In a streaming culture where shows can get cancelled on a whim, it often feels like it isn’t worth the commitment of trying a new show. After all, why give a shorter, less popular show a chance when there are plenty of lengthy 2000s classics at your fingertips? For sitcom fans especially, it feels safer to stick with a six season show, from years ago, as opposed to newer releases with falling numbers. While this approach makes sense, there is an untapped gold mine of future classics that are facing the chopping block. Fan favorite shows like New Girl and How I Met Your Mother would have never had a chance without steady viewership, and while there are few shows that currently match their comedic flair, the frontrunner for this category is Adults. Released on Hulu in May 2025, the risque sitcom follows a group of five friends living together in Queens, New York. The series details the ups and downs of life in your twenties, and with only two seasons to date, it’s already receiving lots of love.
It’s Actually Funny
Oftentimes, with shows targeted at Gen Z, the writers have little understanding of young adult humor. With outdated slang and outlandish references, streaming shows often alienate their audiences with their attempts to bridge the gap. From the pilot onwards, it is clear that Adults has a vivid understanding of their demographic. Situations that the core five find themselves in feel relatable, whether it’s cleansing their digital history for a job interview, or supporting a friend that wants to start a music career on Instagram. While some characters have more second-hand embarrassment inducing moments than others, even the awkward moments can be laugh-out-loud funny. As my roommates can attest, Adults had me dying with laughter, sometimes needing to cover my mouth at odd hours in the night. Without giving away too many important details, the fourth episode of the second season may be one of the most hilarious television episodes I’ve seen in a long time.
Zero Sugarcoating
Sitcoms based in New York are nothing if not idealistic. Shows like Friends and Sex and The City painted a perfect picture of what life in the greatest city in the world could be: having your dream career, a local spot, and meaningful relationships. While these classics center a dream lifestyle, Adults is grounded in brutal reality. Members of the friend group are constantly losing their jobs, getting into awkward situations, and experiencing romantic failures. Billie Schaeffer, the most Carrie Bradshaw out of the whole crew, is unemployed and struggling for most of the series. Paul Baker, the friend group’s resident hottie, is an immigrant who is forced to get married to one of his friends to stay in the country. Moreover, the group is almost never hanging out at local dives or trendy places in the city. The series centers their everyday life and their odd jobs, instead.
Fluidity
One of the most remarkable things about Adults is how open the characters are with their sexuality. Although only one character explicitly identifies as sexually fluid, almost every main character has a moment of experimentation throughout the two seasons. Additionally, Adults is unique in its treatment of queer romance, with the main focus being a slow burn between two male main characters. Owen Thiele, who plays a half in this pairing, commented to Gay Times on how much this representation means to him, “It’s rare for a queer Black man to be lead with an emotional arc and a love interest…all the things a white girl gets to have.” The impact of Adults choosing to sideline their heterosexual pairing in favor of an often diminished kind of love has been monumental to fans. His character’s love story is beloved, taking the internet by storm with fan edits and declarations of Anton appreciation.
real life
Tons of casts are notable for their great chemistry, but Adults takes things to a different level. In an exclusive interview, Owen Thiele, who portrays Anton, revealed that they were required to hang out in between shoots. He jokingly compared it to another FX hit, The Bear, but instead of being shipped off to culinary school they “just had to hang out”. The week that this quintet spent together in a hotel in Toronto shines through not only in their character work, but also in the real-life pictures featured in the title sequence. Featuring a graphic of the friends’ many photos from nights out, the already iconic intro is trending on social media, as users recreate it with their own friends. Additionally, the cast members have proven that although they might not actually be their characters, they are just as hysterical. Thiele, in particular, found himself going viral after his plane ride took an emergency landing in Alberquerce. An otherwise notable event, he revealed to his thousands of followers that other celebrities were also on board, causing him to worry that in the event of a real tragedy, his flight would be referred to as “Andrew Garfield and others.” Sharing pictures with his new, “airport friend group,” Thiele made headlines with his comedic approach to a frustrating event. And with Lucy Freyer’s chaotic photo dumps and Jack Innanen’s frequent appearances on sidewalk talk shows, the cast has charmed the fanbase even more.
Overall, Adults has perfected the formula for a Gen Z staple: lots of raunchy humor, heartwarming friendship, and easy to digest twenty-minute episodes. Fans have begun to enjoy the series so much that they are demanding the return of a twenty two episode order for the third season. With a renewal still up in the air, it will be exciting to see what FX plans to do with this extraordinary show.