One of the best shows on Netflix is about a woman embarking on her next chapter in a scary new city with a daunting corporate job, an eclectic crew of friends, and a slew of handsome suitors who fall in love at first sight.
No, not Emily In Paris.
Before Emily, Darren Star, who also created Sex and the City, gave viewers Younger. The 2015 series originally aired on TV Land for seven seasons, but this month, it finally arrived on Netflix. And that means it’s time you start watching or rewatching — especially if you need a fabulous and comforting SATC-like escape during the winter months.
Younger follows Sutton Foster as Liza Miller, a newly divorced empty nester who lands an assistant job at Empirical Press. The only problem? She’s a 40-year-old pretending to be 26, hoping to climb the ladder in an ageist industry. (The show portrays the publishing world astonishingly well with its clever references to authors and New York media lore.) Hilary Duff also stars as a junior editor and Liza’s confidant, Kelsey Peters.
The show premiered with rave reviews yet didn’t get the love it deserved. Since it arrived on Netflix on Jan. 6, it’s steadily moved up the streamer’s Top 10 list of most popular shows and gained some new fans along the way. “I want it to go on forever,” one viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In honor of its resurgence, it’s finally time for Younger to get some long-overdue attention.
The Aging Storyline Is As Relevant As Ever
Younger works because it is easy to root for Liza in all aspects of life — despite the lying and scheming — thanks to Foster’s effortless and charmingly goofy performance. Anytime she flubs millennial lingo, like not knowing what “Netflix and chill” means, viewers feel both seen and embarrassed.
But that doesn’t mean Younger treats Liza’s lie lightly. The series tackles ageist corporate attitudes head-on, emphasizing that employees of all ages have valuable attributes. That message resonates today, as proven by the Oscar buzz surrounding Demi Moore’s performance in 2024’s The Substance. While the film and series are totally different in tone, it shows that Younger’s message about aging hasn’t… aged.
Hilary Is Pitch Perfect
Younger marked Duff’s return to TV as a main character since Lizzie McGuire, and she quickly proved how much she was missed on our screens. Kelsey Peters could be a grown-up Lizzie — if she had her sh*t together.
Kelsey’s relationship drama is fit for a soap opera, from affairs with her author to a star-crossed romance with a competing editor. But she remained grounded amid the madness, excelling at her job, wearing fabulous looks, and being a loyal friend to Liza, all pulled off with Duff’s signature charm and humor.
In fact, fans loved Duff’s character so much that Star initially planned to develop a spin-off centered around Kelsey. It didn’t come to fruition partly due to the actor’s planned Lizzie McGuire reboot at Disney+, which fell apart for its own reasons.
Many Familiar Faces
Even if you weren’t a Lizzie McGuire fan growing up, Younger is packed with familiar faces. Before Bridgerton, Phoebe Dynevor made her U.S. acting debut as Clare, an Irish transplant who quickly becomes the wife and baby mama of Liza’s on-and-off love interest Josh (Nico Tortorella). She’s the only person that comes close to making Liza look villainous.
And Just Like That… fans will recognize Liza’s other on-and-off love interest Charles, played by Peter Hermann, who briefly played one of Carrie’s love interests in Season 2. (Hermann is also known for being married to Law & Order: SVU’s Mariska Hargitay.)
And who could forget Debi Mazar? She plays Maggie, Liza’s longtime friend-turned-roommate who helped create her 26-year-old facade but always steered her in the right direction. Mazar gave Younger the street cred and intellect it needed to be an accurate reflection of New York society. What else would you expect from Madonna’s BFF?
Younger has all of the ingredients that made SATC an enduring phenomenon: genuine friendships, eye-popping fashion, lovable stars, and storylines that will cause division, frustration, and elation alike. It’s time to make the series just as beloved as its predecessor — and bigger than its Parisian successor.
The post ‘Younger’ On Netflix Deserves To Be As Popular As ‘SATC’ appeared first on Bustle.
