I saw the show YOUNGER trending on Netflix and was a little confused.
What is this old-ass show and why is it so popular?!
I mean, it premiered ten years ago on TV Land, the premise sounds completely unbelievable, and the preview looks cheesy.
But... The preview features Hilary Duff.
And that's all the convincing I needed to start watching.
I will always support my queen.
So I watched the pilot.
And the next episode.
And the next.
And suddenly I found myself halfway through season five.
And I only started watching the show last week.
Is there even that much time in one week for me to have gotten that far into the show?!
Probably not.
My undying love for the show must've created a time warp to allow me to watch as much as I wanted. (thank you, universe)
But what makes this show SO binge-worthy, and how can you ensure your own pilot has that same appeal?
Let's get into it!
The Basics of Binge
To put is simply, these are the key elements of the YOUNGER pilot I identified that played a major role in convincing me to binge-watch like my life depended on it.
A unique concept that grabs the audience immediately.
Concept is made crystal clear upfront.
Comedic and dramatic engine are established right away.
Main settings and central characters are introduced effectively.
The seeds are planted for major season/series-long arcs.
Concept is renewable.
A strong cliffhanger to end the episode.
And you know me, we're about to get into these points in detail AND with examples.
Unique Concept / The Hook
Even just the logline of the show had me intrigued: "After her marriage ends, a woman in her 40s pretends to be a 26-year-old assistant to restart her publishing career and get a new lease on life."
Not only did I read that and think:
"Yeah right, who would believe someone in their 40s is actually in their 20s? I gotta see this."
But also:
"Wow, I hope when I'm in my 40s I can still pass for mid-20s. I gotta see what her life is like."
This strikes the perfect balance of different kinds of appeal to attract a wide audience.
It compels people who just to see how ridiculous the show is AND people who want to see this wish fulfillment play out.
Concept & Comedic / Dramatic Engine Established Upfront
In the very first scene, we're seeing the central conflict that will fuel the entire series.
Liza, a 40-year-old woman, is interviewing for a job at a publishing company.
But once her 20-something interviewers find out she hasn't worked in the field for the last 15 years while she was raising her daughter, the vibe shifts.
She’s no longer taken seriously, and is deemed "too old" for the industry.
This scene plays out in a way that showcases not just the comedy of the premise, but the dramatic effects of it as well.
The comedy comes from how blunt and immature the younger interviewers are.
The drama comes from the underlying truth of the situation: ageism and its affects on not only someone's confidence, but their lives overall.
And to make it even more appealing, because of what she experiences in this scene, we immediately connect with Liza and become invested in her journey.
She, the interviewers, and we as the audience know she can't change her age. Yet it's affecting her life in a harsh way Liza has no control over.
So not only do we know exactly what the show is about, we're invested in seeing Liza eventually "win" in some way.
Main Characters + Settings + Overarching Plots Introduced
After the opening scene, we're introduced one-by-one to the other key characters that will play a major role in the series going forward, mostly in order of how much affect they have on the plot, but mainly in order of how much Liza values them (or will come to value them):
Caitlin – Liza's daughter, who is studying abroad (conveniently, so Liza can live her double life).
Maggie – Liza’s best friend and roommate, who fully supports Liza’s scheme.
Josh – Liza’s new (and main) love interest, a hot tattoo artist who genuinely believes she’s 26.
Diana – Liza’s boss, who's intimidating and harsh towards Liza because she thinks she's a recent college grad who knows nothing. (hey, we know some things)
Kelsey – Liza’s work best friend who's always there to support her.
And with each of these characters, it's made clear what role they serve not only in Liza's life, but in the series overall.
For example, when Liza meets Josh, we immediately see how their relationship will challenge her self-perception for the better.
She believes she’s "too old" to be desirable, but Josh's persistent interest in her proves otherwise.
Kelsey serves a similar purpose in the series, but in a platonic way. Liza believes she could never truly pass as someone in their 20s, but Kelsey instantly treats her like just another millennial, and continues to do so even after finding out her real age (waaaay later in the series).
On the antagonist side, we have Diana, who also treats Liza like any other millennial -- poorly. Diana challenges Liza in ways she would never do if she didn't believe Liza was in her 20s.
And within these main dynamics, there are smaller overarching plots being set up to support either multiple episodes, seasons, or the entire series going forward.
For example, Kelsey's overarching plot is her relationship with her boyfriend, Thad.
When he's first introduced, we instantly get a sense of their unhealthy dynamic, which serves as an early hint that their relationship will be a recurring plot point in future episodes.
There are also some seeds planted with Liza's daughter, Caitlin, who expresses she wants to return home from India and live with her mom again.
Renewability
This is arguably the main thing that makes a series bingeworthy: the premise is renewable.
Based on this pilot, we know every episode is going to have a mix of work drama and relationship drama.
And at the heart of both plotlines lies one core conflict: Liza lying about her age to get or keep what she wants.
We keep watching because we have to know: How long can she keep this up? What happens when the truth inevitably comes out?
At the end of every episode, this question comes up. This is what makes the series renewable.
The Cliffhanger That Forces You to Keep Watching
The episode ends on a small but effective cliffhanger: Liza is about to go home instead of going on a date with Josh, but he gently confronts her outside and convinces her to go with him.
Now we have so many questions:
Did they have a good date?
Did she tell him her real age?
Does he really believe she’s in her 20s?!
And the only way to find out is to watch the next episode.
And the next.
And the next.
This is really how a show gets you to keep watching.
I mean really, I've seen some shows that, for a majority of the episodes, bored me to tears.
But if there was a compelling cliffhanger in the end???
I was forcing myself to watch another episode no matter what.
So is YOUNGER the best-written show in the world?
.... No.
Is it one of the most addictive shows I’ve ever watched?
Absolutely, 100% .
The only one more addictive is XO, KITTY, which my friend and I binge-watched until 8am last month.
We were awake so long, and the plot had so many twists and turns, we legitimately thought we were going crazy.
At the end of the day, YOUNGER does exactly what a binge-worthy show should do:
hook you with a juicy concept
keep you invested with fun characters and long-term drama
leave you with just enough of a cliffhanger that you're forced to click "Next Episode" for your own sanity.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have two and a half more seasons of this show to watch 💅
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