Adults Is the Raw, Relatable Sitcom Gen Z Deserves

From Meme to Mainstream: How 'Adults' Became Gen Z's Must-Watch Ensemble Comedy

FX/Hulu’s new hit "Adults" isn't just another sitcom. It’s the show capturing the chaotic soul of Gen Z in 2025.

Remember when sitcoms used to be about neat apartments in NYC and people with suspicious amounts of free time? Yeah, Adults isn’t that. It’s messy, overstimulated, hyper-online, and somehow still deeply relatable. Just like us.

This FX/Hulu comedy is more than a meme factory (though it’s excellent at that). It’s a mirror held up to a generation raised on TikTok therapy, endless group chats, and the looming fear of economic collapse. And we’re here for it.

The Premise? Mid-Twenties Mayhem.

Adults follows a group of college friends now trying to “adult” in a world where nothing really works the way it was promised. Jobs are unstable, love is confusing, housing is a nightmare, and mental health? Still on a waitlist.

Each character is a distilled essence of Gen Z chaos:

• You’ve got the burnt-out overachiever who's already had two quarter-life crises
• The aspiring influencer whose biggest flex is their Notes app apology template
• The “cryptic but wise” roommate who’s always in the background with a vape and existential advice
• And the broke artist who refuses to sell out but also really wants a Dyson Airwrap

The vibe is somewhere between New Girl and Euphoria but make it unemployed, emotionally literate, and financially anxious.

Gen Z Humor, No Cap

What makes Adults hit different is how it talks to us, not at us. The humor is niche in the best way possible. One episode revolves around the group trying to stage an intervention because their friend refuses to stop dating “emotionally unavailable men with playlists.” Another dives into the black hole of LinkedIn networking. Yes, it’s cringe. That’s the point.

There’s even a B-plot involving a character accidentally becoming a crypto cult leader through Discord. If that doesn’t feel like 2025 in a nutshell, what does?

Why This Show Slaps

Unlike sitcoms that rely on canned laughter and forced catchphrases, Adults leans into our generation’s love for dark comedy, meta-humor, and painfully honest dialogue. Every episode feels like it was written by someone who has cried in a Trader Joe’s parking lot while listening to Phoebe Bridgers. It’s that level of real.

The writing is sharp, the pacing is brisk, and the episodes don’t overstay their welcome. It’s made for people who start five shows and finish none. (Hi, guilty.)

But the real win? Adults doesn’t make fun of Gen Z. It gets us.

The Cast: New Faces, Big Vibes

What makes the show even more magnetic is the casting. It’s a mix of rising stars and TikTok-famous talent who actually feel like people you’d know IRL. No one’s too polished. They fumble through life, look awkward in selfies, and scream “I’m in my flop era” without irony.

These characters overshare in group chats, Google “how to be happy,” and treat their therapist like a second mom. It’s wild how accurate it is.

And they’re not just memes in human form. Adults lets these characters be messy and meaningful. The comedy hits harder because it’s rooted in stuff we’re all quietly spiraling about.

Not Your Parents' Sitcom

Gone are the days of perfectly timed punchlines and romantic arcs that wrap up in 30 minutes. Adults thrives in its own awkward silences. Conversations about sex, gender, anxiety, and identity aren’t side plots. They’re the story.

In one standout episode, a character tries to come out as non-binary but ends up derailed by their friend group turning it into a performative celebration with party hats and pronoun confetti. It’s hilarious, but also a sharp critique on how allyship can go off the rails.

This kind of writing walks a fine line between sincerity and satire. And it works.

How It Reflects the Gen Z Reality

Adults nails the emotional whiplash of being in your twenties right now. Hopeful one second, fully spiraling the next. It doesn’t offer tidy resolutions. That’s the point.

Characters start businesses that flop, date people who ghost, and try (and fail) to become “that girl.” They sit in rooms filled with plants, soft lighting, and a quiet sense of dread. Sound familiar?

Watching it feels like group therapy but with better jokes.

This Show is Too Real

I binged the entire first season in one night, then immediately texted my friends: “This show is us.” Not in a narcissistic way, but in a “we’re all just winging it and hoping our memes hide the pain” way.

It’s the first time a show made me laugh about my own life spiral and feel okay about it. That’s rare. That’s Adults.

A Meme, a Mood, a Masterpiece

From viral soundbites to TikTok edits, Adults is more than a show. It’s cultural currency. It’s our Friends if Friends had group therapy, student debt, and mutual crushes that never go anywhere.

In a media world oversaturated with reboots and formulaic content, Adults feels fresh because it doesn’t try to fix Gen Z. It just vibes with us.

Stay tuned for more unfiltered takes on Gen Z media at Woke Waves Magazine where our spirals are shared and our sitcoms are sacred.

#AdultsFX #GenZComedy #StreamingHits #SitcomsReinvented #WokeWavesTV

‍