Adults is officially coming back for a third season on FX, and the show is getting twice the room to tell its stories. FX renewed the Gen Z comedy for a 16-episode Season 3 on November 11, 2026, doubling the eight-episode orders from its first two seasons. The renewal comes with a new overall deal for creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw at FX Productions. Fans are already sharing what they want to see when the show returns, and their list is led by the future of Anton and Paul Baker and the return of chaos agent Zack Carlos.
FX Doubles the Episode Count for Season 3
The third season order is a major show of faith from FX. The first two seasons of Adults each ran for eight episodes. Season 3 will have nearly as many episodes as both previous seasons combined.
FX Entertainment president Nick Grad explained the decision in a statement.
“Ben and Rebecca have elevated ‘Adults’ in every way, earning critical praise and a legion of devoted fans who have embraced the friend group as their own,” Grad said. “‘Adults’ showed significant growth in its sophomore year and we’ve seen the show inspire everything from memes to Halloween costumes, so the decision was easy – more episodes and a new deal at FX for Ben and Rebecca!”
The numbers back up the confidence. Season 2 viewing increased more than 60% over Season 1 across Hulu and Disney+ globally through its first five weeks, and international viewership was up 100%. Season 2 also earned a perfect 100% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and TCA Approved status as one of the best shows of the year. FX chairman John Landgraf called the show’s rising popularity “a very rare phenomenon”.
The cast shared the renewal news in a video posted on November 11. Jack Innanen, who plays Paul Baker, captioned the post: “oooh, you want season 3? how’s 16 episodes? :)”.
What Fans Want Most: Anton and Paul Baker’s Relationship
The slow-burn romance between Anton (Owen Thiele) and Paul Baker (Jack Innanen) has been the heart of the show since Season 1. The two legally married so Paul Baker could stay in the country, and their first kiss closed the first season. Season 2 spent eight episodes building tension between them before they finally kissed again in the finale after Anton’s feelings were accidentally broadcast on live television.
Fans on Reddit are hoping the show handles their next chapter with care. One user wrote: “Good handling and development on anton and paul baker’s relationship”. Another predicted a bumpy road ahead: “My prediction is… Anton and Paul Baker will not be together… What actually happened between them will be revealed throughout the first 5 or so episodes and by then they will gradually return to each other over the 16 episode season”.
Thiele has his own simple wish for the couple.
“I hope they don’t shy away from their feelings anymore. And I hope they have a lot of sex!!!!!” he told Swooon, using exactly that many exclamation marks.
Co-creator Ben Kronengold is interested in exploring how different the two characters are when it comes to intimacy.
“I’m curious about their relationship to intimacy because I think they’re very, very different, and I think Anton, the deeper you get into his romantic life and his private life, he is very guarded,” Kronengold said. “And I think Paul Baker is a very sexual guy. So I’m curious about how those two different perspectives, how those two different sides of them would clash or gel pretty magically and transform each other”.
Rebecca Shaw wants to see the new couple do everyday couple things. “That kind of thing is so fun to watch in a new couple,” she said about the idea of a double date.
The Zack Carlos Factor: Fans Adore the Chaos
Zack Carlos, played by Julian Manjerico, has become a breakout fan favorite despite being a troublemaker for the main friend group. He appeared in Season 2’s “Room Swap” episode and had a one-night stand with Anton. A carbon monoxide leak later left him stranded in the house until firefighters rescued him.
Fans want him back. “I would love to see more of zack carlos, even though they hate him, I adore him!!” one Reddit user wrote.
Manjerico has his own idea for a Zack Carlos spotlight episode. “For Season 3 as well, I would love to do a day in the life of Zack-Carlos,” he told TV Insider. He described it as “a bottle episode from his POV”. He also revealed that Kronengold pitched him a Season 3 storyline for the character.
The actor has drawn comparisons to Janice from Friends, a comparison he finds funny. “I’ve never seen Friends. Everyone keeps saying, ‘Oh, you’re like Janice,’ and I go, ‘Who the f**k is Janice?’” he said. “I’ve always hated the annoying characters that come up, and it’s so funny to now play one”.
Holiday Episodes and Guest Stars on the Wishlist
Fans are also asking for classic sitcom traditions. A Threads post listed a detailed wishlist: “22 episodes MINIMUM • birthday episode for each character • halloween / haunted house episode or both • thanksgiving and christmas episodes • an episode where they recall how they met each other • an AU episode where they never met each other • an episode where they’re all invited to a wedding”.
Jack Innanen is on the same page. He wants a Halloween episode in Season 3. “We need the filler episodes,” he said. “I desperately want a Halloween episode. I got lunch with Ben and Rebecca, and they were telling me all the ideas for a Halloween episode.” One of his ideas is a group costume gone wrong, in the style of The Beatles.
The show has a strong history of guest stars. Season 1 featured Julia Fox, Charlie Cox, and D’Arcy Carden. Season 2 added Gaten Matarazzo, Raven-Symoné, Zosia Mamet, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Fans want that tradition to continue, with some hoping for returns from past favorites like Julia Fox and Zack Carlos.
What the Creators Have Planned
Kronengold and Shaw have already mapped out ideas for the bigger season. The Season 2 finale ended with two major hookups: Anton and Paul Baker’s kiss, and Billie (Lucy Freyer) and Samir (Malik Elassal) emerging from a bedroom half-dressed.
Kronengold wants to explore what happened behind that closed door. “This is a very different dynamic than the kind of relationship we’ve explored in the show thus far,” he said about Billie and Samir. “These are two lifelong best friends who maybe over the years have had unrequited crushes on each other, but this is their first time acting on them”.
The finale also introduced Margaux (Mia Fowler), a librarian who caught Issa’s (Amita Rao) attention. Shaw and Kronengold are open to bringing her back. “Mia Fowler, who played her, did such a funny and specific job in just a few short scenes that got us really excited about the possibilities of this character,” Kronengold said. He also hinted that Issa might not stay single for long: “If she feels like the fifth wheel, she’ll probably attach herself to someone else. She’ll find the sixth very quickly”.
Shaw and Kronengold have also talked about the idea of adding a new housemate. “There’s a lot of bedrooms,” Shaw said. Kronengold added: “We are aware that six is often the magic number for friend group comedies”.
Release Details for Season 3
FX has not announced a premiere date for Adults Season 3. The Ankler reported that the third season is planned for 2027. Production had not started at the time of the renewal announcement.
The first two seasons are available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S., and on Disney+ internationally. For viewers in the UK, Canada, Australia, and India, Disney+ is the streaming home for the show.
You May Also Like
The renewal gives the writers room to stretch out storylines that felt rushed in eight episodes. Kronengold has said fans have been asking for “filler episodes,” and the bigger order finally makes that possible. “The more stories we get to tell, the more that we get to live with these characters, the better,” Shaw told TheWrap.
Also Read: Adults Season 2: Complete Release Schedule, Story Guide, and Where to Watch
For more entertainment news and updates on your favorite shows, keep reading VvipTimes.
Leave a Reply