TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Lucy Freyer

THE PERFORMER | Lucy Freyer

THE SHOW | "Adults"

THE EPISODE | "Fake ID" (August 27, 2026)

THE PERFORMANCE | It almost feels wrong to single out an individual cast member on FXX's superb Gen Z comedy, since the five leads form such a tight ensemble in the grand tradition of "Friends" and "Happy Endings." (If you loved those shows and you're not watching "Adults" yet: What are you even doing with your time?) But this show does find a way to give its actors an occasional showcase, and we have to honor Lucy Freyer for her riotous work in Season 2's second episode, when Billie spiraled into an existential crisis after realizing she's not that young anymore.

Well, she's only 25, but Billie still felt ancient when she tracked down the current owner of her old fake ID and got pitying looks from the young party kids as they marveled at the fact that she was alive during 9/11. Billie wanted to join the kids at the hot new club, though, and Freyer's voice took on a frantic edge as Billie repeatedly insisted, "I think I'd like it!" She was hilariously determined to prove she's still got it, getting all dolled up in her best lace-up pants and informing the young kids that 25 is actually the age that Maxim says "is the hottest age to be." (No, the kids didn't know what Maxim is.) With awkward dance moves and sloppy flirting techniques, Freyer fully leaned into Billie's desperation to cling to the last thread of her youth, getting offended when her fake ID's new owner wasn't even paying attention: "How is she supposed to know I'm winning?!"

The night out didn't go well, of course, and a drunken Billie lamented to her friends: "If I'm not young anymore, then what am I?" (She even pulled guest star Gaten Matarazzo into a bathroom stall for a fake tryst to prove how wild she is.) But Billie's years of wisdom came in handy at the end — even though she got pepper-sprayed in the process — and Freyer added a gracious tenderness to Billie's epilogue as she realized being a bit older has its advantages. All five of the "Adults" stars deserve a spot in this column for an excellent Season 2... but this was Freyer's time to shine. — Dave Nemetz

Scroll down to see who got an Honorable Mention shout-out this week...

Is Charlie Kelly so dumb, he's actually smart? Or is he so dumb that he makes all of us dumber just by listening to him? It's that eternal mystery that makes Charlie Day's sublime performance on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" so damn enjoyable, even 18 seasons in. Our favorite illiterate bartender went back to school this week, getting tested by a team of college professors, and Charlie dazzled them with his ability to get the right answers for all the wrong reasons. Day brought a sunny obliviousness to Charlie's observations, stating them matter-of-factly as if they were the most obvious things in the world. ("Hair is the grass of the head," after all.) His extraordinarily rare way of thinking had the professors fascinated, too, as he rattled off "Rain Man"-esque nuggets of genius, but he didn't even stick around to hear their final analysis. (He had a big dive to watch!) "It's Always Sunny" has been chugging along for two decades now, but it's good to know that Day can still find new facets of this lovable idiot to show us. — D.N.

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!