Just as Apple TV+ celebrates a string of Emmy nods for The Studio another one of its comedic crown jewels is stepping back into the spotlight and it’s anything but quiet.
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are back for Season 2 of Platonic the irreverent screwball comedy about adult friendship that somehow manages to be heartwarming horrifying and hysterical all at once. The new season premieres August 6 with two fresh episodes followed by weekly drops through the October 1 finale.
And based on the brand new trailer things are about to get a lot weirder.
Same Best Friends. Bigger Mess.
At the center of Platonic are Will (Seth Rogen) a brewery co-owner with the emotional maturity of a frat boy and Sylvia (Rose Byrne) a mom of three who’s just now figuring out what she wants from life beyond carpools and PTA meetings. In Season 1 the duo rekindled their long dormant friendship following Will’s divorce and they quickly fell back into chaotic patterns of impulsivity inappropriate outings and co-dependent shenanigans that left Sylvia’s picture perfect marriage wobbling.
In Season 2 they’re tighter than ever too tight according to Will’s new fiancée Jenna (played by Rachel Rosenbloom). The trailer doesn’t shy away from the awkwardness teasing mounting tension between Will and Jenna as Sylvia continues to occupy a third wheel position that’s…not exactly discreet.
Jenna confronts Will about their friendship “She’s always here. You guys have your own language.” Sylvia of course sees no issue. In her words “We just need to do some normal adult stuff”
Cut to a disaster involving a pressurized beer vat that propels Sylvia through the air like a human cannonball a gluten fueled meltdown at a dinner party and a golf incident that probably ends with someone in urgent care.
SNL Royalty Joins the Mayhem
As if the core cast wasn’t enough Season 2 brings in a heavy hitting lineup of comedic talent with three Saturday Night Live alums joining the chaos Aidy Bryant Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney
Bryant best known for her star making turn in Hulu’s Shrill appears as a frazzled HR consultant for the brewery. Bennett (of Superman and DuckTales fame) plays a competitive dad Sylvia meets at a school fundraiser. Mooney ever the wild card shows up as a shaman style life coach for Charlie Sylvia’s husband still played with deadpan charm by Luke Macfarlane
Their appearances seem to bring a surreal absurdist energy that perfectly complements the show’s already unpredictable tone.
From ‘Don’t Like Your Wife’ to ‘Please Stop Marrying People’
Fans of the series will remember the original catalyst for Will and Sylvia’s estrangement Sylvia told Will she hated his (now ex) wife. When news of his divorce reached her Sylvia reached back out and their deeply dysfunctional yet undeniably lovable friendship re-sparked.
Season 1 ended with Sylvia returning to the workforce and Will getting engaged to Jenna. But judging by the trailer the engagement may not be smooth sailing and Sylvia’s reintegration into adult life might be hitting more than a few potholes.
Francesca Delbanco (Friends From College) and Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) created Platonic with both Byrne and Rogen also executive producing. Their fingerprints are all over the show’s blend of absurd humor surprising emotional depth and a tone that never takes itself too seriously until it suddenly does.
A Critical Darling With a Chaotic Heart
The show remains a critical favorite sitting at a 93% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Collider’s Emily Bernard praised Season 1 as “a refreshing exploration of adult friendships with the opposite sex and the complications that inevitably (and unfairly) arise.”
Indeed Platonic has consistently challenged the tired “can men and women just be friends?” trope opting instead to focus on what happens when they absolutely can and it’s a complete disaster in the most entertaining way.
