When you think of a sitcom that revolves around a group of people who happen to be friends, I’m sure there is one that instantly comes to mind, and it's obviously Friends.
The sitcom, which aired in the 1990s and ran until the mid-2000s, was iconic in its own right, but a new sitcom surrounding a group of friends, titled Adults, has caught my interest. Now, I must admit — I think Adults is the more realistic version of Friends, and I love it way more.
Adults really shows what it’s like to be in your 20s
I’ve seen this inspirational saying online: people saying, “Oh, you’re not just finding your way in your life; you’re in your second season of Friends. That's why it feels like nothing is going your way,” or something. It means that because you’re in your mid-20s and you feel like you’re floundering, you’re only going through the seasons of Friends because Ross, Rachel, and all those characters were "floundering" at the beginning, too.
No, you have not seen floundering until you watch Adults.
The FX on Hulu series is the perfect example of pure floundering because these young adults truly have no idea what the hell they are doing, and it’s perfect. It accurately shows from the very beginning how, when you reach this part of life, there are so many things we don’t understand, and we just have to push our way through it.
For example, there is a whole bit about Samir (Malik Elassal) going to the bank to get a check for a broken water heater in his parents’ house (where he is living right now because yes, that is the norm), only to run into a roadblock when he reveals he doesn’t know his Social Security number.
And yes, this is real. This is real life.
Are the dramatized versions of what happens in Friends great? Sure, but this is honestly what real life is about and how we are still struggling to understand the basics of living on our own. Making friends in our 20s. Learning how to trust others, build relationships, and so much more.
It accurately portrays apartment/living life
Friends never claimed to be accurate, but man, it still bothers me that Monica (Courteney Cox) could live in that apartment as a freaking chef, even with a roommate. That apartment was huge and entirely unrealistic for New York City.
With Adults, they are literally living in Samir’s family’s house while they are gone on vacation. While this is also a little dramatized, it is the kind of situation many modern-day adults relate to. Housing is just too expensive, and apartment rentals have shot up to the sky, so to save money, it’s better to stay at home.
And they do a great job not only speaking to the complex issue surrounding this but also to the bits as a whole. Living in a house where older adults previously lived leads to some great, funny moments. One of the characters, Billie (Lucy Freyer), practically has a mental breakdown when she can’t make a chicken in the oven, a roast chicken.
Something that I, as a relatively fresh adult, still struggle with (and I love to cook). This is realistic for adults. I love it.
It also deals with modern-day relationship issues
This is honestly a sign of the times, but I love that Adults isn’t afraid to dig deep into the complexity of adult relationships now, especially in season 2. Topics like gender and fluidity have become more mainstream over the last decade or so, and Adults explores those topics in a way that’s tasteful yet hilarious.
That is something you would never see on old sitcoms, and I totally and completely support that because it really shows what it’s like in today’s world. The whole three-way issue between Anton (Owen Thiele), Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), and Issa (Amita Rao) is like a breath of fresh air in the sitcom world, and I love it.
This type of sitcom series really stands out from others, and it’s the type of show that I truly hope lives on for the next few years or so. No new sitcoms will ever be as popular as Friends was, but if you’re looking for a great series to watch on Hulu, Adults will capture you instantly make you laugh.
You can watch both seasons of Adults on Hulu.
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