How I Met Your Mother Meets New Girl In Hulu's 17-Part Comedy Masterpiece

Published Sep 5, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television. A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyance). As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene. As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator. One of the best sitcoms in modern television is quietly taking over Hulu. While the genre has been a pillar of pop culture since the 1950s, most sitcoms of the 2020s have failed to meet the standard set by legendary titles like Seinfeld, Friends, and Cheers. Nevertheless, sitcoms have evolved over time, with the 2010s updating the formula and redefining the genre with hits like New Girl, Schitt's Creek, and the later seasons of How I Met Your Mother. Sadly, since the familiar favorites called it wraps, very few series have been able to hold their own. With only two installments under its belt, however, one FX original streaming on Hulu has quickly become the archetypal 2020s sitcom: Adults. The New York-based comedy, like many beloved sitcoms that came before it, follows a diverse friend group: charismatic people-pleaser Anton Evans (Owen Thiele), burnt-out overachiever Billie Schaeffer (Lucy Freyer), oddball only child Issa Damani (Amita Rao), absurdly polite Canadian émigré Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), and overwrought Everyman Samir Rahman (Malik Elassal)— all chaotically collected under one roof. With such unique, fully-realized characters, the friend group interactions and household hijinks are unparalleled. From the first episode, the show's unapologetic take on Gen Z humor is refreshing, bold, and delightfully self-deprecating, but Adults season 2 is a marked improvement on an already phenomenal pilot showing. In the newest batch of episodes, each character feels lived-in, making the interpersonal relationships between the main cast seem true-to-life. Similarly, the show's greatest strengths— its razor-sharp writing, faultless comedic timing, and endearing characters— have been further refined, cementing Adults' place in modern sitcom history. Adults Season 2 Is The Best Comedy Series Of 2026 So Far Adults season 1 was enough to garner an instant cult following, but the show's sophomore year has confirmed that the FX comedy is one of the best shows on Hulu. From the moment the hilarious one-shot opening scene began, it was clear the chemistry between the main cast was even stronger than the first season, as the immensely talented ensemble of breakout stars had just enough experience to nail their characters down with a genuine, organic feel. One of the best parts of Adults season 2 is how seamlessly it integrates the characters' pasts and personalities into the plot. With only eight-episode orders per season, the sitcom has to be incredibly particular about what it shows versus what it tells. Thankfully, Adults proved it can handle the challenge, working quirks, lore dumps, and subtle implications into the script without pulling focus from the main plot. To that end, each member of the main cast is flawed; there are no characters deified or put on a pedestal. Despite her rare bouts of insecurity and giant heart, Issa is majorly self-centered at times. Similarly, Anton is everyone's friend— which, at times, makes it seem like he's nobody's true friend. Meanwhile, Billie is a walking definition of the "Girlfailure" trope, and Samir crumbles under the slightest bit of pressure. Even Paul Baker, who initially seems like an angel, is brought down to Earth in season 2 with enough negative traits to humanize him without villainizing him. Arguably the most impressive part of Adults season 2 is how versatile it is with its format. The characters are lovable enough to successfully navigate a bottle episode ("Raccoon"), but the show can just as easily take a ridiculous premise that would never work on paper and turn it into a fixture of the season's overarching storylines ("Pop Girlie"). Of course, the sitcom is far from perfect, but its most notable weaknesses are the result of an industry-wide shift. Streaming Culture Hasn't Helped Modern Sitcoms Without question, the prevailing critique of Adults— and any show like it— is that it would benefit from more episodes per season. Admittedly, the critics have a point: if Adults followed a classic 20+ episode/season sitcom structure, there would be much more room to play with the characters, the story, and the very feel of the show. The sitcom would be able to flesh out its central neighborhood, set up slow-burn subplots, and experiment even more with form. Adults could have filler episodes, prequels and backstory episodes, Holiday specials, etc. Unfortunately, the current television landscape makes it difficult for series like Adults to survive long enough to figure out what works. Not Suitable for Work's cancellation sent shock waves throughout the internet, not because the show was a groundbreaking concept but because there was enough intrigue for viewers to buy-in. It had great promise as a comforting young adult comedy, but it was axed before it had even solidified its identity. Though Not Suitable for Work ending is disappointing, it's far from surprising. Some of the most interesting and entertaining sitcoms of the past six years either lasted a single season or were anticlimactically canceled after a few years. In the age of streaming, every series feels like a miniseries, and deviating from the norm is a risk most titles can't afford to take. FX & Hulu Can't Fumble Adults Season 3 Luckily, if any series has the bandwidth to push some boundaries, it's Adults. Since it airs on FX, Adults could potentially extend its third season with a few more episodes— or, at the very least, make each entry closer to an hour, like The Bear. Granted, filming even an extra five minutes of footage would require a significant budget increase, but the acclaim season 2 is already garnering is proof positive that Adults deserves more investment from its network and its distributor. Based on the extensive marketing and widespread press rollout Adults season 2 had, it's clear someone recognizes the sitcom's ever-increasing cultural capital, but it's never too late for Hulu or FX to jeopardize the show's momentum with a single misstep. To capitalize on the show's prominence, Adults season 3 should be confirmed as soon as possible and vow to release late next summer. Annually dropping a season is something viewers beg for from any long-running series, but even in the early days, it's crucial to strike while the iron is hot. Case in point, Overcompensating and Adults were both lauded after their 2025 debut seasons, directly competing as the best new young adult comedy. Whereas the former had more drama and the latter was mainly seen as a serviceable Friends replacement, 2026 has marked a turning point for both titles. Adults season 2 came back bigger and better, while Overcompensating— despite quickly earning a renewal— still has no public release date for its second season. Of course, the return of the Benito Skinner-led college comedy will surely be worth the wait, but it's undeniable that Adults now seemingly stands in a league of its own as a comedic powerhouse that will define the decade. Release Date May 28, 2025 Network FX, Hulu Showrunner Ben Kronengold, Rebecca Shaw Cast Lucy Freyer Billie Schaeffer Directors Anu Valia Writers Sarah Naftalis, Allie Levitan Creator(s) Ben Kronengold, Rebecca Shaw