Adults

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” is lots of fun and the shenanigans are entertaining to watch (like Paul Baker inviting Julia Fox to his household’s first dinner party), but it’s the subtle emergence of deeper character development that could eventually let it compete with the greats over hopefully what will be many more seasons.

Adults definitely starts out a bit frantic, and the characters a bit cartoonish, but there is more than enough that’s funny about this group of friends that makes us want to spend more time with them.

There’s a saying that a comedy is only as good as its weakest player, and there really isn’t one here. Even with the inherent growing pains in a comedy about people figuring out who they are, it feels like the sometimes-mediocre writing will rise to meet the talent of the cast. It’s gonna be fun to watch this one grow up.

An impressive blend of farce, social satire, and character comedy, and an excellent spotlight on what all five actors do well.

Equal parts tribute and sendup, the ["V of our G"] moment cleverly heralds the arrival of a new generation anointing its own voices, skewering its own pieties, and distinguishing itself from the wave of millennials that swept pop culture in the early 2010s.

Another "Friends" (or "Girls"?) knockoff with a likable cast and some sharp writing.

“Adults” is very adult and may take some time to warm to, particularly since it’s impossible to get a bead on Samir, Billie, Paul Baker, Issa and Anton.

The show’s strengths lie less in “Girls”-esque verisimilitude than in ridiculous sitcom setups. “Adults” is frank about sex and drugs, but it is best when it is just straight-up zany. While it seems unlikely to become a generation-defining sensation, once “Adults” finds its groove, it is perfectly diverting TV.

While it’s still looking for its voice, it shows strong potential. When it matures and develops its characters past their absurdities, I’ll be looking forward to listening to what it has to say.

It can be a little exhausting, in a way that occasionally made me want to pull it aside and suggest it take a breath. But it’s also bright enough (and, unexpectedly, sweet enough) to inspire faith it’ll find its footing eventually.

The characters can be annoying in a way that is supposed to be funny and often is but is sometimes just annoying. (“I always thought the world was going to be waiting for me and instead everyone’s annoyed that I’m here,” says Samir, not wrong.) Things improve over the six (of eight) episodes out for review, however, providing more amusement and less annoyance as the season goes on.

The biggest issue Adults has is failing to develop more depth for its characters, as well as how confidently that depth can be mined for comedic potential. Sure, the whole premise is that these characters are finding who they are, but it's hard not to feel as though Adults is still finding itself right alongside its characters.

Adults has funny moments, but the series is trying too hard.

It’s fitfully funny, though half the cast is acting for the cheap seats and could do with dialing their performances down to, say, 11. Mostly, though, it makes you think of how many, many efforts there have been to reproduce what worked on “Friends.” .... [Charlie] Cox is warm and funny in the part (get this man a rom-com role), and the ultimate payoff to his arc feels fitting. More unusually for “Adults,” the plot gives the show something meaty to say about being young and seeking comfort in the wrong places. There may still be gold in these hills after all.

Without strong comedic chops, the plots mostly devolve into confusing, sometimes frustrating moments that appear contrived for shock. The season’s third episode, however, points to a clever comedy itching to rise to the surface.

What ultimately convinced me that my age isn’t the main obstacle to enjoying “Adults” is the simple fact that too many jokes build toward a punchline you can see from miles away, and too many episodes are built around choices that only a dumb twenty-something TV character would make, not a dumb real-life twenty-something.

On “Adults,” the cart of demographic-representing relevance comes before the horse of developing a specific take on urban aimlessness.

The laugh lines are often well-crafted, but the show itself still feels—perhaps appropriately—unformed.