Platónico

I will preface this review with the fact that I love Seth Rogan, he's about my age, and Superbad came out when I was in college, so I'm a fan of his humor. I find the storyline of show super relatable, and although I found the first couple episodes a bit bland, the last few had me dying of laughter! All the good TV shows as of late have been dramas and serious storylines, and honestly, this show is such a breath of fresh air. I hope Apple TV invests in some more top notch comedies like this one. I also hope Seth Rogan does more acting again! I'm already 5 episodes in, but I hope it's a long season, because I don't want it to end!

It's okay; not terrible, and occasionally genuinely funny.

The script leans quite a bit on snappy banter (including when the characters are texting at unrealistic, overlapping lightning speed) and imo Rogan just isn't up to the task. In any case, some of it feels forced.

The direction has a tendency to gloss over or press forward in tone and pace in a way that often feels a bit careless and not cohesive. I'm sure some people didn't notice or mind what I perceived, but different strokes, eh?

And... generally, it again just doesn't feel cohesive. Subtle, genuine moments smack into exaggerated moments crash into trying-too-hard moments. And none of it is original, markedly creative, or even all that witty.

Wow! The BEST thing about this series (so far) is the writing.

They throw in a whole bunch of characters that, in a different "modern" series, would get the annoying stereotypical treatment: "the drunk", "the adulterer", "the manchild", "the bored housewife", "the friend", "the gay coworker", etc, etc.

Instead, in this one, they are developed like human beings; each one with their own feelings and their own behavior. Each one with good qualities, but also flaws, bad behavior. Keeps you constantly guessing what is it about to happen and, at the same time, feels incredibly relatable.

Production value, acting, everything else is also great (as per Apple standards).

Conclusion: hands down a great series to watch; alone or together (even better).

As Episode 1 of "Platonic" (2023 release; 10 episodes ranging between 27 and 33 min each) opens, we are introduced to Sylvia, her husband Charlie an their 3 kids, arguing what to watch. Sylvia then learns on social media that Will, her erstwhile best friend whom she hasn't seen in years, is getting divorced. Charlie encourages her to reach out to Will, to show her support. At this point we are less than 10 minutes into episode 1.

Couple of comments: this marks the grand reunion of director/co-writer Nicholas Stoller, and leads Rose Byrne (as Sylvia) and Seth Rogen (as Will). All three were also on board for the feature film "Neighbors" and its sequel. "Platonic" provides a familiar perspective on the issue of whether members of the opposite sex can be the best friends without, well, the sex. Both Sylvia and Will are flawed, and hence very relatable, characters, with their ups and downs. The chemistry between these two feels natural (or maybe it's just 2 great performers doing what they do well: acting). With episodes being about a half hour, all of this breezes by in no time.

"Platonic" premiered in late May on Apple TV and so far 4 episodes have been released. The remainder 6 episodes are coming on a weekly basis, on Wednesdays. If you are in the mood for a modern relationship comedy, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

What a great little show. After four episodes, I think it's safe to say this one's a winner. I'm not a huge Seth Rogen fan in particular, and I just know Rose Byrne from a few movies. But as the two friends at the center of this contemporary comedy, they have chemistry. Each episode is written by a different writer, but they all have the same sense of humor, it seems. Nothing feels too contrived, either. Nor does the fact of the main characters friendship overwhelm the stories. It's not until episode four that we deal with Byrne's husband feeling a little jealous, a little left out. And it's resolved, ultimately (spoiler alert?), with communication, love, and understanding. Imagine that.