BWW Recap: Krysta Rodriguez, Jennifer Simard Guest on YOUNGER as Liza Saves a Bookstore

Welp, Liza's got it all in for herself in this week's installment (and yes, I know I say that every week, but with this show and her predicament, would you really expect anything less?) After settling everything by "roasting marshmallows" with Josh, Liza gives him a break this week (once again, to contemplate their relationship) but also to head back to New Jersey once again. And no, she's not pickin' up any truffle butter this time 'round; she's going to cash in on a brilliant idea to save a bookstore... with less than favorable results. (Okay, yes, I know I say that every week, too, but seriously.. come on! Have you seen the show?!) Meanwhile, Kelsey Heads back into the dating scene, Lauren ends up in a dating dilemma... and somewhere in there, Diana passes out. It's all ahead (or behind), so if you're intrigued.... read on, read on!!

The A-Plot: Liza's hometown bookstore is closing up shop, and all her New Jersey galpals are heartbroken. But when a BOTCHED press release accidentally threatens to ruin Bryce Reiger's career, Liza suggests he donate money to the NJ landmark as a way to a) save his reputation and b) obviously, salvage the bookstore. Luckily, Bryce is in... and arranges a special helicopter trip to personally deliver the check.

Liza's keen on hanging back, so as not to reveal her identity... but when Charles becomes insistent she tag along, as you can imagine, things immediately go from bad to worse. She's saved again (damn it, wouldn't it be fun just once to see her actually squeal and squirm?!), and Charles actually reveals that maybe hiring Bryce wasn't the best idea. (Sidebar: How is that gonna turn out?! I so want Charles to tell him off... and have Liza be right there with him!!)

But he tells her, too, by saying: "You never know what'll happen when you get in bed with a 26-year-old." He insists it's a business term... but wait!! Why would he have to clarify??!!! Does he actually want to get in bed with Liza?!!!

Wait what???? Did he actually (kinda/sorta/however hidden) admit his feelings for her? And man, that smile from Liza is so telling!!

I mean, they've already kissed, anyway... if these two don't make it happen by the end of the season, I don't know what I'll do. Fortunately (or unfortunately), for now, I just have to make it 'til next week.

The B-Plot: This week's secondary plot finds Kelsey at the bar, fishing for guys for the first time since Thad passed. While she may have no luck - unfortunately, mentioning the dead fiancé is a total buzzkill - wing-lady Lauren meets an old *male* friend (FIDDLER's Ben Rappaport) from school... and they accidentally end up in bed together. But lest you think it was one drunken mistake, Lauren actually finds herself developing feelings for him. :-O

Doubting both her sexuality and therefore, her relationship with Maggie, Lauren confronts said girlfriend about the situation... and Maggie instantly (and surprisingly) gives her the go-ahead.

Woah! So, will Lauren and Max actually become a thing? Will it create jealousy and tension between Maggie and Max? And what does it mean for the future of the Maggie-Lauren relationship?! Are they over for good? I don't know, but something's definitely up.

'Cause as we later find out, Maggie's hiding a secret of her own, which, if the Lauren-Max thing hasn't shaken up the relationship already, seems like it definitely will.

Meanwhile, after the disastrous helicopter tour ends, Bryce goes over and asks Kelsey out. She rejects him (I kinda knew that was coming)... but follow me here, I also don't think that's the final goodbye.

Yeah, he's obnoxious and totally rude and she did reject him for sure, but take note: he's also the first person (thus far) to say the whole Thad beam-murder thing doesn't bother him. After a whole slew of guys walked past her because of that, I wouldn't doubt that see re-considers the guy who said he didn't mind. We shall see....

Bonus sidenote: Then again, if she does end up not going back to him, more power to her. IMO, the guy's kind of a jerk.

But Also: Initiated with last week's break from Josh, Liza seems to be distancing herself more and more from Josh. Though the couple reconciled at the end of last week's episode, the fact that we opened up with Liza admitting he was "wasting his youth" was very telling.

Equally so is the idea of Liza being thrown back into life in New Jersey. It makes her realize what her life used to be, how much she enjoys hanging with the older crowd, and how Josh, therefore, may be too young for her. (Look at her face just before Michelle goes out to "get the hard stuff" - you can totally tell she's contemplating that Josh would never fit into the housewives picture).

The real kicker comes in the episode's final moments when the book club ladies make a toast. Just moments after Michelle acknowledges how happy she is that Liza's found a man who treats her right, the following words are spoken as Liza looks wistfully out the window: "Nothing lasts forever. And we sure enjoyed it while we had it... here's the next chapter."

Could this mean #TeamJosh will be a thing of the past by the end of the season? Sure, he's vowed to keep her secret, but Liza's also admitted she's fooling herself.

And with the writers dropping clearer and clearer hints that a Liza-Charles relationship could actually materialize, how much longer does Josh really have?

And again, how long 'til he finds out Liza feels this way? And what will happen when he does?

Did Anyone Else Feel.... like that reveal, or rather, lack thereof, was way too rushed? Yeah, I get it, the show's only a half-hour, and you've gotta wrap up the plot line, but I so wanted the helicopter to land and see the disaster unfold.

Turning the plane around JUST as she was coming clean, too, was also waaaayyy too easy.

I kinda wish they had spent a full 30 minutes on board the plane - maybe telling it in reverse in some way (does that make sense??), where Liza could have contemplated what to say to the staff a little longer, had a bit of a should-I-should-I-not conversation with Maggie... or maybe Michelle could've even called in and Liza could've hilariously tried to hide who she was talking to!! (I mean, come on... how much of a ROFL moment would that have been?) Instead, the Maggie/Liza conversation is literally two seconds, with no resolution... and then Bryce turns around the plane virtually moments after taking off.

Like, I totally get wrapping it all up, but we were just given the beginning and the end - with none of the "middle part" contemplation. I personally didn't have any time to actually connect or feel what Liza was feeling. Just felt like a cop out. Anyone else with me?

Broadway Babies: Looks like Krysta Rodriguez was "pulled in a new direction" toward TV Land, while Jennifer Simard "never can say goodbye" to a good cameo! (Okay, those were horrible puns, but I assume you all get the point). Three cheers to Darren Starr for featuring TWO Broadway guest stars in this week's episode!! Major brownie points for that one!

My only gripe? For two of them, their screen time was not nearly enough!! First of all, Krysta spends half of her "much-buzzed-about appearance" as a voice-only video game character. IMO, there's so much more you could do with her. And why wouldn't Bryce's publicist join him on the plane? #PulledintheWrongDirection

And what's with the sexy Simard calendar tease that offers no follow-through? I personally thought that whole photo taking process would be HILARIOUS to see (maybe have her try on a nun's outfit, hmmm?) and no doubt we know JSims (did I just make that up?) has the chops!

Luckily, we're saved by the fact that Ben Rappaport's Max is a recurring role. But again, it just might blow Maggie-Lauren to pieces, but... what you do for the love of Broadway, amirite?

Line of the Night: "My friends and I would sit around with our coffees on the weekends for hours and complain about our bus- homework" & "You should never go home again... probably shouldn't... especially with co-workers." Man, I just love it when Liza slips up with her 40-year-old-isms and then tries to recover. The lines written for her are always genius!!

So, yes.... this week, the storyline suffered, but my gosh, these writers just kill me with their one-liners!

And the actors' deliveries kill me, too. Case in point: "This is not good for my vertigo." ROFL! You go, Miriam Shor!!

So... what are your thoughts? Where do you think Liza's headed next? Let us know in the comments below... and we'll see you next week! 'Til then, as always, stay YOUNGER.

Below, check out a sneak peek at the next episode of YOUNGER titled 'A Night at the Opera':

Photo Credit: TV Land

Matt Smith is a writer and theatre enthusiast based in New York. For more information or further inquiry, including additional writing samples, please visit mattsmiththeatre.com.