If Friends had queer subtext that was, well, just text, and if Broad City went to therapy and accidentally fell in love with its roommate—it might look something like Adults.
FX and Hulu’s breakout comedy, which dropped its entire first season on May 29, centers on five flailing twenty-somethings cohabiting in a rent-free Queens home while one of their parents travels the globe. What begins as a familiar hang-out sitcom quickly spirals into a hilariously heartfelt exploration of messy adulthood, fluid relationships, and the kind of chosen-family chaos that can only come from group living and poor boundaries.
And then there’s the moment: a kiss in the Season 1 finale that set queer group chats ablaze, launched a thousand Tumblr GIFs, and confirmed what fans had been whispering since Episode 1—Anton and Paul Baker were never just roommates.
By the time these two lock lips (after a green card marriage, no less), Adults has already established itself as more than a clever ensemble comedy. It’s a slow-burn romance wrapped in snark, sincerity, and a whole lot of queer heart.
Owen Thiele’s Anton: A Charismatic Chaos Agent with Heart
Let’s start with Owen Thiele, because you absolutely will be hearing his name more.
The Houston-born, LA-raised actor (and adopted child of music producer Bob Thiele Jr. and Amy Kanter—iconic lineage alert) plays Anton with an electric mix of charm and disaster energy. Anton is the kind of guy who throws a themed birthday party while low-key spiraling. He flirts with baristas, ruins job interviews, and drops truth bombs you weren’t ready to hear. He is so much—but you never want less.
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Thiele, who is openly gay, brings actual queer nuance to Anton. He’s not the sanitized, sass-for-hire token—he’s vibrant, needy, self-aware, and raw. You’ve met this person at a party. Maybe you’ve dated him. Maybe you are him.
And through Thiele’s lens, Anton becomes the emotional engine of Adults—especially as his bond with Paul Baker shifts from snarky banter to “let’s get married to avoid deportation” and straight into “wait, was this actually real the whole time?”
Jack Innanen’s Paul Baker: Softboys Deserve Rights, Too
Enter Paul Baker. Yes, they always say his full name. And yes, you’ll start doing it too.
Played by Toronto-born Jack Innanen, a former TikTok phenom with 3 million followers and the charisma of a soft jazz record, Paul Baker is the Gen Z softboi incarnate. He’s mustachioed, gentle, emotionally ambiguous, and just Canadian enough to radiate universal appeal.
Paul Baker is Issa’s sort-of-boyfriend, kind-of-nomad, and now Anton’s legal husband. He’s confused but committed. Sweet but closed off. And most importantly: fluid—in identity, in relationships, and in vibes.
Innanen plays him with a quiet stillness, the kind that hints at a deeper story beneath every shrug. Is Paul Baker gay? Bi? Avoidant? All of the above? The show doesn’t force clarity, and that’s what makes him real. His chemistry with Anton simmers, never sizzles on cue, and then explodes—unexpectedly and perfectly—in the finale.
The Kiss Heard Around Queens (and Queer Twitter)
Season 1’s finale, “The Mail,” centers on Paul Baker’s expiring visa. Issa, always chaotic, proposes a green-card marriage to keep him stateside. Hilarious detours include annulments, courthouse chaos, and the entire house offering their hand in marriage.
But when the dust settles, it’s Anton who becomes Paul Baker’s husband.
What follows is TV magic: the group cheers on a “first kiss,” and what starts as a quick peck becomes a full-on, heart-in-mouth, kiss-of-the-season moment. Anton and Paul Baker’s relationship, once a slow burn, ignites.
Was it a joke? A loophole? A genuine feeling that’s been buried under banter and emotional avoidance?
We’ll have to wait for Season 2 to know for sure—but it’s the kind of cliffhanger queer audiences have been thirsting for. Complex, surprising, and steeped in chemistry.
Why Adults Hits So Differently
What sets Adults apart isn’t just its whip-smart dialogue or its surprisingly emotional beats. It’s how it treats queer identity—not as an arc, but as a presence. Anton’s queerness isn’t explained or framed—it just is. Paul Baker’s fluidity isn’t a mystery to be solved. These characters are fully drawn, fully flawed, and never reduced to checkboxes.
The show understands that growing up isn’t a straight line (figuratively and literally), and that adulthood is mostly figuring things out in real time—like, say, how to navigate living with your ex-fake-spouse-now-maybe-real-crush.
Stream It. Rewatch It. Tweet About That Kiss.
Adults is a hang-out comedy with heart. A queer love story without labels. A portrait of your twenties where identity, friendship, and desire are all blurred—and all valid.
Stream Season 1 now on Hulu or catch it weekly on FX. And FX: we’re begging you. Renew it. Our gay hearts depend on it.