Younger - Fraudlein - Review: 'It's like Buffalo with Dumplings'

The largest book fair in the world was a catalyst for Liza to possibly escape Empirical to save her friendship with Kelsey and begin anew with Charles. Back in NYC ANOTHER awkward dinner led to Maggie and Malkie discovering they might not be as solid as they thought. Let's discuss the penultimate episode of the season!

I don't want you to hate me

What should have been a great weekend to celebrate Millennial turned out to be the breaking point that Kelsey and Liza didn't see coming. Throughout this season, Liza has had to confront the fact that she is not living an authentic life and it affects everyone that learns her secret or is in her professional orbit. Whilst Kelsey and Liza had reason to celebrate being the toast of the book fair, Liza's secret reared its ugly head when a journalist questioned her age based on her looks. The women had to shut down the Q & A quickly so as not to draw anymore attention to what the audience member was getting at and it made Liza truly get what Kelsey was doing for her day in and day out. Kelsey herself may not have noticed what this is doing to her consciously but, it is making things difficult as the imprint grows. She dulled the tension with copious amounts of alcohol and it put her in a vulnerable position. This is why Liza decided an offer she got would be best for both of them, because she loves Kelsey and doesn't want to lose her. The scene where Liza told Kelsey that she had to do this was heartbreaking, and also so well done by Sutton and Hilary. This is the right move for their personal wellbeing, but this is also TV, I doubt it will be that easy.

Hail Mary

Charles spent the episode trying to find a lifeline for Empirical and resisting his urges to be romantic with Liza. These plot points were the other major part of Liza's decision to take Cheryl Sussman's offer. Cheryl showing up again presented the perfect out for everyone, and even though it was sneaky and a bit like blackmail, she sincerely understands Liza's dilemma. Charles is at a crossroads in his personal and professional life, and with only three months left of funds to run Empirical, the last thing he or the company needs is the scandal exposure of Liza could bring. There is one issue that I had when Liza presented him with the idea, and it was his reluctance to accept Kelsey could handle Millennial on her own, like come on! Have you watched that woman work? She will be more than fine. The new rub is that Cheryl saw Liza exiting Charles' suite after their reconciliation and that could possibly throw a wrench in the whole offer.

Baby Talk
I am going to throw this into the universe at this part of the review, if they ever want to spin off this show, they could surely do that with Josh, Maggie, Lauren and Malkie and I would watch the heck out of it! These dinners are becoming awkward but deliciously so. Maggie once again was blindsided with a revelation about what Malkie wants, and that is a baby. Lauren of course was her typical wonderful buffer, but this was an interesting way to find out that they once again have a large barrier in their relationship. Knowing your partner longs for a child and would do it in a heartbeat with the right set of circumstances is clearly jarring for Maggie and presents an opportunity to discuss why not all people want to be parents. Will they need to compromise on this with one not getting what they want? I fear yes, and it will once again end a budding relationship that is great for Maggie. Additionally, it is curious that Josh was so receptive. Could Malkie and Maggie actually get on the same page and ask Josh to help? It certainly would be intriguing, but Josh is the type of character that wants to give so much of himself to those he loves and I don't see him being able to step back and take a supportive role when he has a child he would see all the time. This storyline is quite juicy, so hopefully it will continue into next week.

Some Odds and Ends:

* Diana should not have been reluctant to do that Cabaret number because the woman CRUSHED it! Forget reservations about age, she's got it and always will..... I wish Enzo could have been there to cheer her on as well.

* Zane impressed me this episode. He loves Kelsey and no one is going to convince me otherwise. Watching him take a step back and let Kelsey do her thing until it got out of hand made me gain so much respect for him. It of course blew up in his face, but it is obvious he can live with a broken deal if it meant assisting Kelsey when she needed it. I would suggest he should move over to Millennial to take Liza's place, but I would love to see them pursue a relationship and that would be a roadblock.

* Diana, Kelsey and Liza drinking some beer together and having fun was so refreshing. I felt for Diana when she clearly wanted in on that hug, but stopped herself.

So what do you think of Cheryl's offer? Will it be that smooth or will it fall through? Would you support Josh helping Maggie and Malkie? What will happen in the finale and will Liza be exposed to the point that she can't stop it? Let me know!