B+

Adults eventually matures into a promising hangout sitcom

FX's new series follows five co-dependent twentysomethings in New York City.

Adults eventually matures into a promising hangout sitcom

There is a lack of fun, low-stakes hangout shows on TV right now. Every decade has had prominent comedies about tight-knit friends with unhealthy boundaries who spend an irrational amount of time gabbing in a coffee shop, bar, diner, or unusually large shared living space. This brand of sitcom (which includes Living Single, Cheers, Seinfeld, Happy Endings, How I Met Your Mother, among many other shows) has always provided comfort and laughs. Yet they’re getting rarer by the day compared to the rise of auteur-driven series, “serious” comedies, and ones with buzzy hooks (like, say, solving murders by starting a podcast, or dealing with grief as therapists). So what’s the current generation’s Friends or New Girl, the kind of show in which the journey is more important than the destination? 

FX’s Adults attempts to fill this void by chronicling the ups and downs of five messy roommates in their mid-twenties who aren’t prepared to be financially or emotionally independent. The series hails from co-creators Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold, former writers at The Tonight Show who got their jobs right out of college a few years ago. So they’re well-suited to dig into a story about grown-ups who’ve finally ventured out into the real world and must figure out their identities, career ambitions, and relationships, ideally with the help of trusted pals. What’s more, Adults‘ writers’ room has scribes from previous FX gems like What We Do In The Shadows and Atlanta, and Nick Kroll is onboard as an EP. Which is all to say that this comedy has some goodwill behind it. And the result of this team-up is an entertaining and offbeat—if at times over-the-top—series. 

Adults doesn’t rise to the occasion of being the next great hangout sitcom, at least not in the six of eight half-hour episodes provided for this review. But there’s plenty of potential here, thanks to laugh-out-loud moments (like a dinner party gone wrong or a gun-store interaction) and delightful guest stars. (Daredevil‘s Charlie Cox, in particular, has a blast playing a charming professor.) Most of all, the show taps into what life is like for older Gen Zs in the current socioeconomic and political climate. Stepping into adulthood during uncertain times is awkward and a challenge for the series’ five chums, who cope with the insurance troubles and lost jobs, adjust to the gig economy, stand up for political beliefs, or generally exist in this era of overwhelming dating apps, data tracking, and social media. And the writers weave in commentary about these topics à la Broad City and Search Party (although not as seamlessly yet). 

As the show finesses its tone, some subplots get a little too ridiculous, but Adults nails the crucial ingredient any sitcom needs to be immersive: an easygoing chemistry between characters. A promising new ensemble shoulders the task of navigating Adults‘ quirkiness so that you want to spend time with the people they play. It takes only a minute into the premiere to see how unapologetically co-dependent and wacky Issa (Amita Rao), Anton (Owen Thiele), Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) are when, while traveling in the subway, they confront a man jerking off in public. In another installment, they’re mingling in their apartment bathroom, any notion of privacy be damned. This is an intense crew, but their pleasant chemistry makes it easy to connect with them. 

The big drawback for now is that not all of the characters are sketched out with equal specificity. Samir, whose parents’ vacant home in Bayside, Queens, becomes a rent-free space for everyone to reside in, struggles with securing a steady job. (“Always thought the world was going to be waiting for me. Instead, everyone’s annoyed I’m here,” he resonantly complains at one point.) But he doesn’t get other defining traits or much development. Neither does Paul Baker, who is always referred to by his full name for some reason. At least the other three actors take advantage of the meaty material they get to play with. Rao, who plays the youngest and cockiest of the lot, imbues surprising vulnerability into Issa so she’s not a stereotypical (read: annoying) 23-year-old, while Breyer and Thiele make their characters’ quarter-life crises palpable.

Adults, at its core, aims to reflect the dilemmas and joys of modern-day youth, which means this celebration of friendship is a little inherently cringeworthy. And yet, the underlying humor and heart pop up as the show presses on, making it one of the more promising irreverent sitcoms on TV right now.  

Adults premieres May 28 on FX    

 
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