Television

“Best ship of the year”: Adults fans are “obsessing” over Paul Baker and Anton

By Sam Damshenas

2nd June 2025

Social media (and me) is rightfully “obsessing” over the chemistry between Paul Baker and Anton on FX’s new comedy series Adults.

Major spoilers for Adults ahead.

Following a quintet of friends in their twenties as they navigate adulthood in Queens, New York, Adults quietly premiered on 28 May — but has since gone viral a plethora of times.

From the cast’s easy chemistry to Charlie Cox’s unhinged guest appearance, and the hilarious scene of Paul Baker attempting to sell a gun to an individual with a complicated vocabulary, Adults memes have dominated social media over the past few days.

In particular, fans (again, me) are going bonkers over Paul Baker and Anton, played by TikTok star Jack Innanen and Owen Thiele (of Overcompensating fame), respectively.

The two beloved characters begin the series with a tight platonic bond — Paul is in a relationship with the iconic Issa (Amita Rao) — but later episodes reveal a budding romantic connection.

In one moment, Anton gently holds Paul’s chin as he assures him that his moustache is “perfect.” In the final episode — major, major spoiler incoming — Anton marries Paul, who is Canadian, to help him stay in the U.S.

As their friends celebrate the ‘fake’ wedding, they pressure the pair to kiss to make it official. Though initially hesitant, they ultimately kiss — passionately, we should add — shocking Issa, Samir (Malik Elassel) and Billie (Lucy Freyer), leaving the season on a cliffhanger.

Fans of the series have dubbed Paul Baker and Anton — affectionately nicknamed “Panton” — the “best ship of the year,” while sharing hopes for their relationship to develop further in a potential second season.

As of writing, Adults has not been renewed (yet). Given the current climate in the entertainment industry — where a ridiculous number of new shows are cancelled after just one season — fans have been campaigning hard for a renewal.

Check out the best reactions to “Panton” — and the growing calls for a second season of Adults — below.

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