Ep 12. The Old Ma'am and the C

The Old Ma'am and the C is the twelfth episode of the first season of the TV Land comedy-drama series Younger. The show centers around Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), a 40-year-old recently divorced woman who poses as a 26-year-old to land a job in the publishing industry.

In this episode, Liza's personal life takes a backseat as she focuses on her career. She is tasked with wooing a renowned author to sign with the publishing company where she works. Liza is initially excited about the opportunity but quickly realizes that the author, Belinda Lacroix (played by Kathy Najimy), is not interested in signing with a publishing house. Belinda is a self-proclaimed feminist who has opted to publish her latest book through an online blog, much to the dismay of Liza's boss.

Meanwhile, Liza's friend and roommate, Maggie (Debi Mazar), is in a bit of a rut. She's a successful artist but hasn't sold anything in a while. After attending a pottery class with Liza, Maggie gets the idea to start creating pottery and selling it online. She enlists the help of Liza's on-again, off-again boyfriend Josh (Nico Tortorella) to help her set up a website and take photographs of her work.

Back at the office, Liza is struggling to convince Belinda to sign with the publishing house. She decides to play up her "millennial" status to relate to Belinda and her feminist ideals. However, Liza's boss Diana (Miriam Shor) catches wind of her tactics and accuses her of throwing the company's reputation under the bus to impress an author. This puts Liza's job in jeopardy.

To add to her stress, Liza also has to navigate her complicated relationship with her boss Charles (Peter Hermann). They have undeniable chemistry but Charles is married, and Liza is still hiding her true identity from him. Liza's feelings for Charles are clear, but she is hesitant to act on them because of his marital status.

The Old Ma'am and the C is a pivotal episode in the first season of Younger. It showcases Liza's growth as a character as she learns to navigate the traits of her millennial persona without sacrificing her integrity. It also sets the stage for the rest of the series, where Liza must continue to balance her personal and professional lives while keeping her true identity a secret. The episode is full of laughs and heartwarming moments, making it a standout in an already excellent first season.