(Major spoilers ahead!)
What happens on the Younger finale?
Last week, Liza (Sutton Foster) and Charles (Peter Hermann) romantically reunited once more after she brought his passport to the airport where he was waiting to jet off on an exotic getaway with girlfriend Quinn (LauraBenanti). That made Charles realize that he was, as he put it, with the wrong woman, resulting in a big, swoony kiss with Liza! Happily ever after, right?
Does Liza end up with Charles on Younger?
Not so fast. The finale begins with Liza and Charles cuddled up in bed together, but Charles tells Liza that he doesn’t want any more lying between them. She agrees, even though she hasn’t told him about a) Kelsey (HilaryDuff) leaving Empirical to branch out on her own with Inkubator, and b) the fact that she submitted his unpublished manuscript to the Yaddo writers’ retreat. The next night in bed, Charles hints that he’s dismayed to find out that Liza had more secrets she was holding onto, prompting her to tearfully speculate, “We’re not gonna make it, are we?” Charles somberly replies, “I don’t think so.” They part on good terms, though: After Charles decides to go to Yaddo, he appoints Liza his successor as head of Empirical.
Does Liza end up with Josh on Younger?
Kind of, maybe? In the very last scene of the show, Liza is out celebrating her promotion with Maggie, Lauren and Kelsey (as well as Kelsey’s surprise news that Reese Witherspoon is investing in Inkubator!) when who should she bump into but Josh (NicoTortorella) in a meet-cute that mimics their first-ever encounter in the series premiere. (Again with the shoe!) A smiling Josh tells Liza, “I’ve been right here by your side all along,” and we’re left to imagine that these two will become a true-love couple once more.
Sutton Foster on Younger finale
So what does the real-life Liza think of all this? Foster told Variety after the finale’s premiere, “I’m so happy [with how it ended]. I had no idea how it was going to end and I remember reading the finale and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it couldn’t end any other way.’ I felt very satisfied. It felt true to the character, and it was not without sadness.” Foster added that she’s “most proud of how they handled the Charles relationship — even though I’m sure people will be upset that they don’t end up going off into the distance together. I feel that the way they handled was incredibly mature… The maturity of them just being able to realize that, and then the generosity of both of them in their futures, I thought was really beautiful. The way we were equating it is that Charles is now having his reinvention moment; he’s almost Liza in Season 1, starting off on his journey as an author. I loved the way they dealt with that all.”
What are fans saying about the Younger finale?
While Foster’s a big fan of Younger’s ending, Younger fans may need a moment to take it all in. Their takes on Twitter indicate that many of them were super-pleased to see it was #TeamJosh all along: Others, though, kinda couldn’t believe the twist even after they saw it with their own eyes, especially since Josh was only in one other scene of the finale which gave no indication about a reunion with Liza:
How to watch the Younger series finale
The Younger series finale is available to stream now with the rest of the show’s seven seasons on Paramount+ and Hulu. The entire seventh and final season will also air on TV Land starting Wednesday, July 7, with the season’s first two episodes airing back to back at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Like Younger? You’ll love Emily in Paris.
