There’s a scene that comes later on in the first season of the critically-acclaimed HBO series Youth in which the show’s star, Alex (played by series creator and writer/actress Sharon Horgan), lies in bed with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Patrick (Rupert Friend). The moment is intimate, the moment is sweet, but most notably, it’s real: As the pair cuddle in bed, Patrick picks away at the residue left behind by Alex’s menopausal hormone therapy patch. “There is no finer symptom of love than the picking off of dried-in estrogen patch glue,” he murmurs, a midlife declaration of love.
Why I Can’t Stop Talking about Sharon Horgan’s Messy, Sexy and Smart HBO Show
It has a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes
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Published Nov 11, 2026
HBO
HBO
It’s these tiny details that have made the first season of the comedy-drama Youth appointment TV for me. (Yes, like most HBO series, episodes drop on a weekly basis.) Lucky you: Given that season one only just wrapped, this means you can binge every 30-ish minute episode in all its glory. And trust me, this is a series that’s so messy, sexy and smart, you will find it impossible to stop once you start.
The show follows Alex, a 50-year-old divorced literary agent who is navigating the complicated realities of midlife, friendship, dating and aging, all while parenting a son (Aran Murphy) who’s just graduated from high school and was supposed to be off to college. Add to that the fact that she still has to have regular interactions with her idiot of an ex-husband (Owen McDonnell), she’s vying for a promotion at work and she’s caring for her aging parents, too. (It’s OK to dial your booty call for help with your dad’s dementia, right?).
HBO
Still, a series that has the potential to be formulaic or rely heavily on clichés has turned out to be anything but, thanks to Horgan’s humor, emotional maturity—and immaturity at all the right moments—not to mention her raw reactions to the things life tends to throw at us once we reach a certain age. Our third act was supposed to be easier? Or so Alex thought.
As a woman who is also on the fast track to midlife, I found myself loving the depth of Alex’s relationship with her boss and friend, Sam (played by Sharlene Whyte). Also, the push-pull of wanting her kid to spread his wings, but also provide him with a soft cushion to land as he makes mistakes. (There’s a scene where he is officially college-bound and Alex is waving him off only to, moments later, find herself chasing after his car. She stops herself, then starts up again, offering a heartfelt moment that is also full of awkwardness. After all, there’s freedom on the other side of his departure, but it’s also hard? Horgan nails the complex emotions of the scene.)
HBO
Still, it’s Alex’s relationship with Patrick (dubbed ex-Pat in her phone) that speaks to the less-pressured, but continuously complicated nature of dating when you’re older and wiser than your younger years. “I’ve got 10 years left as a sexual person, tops,” she tells her boss/friend, Sam. “I need someone to fall in love with me now so there’s a bit of time left with this me before old me is like, ‘I’m here now.’” (Her efforts to put herself out there—such as when she allows Sam to set her up with a man who turns out to be significantly older than her—are sincere yet comical; so is her inability to resist the charming and boyishly handsome Patrick.)
For fans of Horgan—she was fantastic in Catastrophe on Amazon Prime, also Bad Sisters on Apple Plus—it’s a bold claim to make, but this series might be her best one yet. (Don’t just take it from me, trust the Rotten Tomatoes rating of 94 percent; also the fact that the show just got picked up for a second season—woo!)
The reason? I’d say it comes down to her authenticity and ability to write in the wobbly bits of life that—in actuality—come with a great deal of humor, too. (Case in point: The UTI Alex finds herself navigating while at the same time she’s being honored for a pinnacle professional achievement. Truly, if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.)
My advice: Make this show a priority. You’ll come away feeling seen, understood and ready to declare your love for Sharon Horgan over and over again.
