Platonic Season 1 Review: Tactfully navigates the dynamics of cross-gender adult relationships

Episode Guide

Episode 1 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 2 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 3 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 4 – | Review Score – 3/5
Episode 5 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 6 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 7 – | Review Score – 4/5
Episode 8 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 9 – | Review Score – 3.5/5
Episode 10 – | Review Score – 4/5

“A man and a woman can never be friends.” How often have we heard that phrase? Too much, perhaps. If films like No Strings Attached or When Harry Met Sally are to be believed, the above is not possible. The two sexes must be romantically involved to have any sort of relationship. Well, Apple TV Plus’s Platonic debunks that theory with a lighthearted, warm, and egregiously adult representation.

Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen play the two lead characters, long-time friends, who reconnect after years of estrangement. Byrne and Rogen are capable comedic performers but their dramatic underlings and attachment to the characters is surprising.

Platonic never veers off course to ever suggest Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen) could indulge in romantic entanglements. The ten-episode-long season one tackles the stereotypes and cliches head-on with each episode. Platonic does not just focus on their friendship but also on how they push each other to make the right decisions and see things for what they are. The show also carves out enough time for the viewers to get acquainted with the individual lives of the characters and the problems they face, both big and small. 

Sylvia is a housewife and mother of three. Her mildly successful and doe-eyed husband Charlie has just made partner at a law firm. And the increasing need for them to move to a new house – without the tangible funds – eats up at her. Sylvia feels almost guilty for having left her law practice behind and saddling Charlie with all the fiscal responsibilities. One day, she notices the separation of her former best friend Will with Audrey on IG. Sylvia and Will are no longer on speaking terms ever since he decided to marry Audrey. Sylvia had tried to warn him something like this could happen. But at the time, Will chose Audrey and thus the connections were severed.

Under the pretence of having a coffee, Sylvia renews her familiarity with Will, who is now a bachelor and owns part of a local bar. The two eventually reconnect and renew their friendship but with different sensibilities. This aspect of Platonic – the contrast between Sylvia and Will – is sort of deceptive. Even though visually they seem to be at different places in their lives, Will and Sylvia are both frozen in time with their separate issues. They aren’t as different as Sylvia claims. Yes, she is married and fulfils the tedious duties of a housewife and a mother. But her insecurities are as worthy of attention as Will’s issues of commitment and his inability to grow out of his cool, hipster persona from his college days.

Will dresses like a man-child and Rogen’s goofy energy only adds to the charm. But simultaneously, there is a difference in perspective and outlook on life. In that sense, Sylvia and Will are poles apart. For them, it is a challenge to be like the other yet they understand each other’s crises. It is one thing to call the representation emboldened and refreshing but completely another to view the characterization of it.

The supremely lean writing leads to authentic, top-tier interactions between the two. Many a time, things are said with facial expressions, awkward pauses and stumbles, and faux impressions mixed with nervous laughter.  Without Rogen and Byrne’s incredible chemistry, all of this would have been empty and shallow. The fact that it is not is a rare feat indeed and the two actors must be commended for bringing their best bits to the fore. 

Their “Neighbours” reunion is a tad different in substance but very close in rapport and synergies. Nicholas Stoller, who also directed them before, serves as the co-creator of Platonic. His work on Platonic shows how important it is for actors to be facilitated by a behind-the-scenes creator who understands them and can hone their talents in the best way possible. Stoller manages to ramp up the chemistry between Rogen and Byrne with an emphatic mix of comedy and vulnerability. Platonic has countless genuine moments of reckoning, as well as having pristine comedic timing. Both the actors are seasoned in knowing when to pull the joke trigger and make merry. 

Charlie and Steve’s bromance is another redeeming facet beyond Sylvia and Will. In fact, there are strong underpinnings of workplace camaraderie in Charlie’s context that deserve a show of their own. This tangent didn’t fully materialize but the glimpses were enough to suggest its potency. Macfarlane is a standout performer in Platonic, making Charlie very likeable and someone we root for.

Platonic never hesitates from taking a silly leap – like Will’s weed-laced gummies or Andy inadvertently giving Sylvia oxy – but the results are both hilarious and heartfelt, making this Apple TV Plus show one of the best of the year.

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