REVIEW: ‘Platonic’ Season 2 Is A Hilarious And Heartfelt Ode To Dysfunctional Friendship
- Emma Fisher
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
This article contains spoilers for Platonic Season 2.
Apple TV+’s Platonic returns for a second season, diving deeper into the intoxicating (and often infuriating) dynamic between Sylvia (Rose Byrne) and Will (Seth Rogen). Continuing Apple’s streak of delivering some of the best TV over the past year, with shows such as Rogen’s The Studio, this season proves even better than the last.
If the first season was about rekindling a friendship, Season 2 is about testing its limits. The result is a deliciously awkward but painfully honest comedy that understands the fragility of adult relationships better than most. Byrne and Rogen’s comedic chemistry remains the beating heart of the series, whether they’re stealing Veuve Clicquot from an unsuspecting shop assistant or arguing about a Deadpool tattoo. Creators Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller also double down on their foundational premise: that platonic love can be as intense, irrational, and life-altering as any romance, perhaps even more so.
The season begins with Sylvia planning Will’s wedding to Jenna (Rachel Rosenbloom), despite doubting the pair and barely hiding her disapproval. There’s a sense from the outset that their relationship is a car crash waiting to happen. Will is out of sync with Jenna, Sylvia is overstepping, and no one is willing to admit that the wedding is a terrible idea.
To avoid acknowledging the obvious, Jenna fixates on the fact that Will spends more time with Sylvia than with her, especially at their engagement party. She’s right, of course, but it’s clear that a running theme is being established that circles back to how Sylvia and Will’s co-dependency is getting in the way of everything else. Charlie (Luke MacFarlane) grows resentful of how Sylvia prioritises Will over their marriage, and he’s right too. And yet, the show refuses to pick a side. Instead, it confronts an uncomfortable truth: adult friendship, when it’s this close, is inherently intrusive. However, within reason, it’s also a bond to cherish.
By episode four, Will’s relationship is teetering on collapse. He and Sylvia arrive in San Diego, where Jenna and her father Hank take them golfing. Unsurprisingly, Will isn’t a golfer, so Hank takes a golf ball directly to the eye in a scene that will be as grotesque to some as it is hilarious to others. After being more understanding than anyone would be after another caused their eye to explode, Hank states that he may have lost an eye, but he’s gained a son. Somehow, this gory misfortune becomes the emotional justification for fast-tracking the wedding, which says everything you need to know about Will and Jenna’s ill-fated relationship.
Sylvia is baffled by their rushed plans (you will be too), especially when it’s clear they can’t agree on anything, be it officiants, vows, or the role of sex in their marriage (Jenna’s against it, Will’s not). Eventually, the wedding is called off, reinstated, and called off again, as Will spirals between guilt, lust, and denial. At one point, he decides to go through with it simply because Reggie (Andrew Lopez) reminds him he’d get half of Jenna’s money in the divorce – then changes his mind again when Andy (Tre Hale) tells him he wouldn’t marry someone he couldn’t have sex with. Rogen plays this emotional disarray well, and he’s never been better as a man so completely incapable of making a single good decision.
Meanwhile, Sylvia’s own life isn’t exactly stable. Her party planning business picks up, thanks in part to a collaboration with the hilarious Aidy Bryant’s Cabo Carrie, but success only highlights how little balance she has. She’s increasingly overwhelmed, missing family moments, lying to her husband, and crashing cars. Even her attempts at therapy with Charlie go sideways, from FaceTiming with a chicken filter to being told she’s subconsciously lying about being late. Their therapist, the aptly named Dr. Melfi, ends sessions early and bikes away like he’s fleeing the emotional wreckage. Byrne navigates all of this with her usual deftness, and her ability to pivot from biting comedy to genuine vulnerability is a masterclass that makes Sylvia so compelling.
Once the marriage is off, Will is torn between emotional immaturity and longing for stability. He bounces from one bad decision to the next, including sleeping with a realtor and attempting to start something with Katie that goes beyond friendship after the pair bond over divorce and Sex and the City. He even goes so far as to obsessively watch videos of Jenna, aiming to show up with a giant stuffed penguin in a misguided bid to win her back. It’s the kind of gesture that would be endearing if it weren’t so representative of how emotionally stunted he is. When he eventually does rekindle things with her (albeit briefly), you’ll be hoping for closure more than they are.
The ensemble cast is also a delight, adding further depth to the show's world. As mentioned, Aidy Bryant is Cabo Carrie, and two other SNL alums join her. Kyle Mooney, not cut for time, plays Jenna's co-worker Terry, while Beck Bennett portrays Wild Card, an old friend of Will and Sylvia. Even the kids shine, especially Frances (Sophie Leonard), who extorts Sylvia over not reading Charlie’s book by secretly recording her, then charges hush money. Maeve (Sophia Kopera) is convinced there’s a spaceship in the garden (it’s Will), adding another layer of chaos to Sylvia’s supposedly grounded home life. However, it’s MacFarlane as Charlie who offers the season’s most surprising emotional arc. From Jeopardy embarrassment and marital stress to an early retirement and writing a novel that his family don’t care for, his struggles add a grounded counterpart to the show.
By the finale, the show has earned its full-circle moment as Sylvia and Will decide to go into business together. There'll be wine on tap (she still hates beer), and she'll be his boss. It’s both inevitable and mildly worrying.
Ultimately, Platonic’s second season doubles down on its premise: that adult friendship, especially one this close, is inconvenient but vital. Will and Sylvia might be each other’s worst enablers, but there’s no one they’re more honest with. And though their proximity continues to wreak havoc on the lives around them, their bond, platonic as it may be, is the show’s most sincere relationship.
With standout performances from Rogen and Byrne, sharp writing, and just the right amount of emotional devastation, Platonic proves it’s one of the most compelling comedies on television – even if you spend half the runtime screaming, “Just set some boundaries already!”
Rating: ★★★★☆
About Platonic Season 2
Premiere Date: August 6, 2025
Episode Count: 10
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Nick Stoller, Francesca Delbanco, Conor Welch, Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen
Distribution: Apple TV+
Cast: Rose Byrne, Seth Rogen, Luke Macfarlane, Tre Hale, Carla Gallo, Andrew Lopez, Vinny Thomas, Rachel Rosenbloom
Synopsis: Co-created, directed and co-written by Nick Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, “Platonic” season two picks up with everyone’s favourite pair of best friends (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) as they contend with new midlife hurdles, including work, weddings and partners in crises. The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock — but sometimes rocks break things. The season two cast also includes Luke Macfarlane and Carla Gallo, and introduces Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett as guest stars.