Sharon Horgan continues to make very personal comedies that connect with their audiences, mainly because the characters she writes for herself are so very vulnerable while being hilarious.
asserted
she → continue → herself
That’s the case in her new HBO comedy Youth.
asserted
That → ’ → Youth
“Every single move you make in your sixth decade is significant.
asserted
you → make → decade
Monumental,” a voice says as we see scenes of women 50 and over.
asserted
we → say → women
Then, we see a woman lying on the couch, looking at TikToks.
asserted
woman → see → TikToks
When a text comes in, she’s so startled by it she drops the phone on her face.
asserted
she → come → face
Alex (Sharon Horgan) is 50 and she feels like she’s quickly approaching a time where she can no longer be sexy or date anyone but creaky old men.
asserted
she → feel → men
But she’s also dealing with a lot: She works for her friend Sam (Sharlene Whyte) as a literary agent, dealing with clients like actor Damien Lewis wanting to write about dogmeat.
asserted
clients → deal → dogmeat
Her jaw is locking because of arthritis.
asserted
jaw → lock → arthritis
Her ex-husband Logan (Owen McDonnell) wants to move to Canada for an acting job.
asserted
Logan → want → job
Her parents are both ailing in different ways.
asserted
parents → ail → ways
And her son, Rauri (Aran Murphy) is leaving for college, which she’s alternately thrilled and depressed about.
asserted
she → leave → which
Sam sets her up on a blind date, and Alex is appalled that he’s in his late 60s — but she goes back to his place, anyway.
asserted
she → set → place
She has a great casual time with Patrick (Rupert Friend), who is in her phone as “Ex Pat,” but he’s a few years younger and she’s not sure he wants a relationship.
asserted
he → have → relationship
What Shows Will It Remind You Of?
asserted
It → remind → You
Youth, created and written by Horgan, feels like a spiritual sequel to two of Horgan’s previous shows, Catastrophe and Bad Sisters.
asserted
Youth → create → shows
Horgan has always been good at making the characters she writes for herself funny, sexy, and self-deprecating all at once, and a scene in the first episode of Youth brings that home: Alex is on the bus after her emotional blind date, wearing her bright yellow platform heels, and when the burger she bought falls on the floor, she considers picking it up and eating it.
asserted
she → make → it
It really encapsulates what Alex is struggling against: She’s at the age where she shouldn’t have to give a flying fig about what people think of her, but she also really wants a relationship with someone she doesn’t want to be a caretaker to in a few years.
asserted
she → encapsulate → years
Because she is so good at playing all of those aspects of Alex, it makes the rest of Youth funny, even if some of the other aspects of the story feel superfluous right now, like Sam being constantly suspicious of her husband Frank (Robbie Gee), or Alex dealing with a veteran author (Anne Reid) writing a book that’s full of erotica and racism.
asserted
that → play → erotica
They’re goofy side stories that just fill in the cracks between Alex dealing with family life, her immature ex, and wondering if things with Patrick are ever going to move into relationship territory — and if that’s what she actually wants.
asserted
she → ’re → what
Horgan and Friend have amazing chemistry with each other, especially as they tiptoe from mutual booty calls to something resembling a relationship.
asserted
they → have → relationship
There is definitely sex, but much of it is clumsy and sometimes ends in tears — just like real life.
asserted
much → be → life
As Alex lays in bed, looking forlornly out her window, Ruari gets into bed with her, looking for comfort from his mom just like he did when he was a kid.
asserted
he → lay → mom
But he won’t let her touch him.
asserted
her → let → him
Youth should be relatable to anyone in their “sixth decade” who really hope that they too are still desirable and interesting to others.
asserted
they → hope → others
But it’s also just a funny show in general, thanks mainly to Horgan’s writing and lead performance.
asserted
it → ’ → writing
Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie.
asserted
he → write → himself
His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.
asserted
writing → appear → Times
The Aporia
