Generation

There are moments in “Generation” when you can feel the writers doing some hipper-than-thou flexing, but more often the show, created by Daniel Barnz and his 18-year-old daughter, Zelda, is an astute drama-comedy featuring well-drawn characters.

There's palpable give-and-take energy throughout the young ensemble and even the performances that don't instantly mesh — Sanchez is maybe more naturalistic than the show around her, while Alexander's character demands to annoy you — are still good vehicles for the clever dialogue. The parents are used smartly and sparingly — a couple of one-liners or notes of compassion, and out. The writing and acting in Generation are superior to the directing.

“Genera+ion” will likely prove insufferable to plenty of adults while ringing true to at least some adolescents. ... “Genera+ion” is more grounded and relatable in other scenes, particularly those featuring Chester and Sam or the longing for friendship, acceptance and love as evinced by Greta.

Aims for something between Gen X’s “Freaks and Geeks” and millennial cornerstone “Skins,” though without the shaggy charm and piercing twists that respectively made those series so compelling. “Generation,” though, is undeniably strongest when telling straightforward stories of teen angst and heartbreak — which are, as it turns out, timeless.

The very likable and talented young cast goes a long way to elevate some of the weak writing in these four episodes, even if they sometimes feel as let down as a teenager whose parents mean well but don’t exactly know how to help.

The younger Barnz helps lend authenticity to the series, but Genera+ion tends to get lost in gimmicky storytelling devices. It already has the comedy, but it needs to dwell more on real, heartfelt character developments to really shine.

Generation is comfortable just following the kids around and letting them exist. It’s a bit more uneven when things get plottier or when the focus shifts to the grown-ups.

Toggling between horny and clueless, the characters on “Genera+ion” feel less like 20-somethings than the pervs of “Euphoria” and less wholesome than the ones on “Sex Education.” Unfortunately, it’s everything that happens in between that’s a bit of a confused mess.

Genera+ion is enamored with the superficial things that make these characters feel contemporary, without showing much interest in what makes them distinctive just as people. ... The teens are mostly appealing, if thinly drawn; their parents are much emptier.

An exhausting nihilism fuels Genera+ion, which grafts the preening, lukewarm snark of Gossip Girl onto the bracing pseudo-realism of Larry Clark’s Kids.