Truthfully, recently I’ve found myself extremely overwhelmed by streaming services with so many options available. I find it extremely hard to stay focused enough to actually finish a full show. Recently I started hearing glowing reviews of a show on Hulu named “Adults”. So many people online began saying it was one of the best shows of the year. At first, this made me skeptical because that’s what was said about “Tell Me Lies,” and I honestly couldn’t get past episode three. I know it’s a controversial opinion; I just couldn’t get interested in the plot. Despite my skepticism, I still gave “Adults” a chance, and let me say, I was not disappointed. It’s been a while since a show truly captivated my undivided attention the way this show did. I will admit I have a minor toxic trait: every time I eat, I like to have a show on (I am an iPad kid). Some of my favorite shows to watch while eating include “Sex and the City,” “American Horror Story,” and you can never go wrong with a true crime documentary; however, when I started “Adults” I traded all these shows for it. I was truly captivated in a way I haven’t been in a while.
Identified Myself
I, despite not being in my mid-20s or living in New York rent-free, saw pieces of myself within the characters. I mainly identified with Billy and her fear of growing up and seeking that validation she was used to getting in high school. Billy represents those overachievers who now feel burnt out, and when things fail, they feel like a failure.
SPOILER ALERT: When Billy dates “Mr. Teacher,” she does it seeking the validation he gives her. He still sees her as the bright young student rather than the failure she feels, being flooded with debt and dealing with unemployment. In high school, she was that straight-A student, editor-in-chief of her journalism club for 3 years, and even won the state debate championship. Dating Mr. Teacher made her return to that girl she once was.
Billy perfectly represents that fear of failing we all feel at some point in our lives. I’ve heard some mixed reviews about her character, calling her cringe and awkward, but truthfully, aren’t we all cringe at some point? She’s just a scared girl. Despite the fact that I specifically identified with her character, some of the other characters also have relatable personalities and quirks.
Friendship
The friendship shared within the characters is a bond that many wish they had. The closeness and trust they have in each other is something quite heartwarming to see. Despite their mistakes, they all still support each other even when they probably shouldn’t.
What I most admired about their friendship was the idea of a “mind wipe,” as referred to in the show. The mind wipe is used when a character is telling another character a deep secret and they want them to forget about it after they say it. It’s kind of a beautiful thing knowing you can tell someone anything and they won’t repeat it or make you feel terrible for saying it. “Adults” depicts what a true friendship should look like.
There was however, something I hated about the show. I hated how short the episodes were and how there were only eight episodes in each season. Who decided it was a good idea that every show now only has a few episodes? We need to bring back shows with 20+ episodes. I’m exhausted by these eight to ten episodes per season.