Platonic

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.

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.

Sure, it's nothing special in terms of recipe, but the final dish is refreshingly sweet and honest.

Platonic is a mostly feel-good and charming look at adult relationships, friendship and midlife crisis shenanigans with Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen's chemistry elevating the material. If you're not into the Seth Rogen brand of humour you might actually be surprised by this performance which shows a more mature Seth Rogen who's still able to pull out some genuinely funny moments of comedy when necessary. In terms of exploration of adulthood, don't expect anything too deep but everything is flowing so smoothly that I ended up watching one episode after the other over two days.

Will (Seth Rogen) just got out of a divorce and is a owner of a brewery while Sylvia (Rose Byrne) is a stay-at-home mom of three kids who's clearly bored with her life, they both end up reconnecting after spending a few years apart. It's a light and entertaining Friday night watch with some good performances all-around. When Rose Byrne channels her inner comedic side she can be effortlessly hilarious and it's almost as if Seth Rogen brings out the best of her which allows her to unleash her wild side.

I got attach to them pretty quickly thanks also to the writing which is not flashy but can be clever at times. It wins you over with the smaller moments that speaks volume. Maybe it's because I just hit my 30's or maybe it's because I always liked Seth Rogen, but this resonated with me without saying I was emotionally moved by the series it does get you hooked with the blend of drama and comedy, all thanks to Byrne and Rogen's charms and wits.

I just think this works without being special or ground-breaking, it immediately becomes some sort of comfort food. In some ways, this might've benefited from the whole season dropping the same day but the first three episodes will be releasing on May 24th. It might lose some people along the way with the week-to-week format. By the end of the series, I was a bit underwhelmed by the finale, it left me wanting more. I still think it was a good watch overall.

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.

Many valid criticisms were raised about this show. That it is just another light hearted stoner Seth Rogen production, the netflix version of Neighbours, that the jokes are repetitive, Seth Rogens laugh is annoying, getting old as a manchild-story is not funny anymore and over-hashed etc. Etc.

And to be honest I cannot refute these points. What I can say is that if you are into character comedies with a light tone and consequence free scenarios then you are probably at the right address. Because the chemistry between Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne is irrefutable. Their interactions are just a great watch. Neighbors did something right, and that was to find the right counterpart to Rogen.