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It’s a golden age for television about teens and twentysomethings right now, and there is no shortage of shows about the epic highs and lows of high school and early adulthood. Yet none of them have nailed believable dialogue, roommate dynamics and new job struggles the way “Not Suitable For Work” has.
The nine-episode Hulu series, which premiered in early June, follows two entry-level investment bankers, an aspiring thespian, a newsroom nepo-baby and a fashion stylist as they navigate entering the New York City workforce. With creator Mindy Kaling at the helm, surely this comedic and earnest portrayal of young adulthood would catch on the way her similar life-stage projects “Never Have I Ever” and “The Sex Lives of College Girls” did. So why is it already canceled?
Maybe it’s an oversaturation of shows like “Adults” and “I Love L.A.” and their general attempts to recreate the magic of a living-in-the-city show. Maybe people prefer the absurdities of the high-school-girl-in-a-love-triangle trope over something realistic. Whatever it is, we don’t have the answers, and it’s unlikely that we ever will.
Which brings us to the cliffhangers and unresolved questions from the first seaon of Kaling’s show. Here, we broke down the five biggest things we’ll likely never find out now that “Not Suitable for Work” is out of a job.
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What will happen with the AJ-Davis-Josh love triangle?!
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Season 1 ends with an unexpected kiss between AJ (Ella Hunt) and Davis (Will Angus), which was sure to bring about all kinds of awkward and fun situations, not the least of them being that Josh (Jack Martin) stumbles across the pair on his way to declare his own feelings for AJ. Any modern teen show is proof of the importance of a good love triangle, and as the cherry on top, AJ and Josh were already well on their way to the perfect enemies to lovers plotline in Season 2. But the truth is, no one actually wants to see AJ and Davis together. Yes, they make a great pair at work, but Davis deserves someone who will actually appreciate how clingy he is, and AJ is much too strong-willed to be tied down. Regardless, fans are dying to know who ends up with who (and now, may never know).
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Will Abby and Kel get together?
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And let’s not even start on the tension between Abby (Avantika) and Kel (Nicholas Duvernay), the latter of whom has been harboring a not-so-secret crush on the former since before the events of the pilot. Whether Abby is providing Kel sanctuary from his roommates or Kel is helping Abby carry her piles of designer clothes, the pair is always there for each other, in more ways than one. But even though the two became closer this season, with Abby even showing up at the afterparty for Kel’s show with what seemed like a dramatic love confession brewing, the finale ends without any closure for these two.
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How will the school girls fare without Kel?
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While the others in this ragtag band were finding their way in careers they were passionate about, Season 1 started off with Kel enrolled in medical school, a path he was following for his family. He quickly realizes he can’t hack it and drops out to pursue an acting career. To make money while he auditions, he calls up former love interest Kate (Ego Nwodim) to get him a gig as a substitute teacher. Kel’s students at this elite Manhattan girls’ school — Beth (Alice Jokela), Marina (Alyssa Marvin) and Sarah (Hampton Persaud) — stole every scene. The three already made their mark as key players through their smart quips and lessons that are oh so helpfully applicable to the Murray Hill Crew, and they attended Kel’s show in the finale. But Season 2 could have held so much more for them, even without their ill-prepared teacher.
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What will become of Fisher Stassen?
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Fisher Stassen, the investment bank employing new hire AJ, financial analyst Davis and their big bad boss Bill (Jay Ellis), rounded out its fourth fiscal quarter in disarray. Bill had officially called off his inappropriate relationship with AJ to resume dating his model girlfriend, and Davis, the loverboy that he is, was not very pleased when he found out. Not only did Davis — an aspiring man in finance — admire Bill’s career, but he also had budding feelings for his apprentice. After a fist-fight and verbal altercation, Davis is fired and will be leaving Fisher Stassen in 2026. But, we can’t help but wonder what 2027 would have looked like. Would AJ keep working under Bill? Would Bill keep his job? Where would Davis work next?
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(Not) Suitable for Work?
Image Credit: ©Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection
While the season finale sets the stage for new relationships, one question does have a little more clarity: This crew just might actually be suitable for work after all. Following a temporary fallout with her boss, Abby is re-employed and ready for redemption, leaving retail behind. Josh had a personal and professional breakthrough with his seemingly impenetrable superior. Kel proved himself as a successful actor and substitute teacher. And our bankers, well, we’ve already acknowledged that their workplace is up in the air, but their competency was never a question. Even if audiences are robbed of these characters’ light-hearted banter and addictive relationship drama, at least we know post-grad is not so bad. And if these guys are suitable for work, anyone is.
English (US) ·