Platonic

Rogen and Byrne’s rapport as they seamlessly navigate the many highs and incredible lows that come with having a best friend in adulthood makes for one of the strongest new TV shows of the year.

A series about rediscovering joyful solidarity in the face of misery, and the bittersweetness of transcending that tumultuous stage, it’s a triumph of heartfelt humor—and reconfirmation that Rogen and Byrne are an unbeatable team.

As terrific they [Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen] are, the script and the direction match their talents and challenge them. Just be prepared to binge all three episodes and be eagerly await more to come.

Rogen is his comfort zone and delivers some of his finest work as the cynical yet idealistic Will, and Byrne reminds us of her crackling good physical comedy skills as the somewhat floundering Sylvia.

Future seasons of Platonic would certainly be welcome, but this one is satisfyingly self-contained.

Platonic doesn’t break any molds, but it’s nice to see another example of a breezy comedy that’s not afraid to let its characters be human and even unlikable at times.

“Platonic” works because it balances subtle character beats for Byrne and Rogen with its broad, sitcomish set-ups.

It's well written, well paced, well acted and doesn't even fall into the trap of putting her in an unhappy marriage. .... Here's a comedy worth your time.

What Platonic gets right about the romantic-comedy genre, though, ultimately makes up for the show’s shortcomings. This show understands that, in art as in life, one of the great joys the world has to offer is the act of hanging out with someone who truly gets you, sharing french fries, in-jokes, and stories of your often boring, occasionally magical lives. I appreciated, too, the matter-of-factness with which both leads are presented as potential objects of romantic desire.

Platonic sneaks up on you. Each half-hour episode moves at a punchy pace. The dialogue is mostly sharp. Best of all, Byrne and Rogen are hilarious together—and the sense that they’re having a great time makes their misadventures a lot of fun to watch.

The really intoxicating ingredient in the show, when bubbling energetically, is the heady and disarming chemistry between Ms. Byrne and Mr. Rogen.

It is not quite the platonic ideal of a modern buddy comedy – some episodes are a bit baggy and drain momentum, although it always picks back up – but it’s close.

Plot lines don’t veer too far into WTF territory without a payoff. Through vulnerability and introspection, Platonic strikes a nice balance between lighthearted and serious storylines.

If the half-hours run a bit shaggy with ambling riffs about the secret to speedy sex or the cheesy delights of a Johnny Rockets-style restaurant, it’s fun simply to spend time in the company of two people who so clearly get each other.

Platonic mainly serves as a showcase for the considerable rapport between its leads, both of whom are clearly having a blast razzing each other like sarcastic siblings.

Even when “Platonic” can be too enamored with its minor victory of simply representing a different kind of love, Byrne and Rogen will then do something together that’s funny or sweet or endearing. You can’t fake chemistry like that.

The answer that “Platonic” gives for most of its season is a playful shrug. It’s shaggy, and sometimes admirable, but if you’re going to take that approach, you better have a stellar, top-to-bottom hangout crew to take it from there.

Platonic works best as a character study of two people who just get one another, major flaws and all. But as a great comedic series, it’s ultimately less satisfying or thought-provoking than one would hope.

Platonic is a far better show when it focuses on its characters’ shenanigans than on social commentary.

The banter occasionally verges on crude, and other characters (such as Luke Macfarlane as Sylvia’s husband) are a mite underwritten. Still, even in lulls the comic snap of Rogen and Byrne’s chemistry is enough to keep the cylinders firing.

Whether it will join the league of Friends, New Girl and Will and Grace remains to be seen. But it is certainly off to a promising start.

Yet Platonic operates in such a minor key it’s hard to escape the feel of another vanity project to feed the hungry altar of streaming. The net effect is a show, perhaps appropriately, that’s easy enough to like, and almost impossible to love.

Beyond the draw of its main stars, “Platonic” is a middling comedy with plenty of the same gags you’ve seen before.

There is potential here. Set pieces can be enjoyably silly, and some of the comedy is nicely-observed. .... But mostly the writing feels too smug.