Mindy Kaling’s Gen Z Comedy “Not Suitable for Work” Isn’t Fit for 2026

(SeaPRwire) –   While viewing Not Suitable for Work, the latest Hulu sitcom from Mindy Kaling, I was unexpectedly reminded of Richard Nixon. Having become vice president at the age of 39, Nixon was famously characterized as “an old man’s idea of a young man.” Suitable, a post-college ensemble comedy reminiscent of Friends and New Girl, feels like a show about young adults written from the perspective of an older generation. Although the cast is contemporary and the dialogue is sprinkled with current internet slang, the characters feel so disconnected from the actual Gen Z experience that they might as well be hanging out at Central Perk in 1994.

Like many programs of this genre, Suitable—which debuts its first three episodes on June 2—is set in New York City. However, unlike the bohemian characters in Girls or last year’s Adults who struggle to make ends meet in the outer boroughs, these friends reside in the frat-heavy neighborhood of Murray Hill in Manhattan. “I’m not cool enough for Brooklyn,” worries AJ (Ella Hunt), a first-year investment banker, in a line of dialogue that feels as dated as a Sex and the City subplot about bisexuality. She is moving in with her best friend, Abby (Avantika), who works as an ambitious assistant to a demanding stylist (Constance Wu). Their neighbors across the hall include their romantic interests: Kel (Nicholas Duvernay), a reluctant medical student who dreams of acting; and Josh (Jack Martin), who possesses the sensibilities of a middle-aged liberal—complete with an Obama poster and NPR merchandise—and the privilege to leverage his father’s influence to secure a job with his idol, a cable news host reminiscent of Anderson Cooper (Victor Garber). Meanwhile, Davis (Will Angus), a clumsy romantic lead, finds himself falling for AJ, who happens to be his coworker.

It is not necessarily a flaw that these characters embody what boomers might call “squares” or what millennials label “basic.” Television is already saturated with artsy, young urbanites; even Industry manages to make finance professionals appear cool, albeit in a sociopathic way. Hunt, Avantika, and Angus perform well as overgrown adolescents attempting to mask their vulnerability with ambition. Even when the humor misses the mark, which happens frequently, the charm of the cast keeps the episodes feeling light.

However, this friend group is not just out of touch with the generational spirit. They inhabit an alternate reality where, despite forced mentions of “looksmaxxing” and already-outdated Labubu references, the Gen Z experience is largely indistinguishable from the Gen X era. Is the economy in shambles? Is artificial intelligence threatening the very entry-level, white-collar positions these graduates have easily secured? Is anyone besides Josh’s boss queer? Not in this version of the multiverse.

Furthermore, it appears the #MeToo movement never occurred. As the title implies, Suitable focuses on the professional lives of its characters and how they are complicated by romantic entanglements. The series begins with Davis failing a sexual-harassment training session and Abby being warned against dating her high-profile clients. Three of the five main characters eventually become involved in workplace love triangles. AJ’s situation involves her managing director (Jay Ellis from Insecure), a cutthroat professional so dedicated to his career that it is difficult to believe he would risk it by pursuing a subordinate. A charitable reading of this might suggest that Kaling—who has enjoyed a successful run with Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Running Point—is arguing that every generation must learn from its own mistakes, regardless of modern institutional safeguards. That may be true, but it does not excuse television scripts from sounding as oblivious as the naive characters they depict.