Love Triangles
‘Younger’: Who Was Better for Liza? Pros & Cons of Josh vs. Charles
Love triangles are abundant on TV. The love triangle between Liza Miller (Sutton Foster), Josh (Nico Tortorella), and Charles Brooks (Peter Hermann) in Younger was a particularly engaging one, thanks to its age-gap relationships, career differences, and the long-term life goals of this trio.
As Liza navigated a second chance at life and love by lying about her age to return to her career in publishing, audiences watched her torn between two very different men. There was Josh, the free-spirited tattoo artist who represented youth, passion, and reinvention, and Charles, the successful publisher who offered stability, intelligence, and a mature partnership.
Both relationships brought out distinct sides of Liza, forcing her to question what she truly wanted across Younger‘s seven seasons on TV Land (the series is available to stream now on Netflix). Younger ended in June 2021. Years after its conclusion, fans still debate who was a better match for Liza. The series had its own take by subtly alluding to a Liza and Josh reunion in the series finale’s last moments.
Here, we’re breaking down the pros and cons of both men and making the case for who really deserved to be Liza’s endgame.
Pros: Josh
1. Josh is free-spirited.
Because Josh was younger than Liza, having about a 14-year age gap between them, he had more of a fun energy to him and didn’t take anything too seriously. This complemented Liza’s new life well, since she wanted to embrace new things that she didn’t get to experience in her 20s.
2. Josh is supportive of Liza’s ambitions.
Throughout the show, Josh constantly supported Liza when it came to her job at the publishing house, Empirical. He never tried to put her down or overshadow her success when it came to her dream job. He showed up for her and happily participated as her plus-one at fancy galas and parties.
3. Their relationship constantly evolved.
Josh and Liza went through so much during their time together, including Josh finding out Liza’s real age, but the two always found their way back to each other because of their chemistry and understanding of one another. Challenges only made their relationship stronger, showing their ability to communicate and resolve conflict.
Cons: Josh
1. The big age gap.
While neither of them disliked their age gap, being so far apart in age did create more obstacles than they would’ve liked. When looking into their relationship long-term, Liza was conflicted because they wanted different things. Josh wanted to start a family, while Liza already had and wanted a more simple life down the line. This was a repeated issue for the pair.
2. Josh had a child with another woman.
In the beginning of Season 6, Josh’s ex-girlfriend, Clare (Phoebe Dynevor), gave birth to their baby girl, and the two decided to coparent together. As much as Liza loved kids, she didn’t want to help raise a child again right as she was becoming an empty nester. While it wasn’t a dealbreaker per se, this was a serious difference of desires that couldn’t be ignored.
3. Josh is not as mature in comparison to Charles.
Josh was more prone to act irrationally in certain situations because of his age. He leaned on his emotions and had an impulsive demeanor, which clashed with Liza’s more calm personality. He would do things without thinking, causing more conflict than she would’ve liked.
Pros: Charles
1. Charles shared Liza’s love for publishing and literature.
Liza’s passion for books and her dream to be an editor at a prestigious publishing house was always well aligned with Charles’ career in the same industry. Shared interests are an important part of any relationship, and Liza and Charles had their biggest artistic passions in common.
2. Charles is family-oriented and a devoted father.
Charles and Liza bonded over both going through divorces and having to coparent. Charles’ kids were older, unlike Josh’s, which better aligned with Liza’s vision for her future. Liza admired Charles for putting his kids first, balancing work and family, and raising them to be well-behaved teenagers.
3. Charles is vulnerable.
Throughout the series, we see different sides to Charles, but in the finale episode of Season 2, Charles showcases his vulnerability. In this episode, Liza quits her job at Empirical and goes to work at a mall, but Charles tracks her down to convince her to come back. He lets his guard down and shows a softer side of himself to Liza. He tells her that the company isn’t the same without her, and they need her. This shows Liza that Charles is emotionally available and not afraid to express his true feelings.
Cons: Charles
1. Charles has a more conservative personality and is less adventurous
Being older, Charles does not have that spontaneous side to him like Josh does. He’s used to his routine and likes it that way, which does not cater to when Liza wants to live a more exciting life in her 40s.
2. Charles wants to get remarried and Liza doesn’t.
One of Charles’ biggest deal breakers for Liza is that he wants to get remarried. He wants the stability and reliability that comes with marriage, and he is, overall, a traditional man. He craves the feeling of starting fresh in a new marriage with someone he deeply loves to his core, which is Liza. But Liza has the complete opposite feelings. She does not want to get remarried and does not see the point to a second marriage. Not getting married does not take away any of her love for Charles or her loyalty to him, but she’s finally settled into this new chapter and doesn’t want to lose that spark.
3. The two work together, which creates boundary issues.
A work relationship usually never goes well because of the challenges it presents. Especially since Charles has a higher ranked position than Liza, she is always going to feel below him and never his equals. The work relationship also forces Charles to keep certain secrets from her since he is the head of the company, and she is his employee.
Who is better for Liza?
After going through the pros and cons for both of Liza’s loves, we have decided that neither of them are the best choice for Liza. Both of the men have great qualities that they can bring to the table, but some of their disadvantages do not align with Liza’s new life. She wants to be free and spontaneous, but she also still wants to explore her dream career and see where it can take her. She does not want to be tied down by kids, starting a new family, or even getting remarried. Neither of these men allow her to be her true, authentic self. Liza’s best option is to choose herself, and put her romantic life on the back burner so she can fully explore this new life she has created for herself. Who knows? Maybe there’s another man out there for Liza.
