On Rotten Tomatoes, the show “Adults” holds a 73% approval rating from critics. The consensus suggests, “Each generation merits a sitcom featuring endearing misfits, and ‘Adults’ essentially provides one for Gen-Z, showcasing a group of humorous yet exasperating go-getters.” As the score hints, individual critic reviews were mixed.

Dustin Rowles from Pajiba described it as “a quick watch, often hilarious, provided you overlook the existential aura and the persistent thought that everyone needs to clean their house.” Meanwhile, Rendy Jones at Paste Magazine likened it to “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” stating, “It’s a refined ‘Sunny’ imitation meant for the Zillennial crowd, accurately reflecting the sentiments and experiences of young adults entering the world.” Dave Nemetz of TVLine echoed this in his review: “‘Adults’ may be rooted in Gen Z, but it aligns with traditional sitcom rhythms and resolutions. Seeing these techniques foster significant laughs for a fresh generation is somehow reassuring.”

From The New York Times, Esther Zuckerman commented, “Though unlikely to become a defining hit for its generation, ‘Adults’ achieves engaging television once it finds its rhythm.” Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter shared a similar outlook, noting, “It can be somewhat draining, occasionally making me wish it would pause for a breath. However, it’s sufficiently bright (and surprisingly sweet) to inspire confidence that it will eventually find its way.” Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone offered a direct analysis: “The series occasionally nods to the characters’ generation and perceptions from older cohorts, but never that it overtakes its central purpose. Its primary focus is simply to showcase five funny people being funny together.”

Still, some critics simply weren’t charmed by “Adults.” Ben Travers found the characters too irksome to ignore; in his IndieWire review, he wrote, “As is, every one of the main characters is too brainless and basic to invest in, even when the series treats their shared ineptitude like a bonding agent.” Variety‘s Alison Herman was a little gentler, saying, “As ‘Adults’ actually exists, though, it feels as uncertain as its subjects — and many of its TV contemporaries. In this sense, at least, it’s a show of its time.” Still, there’s plenty of positive buzz out there surrounding “Adults,” which makes sense — it’s a fresh new show full of relative unknowns with a major comedian as a producer, and its first season builds to an impressively intriguing point.