If you can think of a series centered on young individuals attempting to find their footing in a bustling city and titles like Living Single, Friends, Girls, New Girl, Broad City, and Happy Endings immediately spring to mind—then Adults needs no preamble.
★★★½
In fact, the new FX hangout comedy created by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon writers Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, dives straight into action without attempting to. As soon as we see a group of vicenarians on the New York City subway complaining about their “group smell,” we understand what lies ahead.
Adults centers on a batch of aimless twenty-somethings who all reside in the childhood home of Samir (Malik Elassel), a kind-hearted slacker with a penchant for impulsivity. They form a pretty diverse group. Billie (Lucy Freyer) is a neurotic overachiever who is currently struggling to find her way, while Issa (Amita Rao) is talkative, unduly concupiscent and has an inflated sense of self-worth. Anton (Owen Thiele) possesses a rare charm that enables him to effortlessly build new friendships no matter where his travels take him. However, despite his sociable nature, he often finds himself reluctant to pursue deeper connections with others. Eventually, Issa’s sexually fluid boyfriend from Canada, Paul Baker—who is always referred to by his full name—(Jack Innanen) moves in. There are no boundaries among them; even using the bathroom isn’t strictly a private affair and each episode delves into the incessant nuances of adult life, showcasing the characters as they face numerous ups and downs, all while providing support to one another along the way.
But what truly makes the series shine is its clever use of the roommates’ quirks for comedic effect. The group finds out that Anton—who tends to collect phone numbers from everyone he meets—might have unwittingly befriended a local stabber. Samir thinks that the most effective way to get rid of an unwanted gun is to casually present it to strangers, while Billie struggles to win over an older boyfriend’s friends with her youthful, 24-year-old sense of humor.
Adults, similar to Billie, embodies the spirit of being 24, at least how I picture myself in the near future, navigating through poor guidance to discover the outcome rather than choosing a more sensible path. The show is bursting with optimism yet somewhat disorganized. The group’s conversations resemble a chaotic exchange, bouncing between lighthearted jabs and intriguing phrases like “Mindwipe?” whenever someone reveals something personal that they wish the group will quickly forget, and nods to the early 2000s (“Remember Tech Decks?”). As the characters dig into their identities, Adults grows even more remarkable. Its episodic narratives become progressively cohesive and interlinked. This causes them to exhibit their appeal and group dynamics, especially after some particular cringey moments. Surprisingly, there’s truly nothing like watching their use of physicality throughout the show. It creates a sense that they have been friends for a very long time, leaving viewers excited to see what wild situations they will face next since the show never romanticizes conflict or contest. And identifying a standout character is quite difficult, as the title ‘favorite’ seems to shift for the spectacle’s duration, moving from Rao to Elassal, then to Thiele, and finally to Freyer and Jack Innanen.
However, what I also found about Adults is that the series doesn’t bother trying to invent something completely new. Instead, it feels as if the ensemble comedy picked up the traditional sitcom formula—a quite familiar pattern that audiences have grown up with—and smashed a few pieces off before courageously watching them burn and spin like a Beyblade. This reckless approach isn’t a flaw, though. It’s what keeps the show fresh and alive, never feeling too safe or predictable. The show refuses to prioritize tidy narratives or characters who ultimately “figure everything out” and neatly wrap the entirety in a bow. Adults smartly celebrates the disorder of uncertainty, acknowledging minor failures, and still being accepted by those around you.
The Verdict
Almost everyone in the world knows that a key characteristic of an outstanding TV show is its capacity to evolve and heighten throughout a season. Beloved series like The Office, Bojack Horseman, and Seinfeld took time to establish their groove. In the same vein, Adults reflects its characters. It lives and learns from itself and ends up as a delightful series with a coruscating cast. While I can’t predict whether Adults will reach the iconic status of its predecessors, it undoubtedly captures the essence of its genre, and like real adults, the show just requires a little more time to mature into something great.
The first two episodes of Adults premiered on FX at 9 p.m. ET on May 28, with the entire eight-episode season streaming on Hulu/Disney+ the next day.
Words by Qourry Kaia
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I wasn’t even aware of this show until now. Thank you for the coverage and raw truth here, Qourry.
No problem Tay!