By Gen Terblanche12 December 2023
Adulting Season 2 episode 2 recap: You made that bed, now sleep in it
Adulting Season 2 broke our dry spell with the four bros ‒ Bonga (Thembinkosi Mthembu), Vuyani (Luthando “BU” Mthembu), Mpho (Thabiso Rammusi) and Eric (Nhlanhla Kunene) ‒ celebrating Eric’s release from prison with a punch-up at a high-end strip club. Episode 2 shows them paying up for playing up as Bonga’s hookup smashes a sculpture, Mpho’s mistress gets a DNA test, Vuyani finds out being a man is a moving goalpost, and Eric succumbs to drama addiction.
Watch Adulting S2 now. New episodes every Monday.
Watch the trailer for Adulting S2
What happened in Adulting S2 episode 1?
Eric finished his prison sentence and was told that he couldn’t take his daughter Ncumisa (Siphesihle Khanyile) home from her rural village until he had a better plan for her support than “hustling”. Mpho was still cheating despite his wife Zithulele (Lungile Duma) laying on a sex feast at home when his mistress Palesa (Diddy Padi) rolled up to tell him that their baby destroyed her marriage. Bonga got into a spite war with his former business partner ‒ his ex-fiancée Nkanyezi’s (Londeka Shishi) billionaire brother Sello (Isaac Gampu) ‒ and seduced jetsetter Botle (Nomalanga Shozi). And personal trainer Vuyani became a sugar daddy to his law student girlfriend, Zelda (Obakeng Kgwedi).
Radical dishonesty
The episode opens with Mpho in deep denial about Palesa’s news. Later, in marriage counselling, as Zithulele is giving teacher’s pet energy and praising the value of radical honesty, Mpho is mentally radically running for the hills.
Meanwhile, Botle interrupts Bonga at work to complain to him about how expensive underwear is in Dubai. She couldn’t even afford a pair of panties! And Eric gets a personal lecture on the prodigal son by his granny MaGetty’s (Nandi Nyembe) pastor (Gabriel Mini), who wants him back in the flock.
Nobody puts baby in a corner
At the guys’ first get together in the episode, Mpho is throwing a huge tantrum about how women lie so Vuyani and Bonga pile onto him to remind him that while he hit it and quit it with Palesa, he also said no to Mr Condom. His mates rub his nose in Eric’s prison sentence dates to remind him that yes, he is almost 100% for sure that baby’s father.
And if there’s one cardinal rule in this group it’s that if you make the baby, you be the daddy. No deadbeats allowed. Mpho is practically shrieking like a toddler about wicked women trying to baby trap him, but when Bonga and Eric find out that he’s trying to ghost Paelsa, they tell him to his face to stop denying his child. This doesn’t stop Mpho from trying to pull some major emotional blackmail on Palesa later because she got married instead of being his mistress forever.
Manhood’s moving goalposts
Hold up, isn’t there’s someone missing from Bro Time? Yes! Vuyani has called off because he is taking Zelda to dinner with his family. For real, for real. Daddy (Lindani Nkosi) grills Zelda about where she comes from and she’s up front about her parents not having much money. But she has what really matters – manners – and insists on helping Vuyani’s mom (Nomsa Sonqishe) tidy up after dinner, no matter how much mama pulls the “no, you’re a guest” stunt.
Impressed, Vuyani’s dad warns him that some ”real man” is going to try to steal Zelda from him unless he gets serious about his intentions and goals in life. It’s a kick right in the tender, vulnerable insecurities.
Thanks for the ride; your Uber is here
Bonga is trying to work when Botle interrupts him, wanting to play again. She’s got them tickets to go watch Aymos (playing himself) perform and when he declines, she offers to make him dinner, since he seems hangry. In the face of her persistence, Bonga caves and agrees to go out, but Botle better know she’s not touching his cooking pots (he let Nkanyezi cook with him and look at what happened).
Bonga lets himself be dragged out to a concert, then dragged into the venue bathroom for a “treat”, then dragged home for more sex. But when Botle wants a tick on her side of the orgasm scoreboard, Bonga tries to pop her in an Uber, unfulfilled, so he can get some work done. Ladies, gents, hadedas who were woken up by the screeching, Botle is incensed! And a sculpture suffers the consequences.
We stan a drama queen
At the guys’ new drinking spot in Soweto, Vuyani sees right through Bonga when he tries to spin the Bontle incident to show off. And it looks like Eric loves a dramatic diva, too. He’s smitten when they see a woman shove her cheating man’s side piece into the swimming pool. Eric breaks up the fight and drags Ms Pool Shover, whose real name is Diminkys (Samkelo Ndlovu) off to flirt. With nuclear-level rizz, Eric tells Minki exactly what he likes about her. And before her cigarette can get down to the filter, the two are knocking boots.
The episode ends with Mpho lying to Zithulele (so badly it’s embarrassing) and slipping away to bring Palesa swabs for the DNA test. When he holds the baby (Thingoentle Ndlovu), though, the little criminal pickpockets his heart. Turns out, sometimes you don’t need a DNA test to recognise your drama when it comes back to you.
Who’s who in Adulting: the Big Four
Thirty, flirty and still raising hell, Adulting’s four big boys – Bonga, Eric, Vuyani and Mpho – have been inseparable since they were at university together.
- Thembinkosi Mthembu plays Bonga: The Alpha. Hot bod. Daddy issues. Single, rich, ambitious and catnip to women. Bonga is a construction and development project manager.
- Luthando “BU” Mthembu plays Vuyani: Madlisa. Joker. Fashionista. The former escort seems to have found his niche – and his financial independence – as a personal trainer…until temptation makes him sweat.
- Thabiso Rammusi plays Mpho: The Family Man and father to two young boys. Traditional husband. Reformed cheater, or so he claims. Mpho is an electrical engineer and salary man whose money stretches to comfort, but not luxury.
- Nhlanhla Kunene plays Eric: Gintsa. Loving dad. Great friend. Hair trigger temper. Now that he’s done his time for hijacking crimes, he’s determined to rebuild himself. But when it comes to women, he can’t resist a baddie.
Watch Adulting S2 now. New episodes every Monday.
That festive Showmax flavour
Outlaws, now streaming
More Showmax Originals you'll love
Zarelda de Bruin on her breakout debut role in Spooksoeker
The 17-year-old Zarelda de Bruin plays Melissa in the Showmax Original Spooksoeker, now available to stream. Catch new episodes every Thursday.
9 reasons that 2024 was the best year yet for local TV
Stream the best local content on Showmax in 2024, featuring iEmmy winners, record-breaking documentaries, SAFTA winners, and globally acclaimed hits.
Nhlanhla Kunene unpacks Eric’s journey in Adulting S3
SAFTA nominee Nhlanhla Kunene shares how Eric navigates love and friendship in the new season of Adulting, landing 25 January 2025. Binge S1-2 now on Showmax.
Ayanda Daweti on being a supportive boyfriend in Soft Life
Ayanda Daweti reflects on his role in the new Showmax Original drama Soft Life, now streaming, with new episodes every Monday.