Throughout the current sixth season, the age-centric Younger has emphasized the ups and downs of a millennial publisher CEO, but now that role has disappeared amid scandal, leaving characters in limbo.
Walking into the Millennial publisher’s office after losing her CEO title, Kelsey (Hilary Duff) announces to the company that she’ll become an editor with Liza (Sutton Foster) again after securing an angel investor to replace a controlling investor who dropped off over Liza’s lying-about-her-age scandal.
In the conference room, one of the publisher’s authors is presenting her book on manners for millennials. She brings up how millennials share too much of their private lives online, which Kelsey is dealing with her social media faux pas from last week, and how millennials ghost others, which Liza is dealing with by cutting her ex Josh out of her life after an unexpected promotion ad went awry.
After the author’s presentation, editor Diana (Miriam Shor) receives a bouquet of flowers from a prospective author who said she picked another publisher. Diana says she appreciates the flowers à la rejection, with the manners book in mind. At home, Liza writes a Dear John letter, an old-school alternative to ghosting, to her ex Josh (Nico Tortorella) as she focuses on her romantic relationship with Charles (Peter Hermann).
Lauren (Molly Bernard), their social media maven/publicist friend, notifies Kelsey she’s been uninvited to several literary events because of her accidental nip slip. But Lauren says a girls’ high school wants Kelsey to speak to the student body about the dangers of making mistakes in a digital world. Kelsey is not crazy about the idea since she doesn’t want to talk about the downfall.
At a meeting, current (and former) CEO Charles lets the editors know he is reviving titles that Kelsey and Liza had passed on. The books that “fell through the cracks” upsets Kelsey as she worries her decisions as the boss will be reversed under new management.
Later that night, Diana’s bachelorette party goes from the strip club to Josh’s tattoo parlor. Still biting her nails over the letter she sent to Josh, Liza worries about what will happen next. As the group wanders, Josh asks Liza why she wrote the letter. He argues with Liza about her loving Charles doesn’t mean distance for them. He accuses Liza of picking the safe choice and demands she profess more love for Charles. She does. But Josh doesn’t believe her.
Kelsey decides to speak to the high school girls about how her one mistake has endangered her career longevity. The Dear John letter bug then bites Kelsey. She starts her letter by quitting her job.
How the season started with Kelsey struggling to get her foothold as the CEO and now losing the gig shows the hardships of being a girlboss. After one scandal after another, the scandal that affects Kelsey the most is the sexist one that throws her from the helm. Now with her resgination, next week’s season finale will foreshadow what’s next for Kelsey.