“Adults” season two dropped on Hulu on Aug. 27, featuring a new prequel episode alongside eight additional episodes that continue the storylines established in season one. As the season progresses, tensions between the roommates steadily intensify, culminating in a finale packed with unexpected twists and major revelations — plus surprise cameos sprinkled throughout the season.
Season one of “Adults” follows childhood friends Billie (Lucy Freyer) and Samir (Malik Elassal), Samir’s college friends Anton (Owen Thiele) and Issa (Amita Rao), and Issa’s boyfriend Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) as they navigate early adulthood while living together in Samir’s parents’ New York City home.
Season two — aside from the prequel — picks up directly where the first season ends. Issa is still dating Paul Baker, who is starting to find his own roots within the roommate friend group. Bille remains jobless, as established in season one’s “Spit Roast,” and Samir is still dating Carly (Rachel Marsh), introduced in “The Window.” Anton, meanwhile, carries his people-pleasing tendencies into the new season, a trait highlighted in season one’s “Have You Seen This Man?”
The prequel episode, “Marathon Day,” was released shortly before season two and provides the essential backstory of Paul Baker. Before this episode, Paul Baker’s connection to the main cast was primarily through his girlfriend Issa, positioning him as a peripheral figure rather than a true member of the group. The prequel shifts this dynamic by giving viewers direct insight into Paul Baker’s personality, history and motivations, allowing him to stand on his own rather than functioning solely as Issa’s boyfriend. This added context foreshadows his expanded role in season two, where Paul Baker gradually becomes a natural part of the roommate friend group — a circle that has all known each other for years — independent of his relationship with Issa.
Episode two, “Fake ID,” stands out given its chaotic club-night energy, which exposes the group’s insecurities — especially Billie’s fixation on aging and Issa and Paul Baker’s shifting dynamic. The episode also features guest appearances by Gaten Matarazzo of “Stranger Things” and social media personality Jake Shane.
Both guests’ characters seek fake IDs to get into clubs, but their interactions with roommates Billie and Samir unfold in opposite yet overlapping ways. Billie repeatedly confronts a younger girl who is using her old fake ID, trying to feel both younger and older at once. At 25, Billie resents being seen as “old” yet craves the authority of seeming more mature. After Billie and the girl have a frightening encounter with a robber, Billie is forced to realize that younger adults face the same vulnerabilities she once did.
Meanwhile, Issa and Paul Baker’s intimate yet awkward night alone starts romantic but gradually becomes tense, foreshadowing their inevitable breakup in “Room Swap.” The episode ultimately emphasizes insecurity and the shifting identities of adults who feel pressured to share their lives, using humor and chaos to expose characters’ emotional blind spots.
Another notable episode is “Talia,” featuring Raven-Symoné as Anton’s titular sister, who serves as the episode’s catalyst for family chaos. As Anton reconnects with his sister in “Talia,” his immature side seeps through his usually rational exterior, mirroring Talia’s own tendency to become dysregulated and easily-agitated when around family.
Realizing they share the same emotional triggers, the siblings begin to reinvent their dynamic and get to know each other beyond long-standing family drama. The episode offers a heartwarming reminder that it’s never too late to reshape relationships with loved ones — and that family chaos is universal, even among the most unassuming people. The episode also deepens the pre-existing chemistry between Anton and Paul Baker, as Paul Baker sits through an uncomfortable yet vulnerable dinner with Talia and her wife, where he attends as Anton’s green-card husband.
Anton and Paul Baker have long hinted at a romantic undercurrent, most notably in season one’s “Annabelle,” where the two slip into unexpected parental roles while helping an out-of-state teen seeking an abortion. This dynamic doesn’t begin in “Annabelle” — it’s already present in season one’s “Spit Roast,” where Anton and Paul Baker spend Billie’s series of surgeries playing bizarre hotel games, including a dramatic rendition of pretending to die, a moment that initially poses as unexpectedly intimate. While moments like these may read as purely platonic — especially under the assumption that Paul Baker’s relationship with Issa defines his boundaries — they quietly build a closeness that ultimately coalesces into an unexpected romance.
The finale, “Vote for Paul Baker,” delivers the season’s biggest surprises as Paul Baker’s old friend group, the main cast, and Julia Fox — who first appeared in season one’s “Roast Chicken” — rally behind his bid for President of the Home Owners Association (HOA), only to help tank his campaign after the incumbent’s daughter threatens eviction.
The episode resolves the long-running tension between Anton and Paul Baker when Issa pushes Anton to confront his feelings for her ex-boyfriend. The season closes with Paul Baker and Anton sharing a celebratory kiss after losing the election, easing any lingering doubts about wavering friendship dynamics within the group. Meanwhile, Issa makes a new friend and Billie and Samir unexpectedly share a romantic night together.
The resolution between Paul Baker and Anton feels surprisingly earned as their season-long, lightly addressed chemistry culminates in a kiss that lands with emotional clarity, as every hurdle between them finally works itself out. Billie and Samir’s romantic night is similarly set-up with small moments throughout the season, yet the hints are far fewer. Their history as childhood friends and Samir’s recent breakup make the moment feel more like a twist that could easily be a one-night mistake rather than a fully developed romance. This chaotic conclusion highlights the season’s central theme: the discomfort of outgrowing familiar dynamics and the relief that comes with embracing change.
Season two of “Adults” leans into the chaos and uncertainty of early adulthood, using exaggerated scenarios to mirror the emotional messiness that defines real life. Each episode introduces situations that feel impossible on the surface, yet the characters’ reactions — their insecurity, impulsiveness, denial and growth — remain deeply relatable. The season offers comfort to viewers who feel the same pressure to have everything figured out, reminding them that change, confusion and reinvention are not signs of failure but natural parts of growing up.
Kathryn Lehman is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer for the Summer 2026 quarter. She can be reached at kalehman@uci.edu.
Edited by Travis Foley and Tracy Sandoval.
Kathryn Lehman is a first-year psychology major planning to double major in political science. Bay Area born and raised, she is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer for the 2025-2026 school year. She joined New University as an Arts & Entertainment Intern in fall 2025. Outside of school, she enjoys writing about pop culture, reading young adult fiction, listening to music and spending time at the beach.