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Younger opens with Liza baking. Like a fiend….She finally admits to someone (Maggie, so does it really count?) that Josh’s article came out the way it did was her fault because she told him to keep her a secret. If only you would admit that to Kelsey and Lauren, Liza! Kelsey and Lauren come over to Maggie’s to see how Liza is doing and to announce that they have put Liza on Tinder. As they are showing Liza and Maggie how it works with Liza’s new account, they keep swiping only to find that Josh is on Tinder, too. Part of me wanted to applaud Josh for moving so quickly, but part of me wanted him to be crying in a corner because he’s that sensitive.

Later that day, at the farmer’s market, Liza is, of course, drawn to the extremely hot, hot, HOT sheep farmer, Sebastian (hello, Matthew Morrison! Looking good in your hipster hat and “country” clothes!). Sebastian is selling his wool (that he weirdly names after each of his sheep. So your scarf may be called Stella. Or Sheila.). Pretty sure his booth would be constantly surrounded by women, but I digress. With the instructions on how to care for the shawl/blanket Liza bought, Sebastian slips in a pamphlet with his musings about life on the farm. Little did he know, he was soliciting a publishing professional who will surely dig his writing…if only so she can have an excuse to see his handsome face again. Who wouldn’t use that pamphlet as an excuse to go back?!

To celebrate Kelsey’s engagement, all the girls go for drinks (Liza, Lauren, and two strangers who are apparently part of their friend group). Before Kelsey arrives, though, they all decide that Liza should tell Kelsey what they all think of the engagement: that it’s a mistake. When Liza is actually giving their concerns voice to Kelsey, everyone throws Liza under the bus, and they all become fake-enthusiastic about Thad. How did we all know that was going to happen? Fickle females. Smh. Speaking of the engagement…*Warning bell: Thad has not told people he is engaged because he has to “tie up some loose ends”. Aka all the floosies he has on the side. Kelsey, take your blinders off!

Once Kelsey reads the self-proclaimed “Shepherd-Philosopher’s” pamphlet that Liza shares with her, she decides she needs to sign him for Millenial. Since he is off-the-grid and has no email address, Liza says she can use the clues in his writing to drive up and find his house. Like a stalker. And, despite the Hudson Valley being a huge place, Liza miraculously does find Sebastian’s farm. Turns out that he, of course, has already written a full memoir. By hand. Can he be more hipster-farmer? Side note: how can I get one of those fluffy sheep for a pet?

Sebastian comes into the office (for someone who claimed he didn’t want to be famous, he sure is easily swayed to get his manuscript published), and Liza takes him out to dinner after (“You can totally re-inevnt your life on a whim”, Sebastian tells Liza about leaving the city and moving upstate. You could almost see Liza’s panties drop as she gazed at him when he said those magic words “re-invent your life”). After some subtle prodding about his relationship status (single), there is a brief and awkward run-in with Josh…and Greta! Boo-hiss. I hoped Josh would have enough sense to rebound with someone a little less prissy and witchy.

When Liza and Maggie talk about the evening the next morning over coffee, Maggie gives Liza some good advice: “Don’t let your pilot light go out again”. As usual, Maggie has some pretty solid advice. Go get that shepherd, Liza!

At work, Diana sends Liza after Sebastian to sign the final set of contracts. I guess it’s time for Liza to take Maggie’s advice and turn it into action. Before Sebastian signs the contract, Sebastian kisses her. Then, Liza kisses him. Her phone buzzes with a text from Diana, demanding Liza get back to the office. Um, how is Liza supposed to get back right away? It’s at least a several hour drive back to the city. Smh. Sebastian has the right idea: he tells Liza to throw her cell phone away. Liza just laughs and prepares to leave. You know whose advice she should take now? Sebastian’s. I mean, girl. If I were in the middle of kissing a hot, gentle, smart shepherd, I would ignore that phone until I was finished with business! As Liza drives away, she notices that in the heat of the moment, she totally forgot to have Sebastian sign the papers so she turns the car around and goes back. He’s not answering his door so she goes out back to the barn where all the sheep are congregated. She calls out, but gets no reply so she walks into the barn, and then the worst thing happens. Sebastian is getting it on with one of his sheep. Yep, you read that right. ONE OF HIS SHEEP. Apparently all those times he told Liza he wasn’t lonely, it was because he was keeping company with some furry, fluffy lady sheep. So many conflicting feelings. I can’t believe he would do that! I also can’t believe he wouldn’t hear her calling out his name several times. Even if his sheep are bleating something fierce, he would have heard her and at least pulled his pants up in time. *Shudder*

And, because you can’t really recover from seeing something like that, the episode ends with Thad officially changing his relationship status to engaged. Hearts and love abound…at least for now.

 

Highlights: 

“She hasn’t even put the ring up on Instagram.” -Lauren on Kelsey’s engagement. So true–that engagement isn’t official until it’s social media official.

“He writes like a hipster-Thoreau.” -Liza on Sebatian. So, he writes about nature pretentiously??

“The last time someone handed me a pamphlet with that look in their eye, it was a Jehovah’s Witness on the subway.” -Kelsey to Liza abotu Sebastian’s pamphlet

“Congratulations on your starter marriage….Relax, it’s just a joke.” -Diana to Kelsey. You know Diana is thinking ‘not really’. My love for Diana only grows.

“At night, the stars and the moon keep me company.” (Sebastian) “What about when it’s cloudy?” (Liza) “Oh, I knit.” (Sebastian) Liza’s face after that statement is priceless.

“You haven’t told your parents we’re engaged yet?!” (Kelsey) “They’re still out of town.” (Thad) “Then, my vagina is out of town!” (Kelsey) “[fumbling] Is your mouth also out of town?!” (Thad) Yet another ridiculous comment from Thad that is too good not to have as a highlight.

Photo Credit: TV Land