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Spoiler Alert: The list contains spoilers for ‘Adults’ Season 1.FX‘s newest sitcom, Adults, is a hilarious new addition to the hangout comedy subgenre. The series follows a tight-knit group of five close friends and housemates: Anton (Owen Thiele), Issa (Amita Rao), Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen). The five of them get involved in a number of classic, over-the-top sitcom antics. At the same time, though, they deal with ordinary adult problems.
The friends struggle with paying medical bills, keeping their jobs, checking their mailbox, and fixing their hot water on their own. The first season of Adults is an excellent introduction to the show that perfectly balances between grounded problems and wildly bizarre schemes. It has not yet been renewed for another season, but it seems like it will only be a matter of time. This is every episode of Adults Season 1, ranked.
8
“Pilot”
Season 1, Episode 1
The pilot episode of Adults is a wildly over-the-top introduction to the show that does a good job of setting the tone of what is to come. The episode focuses on the friends’ reactions after a casual friend of theirs, Kyle (Will Ropp), goes public after being mistreated in the workplace. Issa tries to capitalize on being adjacent to fame, Billie tries to use the opportunity to get promoted at work, and Samir reflects on his own past relationships.
The pilot episode of Adults is a wildly over-the-top introduction to the show that does a good job of setting the tone of what is to come.
Adults‘ pilot episode is certainly a bold installment, but the show really comes into its own a little further into the season, particularly after Paul Baker moves into the house and all five of them are living together. That said, this installment shows the main characters’ primary traits and flaws, while also establishing the dynamic of the friend group and the tone of Adults‘ humor.
7
“Theracide”
Season 1, Episode 5
“Theracide” has a hilarious premise: after the sudden death of Anton and Issa’s therapist, the two of them do some investigating to determine if his death was either of their faults. This involves things like holding a seance to try to make contact with his spirit, and later visiting his family (who confirms that it had nothing to do with them, and calls them out for being self-centered).
…After the sudden death of Anton and Issa’s therapist, the two of them do some investigating to determine if his death was either of their faults.
This episode also sees Paul Baker joining Samir to make deliveries, and Billie going to an art gallery with Mr. Teacher (Charlie Cox) to meet his friends. “Theracide” has some very funny moments, but it splits up the group for most of the episode. Billie’s storyline is the weakest of the three, but the other two storylines still embrace outrageous humor, and the seance scene is a true delight.
6
“Spit Roast”
Season 1, Episode 2
A second episode is almost as important as the pilot episode, as it introduces viewers to what the everyday lives of the characters look like after the events of the pilot. In “Spit Roast,” Billie’s routine visit to the hospital for anal bleeding turns into a debate about who will be her proxy. Samir is honored to be chosen, but ends up going too far and accidentally getting Billie into $15,000 of medical debt.
In “Spit Roast,” Billie’s routine visit to the hospital for anal bleeding turns into a debate about who will be her proxy.
“Spit Roast” is a wildly funny episode, with scenes like Anton and Paul Baker acting out a classic medical drama scene, and Issa using the hospital chapel to talk about herself. The episode does a good job of balancing silly moments with more classic adult struggles, as Samir races to get Billie all the necessary medical tests before she gets fired and loses her insurance.
5
“House Rules”
Season 1, Episode 4
“House Rules” does what Adults does best, which is bringing the five main characters together for one overarching storyline. In this episode, everyone introduces Paul Baker to their tradition of doing regular house meetings and then implementing a specific goal for each person to achieve. Samir and Billie both fail their goals almost immediately, as he gets and then loses a job, and she ends up visiting her old high school once again (and starting a relationship with Mr. Teacher while she’s there).
Issa wears an AirTag on a bracelet to track her location…
In the funniest storyline in the episode, Issa and Anton’s goals end up intersecting in an unexpected way. Issa wears an AirTag on a bracelet to track her location, but she ends up putting it in the bag of a random guy to try to get Anton a boyfriend. Instead, the two of them and Paul Baker end up tracking a random rat while imagining what this guy’s life is like. It’s a silly episode that also shows the group accepting Paul Baker as one of them by bringing him into one of their traditions.
4
“Annabelle”
Season 1, Episode 7
“Annabelle” picks up right when a teenage girl named Annabelle (Lilah Guaragna) shows up to the house to stay with them for a few days. Issa signed up to house Annabelle while she gets an abortion, but she has to bow out at the last minute to prepare her students for their upcoming dance rehearsal. Issa’s storyline escalates when the studio tries to cancel the show that her students wrote, leading her to hold a protest.
Issa signed up to house Annabelle while she gets an abortion, but she has to bow out at the last minute…
Meanwhile, Annabelle turns out to be especially cruel. She and Anton clash throughout the episode while Paul Baker tries to keep the peace. Samir is excited about his first weekend away with Carly (Rachel Marsh), but a clogged toilet nearly ruins everything. This is a hilarious episode with three messy subplots that each ends on a touching emotional note. Billie is initially skeptical of Issa’s protest, but she later expresses her admiration of her. Samir and Carly end up having a nice time and getting closer through their shared fear of messing up the weekend. Anton and Paul Baker support each other in spite of Annabelle’s comments, and they end up sharing a moment.
3
“The Mail”
Season 1, Episode 8
The Season 1 finale of Adults, “The Mail,” starts off with a classic adult dilemma: after avoiding their mailbox for months, the friends finally decide to clean it out. The stakes heighten when Paul Baker learns that his visa is expiring, so he and Issa rush to get married. The problem is, Issa drunkenly married the group’s former friend, Zack-Carlos (Julian Manjerico), a few years back. As Anton and Samir try to convince Zack-Carlos to divorce Issa, Issa and Paul Baker each struggle with their own doubts about getting married. Issa is afraid that she’s changing too much, and Paul Baker is not ready to take that next step in his relationship with Issa.
…Issa and Paul Baker each struggle with their own doubts about getting married.
This is an excellent season finale that sees the friends dealing with their most serious problem yet. It also shows how much they have all come to care about Paul Baker, as everyone is ultimately willing to marry him so that they can stay in the house with them. The cliffhanger ending is the perfect way to cap off the season, in which Paul Baker and Anton kiss at the group’s urging after getting married to keep Paul Baker in the country. Paul Baker is still dating Issa, but everyone can see that there are feelings between him and Anton, setting up an exciting slow-burn romance for the two of them.
2
“Have You Seen This Man?”
Season 1, Episode 3
In “Have You Seen This Man?”, the friends call Anton out for becoming extremely close with practically every person he meets. His latest new friend, Ethan (Ray Nicholson), is wanted by law enforcement for a recent stabbing. At the same time, Samir and Paul Baker try to sell an old gun of Samir’s parents. It’s a hilarious episode, with a number of excellent scenes, like Paul Baker’s unexpected interaction with the man who works at the gun shop.
…The friends call Anton out for becoming extremely close with practically every person he meets.
The highlight of the episode is when Ethan suddenly shows up at the house looking for Anton, because Anton shared his location after meeting just one time. In a panic, Anton gathers Billie and Issa in the car, and he tries to run Ethan over with his car so that he doesn’t have to end their friendship. It’s a wildly funny and over-the-top scene, which ends with Anton hitting a trash can and Ethan getting arrested.
1
“Roast Chicken”
Season 1, Episode 6
Adults‘ bottle episode, “Roast Chicken,” is a perfect episode of television. It takes place entirely in the house, and only has three additional characters: Mr. Teacher, Julia Fox as herself, and a brief appearance from Mr. Teacher’s ex-wife (Tala Ashe). Billie tries to throw the perfect dinner party to impress Mr. Teacher, but he shows up high on a “pony dose” of ketamine. It’s a wildly funny episode throughout, as everything builds up to the dinner.
In a hilarious scene, it turns out that the chicken is raw, because Billie didn’t thaw it out. Mr. Teacher doesn’t even notice, though, and he enthusiastically serves raw chicken with blood as au jus to each person – before then eating the raw chicken. Everything about this episode is absolutely fantastic, from Mr. Teacher’s ketamine trip, to Paul Baker’s casual introduction of his friend, “Jules,” whom he knows from volunteering.
