Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
There is currently no show that captures millennial relationships — physical, digital, or emotional — as well as Freeform’s Young & Hungry. The show begins its fifth season tonight and wastes no time getting to the sexy.
The sitcom stars Emily Osment as Gabi, a chef who has both a personal and professional on/off relationship with young tech hotshot Josh (Jonathan Sadowski). The two have tried on every kind of relationship imaginable: a standard relationship together, one-night stands, not speaking to each other, harboring secret crushes on each other (both at various times, and usually at the same time), pretending to be happy for the other one’s new relationship, sabotaging said relationships, and of course channeling their sexual energy for each other into a wide spectrum of competitions against each other. And this is all while Gabi is and is not employed as Josh’s personal chef. Complicated much?
Which is what this show displays so well: the majority of this generation would probably most closely identify with “It’s Complicated” when picking their current Facebook relationship status. With no thanks to technology today, it’s harder than ever to date, let alone define what’s going on in any given personal relationship. Young & Hungry is so open and honest about this shift in dating, while being funny at the same time. It’s a crazy concept, but humans in their 20’s and 30’s are dating and hooking up and talking about it. The fact that this show addresses it so candidly is what makes it stick out in the best way.
You know when you’re sitting across from your friend and they’re on their phone and you can’t see what they’re liking or who they’re texting or what emojis are currently being traded? Y&H is like the opposite of that. The interactions on this show are like being handed a friend’s phone and being allowed to scroll at your leisure. There’s a transparency present in the Freeform series that translates as a real authenticity to viewers and keeps them coming back to see their relationships, both functional and dysfunctional, streamed back at them on-screen.
Rounding out the cast is Aimee Carrero as Gabi’s single roommate Sofia, who has her own share of mishaps (that time she was mistaken for a prostitute is a real highlight), Rex Lee as Elliot, who is navigating the waters of his same-sex marriage and taking on the plight of adoption/foster parenting, and Kym Whitley’s Yolanda, who is finding dating to be just as hard in her age group. This cast allows for a diverse group of people and their stories to be told with one thing in common: sometimes you’ve just gotta laugh at yourself. Especially when a fresh blow out and a bodycon dress means you can be mistaken for a lady of the night!
When season 5 kicks off, Josh and Gabi try another new method to best explore their feelings for each other, one that promises it’s just a matter of time (probably about 22 minutes, the runtime per episode) before this adventure blows up in their faces, but you know, in a funny way. It’s true, there are office supplies involved. And somehow, you’ll find yourself thinking, “Ok so it didn’t work for Josh and Gabi, but maybe I should try it…”
The show even manages to tackle the serious side of sex in a funny way, never shying away from addressing things such as STDs and getting tested for such, sending sexy pics and the handful of ways that could possibly go wrong, and when things in the bedroom don’t exactly…”go” according to plan. Young & Hungry has found the perfect balance of addressing real-life issues with a TV-amount of levity without being dismissive, but keeping situations entertaining without feeling like you’re watching a nightmare, or even worse, being pandered to.
Not that this show, which airs on an ABC-owned network, is all sex. The reason viewers care about who the characters are sleeping with is because they feel relatable. Their employment statuses, their friendships, and their decisions go through ups and downs, as we’ve all experienced (and been quite guilty of). They feel like you, like your roommate, or like a friend from your book club. They’re infinitely more likable (and clothed) than the characters of a show such as Girls. While you’re mostly getting a lot of heads and the tops of shoulders peeking out from the covers and the occasional piece of lingerie in the wardrobe, it’s the innuendos that fly freely and mightily throughout each episode of the show. The characters aren’t quite as frank as a Samantha, but they certainly aren’t a Charlotte either.
Even when it comes to matters of the heart, the show remains a half hour of light-hearted fun. If you’re trying to figure out what millennials are all about (whether you are one or not), watching this show is a good place to start. Not that they have all the answers, but they sure do make searching for them (and messing up along the way) seem like fun.
