Every few years, the comedy about a handful of 20-somethings living their lives in New York re-manifests itself, and one of the genre’s best just dropped its second season last week. “Adults” on FX is an ensemble comedy about a group of friends living together in Queens as they navigate relationships, work and other hurdles that life throws at them. Heartfelt and hilarious, the second season of “Adults” improves on everything that made the first season so successful.

With excellent line delivery and perfect comedic timing, the casting of “Adults” is one of its strongest qualities, as the actors manage to poke fun at their characters’ flaws without turning them into a caricature. Notably, many of the actors have backgrounds in stand-up or improv, which shines through in every scene. The main ensemble — Samir, played by Malik Elassal, Billie, played by Lucy Freyer, Anton, played by Owen Thiele, Paul Baker, played by Jack Innanen and Issa, played by Amita Rao — has good chemistry in the first season, but by the second it is clear that these are best friends playing best friends.

Any combination of the five main actors on screen makes for good comedy and realistic friendships. Even when a side plot is explored between two of the main five, it never feels forced or inferior to the main episodes’ plot.

The season’s guest stars also put up strong performances, integrating well into each episode. Standout guest performances in season two include the return of the group’s frenemy Zack-Carlos, played by Julian Manjerico, and the introduction of Anton’s sister, played by Raven Symoné.

The writing of “Adults” is also genius, with every line feeling true to Gen Z culture and slang, not like a 40-year-old trying and failing to imitate how a 20-year-old talks. Along the lines of other successful Gen Z media like “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Bottoms,” the dialogue, although exaggerated for comedy, feels natural. The jokes are some of the funniest on TV in recent memory, and the comedic writing has really hit its stride this second season. The fourth episode of this season, “Raccoon,” is a standout, a masterpiece that balances its comedy with its poignancy. Storylines carry throughout the entirety of both seasons, while each episode stands alone as its own funny adventure.

The show could benefit from the traditional 22-episode season to help draw out emotional moments and give them the proper timeline they deserve. The writers seemed to want to give each character a happy ending at the end of the season, which can make those storylines feel a little bit rushed. This is not the fault of the creators, writers and actors of the show; unfortunately, with the current entertainment industry landscape, there is no way to be certain that your project (no matter how hysterical and well-written) will not get canceled, and shows of this style airing now typically only get six to 12 episodes.

Overall, Season 2 is a raunchy yet full-of-heart improvement on everything that made Season 1 so fun to watch. The bonds between the characters feel special, and the jokes are some of the most hilarious on TV right now — catch it on Tubi, Disney+ and Hulu.