Horgan stars as Alex, a 50-year-old literary agent whose son Ruari is heading off to college. His departure should give Alex the freedom to focus on herself, and she is more than ready to embrace that opportunity. She wants to date, have sex, reconnect with Patrick and rediscover the person she was before motherhood took over so much of her life. Of course, things rarely go according to plan. A painful problem with Alex’s jaw becomes an unexpected reminder that her body is aging, while her attempts to get back into the dating world provide some wonderfully uncomfortable comedy. Horgan has a knack for finding humor in situations that many viewers will recognize, and Alex’s combination of confidence, anxiety and blunt honesty makes her an instantly engaging character.
Ruari’s return home throws another complication into the mix. Alex is expecting him to begin his independent life, only to discover that something has gone badly wrong at college. He is reluctant to talk about what happened, leaving Alex to piece together the situation while trying to support her son. By the second episode, the mystery surrounding Ruari has become one of the show's most intriguing storylines.
That family drama sits alongside Alex’s increasingly chaotic professional life. Working as a literary agent gives the series plenty of opportunities for sharp observations about publishing, aging authors and the strange things that can become successful in the modern book market. Anne Reid is particularly entertaining as Charlotte Arbor, an elderly author whose latest manuscript creates problems for Alex and Sam.
The workplace scenes also give Alex somewhere to be something other than a mother. Her relationship with Sam, played by Sharlene Whyte, provides another enjoyable dynamic, with the pair balancing friendship, business and the occasional professional disaster. Rupert Friend brings a different energy as Patrick, Alex’s complicated romantic interest. There is an easy chemistry between the pair, but their relationship already comes with plenty of baggage. Alex is looking for connection at a point in her life when she has very little emotional space left, and Patrick quickly discovers that being with her means becoming part of a much bigger picture.
The second episode digs further into that tension. Alex is juggling Ruari’s problems, her mother’s declining health and the demands of work when she finds herself increasingly frustrated with Patrick. Their argument feels particularly effective because it reveals how exhausted Alex has become. She wants someone to share her life with while also carrying years of responsibility that cannot simply be put aside.
Horgan gives Alex plenty of flaws, and that is one of the character’s greatest strengths. She can be selfish, impulsive, judgmental and spectacularly inappropriate, yet there is always an emotional truth underneath her behavior. Her fear of aging is funny in some moments and surprisingly poignant in others. She wants to feel desirable and young while simultaneously being confronted by the realities of getting older.
The show also finds a clever parallel between Alex and Ruari. He is trying to work out what adulthood means for him just as Alex is trying to work out what the next stage of adulthood means for her. Both are at turning points, although they are approaching them from completely opposite ends of life.
There is a lot packed into these opening episodes, but Youth never feels weighed down by its themes. Horgan keeps the dialogue fast and funny, while the more emotional moments are allowed to land without becoming overly sentimental. The supporting cast is excellent, and the literary agency setting gives the series a distinctive backdrop for its family and relationship stories.
After two episodes, Youth already feels confident about what it wants to explore. Aging, motherhood, sex, family responsibility and the desire to start over all sit comfortably alongside some wonderfully ridiculous comedy. Alex is surrounded by people who need something from her, yet she is determined to carve out a life that belongs to her, too.
With Sharon Horgan at the center, the series has exactly the right balance of warmth, embarrassment and brutally funny observations about modern life. The first two episodes are an engaging introduction to Alex and her complicated world, with enough unanswered questions around Ruari and enough romantic uncertainty to make the next chapter particularly tempting.
Youth is off to a very promising start, and if these opening episodes are anything to go by, there is plenty of life left in this new chapter for Alex.
Youth airs Sunday nights on HBO.
