The Adults Season 2 Finale Highlights Its Romantic Pacing Problem

At the end of its first season, Adults set up a pretty juicy love triangle — but is it really a triangle when the third option is barely even considered? It became immediately obvious right when Season 2 started that the show wants the quick-witted but guarded Anton to be with the endlessly supportive himbo Paul Baker... even if Paul Baker has been in a somewhat long-term relationship with Anton’s best friend Issa since the show began. So, the second season became a device for the writers to extricate Paul Baker from Issa and have Anton confess his feelings for him. While I loved the new season of Adults (maybe even more than the first one), the handling of this love triangle was the only part that felt kind of awkward.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m fully rooting for Anton and Paul Baker. I was screaming just like every other fan at that buzzy kiss in Season 1’s finale. My issue is with how quickly (and obviously) Adults seems to be pushing the two housemates together. Many of the episodic plots in Season 2 seem to be crafted specifically to show Paul Baker belongs with Anton: Issa unravels at the idea of Paul Baker having other friends but Anton relishes in his messy truths; Paul Baker and Issa are bored when left alone together, but PB lights up when he helps Anton repair the relationship with his sister.

It’s cute to watch two perfect matches who may not even realize they’re meant for one another yet, if only the show were able to give us the time to really dive into that yearning. Instead, Season 2 ends with Anton (kind of unintentionally) telling Paul Baker he loves him as they give us one more epic smooch... just a couple episodes after Paul Baker broke up with Issa.

Although Issa — as go-with-the-flow as ever — gives the pairing her blessing, it still feels like there should have been a bit more than just two episodes between that breakup and this relationship-starting kiss. That’s what Adults’ predecessors would have done, at least. On Friends, Ross doesn’t kiss Rachel until well over 30 episodes after his divorce in the pilot, and Monica and Chandler don’t become a thing until four seasons into the show. On New Girl, Jess and Nick’s will-they-won’t-they dynamic is so core to the series that it takes seasons for them to get together, and then even more to get them back together after some hiccups.

Obviously, there’s a reason why Adults can’t easily follow this drawn-out relationship roadmap that’s been set before it: it only has eight episodes per season, all of which drop at once on Hulu. Adults simply does not have the time to give Anton and Paul Baker some much-needed space to properly yearn for one another to make their big romantic payoff that much more exciting.

If only Adults had midseason finales, maybe then this show could really get as romantically messy as it must want to.

So, I can understand logistically why the series rushed to push the pair together, but it’s hard to ignore the potential storylines that had to fall to the wayside in order to streamline the Anton/Paul Baker endgame. Like, maybe Paul Baker’s celebrity bestie Julia Fox had a rebound in mind for her friend after she learned he broke up with Issa. Or, maybe Paul Baker disappeared into his other friend group and leaned into his bro-y alter-ego to cope with the split. Or the show could actually interrogate Anton’s hookup with Zack-Carlos instead of throwing it out there and never following up on it.

The most glaring missed opportunity of all is Isaac Cole Powell’s newly introduced character, Eric.

In any other romantic sitcom, Eric would have become Anton’s boyfriend for at least the rest of Season 2. The two sparked a connection over their shared mastery of lying at the club, with Eric representing the unflappable confidence that Anton holds in high esteem. It felt like the perfect chance to introduce a new love interest for Anton, which could both make Paul Baker jealous and make Anton realize he wants something more substantial than a confidant con-man.

But strangely, Anton shuts the potential relationship down before it can even start, purposely leading Eric to believe his marriage to Paul Baker is more than just a legal loophole. It’s played as a cute revelation of Anton’s true feelings for Paul Baker, but it felt more like a wasted character arc. The only explanation I can think of for this move is that the show didn’t have enough time to invest in a new boyfriend when Anton would need to be with Paul Baker just a few episodes later. If only Adults had midseason finales, maybe then this show could really get as romantically messy as it must want to.

But unfortunately, Adults is confined to the modern streaming model. On the plus side, it’s never been easier for fans of the series to quickly devour a new season and get the Anton/Paul Baker romantic payoff they’ve been waiting for. Though, a little more waiting might not be so bad.