Many have described FX Production’s hit series “Adults” as the “Friends” of Gen-Z, but as I see it, “Adults” is unique in that it dares to stray away from a white, heteronormative narrative of young adulthood. It features a diverse friend group of imperfect, yet well-meaning friends, navigating their 20s in New York City through silly misadventures and complicated relationship dynamics. My friends and I see ourselves in the friend group’s college pamphlet ready ethnic diversity and chaotic queer dating lives, as the show captures Gen-Z in a way that feels natural and relatable, unlike other new shows that are clearly written by boomers.
Season two of “Adults” was released on Hulu and Disney+ on Aug. 27, developing the story with silly yet down-to-earth plotlines and anticipated shifts in character dynamics. “Adults” spotlights Samir, who lives with the rest of the crew in his childhood home, Billie, his pretty childhood best friend, Anton, his flamboyant college roommate, Issa, a fierce, passionate gal rocking a bob, and Paul Baker, a “golden retriever” Canadian boyfriend.
Season 1 ended with Paul Baker marrying Anton for American citizenship, with support from his girlfriend Issa. In the new season, Anton and Paul Baker’s homoerotic friendship developed, giving fans exactly what many had hoped for.
In addition to season 2, “Adults” broke boundaries by releasing a new prequel episode for season one, “Marathon Day,” after the original pilot turned away many viewers due to its opening scene’s extreme, raunchy humor. The new pilot introduces how the friends meet with the goal of being a more tasteful introduction to the show. However, when interviewed about the change, directors note that the show is not straying from its loud, out-of-pocket humor, rather it is hoping to engage more viewership with a friendlier first impression.
Season 2 matures the characters through wacky plotlines, like trying to shoo a raccoon out of the house before a drug trip kicks in and an entire episode where Anton frantically scrambles to normalize the C-word in his workplace after accidentally code-switching to his friend-group humor, a classic intergenerational misunderstanding that young audiences relate to. Season 2, episode 1, “The Scrub,” shows the friends’ attempts to “scrub” their problematic social media history from their tween and teen years on the internet, once again making a humor of an experience fairly new to my generation.
The campy satirical humor and aesthetic of “Adults” would likely appeal to fans of “I Love LA,” “Overcompensating” and “But I’m a cheerleader.” Though Gen Z is certainly the target audience, the light-hearted storylines and short-and-sweet episodes welcome all viewers, like my 56-year-old suburban father who remarked, “funny is funny, no matter who it’s made for.”
The end of the season’s last episode, “Vote for Paul Baker,” left me literally standing with my hands over my head as if I was watching an intense football game. My friends laughed at my expense, but my reaction was totally appropriate for the plot twist. Although FX has not officially renewed “Adults,” I hope with all of the intensity of Paul Baker’s secret second friend group that my friends and I will continue to see ourselves reflected on-screen through “Adults.”
Leave a Reply