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S02.E12: No Weddings And A Funeral

ElectricBoogaloo

By ElectricBoogaloo
in Younger [V]

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Bort

Bort

Hearing that Thad had a twin brother named Chad made me laugh out loud. He's super-creepy towards Kelsey, though, yikes.

Charles kissed Liza! You could tell he'd been wanting to do that for awhile.

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sleekandchic

sleekandchic

(edited)

I kinda loved this finale. It was good tv, and they set the table for lots of possibilities next season.

So Thad is now Chad. I was feeling bad for the actor last week, losing his job on a steady sitcom. Ha. The Chad character is the kinder, gentler version, but he's squicky enough in his lust for Kelsey. Plus he's got a little bit of a menacing quality toward Liza, right? That's good for the show.

That last scene between Kelsey and Liza was a revelation. Hilary was especially believable; she made me weepy. Diana was super subtle, but I believed her in her concern for Liza's exit, then her relief in Liza's return.

Sutton is awfully good. She's the glue that holds the show together. Take her out of her mini, put her in a knee-length pencil, and she's legitimately a different person. She really doesn't look 26, but she carries it off. She believes it, so I believe it, in the moment. I love her.

Lots to quibble about or to criticize, I guess. The BIG LIE continues; and Josh returns to profess his devotion, just as Charles outs himself. The full-court press in tracking down Liza to get her back was silly. And why wouldn't Charles just take advantage of Liza's leaving Empirical to pursue her romantically on an equal (and ethical) playing field, not as her boss? Little things.

Overall though, I really loved the episode -- the way it washed over me. It seemed to go by too fast. Looking forward to next season.

Edited by sleekandchic
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

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Hahaha, Thad's twin brother is named Chad and his eulogy is about how Thad beat him to dying? Obviously douchiness runs in the family. Despite the fact that Lauren said Thad was always tricking Chad's girlfriends into sleeping with him, Chad is also clearly inappropriate with Kelsey. GROSS.

 

I'm surprised that it took Lauren's mom seeing Liza at the mall for Kelsey to find out where she was. Honestly, I thought Kelsey would have Lauren hounding Maggie about where Liza went. And if Kelsey had just shown up at Maggie and Liza's place, she would have found Liza since HELLO, LIZA WAS STILL LIVING THERE.

 

I totally laughed when Sutton had to bend down to hug Hilary. Sutton is sooooo tall and Hilary is so tiny. Usually the way they block their scenes, it's not as noticeable but it was so hilarious that it almost distracted me from the emotion of the scene.

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txhorns79

txhorns79

Sutton is awfully good. She's the glue that holds the show together. Take her out of her mini, put her in a knee-length pencil, and she's legitimately a different person. She really doesn't look 26, but she carries it off. She believes it, so I believe it, in the moment. I love her.

 

I've always found it interesting that some people on the show immediately have recognized that Liza is not in her 20s, while others remain entirely oblivious, but I do give Sutton a lot of credit.  She looks legitimately incredible for her age, and  does a good job of pulling off playing the part of a 20-something. 

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Eri

Eri

Yes,Chad's advances on Kelsey are completely inappropriate and creepy. I liked that the show started off with the funeral and went back to keeping its usual tone of humour so things weren't too serious. I will say though - it did not dawn on me that Josh was still with that other girl when he slept with Liza so I'm shaking at my head at her for that.

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Bort

Bort

I was surprised Liza went through with crawling out the window. As I'm at a similar age to Liza's, there would be no way in hell I would do that. Either make the girl go away while keeping the door closed or open up and face the music, but I ain't scrambling around on a fire escape. Too old for stupid shit like that.

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Julia

Julia

(edited)

I don't know if she was completely out of bounds. Maybe she should have asked, but I think it's fair to say the responsibility was on him to say that he was in a relationship exclusive and serious enough that his girlfriend had his house keys. It's not as if the relationship between Josh and Liza for most of the season hasn't been Josh pounding on about how brutally painful it was for him not to be able to share his every scrap of realness with people he barely knows. I can't blame her for assuming he would share actual relevant information with someone he's having sex with.

I really wasn't pleased about Chad (and Josh, come to think of it) moving way too fast with Kelsey and Liza. Like, hey, Chad, how about you let the dirt settle on her fiancé's grave, k? And Josh, son, the woman said you were grief sex before you made her climb down the fire escape. If you're not into your GF, please do break up. Just don't drop yourself in Liza's lap like a cat presenting a dead bird afterwards. People like it when you ask.

I was pleased about Diana and Charles wanting to get Liza back, and I thought the kiss with Charles was sweet. Given some of the reindeer games on this show, I was a little surprised they bothered to make it appropriate / not power imbalanced, but they managed, I thought. He ended up being the only one of all of them who let her know what they wanted and backed off to let her make her own decision.

Kind of looking forward to fairly reasonable Kelsey coming back and kicking Chad to the curb next season, but at least she gave Liza a perfect out with her little how dare you tell me I'm being lied to so I can make informed decisions about my life speech. Which, well.

Edited by Julia
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dubbel zout

dubbel zout

Chad cracked me up. Having a creepy identical twin is one way to keep an actor around.

 

I wish there'd been more movement on the secret front. As Chad said (threatened?), it will all come out in the end. Liza might as well try to control it so the damage isn't quite so bad.

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gesundheit

gesundheit

Chad was fun. I'm glad to see the actor can play that versatility, he did some nice work! 

 

I didn't like that Josh cheated on his girlfriend or that Liza slept with him knowing he was seeing someone (first of all, she got cheated on by her husband and even before she and Josh made things official last season she knew how harsh it was to find out he was taking advantage of that out), but I'm still in what is apparently a tiny minority: Team Josh all the way. There's something more fun and fresh about it, and Charles is written as way too perfect for her that it bores me, and yes, even though it's just TV, I'm squicked out by the idea of the company owner hooking up with an entry-level assistant (especially since he's into her thinking she's 26). 

 

I've said before that they can still sustain this series after everyone learns the secret, because starting over after being a housewife for almost two decades still generates tons of material. And while I didn't need everyone to know, it would've been nice to end the season with one more person finding out as the cliffhanger. A love triangle as the cliffhanger is pretty dull to me.

 

I love that they keep the recurring characters recurring. Remember the old days when old friends and cousins and friends' parents, etc., all just showed up on sitcoms for one episode out of nowhere and disappeared thereafter? I like that everyone in-universe seems to still exist: Denise, Michelle, Todd, etc. TV is a lot better in general about that these days.

 

Anyway, as they were saying in the post, it was disappointing that we didn't get more Diana or more Lauren/Maggie this season (it really started well and then sorta fizzled on that front), but they still had a solid one. 

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EricJ

EricJ

I really enjoy this show, but I'm worried that in the back half of the season the writers have gotten bored, and rather than blow up the premise and have Liza reveal her secret, they're throwing in stuff like the pig-f*$ker, Death From Above, and a Secret Twin. So the show needs to figure out what it really wants to be next season. I know what I want it to be, but I don't really get a vote.

And how have they gone two years without contriving an excuse for Sutton Foster to sing? That's just silly.

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dcalley

dcalley

My TV is old enough to be a college graduate, so I was happy when a Liza voiceover read us the email she sent Kelsey, but then what Kelsey wrote back had no voiceover and I couldn't read a damn word.
 

And how have they gone two years without contriving an excuse for Sutton Foster to sing? That's just silly.

I agree it's a shame, but it seems to be what she wants.

“I actually said to [show creator and executive producer] Darren Star, when we started, I said ‘Please don't write some karaoke scene where I have to sing.’ And he goes, ‘You know, I don't think this character sings.’ … The show is about so many other things than that. And I think if my character did sing, I don't think she would sing well.
“It's actually kind of nice to work on something that doesn't have that element as a part of it,” Foster says of Younger. (source)

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diggle

diggle

Color me biased or dismissive of artists or some other form of snob, but definitely #TeamCharles.

Josh does nothing for me.

Of course, I'm a 50-something lesbian, which could have something to do with it, but I can "see" Liza/Charles.

(I could also see Me / Sutton Foster!)

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rallymantis

rallymantis

SO: Charles finally swooped in for that kiss!  SO not expecting that in this season, SO chomping at the bit for it to happen since Day 1, SO I made a yelping sound SO loud that the neighbors' dogs started howling.  P.S.: They're an acre away.  SO, you can imagine.

 

Other highlights: Diana's looks of disdain directed towards her new moron assistant (until The Kiss, she has been the high point of the season for me), and, agreed, the Liza/Kelsey reunion embrace.

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aradia22

aradia22

I'm not going to write the show off completely but I think killing Thad might have been going too far for me. In my mind, they've made a mess of things with something so serious. They alleviated the tension a bit by giving him a twin but there are just still so many problems. How is Liza still lying to almost everyone? It's not cute anymore.

 

I didn't like the kiss with Charles. It felt like a dramatic thing you put in your midseason finale and not something organic. Again, you're just creating more problems.

 

My biggest feeling watching this was that I just didn't care. Sure, there are episodes of Younger that aren't that funny that I just watch to get through them. But I've never felt like I really did not care about anyone on screen more than I did watching this episode.

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Ms Blue Jay

Ms Blue Jay

(edited)

#TeamNOTCharles.

 

I actually enjoyed this episode which kind of brings me back to liking the show after the goat fuck incident.  Diana's python blazer and gold ball statement necklace were gorgeous.

 

At the funeral , I was really attracted to Josh.  Lest you think I have some kind of sick funeral fetish, I think/hope it's because his tattoos and hipster clothing were covered and he was just dour and all in black.  I was so attracted to it.  Back in bed I didn't like him again.

 

Are we supposed to think that Chad is secretly Thad or some soap opera bullshit.  I agree with others, this show pushes too often into the surreal but not in the good way.  It's very much a heightened type of reality when they're just dealing with Thad by killing him off.  And Diana pushing Liza to act more professional at work WHEN SHE JUST WITNESSED A DEATH?  

 

I was surprised Liza went through with crawling out the window. As I'm at a similar age to Liza's, there would be no way in hell I would do that. Either make the girl go away while keeping the door closed or open up and face the music, but I ain't scrambling around on a fire escape. Too old for stupid shit like that.

 

I've asked guys to hide in closets or hallways when my dad's over.  They've never acted put out by it.  Then again... yeah, I was in my 20s

Edited by Ms Blue Jay
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txhorns79

txhorns79

Of course, I'm a 50-something lesbian, which could have something to do with it, but I can "see" Liza/Charles.

 

I think they seem like a more plausible couple, if only because of the age thing and they honestly seem more on the same level than Josh/Liza. 

 

 

I'm surprised that it took Lauren's mom seeing Liza at the mall for Kelsey to find out where she was. Honestly, I thought Kelsey would have Lauren hounding Maggie about where Liza went. And if Kelsey had just shown up at Maggie and Liza's place, she would have found Liza since HELLO, LIZA WAS STILL LIVING THERE.

 

A thousand times this.  They all know where Liza lives and Lauren dates Maggie.  Even if they wanted to give her space, it's not like she would have been all that difficult to find. 

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VartanFan

VartanFan

(edited)

I love both Josh and Charles - both adorable in different ways.  I was sort of hoping that CHarles would be the one to find out that she's 40- when Thad blackmailed her, she would go to him and confess and they would keep her secret at work.  

 

I really like that the women in this show are mostly supportive of one another - versus the backbiting in a lot of other shows.  

Edited by VartanFan
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txhorns79

txhorns79

And Diana pushing Liza to act more professional at work WHEN SHE JUST WITNESSED A DEATH?

 

In fairness to Diana, Liza was at work when she made the comments, so the idea would be that if Liza thought she couldn't handle being professional, she shouldn't have come in. 

 

I think the Chad stuff is silly.  I guess they want to give Liza a regular antagonist, but I'd like it better if it was a plot point where the character appeared to be motivated by something beyond "REVENGE!" 

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Julia

Julia

(edited)

In fairness to Diana, Liza was at work when she made the comments, so the idea would be that if Liza thought she couldn't handle being professional, she shouldn't have come in.

Well, too, Diana comes from a generation when women weren't supposed to show vulnerability at work because it would lead to their not being taken seriously for promotion. In her way, she's trying to help.

Edited by Julia
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atomationage

atomationage

(edited)

 

rather than blow up the premise and have Liza reveal her secret, they're throwing in stuff like the pig-f*$ker, Death From Above, and a Secret Twin.

 

IKR!  I watched the first little bit of this episode and gave up.  From what I'm reading here though, it improves, so I guess I'll watch the rest of it.   Did they change writers in between the previous episode and this one or what?   

 

I watched the rest and didn't like it much.  She should have told Charles her age.   The preview is show as TeamCharles vs TeamJosh.  I'm TeamCharles, but I would still like Josh in the show.

Edited by atomationage
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Readalot

Readalot

This last episode is STILL missing from On Demand. Ugh. I could not wait any longer so I just finished reading these comments. Now I really want to see it! I don't remember Thad mention anything about Chad before? Did I miss it? I'm thinking that if he did it was around the time he and Kelsey were discussing who they told about the engagement.

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FireFoxy

FireFoxy

Well sign me up as #TeamCharles forever and I'm actually closer to Josh's age. Charles makes me SWOON so hard. Mature, handsome, educated, wordly. Josh is super hot and nice but after a while you want someone who you can have an actual intellectual relationship with.

 

Hillary Duff is a terrible actress but her last scene with Liza got to me.

 

Liza still being "26" is ridiculous since she looks at least over 35. 

 

Chad is creepy. 

Diana continues to be the best part of this show.

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Snarklepuss

Snarklepuss

#TeamCharles more than ever.  He makes me swoon too and I'm 57.....Reminds me of Mr. Snarkle 10 years ago in many ways.  This could be good for my marriage, lol.  Yowza!

 

Thad and Chad, LOL, I thought that was very creative and I LOVE the way the actor is like a totally creepified, dweeby version of Thad.  I didn't think that was lame at all, I'm able to go there with it and laugh at it, for now, until he becomes a total psycho pest, which I hope he doesn't.

 

The "Paramus Mall" I presume was a take off on the "Paramus Park Mall".  Paramus probably has more malls than most if not any other town in America.   I find it strange and completely unbelievable that Liza would take a job in Paramus but continue to live in Brooklyn.  I'm wondering just how long that would take her every day and where she puts this mythical car she presumably drove there.  It would take her about 2-3 hours each way no matter which way she went - And I'm thinking of two completely different ways - One involving Manhattan and the other going through NJ to 1-95.  Yikes!

 

And not that anyone cares, but the church they focused on in the beginning is the Crenshaw Christian Center, what was a non-denominational church on 96th Street and Central Park West but was sold in 2014 to turn into condos., which is still being fought over and nothing's been done.  Of course the interior was NOT the same church.  I have no idea what that was, but it was Gothic and not the same style as the Crenshaw building, which was once a Christian Science church.  I have no idea how they would try to convert that building into condos. because it's landmarked and they can't alter the exterior.  So it's ridiculous.

 

Great season finale, I'm all psyched about the Josh/Charles tension going into the next season.

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Julia

Julia

This last episode is STILL missing from On Demand. Ugh. I could not wait any longer so I just finished reading these comments. Now I really want to see it! I don't remember Thad mention anything about Chad before? Did I miss it? I'm thinking that if he did it was around the time he and Kelsey were discussing who they told about the engagement.

Can you not get it online/on the TV Land app?

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Readalot

Readalot

(edited)

Can you not get it online/on the TV Land app?

didn't think of this I will check! Thanks!
. I have Time Warner. I should of mentioned that. They hold back the last episode often. Last year they held back the last Girls episode of the season.

Ugh. I have to upgrade my OS to get the tv land app. I'm not willing to do that.

Edited by Readalot
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Fiddler1

Fiddler1

 

The "Paramus Mall" I presume was a take off on the "Paramus Park Mall".  Paramus probably has more malls than most if not any other town in America.   I find it strange and completely unbelievable that Liza would take a job in Paramus but continue to live in Brooklyn.  I'm wondering just how long that would take her every day and where she puts this mythical car she presumably drove there.  It would take her about 2-3 hours each way no matter which way she went - And I'm thinking of two completely different ways - One involving Manhattan and the other going through NJ to 1-95.  Yikes!

 

It looked to me like the facade of Nordstroms at Garden State Plaza (also in Paramus) but then they gave it a name that sounds like Paramus Park Mall.  I live just down the road from there and let out a yell when I saw it and they said Paramus!    And yes, I totally agree with you that living in Brooklyn and going to work in Paramus would take about 90 min by bus on a good day!

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Snarklepuss

Snarklepuss

It looked to me like the facade of Nordstroms at Garden State Plaza (also in Paramus) but then they gave it a name that sounds like Paramus Park Mall.  I live just down the road from there and let out a yell when I saw it and they said Paramus!    And yes, I totally agree with you that living in Brooklyn and going to work in Paramus would take about 90 min by bus on a good day!

 

I knew the facade they showed wasn't Paramus Park, but I couldn't place it so thanks for that!  When I still lived in NY I used to go out there on Saturdays to "shop till I dropped".  I hear they still have the "blue laws" and are closed on Sundays.  Don't blame them because of the traffic!

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sleekandchic

sleekandchic

(edited)

Now that season 2 is beddy-bye, I have a general observation that may be controversial:

I HATE the way Liza and Josh kiss! To me, it isn't hot in the least. Both actors keep their lips closed tight, in a thin line, as they press mouths together. It's cold, clinical.

And then, in this episode, Monsieur Charles went in for the big smooch! I thought, ok, this will be hot! Another disappointment! He was all hunched shoulders and hands on cheeks (kinda sweet) but, again, the thin-lipped mash.

I'm not saying we need to see tongue and thrust on cable, but these kisses just leave me cold.

Sutton married for a second time in 2014. Maybe she's being careful in her love scenes? Not wanting husband to feel insecure? My family is active in and supports NY theater; I know it's easy for emotional lines to be crossed.

Peter Hermann and Mariska Olivia Benson Hargitay seem the real deal, too. Maybe it's just as well that the heat index between Charles and Liza is kept below boiling point?

I just think the kissing is lame. BTW, apropos of nothing, I was unexpectedly confined to a tiny apt today watching tv with a sweet elderly client -- Law and Order Criminal Intent. Actor Josh Pais, Lauren's horny dad (Kathy Najimy's hub) had a good part. All I could think of was his lust for Liza! :)

Edited by sleekandchic
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Eolivet

Eolivet

I'm still in what is apparently a tiny minority: Team Josh all the way. There's something more fun and fresh about it, and Charles is written as way too perfect for her that it bores me, and yes, even though it's just TV, I'm squicked out by the idea of the company owner hooking up with an entry-level assistant (especially since he's into her thinking she's 26).

 

Thank you. It's funny -- Liza/Charles doesn't bother me when it's Liza having feelings for him (because she knows he is an age appropriate love interest), but when it's from Charles' perspective, I'm like "You think she's actually 26 and you're her boss' boss -- that's just skeevy."

 

On the other hand, with Josh, I sort of feel like that story has been told and there's nothing much new to add. Unless they started living together or something. I liked Liza with Josh, but that story sort of ended for believable reasons -- other than that they still have feelings for each other, I'm curious to see what new ground has yet to be covered. I live in partial fear that Josh is being brought back 1) because they like the actor and he's still a regular, and 2) to compare how ~wrong he is for Liza compared to Charles. I really hope it's not the latter, because I think Josh deserves better.

 

As others have said, though, I'm still here for the great relationships between women -- Liza and Maggie, Liza and Kelsey, Liza and Diana. And I loved Maggie's line about Liza seeming more fake working in Paramus in "age-appropriate" dress as opposed to her 26 year-old life.

 

I think what I realized after this episode, which I couldn't quite put into words before, is I "ship" Liza with her Authentic Self. I love seeing her happy and fitting in, as opposed to angsting about her old life. Oddly, one of my favorite episodes was when she and Josh went to dinner with her old friends and she realized how much she had grown out of that life. And it wasn't even about age -- it was more about...experiences and tolerance and having an open mind. I love how the show has proved that being 26 has somehow seemingly made Liza even wiser about life and love and the world than she was at 40.

 

Great season, show -- can't wait for season 3! I know they'll bring out "Who will find out Liza's secret next?" but I almost wish they'd drop that plot entirely. Let Liza Be Liza -- that's what I tune in to see.

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