Welcome back, Platonic friends.
Co-created, directed and co-written by Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, the second season of Platonicreintroduces us to everyone’s favourite pair of best pals, Will and Sylvia (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne). As the series resumes, we see that Will’s wedding is fast approaching and Sylvia is on top of it! That is, so long as Will’s pre-nuptial jitters don’t get in the way. As the duo attempt to be each other’s emotional rocks, they also can’t help but get in each other’s way as well.
With Platonic, Stoller and Delbanco have created a world that you honestly want to spend more time within. With furious energy, the series is infused with joyful wackiness. Even in their darkest (and dumbest) of moments, these characters remain endearing and sincere. These are not villains but rather people that you’d invite into your home. They may be struggling to get by but they still maintain a sense of innocence about them.
They’re also very, very funny.
Whether they’re (dangerously) golfing with the in-laws or arguing in the midst of a firehose of beer, Rogen and Byrne have the necessary chemistry to make Platonic pop. Having made a career by playing the affable loser, Rogen plays Will with affection and grace. No, his character doesn’t have it all together but we want him to succeed. At the same time, Byrne brings joyful frustration to Sylvia. She has her own life to live yet she cannot help but be constantly involved in the everyday life of her closest (male) friend.
Although the two characters have no sexual interest in each other onscreen, the connection between them is palpable. Every scene that they’re together carries genuine affection. When paired, the banter between them plays with such ease that one cannot help but fall in love with them. Even with the silliness of their situations, Will and Sylvia feel like real people just struggling to get by. And they need each other to do that.
But part of the joy about Platonic is that, even though we love watching them together, we have little interest in them being together. At no point in the series do we wish for Will and Sylvia to throw caution (and their respective families) to the wind to start dating. Sylvia’s relationship with her husband, Charlie, is rock solid. (And it’s worth noting that Luke Macfarlane is an absolute delight in the role.) Meanwhile, Will’s engagement may be problematic, but not because of Sylvia. In fact, Sylvia does her best to be supportive, even when it’s clear that there are problems there.
Their relationship is truly platonic. And that somehow makes it more beautiful.
Platonic is a series that celebrates friendships without forced sexual tension. While the ‘will they / won’t they’ angle can make for interesting television, it can also be unnecessary. These two characters have chemistry without needing to have *ahem* chemistry. In some ways, this is friendship at its finest. In some moments, they are there for each other. And, in other moments, they speak the truth to one another, even when it’s uncomfortable. Yes, their relationship borders on co-dependant at times but only out of their genuine care for one another.
Will and Sylvia simply [and platonically] love each other too to not be involved in each other’s lives.
While the series doesn’t feel at all like other Apple hits like Ted Lasso or Shrinking, Platonic is still infused with a similar cheerfulness. This motley crew of misfits somehow worm your way into your soul with heart and humour, making you feel like you’re one of the crew. They are broken and often misguided but we cheer for their well-being. In fact, though it may be called Platonic, you can’t help but fall in love with this series.
The 10-episode sophomore season will premiere globally on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 with the first two episodes, followed by one episode weekly until October 1, 2025.
All photos are provided by Apple.
