At 50, Alex is learning that a successful career doesn’t necessarily make middle age—or her personal life—any easier to navigate.
Episode 4 of HBO Max's Youth, “Michael Man,” continues to balance sharp comedy with the uncomfortable realities of Alex’s life as she tries to keep her career, relationships, and family from completely falling apart. Sharon Horgan remains fantastic at finding the humor in Alex's increasingly awkward situations, even when you can't help but cringe along with her.
Fresh off the Frankfurt Book Fair, Alex is immediately thrown into another professional headache when her business partner Sam asks her to win back Malcolm Hammond, a creepy self-published romantasy author being aggressively pursued by competing literary agencies. Alex is forced to endure a series of increasingly uncomfortable interactions to keep him from jumping ship, creating some of the episode's funniest moments.
Her personal life isn't going much better. Alex is still hung up on Patrick, so seeing him with a much younger girlfriend, Cara, sends her spiraling. Their awkward encounter on the street is classic Alex, especially when she desperately invents an excuse about looking for a pizza place before making her escape.
Then there's Michael.
While trying to delete Sam's text containing Michael's number, Alex accidentally calls him. Michael, whom she went on a date with earlier in the season, reveals that his mother has recently died and that he's trying to make more of his life after her final advice to live every day like it's his last. Alex sees an opportunity for something completely different from the emotional chaos surrounding Patrick.
The problem is that Alex isn't necessarily ready for something simple.
Her relationship with Michael quickly brings out some of her worst tendencies, but that's also where the show's humor works best. Alex isn't exactly sure what she wants, and watching her try to convince herself that a stable relationship is what she needs creates plenty of awkward—and occasionally painful—moments.
Meanwhile, Alex's son Ruari is dealing with his own uncertainty after dropping out of university. He takes a temporary job at Frank's bar and, rather than turning to his mother, seeks advice from Michael. That adds an interesting layer to their relationship, especially as Ruari struggles with his own ideas about masculinity and the things he's going through.
What continues to work about Youth is that it doesn't make Alex's problems feel particularly glamorous. She's successful, but she's also insecure, impulsive, lonely, and capable of making some spectacularly awkward decisions. Horgan understands how to make those flaws funny without making Alex difficult to root for.
Michael Man” may not be the season’s most eventful episode, but it deepens the characters while delivering plenty of uncomfortable laughs. Alex believes she may have found a safer alternative to Patrick, but knowing her, things are unlikely to remain simple for long. Sharon Horgan’s ability to make Alex flawed, funny, and sympathetic remains the show’s greatest strength. Overall, I give the episode an 8/10.
What did you think of this week's episode of Youth? Leave a comment.
You can catch Youth Sundays on HBO and streaming on HBO Max.
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