Younger Recap: Beware The Wrath of The Sky

At the beginning of “Secrets & Liza,” Liza is still reeling from the evidence that Thad is cheating on Kelsey, and as she shows the video to Maggie, the reality that she must tell her bestie hits her even harder. She’s tired of all the secrets. Which is also why she’s going to tell Caitlin the truth about her job. Maggie, on the other hand, thinks Liza needs to lay off the truth-telling campaign.

At work, everyone (especially Charles) is flustered by the arrival of author Edward L.L. Moore and the latest book in his series, “Crown of Kings” (Empirical’s most profitable franchise). The new book means a huge launch—complete with costumed characters from the book who will take over Times Square.

When Moore, a creepy old guy with a love for the ladies, spots Liza, he announces that she will play his heroine. (Especially after several actresses were unable to deliver the character’s dramatic catchphrase, “Beware the wrath of the sky!”) Later, over dinner with Diana and Charles, Moore tells Liza he will disclose the end of his series only to her. “But if I tell you, I’ll have to eat you.”

Not at all creepy.

The next day, Thad begins his text assault on Liza. He wants to see her immediately to discuss the video of his bathroom sexcapades. Liza tells him she won’t deal, and if he doesn’t tell Kelsey about his infidelity, she will.

But there’s more royal drama at the office. Liza’s costume has been sent to Brooklyn, and she books it home to retrieve it. Just as she does, Thad arrives to confront her about the video but runs into Kelsey. Surprised to see him, she prods a reason for his sudden visit and he lies to say he and Liza were going to talk honeymoon ideas. She tells him that Liza is headed for Brooklyn, and he takes off to find her.

However, Liza’s costume took a wrong (right?) turn and was sent back to the office. She doubles back to find it and misses a second attempted visit from Thad, who arrives on her doorstep just in time to bump into Caitlin. Clueless as to her mom’s double life, Caitlin explains that she’s Liza’s daughter. When she sees the baffled look on Thad’s face she adds, “Oh God, please don’t tell me you’re her new boyfriend.”

Fair point, Caitlin.

Armed with his leverage, Thad uses a friend’s password to log on to the Dartmouth alumni account, where he confirms that Liza graduated in 1996. She’s not 26, she’s 40.

In Brooklyn, Caitlin complains to Maggie that her mom works too much, and when Liza’s best friend tells her that she doesn’t need to know the details of her mom’s work life, she just needs to know everything she does is for her little girl, Caitlin gets a case of the guilties. Using her mom’s iPad, she tracks her phone to Times Square…

…Where Liza is (barely) dressed in her Princess Pam Pam costume: A fur bikini. When Charles sees how far Liza is going for the book launch—and Empirical—he thanks her profusely.

The launch is a success, but Caitlin arrives too late to see the scope of the event. She finds her mom in a fur bikini, posing for photos with fans who remind her to “beware the wrath of the sky,” and assumes she’s making ends meet as costumed character in Times Square. Again, Liza receives thanks for her hard work, this time from her grateful daughter.

When the lecherous author invites his princess to meet up at his hotel, it’s Charles who saves the day and gets Liza out of his clutches. Over a drink, he confides to Liza that he hates resting all the success of Empirical on this man, but that without the franchise the company may not stay afloat. Liza asks Charles what he would do if he was no longer head of his company and before he can answer (which he seems to want very badly to do), her phone dings.

It’s a text from Thad: A photo of Liza graduating Dartmouth in 1996, accompanied by the message, “Ready to talk now??”

The next day, Liza meets up with Thad who is on a whole new level of scumbag. As she walks up he sneers, “You look like you’ve aged 14 years since the last time I saw you.”

He tells Liza to delete the video, attend his wedding as a bridesmaid and, as long as she keeps him happy, she can keep her job. When Liza asks what keeping him happy entails, he says he hasn’t figured it out yet. Ever the dedicated friend, Liza tells him that he can do what he needs to do, but she’s showing Kelsey the video. “She deserves to know what kind of person she’s going to be spending the rest of her life with.”

As she turns to walk away, Thad grabs her arm. “This isn’t over,” he tells her.

“Oh yes it is,” she says. And as she breaks free of his grasp and storms away, a loud sound erupts from the heavens. A metal beam falls from the construction site above and lands directly on Thad, presumably killing him.

It’s a not so gentle reminder to beware the wrath of the sky.