‘Not Suitable For Work’ Season 1 Ending, Explained (And Will It Get Renewed?)
Not Suitable for Work’s Season 1 finale takes place on New Year’s Eve, giving the characters a chance for fresh starts after some big changes. Over the course of the nine-episode season, AJ (Ella Hunt), Abby (Avantika), Davis (Will Angus), Josh (Jack Martin), and Kel (Nicholas Duvernay) have gained and lost jobs. Some of them have entered into short-term relationships. Even so, there has been plenty of pining between the characters who are starting to become a solid group of friends.
The show’s setting makes that easy; the characters live across the hall from one another in Murray Hill. Needless to say, Not Suitable for Work Season 1, Episode 9, “A Birthday Party for the Whole World,” certainly has plenty to work with—and to set up. To do so, AJ, Abby, Davis, Josh, and Kel must address and resolve some outstanding professional and personal conflicts. Others are best left dangling for a hopeful second season (and beyond) of the Hulu series.
‘Not Suitable for Work’ Season 1 Sets Up Slow-Burn Romances
One of the biggest professional and personal conflicts is the love triangle—or, really, love square—between AJ, Josh, Davis, and AJ and Davis’s boss, Bill (Jay Ellis). The season builds AJ and Bill’s relationship as quickly as it starts to tear it down with Bill’s trip to Aspen. So, the season finale has to deal with the fallout of that break-up when AJ, Davis, and Bill return to Fisher Stassen after the holidays. Since she so often puts work first, even on her birthday, it’s great to see AJ take some PTO to prioritize herself and her feelings.
It’s surprising that Davis ends up defending AJ, who Bill calls “unhinged,” by fighting Bill in their workplace. Predictably, Davis loses his job as a result, which is seemingly meant to show how much AJ means to Davis—that he would jeopardize his job to do what he thinks is right for her. A heartbroken AJ appreciates the gesture and Davis’s honesty about his feelings for her, so they kiss. The problem is that Josh saw that romantic moment, leaving him to sit with his feelings for AJ. Personally, I love what that ending means for the long game with AJ and Josh.
AJ and Josh’s complicated feelings for each other, extending back to their college hook-up, prove that Not Suitable for Work is building to a relationship between them. The same is true for Kel and Abby. Their dynamic is sweet and supportive, and their chemistry is excellent. Strangely, Not Suitable for Work’s season finale introduces a potential romance between Kel and Bianca (Maya Walker), a character who only appears in that episode. While unexpected, that relationship shifts the dynamic between Kel and Abby. For most of the season, Kel pines for Abby, and the season finale turns those tables.
As for Kel and Abby’s jobs, Abby started and ended a retail job in the blink of an eye. After trying to strike out on her own as a stylist didn’t go as planned, Abby took on the 9-5 job for the consistent income, but Vanessa (Constance Wu) ends up asking Abby to return to her job. Kel loses his temporary teaching job after Kate (Ego Nwodim) saw how Kel looked at Abby at the school’s winter formal. I loved the layers in that scene! I also loved that Kel’s students (and Davis) showed up to see Kel say his two lines in the Broadway play he booked.
Has ‘Not Suitable for Work’ Been Renewed for Season 2?
As of the Season 1 finale, Not Suitable for Work hasn’t been renewed for a second season. However, the show’s content clearly sets up another season. The beauty of a hangout comedy is that it’s meant to have longevity. They’re designed to run for multiple seasons, building out the relationships between the characters. Look at New Girl (2011), for example. I want that for Not Suitable for Work, and so does creator and executive producer Mindy Kaling.
Kaling told Deadline that the Not Suitable for Work writers' room “has been up for Season 2,” but the question remains about whether they will be picked up to start production. “I love the show so much, so I’d love to keep making it for years and years, and yes, I’m right now just keeping my fingers crossed,” Kaling added. The show premiered with a three-episode debut in early June, taking the top spot in Hulu's Top 10 TV Shows in the United States.
The season’s final two episodes dropped on Thursday, June 23, 2026. It featured cameos from Ashanti and the Giggly Squad podcast’s Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo. They are featured in a segment where Josh proves himself to be an asset at work to Wes Dryden (Victor Garber) and Paula (Ruby Gold). I can only imagine what kind of cameos a second season would entail. Until we know about the renewal for sure, I suppose the best thing Not Suitable for Work fans, myself included, can do is keep watching the show and tell our friends to do the same.
