Observe: This story incorporates spoilers from “Platonic” Season 2, Episodes 1 and a couple of.
By the point “Platonic” picks up for Season 2, Seth Rogen’s Will and Rose Byrne’s Sylvia are nearer than ever, with Sylvia stepping in to assist plan Will’s impending wedding ceremony to Jenna (Rachel Rosenbloom). There’s only one downside, although: the connection won’t be the correct factor for Will.
“Will is in a relationship that possibly on its floor appears wholesome and has quite a lot of potential, however very shut underneath the floor is fairly unhealthy and possibly shouldn’t proceed,” Rogen instructed TheWrap. “However he actually desires to really feel like somebody who has his life collectively, and really feel like a accountable, regular man in his 40s, so he’s ignoring quite a lot of crimson flags, I assume, that Sylvia very clearly sees.”
Whereas Sylvia would possibly see a few of these crimson flags, she makes her greatest effort to not intervene in Will’s relationship given the mess that transpired the final time she did, and provides her greatest shot at having a “typical friendship” with each Will and Jenna.
“They’re making an attempt to be like, ‘Let’s have dinner. We’ll be regular,’” Byrne instructed TheWrap, including that Jenna and Will are “simply so completely different.” “I’ve had that in my life the place I’m like, ‘Okay, I have to reframe. I really like my pal. I would like to determine how one can relate to this particular person they’re with — that’s their selection.’ She does attempt, I believe, in the easiest way, and initially is form of going nicely, [then] rapidly devolves.”
The primary signal of hassle for Sylvia comes when Will insists on dipping out of his engagement celebration (which Sylvia deliberate) to restock on champagne, after which makes a detour the place he introduces Sylvia to his crush, a younger worker at a neighborhood sandwich store. Whereas Sylvia shakes off a crush as only a crush and rushes Will to get again to the engagement celebration, Rogen stated Will was probably hoping the go to would push Sylvia to inform him to not get married.
“[He] doesn’t wish to do it himself, and is simply too cowardly to acknowledge it, however is hoping that she shall be like, ‘you shouldn’t get married. This isn’t for you,’” Rogen stated. “He desires it to be her duty to tug the ripcord, as a result of he, himself, is simply too scared to have that dialog.”
As an alternative, Sylvia tries even more durable to attach with Jenna, who’s, naturally, slightly sad with the duo’s tour in the course of the engagement celebration, with Sylvia inviting Will and Jenna over for dinner at her house. As might be anticipated, the ceremonial dinner doesn’t go too easily, as Will and Jenna bicker the evening away.
“It’s fairly an ungainly, tense night,” Byrne stated, including “that’s a really relatable expertise — having dinners with buddies who’re {couples} and … revealing dynamics between folks.”
“What they assume is a traditional dynamic … you’re like, ‘this isn’t a traditional [dynamic],’” Rogen stated. “They assume it’s a enjoyable evening out with buddies, and also you’re like, ‘you guys are horrible to at least one one other, you shouldn’t be collectively.’”
Whereas Sylvia makes her greatest effort to type a friendship exterior of Will with Jenna, the tables flip when, whereas the pair are out for dinner in Episode 2, Jenna tells Sylvia she’s now not intimidated by her friendship with Will, saying that Sylvia is “nothing,” which leaves Sylvia speechless.
“Initially she’s kind of gaslit, like ‘wait, what? Would she actually say that? What did she imply? Is that me, am I overthinking it?’ after which she comes house to Charlie, and loses her s–t,” Byrne stated. “It’s an odd, bizarre remark to make. It’s a type of issues that you’d simply ruminate on for the remainder of your evening, a minimum of.”
Whereas Sylvia and her husband, Charlie (Luke Macfarlane), are on the observing finish of Will and Jenna’s relationship woes, Season 2 sees the conditions reverse as Sylvia struggles together with her personal points in her household {and professional} life, which, in flip, forces Will right into a positions.
“Each their lives aren’t going that nicely, however they’re making an attempt to have extra boundaries with each other and be extra respectful of each other’s lives, however on the identical time, can’t assist however see the fact of each other’s lives,” Rogen stated, including that “it’s a continuing stability” for each Will and Sylvia on when to and when to not weigh in on the opposite’s troubles.
“They’re very unhealthy at deciding what to do with these conditions, however they need one of the best for the opposite particular person,” Rogen stated. “They genuinely have very poor boundaries with each other. They actually do shock me.”
“Platonic” Season 2 drops new episodes each Wednesday on Apple TV+.
