TV Review: Before Season 2, "Adults" Answers Its Biggest Question: How Paul Baker Got In

When FX’s Adults premiered last year, I kept calling it “Gen-Z Friends” because it had so many parallels. With a prequel episode launching in advance of Season 2, that belief is even more cemented. A retroactive pilot, the episode swaps Rachel Green for Paul Baker in an origin story for how he ended up in the friend group, titled “Marathon Day.”

Best friends Anton, Billie, Issa, and Samir are secretly living in Samir’s parents’ house while they’re away on an open-ended road trip. A lazy day at home quickly gets chaotic when TV coverage of the NYC Marathon shows Anton’s virtual coworkers in the stands to cheer him on, a hobby he lied to them about. They all jump into action to cover for Anton, helping him create a fake running badge and enter the race only for the stretch of stands that will let his coworkers see him in action.

How does Paul Baker fit into this? He’s a participant in the marathon who pulls a camp and stumbles into the diner where Issa and Samir are having lunch, giving Issa and Paul Baker their meet-awkward. She lets him recuperate at the house while the gang helps Anton pull off his ruse. And fans familiar with how Season 1 ended should also note that Anton and Paul Baker get their own meet-awkward in the special’s final act.

Part of the fun of “Marathon Day” lies in what we already know about the character dynamics from Season 1. It’s hilarious to see the gang newly living in Samir’s parents' house, with Samir overly paranoid about being found out, making everyone avoid the front door to be unseen by the Ring Doorbell. In some ways, it’s like watching the backward episode of Seinfeld ("The Betrayal"), where knowing what’s ahead makes these moments all the more funny.

Season 2 of Adults premieres August 27th, and “Marathon Day” serves as the perfect inspiration to rewatch the first season on Hulu in the lead-up. It’s a reminder of not only how smart and funny the show is, but how well its talented ensemble cast works together. Jack Innanen, Owen Thiele, Amita Rao, Lucy Freyer, and Malik Elassal are undeniably infectious as these characters, and I just can’t get enough.

“Moving Day” premieres tonight at 10/9c on FXX and Hulu.