Abhiroop Das
Created by Sharon Horgan, HBO’s ‘Youth’ journeys alongside Alex, a talented literary agent who finds herself at the youth of old age as she turns 50. Divorced and emotionally distant to a fault, Alex struggles to find new relationships and rejuvenate her romantic and sexual life. However, when her son sets out for college, an opportunity for a fresh start reveals itself. There is also her on-and-off relationship with Patrick, which constantly wrestles for attention in her mind as life throws more trouble along the way. The romantic comedy series, as such, charts whether Alex can overcome her loneliness and find the human connection she truly needs as she navigates midlife dating troubles and generational conflicts all at once.
Alex Becomes a Partner Just as Ruari Secures a Date
‘Youth’ episode 7 begins with Alex Shaw at the top of her game, and for seemingly good reason. Not only is she experiencing the perfect romantic life with Pat, who moved in with her in the last episode, but she is also due for a promotion today. By the time she makes it to The Laville Agency, Sam is already there, and despite their previous agreements, she doesn’t seem too happy. The announcement speech is also a mess, as Sam keeps getting interrupted in a way that undermines her leadership. While it isn’t clear yet which direction their dynamic is headed, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Sam’s rage is slowly reaching its boiling point, and might land on her near and dear ones at any moment.
Though Alex seems to be having enough fun chatting away with Pat in her swanky new office, the arrival of a familiar face, Yafa, stirs things up. As it turns out, she’s been having quite the writer’s block for some time, and it has all but amplified her paranoia about a stalker. As Alex tries to convince her up-and-coming author that she isn’t, in fact, being followed by a stranger, she has to use her mother’s health as an excuse for her own absent-mindedness. While this does the trick, it does spur in her mind the desire to visit her parents for a while. Ruari isn’t up for this trip, though, as he seems to have gotten a date with Plum. It’s hardly a surprise given their chemistry in the previous episode, but it still makes for a uniquely quirky dynamic.
Alex Walks Out of the Relationship After a Major Discovery
While Alex heads out to visit her parents, Ruari and Plum get together at an old bar, only for her to be joined by her older brother. Though Ruari isn’t all too pleased about this, their conversations nonetheless take on a romantic turn soon enough. Upon finding the opportunity, the two even share a kiss, and all the while Alex finds her existential crises slowly catching up once again. The following day at work is no better, as Charlotte’s daughter, Livonia, arrives with the complaint that her mother hasn’t mentioned her even once across interviews. As a corrective measure, she goes so far as to demand a press conference, but Alex is able to get her to calm down by using her own experience as a sweetener.
That night, Alex, Ruari, and Pat are invited to a dinner party by Lorcan, who claims he has a big announcement to make. While Ruari agrees to go, he also has a date with Plum planned around the same time, which makes things all the more challenging. Sam and Robbie are also invited, and when everyone gets together, it doesn’t take long for their familiar troubles to come up once again. When Lorcan reveals that he and Theresa are trying for a baby, Alex instinctively confronts him, bringing up that he has been a terrible father to Ruari and that he shouldn’t try again. As the dinner swells into chaos, Ruari uses this as an excuse to make an early exit, from where he heads straight to Plum’s.
Though it doesn’t take long for things to get steamy between Ruari and Plum, he cannot seem to get an erection. Upon heading to the washroom to take a viagra pill, he is met with more bad news, as the pills take at least 30 minutes to activate. By the time he feels ready to come out, Plum is already fast asleep, and he has to make an awkward trip back home. Things end on a similar bad note for Alex, who comes back to Pat’s place, only to find a note in his kitchen containing a pros and cons list of being with Alex. While the pros are full of nice and warm stuff, the con has only a single entry: that Alex cannot give him a family of his own. Reading this breaks something inside Alex, and she chooses to walk away, leaving Pat confused as to what happened and where things might go from here.
Read More: Is Youth Based on a True Story? Is Alex Based on a Real Literary Agent?
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