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Episode 2 “The Mao Function”

When Liza gets back to the apartment after her quickie with Josh, Caitlin is waiting for her. Liza comes clean about dating Josh, but fails to mention that she’s posing as a 26 year old at work. Caitlin determines that her mom is going through a midlife crisis, just like Caitlin’s dad did. So, she decides that she should live with her dad in New Jersey and work for him while Liza figures her life out (and, I guess, before Caitlin heads back to college).

Back with Kelsey, her work woes are piling up. First, she didn’t get the tumblr book deal and, now, she lost one of her star sick-lit authors to another publishing house. Her woes don’t last too long, though, since her author wants to bring her along as his editor. Cue the dollar signs. Should Kelsey take the new job (and mega-bucks), or should she pass? Decisions, decisions. Luckily, Thad makes an appearance! For once, his suit-and-tie douchiness pay off. He tells Kelsey that he’ll help her leverage her new job offer with Empirical so she can get more money and stay working for Charles.

Liza attends trivia night with Josh…which naturally shows off how old she is (although I don’t care hoe old or young you are, who actually remembers the name of Nancy Kerrigan’s knee-smasher?). Thanks to Liza’s last-minute skills with 90s trivia, Josh gets a little too drunk. Back at his place in bed, Josh keeps drunkenly going through various stages of life, wondering how old Liza was at each. In a real stellar move, he says, “You’re closer to my mom’s age than you are to mine.” Way to kill the mood, Josh. Choosing to ignore that, of course, they make out. Unfortunately, Josh can’t perform because he’s so drunk which leads Liza to believe it’s actually because he’s freaked out that she’s 40. Liza, did you learn nothing last episode? He doesn’t care!

The next day, Liza tells Kelsey about Josh’s failure in the bedroom. Kelsey knows how that goes and is incredulous that Liza and Josh are back together because, last she knew, they were broken up (now would have been a good time, Liza, to say you misunderstood Josh’s text. You were never broken up!). Diana tells Liza a new manuscript is coming out later that day and will be up for auction; Liza will have to hand deliver said manuscript directly to Charles’s house (side note: why doesn’t Charles have his own assistant who will do these things?!).

Later that night, Liza, Josh, and Maggie head to a party that Lauren invited them to. Josh has to fend off relentless questions from Lauren, Kelsey, and Thad about why he and Liza broke up (in season 1). He makes up some terrible excuse about his nonexistent cat. Josh leaves the party suddenly (as he realizes how lame his lies are). Liza runs after him, wondering why he is leaving. Josh doesn’t want to lie to his friends. At that same moment, Liza gets the call that she has to take the manuscript to Charles, and Josh disappears.

Lisa makes it to Charles’s house. Charles looks really good when he opens the door (I mean, really. Quite handsome.). Liza plays the young assistant part well–she gushes about the author, says Charles is “so lucky” to read it, and brown noses it up. Charles makes eyes at her (do you think her youth and wise-beyond-her-years aura is what is attracting Charles? Or, do you think he’d still have the same attraction to her if he knew she was perfectly-on-par-wise for her real age?). Also, Charles wants Liza to confide in him about Kelsey and her job offer since he’s heard about it through the grapevine. Sheesh. Just ask Kelsey yourself. She was your assistant at one point!

Liza is briefly back at Maggie’s…and discovers a naked Lauren there. Maggie’s getting some! Liza hightails it to Josh’s. Once again, she’s letting her own insecurities about her age cloud her sanity. Josh stops her with another amazing kiss! His explanation for leaving is simple: he doesn’t want to lie. He urges Liza to tell Kelsey the truth because they’re friends. If someone cares about you, your age won’t matter. #Truth

Liza rushes to tell Kelsey the truth first thing in the morning, but Kelsey stops her. She has great news first. She talked with Charles about the other job offer, and Charles gave her her own editorial imprint to run (yes, this is definitely a situation that would only happen on TV). The imprint is for millenials by millenials. Kelsey wants Liza on her team and asks what Liza wanted to tell her. You bet your booty that Liza kept her mouth shut about her age and made something else up. Just keep digging yourself in deeper, Liza. Everything will turn out just fine…

Some highlights and one-liners from this episode:

• Major apartment envy of Maggie’s place. Literally every time they show Maggie’s apartment, I drool. I am fairly sure that I will never be able to live in a place like that in NYC unless I find myself a sugar daddy.
• Liza’s ex: “How come every time I see you, you look younger.” Maggie: “You just forgot what she looked like happy.” Yessss, Maggie. Maggie is such a good friend to have at your back. (Side note about this scene: when was Caitlin planning on seeing her dad if she hadn’t discovered Liza kissing Josh? I mean, why wasn’t her dad at the airport to welcome her home from India, too?)
• “When i was 16 you were 30!” Why do you have to remind us of Mary Kay Letourneau??
• “I am gonna squeeze their nuts until they are squirting money in your face” Thad, can I have thad as MY Financial manager?
• Josh’s roomie in Liza’s bathrobe…perhaps the best moment? (Also, I still don’t recall his name.)

 

 

Photo Credit: TV Land