by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
A lot of us have been here before: We’re in a relationship, and there’s a friend that gives your partner anxiety about how close you are. There’s unease about someone catching feelings, and threatening your partnership. Call it insecurity or call it jealousy, but it can lead to the destruction of love if not properly resolved.
Platonic is the latest chapter in Hollywood in this saga.
The friends we follow this time are Sylvia (Rose Byrne) and Will (Seth Rogen), childhood friends who lose touch. After Will experiences some hardship, Sylvia reaches out to ensure he’s okay. The rest of the series chronicles how they settle back into their questionable habits.
Platonic hinges on how much you buy Sylvia and Will’s chemistry, and by extension, Byrne and Rogen. After watching them together in the Neighbors movies, I wasn’t sure I bought them as a couple, but I bought them as friends. Both are funny and charismatic. They also balance trading off main stories and supporting one another. Will may have the most significant character transformation, but Sylvia still has lots of growth in her own way. Both are figuring out how to navigate their current romantic situations, and what they want to do professionally.
Sylvia tries to help Will through a divorce, and at first, he sucks her into his drama. Halfway through the series, though, the roles are reversed, and Sylvia is the one leads Will to chaos. I do like that there’s a balance between the two, and although they’re great friends, they’re equally destructive towards one another.
Another thing I appreciate about Platonic is that it doesn’t spend all season doing a “will they, won’t they” scenario. A lot of shows would build tension between the two leads and find some way for them to end up together. Platonic keeps their friendship intact, and even goes so far as to have both characters reflect on how important they are to one another.
Each episode also made me laugh a bunch of times. The banter between the leads is amazing, because they make it seem so effortless when they are giving each other grief. On to top that, the adventures they get themselves into lend themselves to physical comedy, as well as great stories to tell. Will in particular gets into some crazy situations, including rescuing his lizard Gandalf from his estranged wife, and getting frustrated with electric scooters positioned all around the brewery he has.
I like some of the supporting characters, and there are some that I wanted more attention on. Sylvia’s husband Charlie (Luke Macfarlane) is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of his comedy chops and his character’s place in the story. I wanted more time with Sylvia’s kids. Will’s supporting cast, especially at his brewery, is stronger and enhances who he is much better. Andy (Tre Hale) is a strong cast member who doesn’t mind telling Will what he needs to hear.
Platonic doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but the bond between Byrne and Rogen is what kept me interested in the series. It is exceedingly funny, and it manages to tell a great story about two friends reconnecting in the face of adversity.
Score: Liked It
Platonic is currently streaming on Apple TV+
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