Sure enough, relationship chaos and career upheavals are probably part of the package when you’re in your early twenties and still figuring out what to do with your life—and who to do it with. But the ultimate test of adulthood? Cooking a roasted chicken for a dinner party. It doesn’t seem that hard, after all; your own parents have managed it with ease and confidence for years.
Billie (Lucie Freyer) puts a lot of time and effort into this tricky mission, partly to impress her new flame Mr. Teacher (Charlie Cox), who’s older and currently in the middle of a rough divorce. But when everyone finally gathers around the golden-brown roast chicken, it’s revealed to be completely raw on the inside—and the entire evening unfolds in a cascade of misfires and mishaps.
Ethnically and Sexually Diverse
At the center of the highly entertaining dramedy “Adults” is a five-person Gen Z house share living in Samir’s parents’ home in the Queens neighborhood of New York City. Alongside Billie are Anton (Owen Thiele), who is gay, and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), who is sexually fluid, plus Issa’s (Amita Rao) new boyfriend. The group spends eight episodes wrestling with different facets of growing up—a process neatly encapsulated by the English term “adulting”: the slow, often arduous taking on of duties and responsibilities—things that many people’s parents used to handle for them, from keeping a home tidy to paying bills and dealing with health insurance, among other chores.
Weapons, Abortion, Homophobia
Beyond that, “Adults” satirizes the many quirks of Gen Z, with standout moments like a debate about what words are allowed and about homophobia, which Paul and Samir have with an older gun-shop owner from whom they’re trying to unload a rifle they found back home. Or the failed attempt to shepherd a headstrong teenager named Annabelle, who has come to New York for an abortion, and who ends up telling the duo they’re “the least interesting gays I’ve ever met.” Anton corrects her, saying Paul isn’t gay at all, but “fluid.”
Throughout the often episodic scenes, the characters do grow. For instance, a certain spark develops between Anton and Paul, even though Paul is in a relationship with Issa and Anton is trying to keep his distance after a painful breakup.
Direct link | English original trailer for the series
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Suddenly Married
In the final episode, the Canadian Paul discovers his visa won’t be renewed and he will have to leave the country. The straightforward remedy would be to marry Issa for permanent residency. But aside from a few bureaucratic hurdles, Issa has cold feet right before the ceremony at city hall, in a scene that’s chaotic in the extreme. Billie, and then even straight Samir, offer to stand in as substitutes.
In the end, though, Anton and Paul find themselves as a newly married couple back in the shared apartment and share a kiss—initially prompted and encouraged by the other three, who are surprised by the intensity of the moment. One wonders how this will affect the dynamics of the friendship-filled house and what lies ahead for the two of them. A second season has been announced for this year.
How amused Gen Z members themselves are by “Adults” is another question, because the show certainly leans into stereotypes and clichés. Yet the 26-year-old Canadian actor and comedian Jack Innanen, who plays Paul Baker, says the script hits his generation pretty accurately. “I laughed out loud the first time I read it; it felt extraordinarily real,” he told an interview. “It was the first Gen Z script where I could hear how I speak with my friends.” He didn’t need to act much at all: “Paul Baker is basically me at 22.”
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Magical Friendships
The creators of the series, Rebecca Shaw and Ben Kronengold, are barely out of their own Gen Z years and developed the script in their early twenties. Much of it draws from personal experience, and all the characters are inspired by real friends, as they explained in an interview. And those close friendships are meant to be the show’s heart. “Even if they aren’t living in a trendy place or holding glamorous jobs, you’d still want to live in that house with them,” Kronengold says. “What they have is something magical.”
For those a little older and already well into adult life, “Adults” is not only hilariously entertaining but also capable of stirring nostalgia. No matter how chaotic and exhausting those transitional years may be, they were also open and exciting—a time when almost anything could happen and where almost any path could be chosen. As you watch Billie, Anton, Paul, Issa, and Samir navigate their trials with humor, you might feel inspired to bring a bit more openness about the future into your own life this new year.
