Adults (FX)
Gen Z gets their 'Girls'—sort of
What is it? A twenty-something ensemble comedy centering on codependent housemates navigating adulthood together despite their flaws.
Who it’s for? Fans of chaotic friend-group comedies like Friends or Girls, Gen Z viewers, comedy lovers, people looking for short and bingeable shows, if you like to support new voices on TV
Who should avoid? Those expecting depth, Boomers or Gen X-ers that hate TikTok humor, viewers who prefer plot-heavy shows, if you’re turned off by cringe comedy, if you’re looking for established stars
Watch if you like: Girls, Broad City, Search Party, The Other Two
Schmear’s Verdict: A sharp, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud debut that captures Gen Z angst with TikTok-native wit and ensemble charm, even if it’s more zany than deep.
Adults is a series I felt predisposed to dislike. It’s Gen Z's answer to Girls or Friends—everyone on top of each other, early-to-mid 20s, trying to thrive and survive in New York City. It comes from Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, who became famous for a viral graduation speech. I wanted to support this just knowing it's made by sub-30-year-old creators, which is rare right now, when gerontocracy is the name of the day in Hollywood.
And sure enough, their front-and-center involvement—plus the guidance of seasoned veteran producers like Nick Kroll and Stefani Robinson—leads to a series that’s really funny and fresh, with a rat-a-tat energy and amazing cast chemistry. If you're expecting this to be Girls, it doesn't reach the level of nuance and pathos of Lena Dunham’s writing. But what it does succeed at is being very zany and original. It touches on the social and relationship issues plaguing young people today, but it does so with humor, having the characters laugh through the pain together.
The cast is a marvel. These people may be new to the small screen, but they’re already established on the even smaller screen—TikTok. Performers like Owen Thiele and Jack Innanen, among others, came up making comedy videos, so it's pretty cool to see them come into themselves as actors on the show. Kronengold and Shaw said they progressively let more and more of the actors’ true selves peek through their characters, and it’s thrilling and uproarious to see. How fast the cast chemistry clicked made me race through the episodes and got me excited for what Adults does next.
Because of the critical reception and what I imagine is a cheap budget (the only established star is Daredevil’s Charlie Cox, in a really funny arc as a teacher love interest), I have the sense Adults will be renewed. Aside from a pilot that's a little shaky, Adults finds its footing quickly. These are bite-sized, 20-minute, joke-per-second episodes, and by season’s end, I was ready for more.
