{"id":259957,"date":"2026-08-27T18:58:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/adults-creators-reveal-why-they-put-prequel-episode-in-front-of-shocking-and-racy-cold-open\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T18:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T18:58:17","slug":"adults-creators-reveal-why-they-put-prequel-episode-in-front-of-shocking-and-racy-cold-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/adults-creators-reveal-why-they-put-prequel-episode-in-front-of-shocking-and-racy-cold-open\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Adults\u2019 Creators Reveal Why They Put Prequel Episode in Front of Shocking and Racy Cold Open"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Fans of Adults<\/em> will likely never forget the raunchy and shocking opening scene to the series \u2014 and now Us<\/em> exclusively learned why first-time viewers tuning into the FX series will be greeted with a brand-new, equally hilarious, though notably tame prequel episode instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe question that we and the cast get asked the most is, \u2018How did these kids meet?\u2019\u201d Series creator \u2014 and writer of prequel episode \u201cMarathon Day\u201d alongside his wife and collaborator Rebecca Shaw<\/strong> \u2014 Ben Kronengold<\/strong> told Us<\/em> exclusively ahead of the season 2 premiere. \u201cWe dropped audiences right into the middle of this friend group on a normal day, but we had always had this idea of, well, we know how Paul Baker met this group, [and] once the opportunity came about to tell that story and give an extra episode, a gift to the fans we had and roll out a welcome mat to new fans, we just jumped at it.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the New York Times<\/em><\/a>, the network found that many viewers were tuning out of the series during one scene in particular from the original pilot: the racy cold open, which shows Issa (Amita Rao<\/strong>) masturbating on a subway car to \u2014 errantly \u2014 protest a man publicly pleasuring himself across from the group.<\/p>\n

The network\u2019s solution to the public\u2019s response was to reintroduce the sitcom with a new pilot, or \u201cprequel,\u201d an \u201cexperiment\u201d to try to boost and retain viewership. The original pilot still exists, and it definitely sets the tone for the show\u2019s risqu\u00e9 sense of humor, but the new episode now sits in front of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stayed in Toronto for two more very cold weeks, but it\u2019s been awesome seeing fans respond to it,\u201d Kronengold told Us<\/em> of the new episode, which follows the group\u2019s attempt to help Anton (Owen Thiele<\/strong>) pretend he is running the New York City marathon, which leads them to meet fan-favorite Paul Baker (Jack Innanen<\/strong>). \u201cWe\u2019re really proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw at \u2018Adults\u2019 season 2 premiere in August 2026<\/span> Dia Dipasupil\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While the new episode is certainly a more PG-friendly introduction to the friend group, which also includes Billie (Lucy Freyer<\/strong>) and Samir (Malik Elassal<\/strong>), by no means are Kronengold and Shaw toning down the raunchiness for season 2, which premieres on Hulu on Thursday, August 27.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are perpetually shocked at what we get to get away with on this show,\u201d Kronengold told Us<\/em>. \u201cThis season, there\u2019s a whole episode where Anton has a slip-up at work, let\u2019s say, that is shocking that we\u2019re able to put it on television.\u201d<\/p>\n

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