Charles and Diana because they were thinking, "Oh, youth." Just ugh. Kelsey isn't that person, and she had to reign it in fast.
The entire debacle at Bonfire was just one more cringeworthy incident after another.
What hit me the hardest was that Kelsey doesn't believe she deserves her accomplishments. Somehow, she's taken Liza's reveal as a gut punch that she would have never made it on her own if not for the help of an adult.
We got invited to Bonfire because we are young and fun, so I'm going to need you to be a little more on brand. Keep up.
Kelsey
That line there is what sold me on the idea. Kelsey and Liza are so much alike, perhaps too much. They're both reeling because they don't think they deserve their achievements due to age. Kelsey is too young and lacking experience and Liza is too old and lacking experience.
Good God women! You're fabulous. You have a team of superiors who think you swing on the moon. Stop grappling with issues that are not there. Embrace each other again. I beg you.
Kelsey's over drinking and slurring her words during the retreat had to make others uncomfortable. How long did Kelsey walk across the resort with her boob hanging out? Liza vomited in a tree for goodness sake. Thankfully, Liza received an offer from another publisher before that.
Liza: I love my job, and I think I'm pretty good at it. And if that isn't good enough for you, then maybe this isn't working.
Kelsey: Maybe it's not.
The Younger Season 4 promo shows Liza might be outed to Jim Mulloch later in the season. Will that be the catalyst for the truth coming out? How is he connected to her daughter?
We'll have to wait and worry before finding out.
For now, I'd like to thank Caitlin for getting appendicitis. Something needed to give, and that prompt not only showed Liza and Kelsey how important they are to each other but shined a light on the importance of Liza's career for Kelsey.
It's hard to understand what it means to be everything to another person in this world, but the worry Liza showed when she received the messages from Cait and the discussion they had about being there for her girl seemed to seep in.
Liza: God, I have been feeling like a really shitty person lately, but now I feel like a really shitty mom.
Kelsey: Liza, no. There's nothing you could have done. She got sick.
Liza: I could have answered the phone and told her to go to the doctor, but I was in the woods getting drunk.
Kelsey: What about her dad?
Liza: He's not the one you contact when you have a crisis. It's me. It's always been me.
Kelsey: I'm really sorry. I wish there was something I could do.
I loved how Liza instinctively reached out to Kelsey to stay beside her while she talked with Caitlin.
And when Liza was visiting with Cait, Kelsey sang her praises to Diana and got on board with that promotion with Charles, as long as it comes with a raise, one she was willing to pay for herself.
I don't expect their friendship to mend overnight. They still have a long road ahead to determine what the friendship will mean going forward, but at least they will be able to do it with some respect.
Maybe.
After all that, why am I back to maybe?
That damn Josh. He's messing with everybody in Liza's life.
Before they left for Bonfire, Kelsey appeared to be a little comfortable with Josh and their new living situation. Maybe it was a boys will be boys kind of thing, but he's either genuinely falling for Kelsey or Josh is a pig. He could have averted his eyes when he saw her strip down to her bra instead of the prolonged ogle. Come on!
Maggie's offer to return Josh's box of stuff to keep Liza out of his path and squeeze in an ogle of her own backfired.
I'm curious as to how she knew (if she knew) that Josh hooked up with Montana, but her phone demeanor made it seem like she did.
Maybe it's because we had all the information already that Maggie's signals were so obvious to me, but how didn't Josh notice he was encroaching on Maggie's wannabe territory when he went for Montana?
But darn. He has some slick moves. Sneaking over to the coffee joint at closing, wondering where he could get a drink at that late hour and if she'd be there, too, was all kinds of smooth.
It could be a one-time hookup, but it could be a many-times hookup, too. If it's once, it will still bother Maggie. If it's many times, it's likely to bother both Maggie and Kelsey.
Because even if Kelsey doesn't want to admit it, she's into Josh being alone right now because she's alone. It's easier to be with someone who is also heartbroken. Seeing your roommate playing with someone new when you're in the dumps is annoying.
Josh needs to stay away from Kelsey, though. And if Maggie gets angry about Montana, it could push him toward Kelsey. Oh, the tangled webs are icky sticky, aren't they?
My biggest priority is for Kelsey and Liza to grow closer again. Their stress is killing me.
But that's not all, folks, because Diana had a story, too! Taking Liza to lunch and looking out for her future was so sweet and made me worry even more about their friendship when the reveal pops. Won't someone not be drastically hurt as a result of Liza's lies?
Richard's reassurance to Diana about finding beauty inside and out instead of dating models after his divorce? Priceless. It's a let's jump through the screen and give Diana all the hugs kind of day.
If you watch Younger online, you know what I'm talking about. Who isn't in love with every person on Younger?
Be sure to get the conversation started in the comments. Could you handle a retreat with no electronics? Do you agree with my assessment of Kelsey and her accomplishments? What's next for Josh and Montana?
Let's chat!!!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
