Younger Season 5 Report Card: Saddest Moment, Slimiest Character, Sexiest Scene & More!
Lizzy Buczak
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Not only did Younger Season 5 Episode 12 leave us speechless, the show finally came of age.
Going into Younger Season 6, the series matures as Liza's secret is no longer at the forefront of every storyline.
Quinn invested in Empirical while Charles forfeited his position to Kelsey so that he could go public with Liza.
Related: Younger Season Finale Review: Lizability
Much of the fifth season was geared towards #TeamCharles lovers -- the ones who have been waiting for this moment for nearly four seasons. Or at least since Charles planted one on Liza and indirectly screwed up Josh's proposal.
If you'd like to relive the season, you can watch Younger online here via TV Fanatic or check out our Younger reviews.
Otherwise, scroll down as we dissect the season's sexiest moments, the fashion, the ups and downs, the enemies that nearly exposed Liza, and the moments that made you question which dude you were actually shipping.
1. Sexiest Scene - Charles and Liza's Sex Scene
Charles and Liza finally giving in to temptation had me breaking a sweat. It was HOT! Some #TeamJosh fans said the moment lacked chemistry or passion, but I'd argue that it was an explosion of sexual tension and longing; a moment between two adults that waited so long to do something and then thoroughly enjoyed every minute, no, every crevice of each other's bodies. It wasn't just lust or sex for the sake of having sex either. Younger is showing us that romantic sex can be just as sexy, if not sexier, than rip-your-clothes-off sex when it's between two people who have strong feelings.
2. Storyline We're Over - Josh Pining For Liza
I'm not saying we have to scrap Team Josh altogether since the writers assure that he's still a viable candidate next season, but the whole "pining over a woman who doesn't want to be with you and moping around all season" storyline was getting kind of old. Josh deserves better; he deserves a woman who really loves him and wants to be with him. When Younger tried fitting him into main storylines, it was almost cringe-worthy. Why would he think it was okay to scold her for having an adult relationship with a man she's always had obvious feelings for? Or to continue trying to convince a woman to want the same things that you do? Thankfully, his storyline will be slightly less forced and focused on Liza as he'll have his hands full with a major surprise...
3. Most Predictable Storyline - Clare's Pregnancy
Speaking of that major surprise, we saw it coming all the way from Dublin, Ireland. Like I said in my reviews, there had to be a reason Clare suddenly ghosted Josh after the wedding. Then, when all the baby-talk started between Malkie and Maggie, and Josh contemplated being a sperm-donor, I knew we were headed towards her pregnancy storyline. It's probably why they purposefully kept him storylines to a minimum until that very last second. Is it even his baby? Wait till 2019 to find out!
4. Finally Moment - Charles Finding Out Liza's Secret
It's about time Charles finally found out the truth about Liza's real-age. I'm still not to keen on the fact that it was L.L Moore who spilled the beans, nor am I content with how upset Charles was at the jump, but I'm also not holding grudges because it led them to finally exploring the romantic nature of their relationship.
5. Best Reaction to Liza's Secret - Caitlin
Most of the reactions to Liza's secret have been filled with negativity and anger. Caitlin's was a surprising departure from the norm. Caitlin's been featured noticeably more in Younger Season 5 and when she had a similar dating situation, Liza decided it was time to clue her in on the "secret life." Caitlin's reaction was exactly what you would expect from a teenage daughter -- she was stunned and questioned if these people had ever seen her mother up close. Oh, don't you just love how blunt children are?
6. Best Fashion: Diana, Obviously
No one could take home the gold in this category except for Diana. Do you know how much planning goes into those statement necklaces and earrings? Werk, diva. After all, "neckwear should inspire envy." Also, the necklace she gifted her protege Liza was a $3,000 Gucci vintage piece... we need Diana as a boss, stat!
7. Funniest Moment - Holidays with the Fam
Liza performing the traditional family dance with her teenage daughter and ex-husband at a holiday party also attended by Charles was priceless, especially when Caitlin began twerking and Liza yodeled. I'll never forget the look of sheer confusion and slight enjoyment on Charles' face. The second runner-up in this category would have to be Lauren shrieking at the sight of the Cacao Mother (Clare) appearing at their doorstep.
8. Most Dissapointing Moment - Kelsey Judging Liza
Kelsey really showed her immaturity this season. Real friends should never get mad at your happiness the way she got mad when Liza told her about Charles. But her lowest point was when she attempted to blackmail Charles into getting what she wanted. Out of all people, Kelsey should not be pointing fingers at anyone, especially when her own love life consists of fooling around with a colleague and a writer at the same time! Liza assuring Kelsey that she would choose her if it came down to it was heartwarming, but it should have never needed to be a discussion. Alas, she needed that wake-up call to realize that without Liza, none of her accomplishments would be possible.
9. Best Boss Babe Moment - Liza
Liza finally stood up for herself this season and harnessed her power. The first badass moment came when she walked into Charles' office delivering a book he failed to secure and this bold statement: "it's because I didn't run away." The second was when she hit pause on their secret relationship because she wanted to be a role model to her daughter and had too much respect for the both of them to just be a side-piece. This is exactly why we love Liza!
10. Why We Love Younger Moment
Diana's boyfriend making a "honking" sound during sex summed up why we love Younger in a nutshell; it's fearless, brazen, outlandish, and hilariously funny. Hey, for some, it may even be relatable. Diana's new boyfriend as a former pornstar (one that Lauren recognized) who lives with his overbearing Italian mother was just the cherry on top.
11. Slimiest Character - Don Ridley
Ugh, I hate to label journalists as slimy, but that's the only word that describes Don Ridley. Charles knew Don was bad news from the moment he saw him stuffing his pockets with free food at Diana's party. Ridley befriended Liza only to get the dirt on her real-age because he selfishly wanted to expose her to all of New York. She expertly shut him down, and I can guarantee you, somewhere at some luxurious media event, Don continues to line his pockets with food he cannot otherwise afford.
12. Friendship Goals - Maggie and Josh
There are some really great friendships on Younger. Josh and Lauren have grown close, and Diana and Lauren have developed a mutual understanding that we're all jealous of. However, Maggie and Josh always come out on top. They are kindred spirits who give each other life advice, make inappropriate jokes, and drink way too much wine and smoke too much weed. And I love that Maggie didn't ditch him just because he's Liza's ex.
13. Worst Beard - Charles
Please, Charles, don't do that again! Aside from the fact that it would never grow that fast in such a short amount of time, it also didn't do his beautiful face any justice. I can't be the only one who thought it looked like it had a mind of its own. The good news, according to sources, Peter Hermann's actual beard is way more impressive.
14. Saddest Moment - Liza and Charles in the Finale
After Charles scaled back his commitments at Empirical, he promised Liza he was happy that they could finally be together, and then, something terrible happened. Both of their faces displayed something other than happiness as they walked off into the sunset. Was it fear of the unknown? Resentment? Regret? Whatever it is that their faces did at the end of the season 5 finale, it bummed me out because I know their journey will never be free from the heaviness of drama. Let's be honest, it might not even make it past the season 6 premiere.
15. Most Hated Person - TIE Cheryl Sussman and Pauline
Don Ridley may have been a slimy human being, but he wasn't nearly as hated as Pauline and Cheryl Sussman. They tie in this category because they are equally as vindictive. They are both guilty of woman-on-woman crime: Pauline threatened to expose Liza and Charles after she found out Liza was the other woman while Cheryl actually did expose them after Liza rejected her job offer, or should I say bribe. I think we can all agree that if they just disappeared, we wouldn't miss a beat.
16. Flop Love Trianlge - Zane, Kelsey, and Jake
Kelsey's flings with Zane and Jake had so much potential, yet the writers missed the mark and thus, both relationships fizzled out before they ever heated up. Jake would have made a promising foe after he realized Kelsey was stringing them both along, but all he did was flip-flop between editors before cutting her out of press events. Big whoop! And Kelsey didn't even have time to react to Zane's confession that he loved her because he cut out of the company when he found out he'd have to work for her!
17. Character We Want Back - Zane
He told her he was in love with her for goodness sake. How can they drop such a bomb and then let him waltz out of her life? Charles Michael Davis wasn't confirmed for Younger Season 6, but I hope he appears occasionally because I'm not done with his storyline or this cat-and-mouse game with Kelsey, especially given her major promotion!
18. Most Cringeworthy Moment - Caitlin's New BF
Caitlin dating a man who was her father's age -- sorry, younger, she checked -- would have been fine if he wasn't her former professor. Greg made the situation even worse with tasteless jokes about how he kept her a secret until he made tenure. Liza tried not to judge since she herself dated a much younger man, however, no amount of Bloody Mary's could save this disaster of a brunch. Even open-minded Josh wasn't on board.
19. Best Millennial Moment - Age Queer or Bread Facing
Younger is really good at keeping everyone up to date on what's hip. Even though I'm a millennial, I find myself getting schooled in millennial terminology every week. Liza stating that she was "age queer" introduced us to a movement that prohibits women from getting sidelined by their age, while bread-facing sadly documented the lengths young adults will go to in order to make some quick cash or to go "viral" on the internet.
20. Best Performance - Frankfurt's Cece and Didi
E-P-I-C! Diana is a goddess, a queen, a DIVA scene-stealer! I mean honestly, who knew Diana had it in her to put on such a performance? Even her colleagues were pleasantly surprised. Her performance with the snake, Cheryl, showed us that we've only touched the tip of the iceberg with her character -- she used to be one wild party-girl. I hope we continue to dig into her flavorful past and hopefully, she continues giving us "it girl" worthy performances for seasons to come.
21. Overall Grade - B+
There were some hiccups along the way, some unfulfilled potential, and plenty of frustrating moments, however, Younger continuously delivered episodes that made us laugh, made us cry, left us shook, and most importantly, moments that made us fall in love with both Charles and Josh right alongside Liza. Consider us beyond obsessed!
