Sharon Horgan knows how to make complicated relationships and deeply flawed characters appear both painfully real and incredibly funny. She seems to be doing that again in her newest HBO show, Youth. Unlike the title, which suggests a woman in her 20s struggling with romance and career, the show pans the camera toward a 50-year-old who has quite a lot going on in her life. 

A divorcee, Alex balances her life as a literary agent while caring for her old and ailing parents and also being present for her son, Ruari, played by Aran Murphy. But when the main protagonist suddenly feels that she has only 10 years until her old self arrives, as she describes, and begins to seek love, Alex begins to face bizarre hurdles. If anything, the first episode quickly gives a glimpse of the bumpy road ahead for Alex, where she makes an attempt to put herself first by going out for a date. 

The first episode of HBO's Youth begins with Alex, played by Sharon Horgan, lying on her couch while watching TikTok videos when the phone rings and she drops it on her mouth, leaving a bruise and a small cut. However, the main protagonist, who is a literary agent, has no time to spare and rushes off to work to meet a new writer. Although work for Alex should be easy, considering she is working for Sam, played by Sharlene Whyte, who also happens to be her best friend, it does not seem as easy as it sounds.

And that is hinted at during Alex’s conversation with Sam and the author, Damian, who is obsessed with another writer, Stephen Fry, and interested in writing a book about Dog Meat. While Alex and Sam try to explain to the author to reconsider and explore writing children's books, Alex is suddenly unable to speak, with her jaw locked, causing chaos in the office. After a visit to the clinic, she is told the harsh truth of middle age, as her doctor informs her that she has an arthritic condition in her lower jaw.

The doctor suggests that she should not participate in any intense oral activity with her partner (if she has any) for a few weeks, which further disappoints her. Later, Alex talks to Sam and argues that she must find love and enjoy s** before the twilight life starts. She does not get much time to sit with her disappointment as she heads for her son Ruari’s graduation ceremony.

However much to her dismay, she meets her former author, Malcolm, during the ceremony, who tries to gloat, having self-published his book Goblin's Seed after Alex rejected it. Meanwhile, Ruari’s father, Lorcan, and his partner, Theresa, also arrived at the ceremony. But what shocks Alex is Ruari’s sudden behavior at the graduation ceremony when he takes the microphone and does a little protest before being dragged down by teachers and guards.

After the graduation ceremony, Alex and Ruari are joined by her parents and Lorcan and his partner for dinner. While she questioned Ruari about his behavior, her son did not give her a proper answer. Even amid the tension with Ruari, Lorcan and his partner decide to reveal that he has been cast in a new spaceship show and will move to Canada to film.

This further frustrates Alex, who continues to crack jokes about the entire situation. However, tension escalates when Ruari sees his friends and suddenly grabs the food with his bare hands to eat. The situation only worsens when Alex’s jaw locks again. 

'Youth' on HBO: Cast, Plot, Release Date, and Everything You Need to Know About the Latest Comedy

Later, Alex joined Sam to visit their friend Frank at his bar and met his ex, Patrick, played by Rupert Friend. While they appear to be happy to meet their old friend, Alex gets upset over watching Patrick hanging out with a much younger female friend. But she appears to feel a familiar feeling about meeting her old flame. Later, when Sam urged her to go on a date with a man named Michael, she agreed in hopes of finding love.

Later in the episode, Alex sends her son Ruari off to Kent University and spends her time cleaning his room. She cries, practices yoga, and prepares for a new chapter in her life. However, the first date disappoints her when he watches Michael, a much older 67-year-old man with a loose chin.

Regardless, the two get together at Michael's house and share an intimate moment before she breaks down over her condition with in her lower jaw and troubles in life. But after Alex returns to her London apartment slightly drunk, she has a visitor who is none other than Patrick. Turns out she texted Patrick with a wrong spelling of horny.

And after admitting that there had indeed been an instant spark when they first met and that they both felt the same, they shared a kiss and hooked up. However, even though Alex has successfully stepped into a new chapter of her life, she misses her son and goes to his room, only to be shocked to see that her son has returned home from university. When Patrick finds Ruari and Alex arguing, the teen cuts off the conversation and asks both of them to leave his room.

After a chaotic introduction to Alex’s life, the episode ends on a quiet note as Ruari simply returns and sleeps next to his mother. Understandably, the next episode awaits more excitement and chaos for Alex. But just as the show's creator, Sharon Horgan, does best, the first episode was a brilliant portrayal of someone in their 50s, which is both chaotic and funny.

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What do you think about Youth Episode 1? Let us know in the comments.