Parents' Guide to Platonic

TV Apple TV Comedy 2023
Platonic: Sylvia and Will stand together in closeup; Will has his head down laughing, Sylvia's hand is on his shoulder. The word "Platonic" appears in white text across their bodies.

Common Sense Media Review

Joyce Slaton By Joyce Slaton , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Easygoing series has language, drinking, great, funny cast.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

In college years ago, Sylvia (Rose Byrne) and Will (Seth Rogen) had a PLATONIC relationship that people thought was weird. Then the two fell out, and their path's diverged. But when Sylvia hears that Will and wife Audrey (Alisha Wainwright) are splitting, and gives him a pity call. Surprisingly, they still have a great time together, and the rekindling of their friendship brings change that disrupts both of their paths.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Byrne and Rogen have great chemistry, as fans of the Neighbors film series can attest, and this loose and easygoing series makes the most of it. Will and Sylvia have reached an age that viewers who are their peers will recognize: More than a decade away from their school days, life has become settled, and just a little bit boring. Especially for Sylvia, who's transformed from a college slacker to a suburban mom in cardigans. Reconnecting gives Will a small window into the way his own life might have gone had he gone the 9-to-5-job-and-kids route. It also gives Sylvia a vacation from taking care of a house and children. So it's easy to believe that they find a rapport again years after an estrangement.

It's also fun just to watch the pair zipping around Los Angeles doing regular-people stuff: looking at a house, getting some fries at Denny's. The show pauses for long conversations between the two, and that's to the best, since the interplay between the two stars is the best part of Platonic. It's clear that Will and Sylvia's renewed friendship is going to bring changes to each character, as well as friction from the people who were used to them the way they were before. The sweet and natural vibe between Byrne and Rogen makes us want to watch and see what happens next.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the setup of a "will they or won't they?" friendship. Why is this a common scenario for comedies, particularly TV series? What are the dramatic or comedic possibilities of such a pairing?

  • Have you seen Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne starring together in the film series Neighbors as a married couple? If so, how does that affect the way you perceive their relationship in Platonic?

  • Characters on TV shows and in movies often don't talk exactly like real people: Their conversation seems more antic, more funny, more poetic, or otherwise "more" than regular interplay in real life. How is dialogue heightened in Platonic? Do the characters sound like they're having real-life conversations?

TV Details

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Platonic: Sylvia and Will stand together in closeup; Will has his head down laughing, Sylvia's hand is on his shoulder. The word "Platonic" appears in white text across their bodies.

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