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Aisha Harris
In the breezy comedy series Platonic, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play former best friends who reconnect years after a falling out. As they attempt to rebuild their relationship, they find themselves in many a silly and occasionally profound situation.
Linda Holmes
It's a refreshingly low stakes premise, and if you're a fan of Rogen and Byrne, and who among us isn't, you'll probably dig this. The show is back for a second season, so we thought it would be a great time to revisit our conversation about the series. I'm Linda Holmes.
Aisha Harris
And I'm Aisha Harris. And today we're talking about the Apple TV series Platonic on pop culture. Happy Hour from npr.
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Aisha Harris
Joining me and Linda today is Ronald Young Jr. He's the host of the Film and Television Review podcast Leaving the Theater. Welcome back Ronald. Woo hoo.
Ronald Young Jr.
Hello, hello. Happy to be here.
Cook Unity
Yay.
Aisha Harris
It's great to have you? Platonic stars Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen as Sylvia and Will, a pair of former besties whose friendship ended dramatically over a big disagreement. Now, years later, they re enter each other's lives, but as very different people. Sylvia's a retired lawyer and stay at home mom who's feeling the pull to return to work and questioning her life's purpose. Meanwhile, Will is reeling from a recent divorce while expanding his brewery business. The show follows their misadventures as they try to navigate their respective midlife crises and become friends again. Platonic was created by the married team of Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller, who together also created the series Friends from College. It's streaming on Apple tv. So, Linda, I want to start with you. So the series is called Platonic, which suggests that it might be focused on the classic gendered question around whether or not men and women can truly be friends without the sexual tension. It even directly references When Harry Met Sally in the first episode. But as the show progresses, it's clearly got other things on its mind. And so I'm wondering, you know, did you have expectations going into this? And if so, did anything about how this ultimately unfolded actually kind of surprise you in any way?
Linda Holmes
Yeah, you know, I think the title suggests, and maybe even some of the original promo stuff suggested that we were gonna get something where, you know, they were best friends. But particularly like, did Sylvia's husband, who's played by the wonderful Luke McFarlane, who's kind of becoming one of my favorite support guys, you know, was the fact that her husband felt like threatened by the closeness of their relationship. Are we gonna get into one of these? Can they really be friends? Is there some love triangle here? It's absolutely not that. But at the same time, what I like about it is it does go into the questions of kind of how, like, emotionally intimate this friendship is and the confidences that happen in friendships that don't always happen in marriages and kind of the emotional real estate that is occupied by close friendships and how it does sometimes create complications in marriages, not because of romance or sex, but because of just closeness. And that can happen with any friend. But I think sometimes straight couples find that it's heightened with opposite sex friends because people are so socialized to not think of that as a thing. One of the things I really like about it is that it doesn't spend a lot of time in that place.
Aisha Harris
Yeah, there's definitely jealousy there, but it's jealousy that isn't just about, you know, will they or won't they. But about, like you said, sharing things in different ways and sharing different parts of yourself with the various people in your lives. And I think that's something everyone can relate to, whether or not they are in a relationship or not. That's just what it is. I felt like that with friends, you know? Yeah, yeah.
Linda Holmes
In some ways I felt it reminded me of Joyride, which is this kind of raucous comedy about these four friends. And one of the things that gets into is the tensions between, like, your old childhood friend and your college friend. It's all of these, like, making space for lots of people in your life. And I think in some ways, Platonic is almost plucking strings that are on that instrument as well.
Aisha Harris
Yeah, yeah. Ronald, how about you? Like, what were your sort of expectations going into this and how did this play out for you?
Ronald Young Jr.
Looking at the name Platonic and looking at the previews, I had apprehensions that this was just going to be examining can this actually happen? Can a man and woman actually be friends? And I know it to be true because I have plenty of women friends. I think I have more.
Linda Holmes
So goofy.
Ronald Young Jr.
Yeah. And I think I have more women close friends than I do men close friends. And they've varied the spectrum. Some ex relationships, some never romantic tension, any of that. When you put that premise at the center of a show, then you kind of force to kind of be in conflict with anything. That's not the norm. And so a lot of times I noticed that the Luke McFarlane character, like, that whole conflict, for me, it felt a little forced. It felt like, well, we have to do this because this is platonic, and we have to have the struggle between husband and actual platonic friend. And I still think that that is something that could still be explored even if this were her and her woman friend, you know, in terms of emotional intimacy and all of that. But they didn't really touch on that in terms of the differences between. And I guess my only qualm about the series itself is that while I enjoy it and I think they're doing a great job, I'm, like, enjoying their interactions. I love Seth Rogen. I love Rose Byrd. I love the way they're interacting. I think that because that was intended to be the center of the show, everything around it kind of felt like plot threads rather than plot.
Aisha Harris
Yeah, yeah. I can kind of see that. I came into it, you know, I love everyone involved with this. There's so much DNA in this show where if you lived through the middle, early, mid aughts, especially you're going to be like, oh, I recognize this person. Oh, I recognize this person. And of course, you have, like, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, who have co starred before in the movie Neighbors and Neighbors 2, where they actually played a married couple and that sort of other raucous comedy. And then you have Nicholas Stoller and then you have all this sort of like Judd Apatow adjacent universe of character actors and people. So in some respects, it's giving, you know, this is 40, you know, knocked up and, like, some of that DNA in there. And I was a little worried, especially in the first couple of episodes, because so much of Rose Byrne's character, Sylvia, like, her issues are arriving out of being a parent and also feeling as though her marriage is not what she wants it to be. And it felt familiar, you know, in a way, like, we've seen this before of like, the stay at home mom who's just very frustrated with her life and is, you know, wondering what she could have done better. But I think once it really does flesh out and really start to be about Will and Sylvia's relationship and friendship and. And what it's like to actually try and reconnect with someone who you were once so close with and now you don't even know really anything about them. To me, that's like, the kernel of what makes this so interesting is that it's really about trying to figure out how do you rebuild this relationship after being so close. And I don't think we've seen as many depictions of that kind of friendship as, you know, I think we maybe should, because people reconnect all the time, right?
Linda Holmes
You know, especially now, I feel like.
Aisha Harris
I really liked that. I also think, like, out of everything that's going on, it's very low stakes. And I really admire that about it because it's just fun. It's silly. There's an entire scene in a bar where they are all doing. Everyone in the bar is giving off their secret skills.
Linda Holmes
Classic comedy moment.
Ronald Young Jr.
That was funny.
Linda Holmes
Adored it. Aisha, I'm so glad that you mentioned the kind of Apatovian DNA in this show, because one thing I really like about this show is that in some of those Judd Apatow movies, you will get like, man and woman who is fun killer. And I was so afraid going into this, like, is Rose Byrne gonna be a fun killer? Which I hate the idea of because she is so fun and she is so funny. That's not her role here. She has a lot of fun with him. That sequence that you mentioned, with the secret skills, I think is mind blowing. And also a wonderful showcase for Guy Branham, who is a friend of the show, friend of mine, and sometime pop culture happy hour panelist who plays Luke McFarlane's friend at work, Stuart, and gets to kind of really stretch out in this bar sequence as, like, this buddy who's hanging out with all these people. It's a wonderful Guy Branham moment.
Ronald Young Jr.
Thank you. I can name all of the prime numbers to a thousand. Do you want to see it? 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19.
Linda Holmes
That secret skill stuff like they're throwing electric scooters and it's just this great night out.
Aisha Harris
What was with the electric scooters?
Ronald Young Jr.
He really committed to that bit.
Linda Holmes
Loved it.
Aisha Harris
Loved that bit. That bit is, like, throughout the entire series where Seth Rogen just has a beef with electric scooters. So, like, almost every episode, so does my dog. And almost every episode, he's like, knocking one over.
Ronald Young Jr.
There's a very satisfying payoff for that, I think at some point. And I knew it was coming. I knew every time he kicked over a scooter, like, at some point, you can't. You're not just gonna get away with this forever. The payoff that comes, I thought was pretty. I enjoyed it. I know that. I think generally, like, the fun of this show is just. It's palpable. It comes through. And I think that. And it being low stakes works.
Aisha Harris
I also want to, like, kind of go back to your point, Linda, about Rose Byrne's character not being a fun killer. Because one of my favorite parts about this show is, you know, anytime you have a comedy of a certain brand, there's always gonna be the inevitable drug taking sequence. And my goodness, they're almost always like, first of all, not at all how those drugs might actually affect you. It just feels very cliched at this point, how they're done. There's a moment sort of midway through the series where Rose Byrne's character, Sylvia and Will, and then, like, Will's co workers and friends are all out and they take coke and ketamine, but it's mostly ketamine. And what I love about it is instead of, you know, Rose Byrne going off the handle and going crazy, it just kind of subdues her and really loosens her up. And it gives her a moment to have this great moment of physical comedy. And I actually want to play a moment from. It's not like the best audio because there's not a lot of dialogue, but you can kind of hear how it's like the opposite of what you would expect a I just took drugs scene to be in a comedy. I'm very angry, livid at you.
Ronald Young Jr.
We should get her out of here.
Aisha Harris
I think that's.
Linda Holmes
I'm not happy about this.
Ronald Young Jr.
No, you don't seem happy.
Aisha Harris
You look good. And they're. First of all, they're in the most gigantic bathroom stall I have ever seen in popular culture.
Linda Holmes
It's like a bathroom stall designed for a bunch of people to take drugs.
Aisha Harris
Yes, like, 100%. And then, like, later on, she's kind of, like, wobbling around, and then they find themselves in a liquor store, and she just keeps falling over. It's great to see sort of this move away from the more typical way of how we depict these things. Absolutely. And again, it's a great moment to see her just do this physical comedy that I think she's really, really great at. We've seen in her other work as well. Yeah.
Ronald Young Jr.
I think in a lot of ways, this would have been the same show if it wasn't called platonic. The original premise is kind of gone from what the show actually is, like, what I'm actually watching when we get to the final few episodes. And again, I'm looking at these plot threads where I'm like, the whole show could have been the conflict at the bar. The whole show could have been the conflict with the relationship. But it turns out it's all these little conflic that. Aisha, you're right. Y' all both have said, like, this is just low stakes, so. Which isn't a problem. I don't think the stakes have to be high, but it just, for me, was a little distracting. But when I was having fun, I was having a really. I was having a lot of fun.
Linda Holmes
Yeah. Because really, what this show is, is this show is a hangout show.
Aisha Harris
Right.
Linda Holmes
This show is a bunch of people hanging out in different groups, people who are really good and funny. Some of it's physical comedy, some of it's verbal comedy. It's a really nice deployment of a bunch of different kinds of comedic chemistry. Yes. Byrne and Rogen, but also, as I said, Luke McFarlane and Guy Branham and some of those fol. But you can't just make a show and say it's gonna be a hangout show. And so they want, like, a thing that you can put as you're like, it's this. Ooh, that sounds interesting. And it's very hard sometimes, I think, as you say, to market things as what they really are and what this made me think about was, you know, I've always run a little hot and cold on Seth Rogen in the sense that when he's doing the kind of like, I mean, you talk about a drug scene. Like, when he's doing the things that feel like they're like 90% drug scenes.
Aisha Harris
You mean Pineapple Express?
Linda Holmes
Like, I have nothing against it. Like, when he wants to make Pineapple Express or he wants to make this is the End or whatever those movies are. That is one kind of thing. But there's this other very interesting genre of movie and TV now that he has done, which is these pairings with actresses whose vibe can be like a little patrician, whether it's Rose Byrne or Katherine Heigl in Knocked up is the same way. Charlize Theron in Longshot is the same thing. And he has a way. What I really like about how he handles those pairings is that he always comes across like he really, really likes the woman. He doesn't come across like, why is she such a fun killer? I've got to loosen her up.
Ronald Young Jr.
Yes.
Linda Holmes
He comes across as a little in awe of the woman who could be the fun killer. And I think they are able to tap into a similar energy. He can do these things without seeming exasperated by why is this woman such a stick in the mud? You know what I mean?
Aisha Harris
Yeah. Another reason why I mentioned earlier sort of the Judd Apatow of it all, that Also this is 40 is like, there's a whole plot line here where Will is dating a much younger woman who. Who looks like. At one point they said she looks like Billie Eilish. And I. And I was like, actually, she. I had thought that before. I thought it was Billie Eilish. And then I found that it wasn't.
Linda Holmes
Somebody messaged me and was like, that's not Billie Eilish, is it? And I was like, I really thought.
Aisha Harris
I thought it Emily Kimball and her character's name is Peyton in the show. But I was really kind of worried. I was like, oh, are we gonna get another one of these where the guy is dating a much younger woman and blah, blah, blah. But it really, the way it plays out is actually, I think, very self aware. And it does kind of point to the fact that, you know, in the mid aughts, we were kind of in a different place. And I think that especially someone like Seth Rogen has been able to sort of find in his work and the people that he's working with and all the people who have made those movies in the Past, I feel like, have in many ways sort of progressed in a way that doesn't feel put upon. It's just kind of like we're kind of moving and changing with the times in a way. I don't know if you feel that way, but.
Ronald Young Jr.
And now that you said it, it hit me like a bell. It's who's in the room. Like, they're letting more people into the writer's room. And that's evidence with the types of relationships that they're having. Because I believe this was written by a husband and wife team.
Linda Holmes
Yes.
Aisha Harris
Yeah. Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco. Yeah.
Ronald Young Jr.
Yeah. So I think you could tell that someone else has a say in the room. And that's coming across in the stories that we're getting now. Like, even the idea of, like, putting, you know, black writer, queer writers, women writers, like, front and center in a room and having opinions, it just means that the stories that we love, they're gonna be different and they're gonna be mindful and intentional of everyone who's there watching, participating in the story and everyone who is viewing the story as well.
Aisha Harris
But still funny.
Linda Holmes
Not to be the Guy Branham fan club over here, but I do think the take that he provides on the, like, queer friend of the husband, it's quite fresh to me. It's a character who is gay and talks about being gay and talks about his sex life and relationship. He's also, like the very hard charging, intense work friend. That's not a particular combination that I feel like I see all the time.
Aisha Harris
Yes.
Ronald Young Jr.
I also wanna point out that there are. And it may sound like I have an agenda here with my upcoming project, but I wanna point out that there are multiple fat people in this series, and them being fat is not a joke. It's not the joke or point or anything that they're just, like, living and hanging out. And Guy Branham is one of those folks, and I really enjoyed that he.
Linda Holmes
Gets that he has sex life and.
Ronald Young Jr.
Yes. Yes. He's a whole human. I'm like, yes, it's that easy. Like, I love it.
Aisha Harris
Yes. Yes. Well, Ronald, really quickly, what is your upcoming project? Just so people understand what you mean.
Ronald Young Jr.
So I'm working on a project about. Wait. It's coming out in August called Wait for It. So anytime I get to see this out in the world, I get really, really excited about it.
Aisha Harris
Awesome.
Linda Holmes
Gosh. And guy in that little Dodgers outfit. Love it.
Aisha Harris
Yeah.
Linda Holmes
Love it so much.
Aisha Harris
Yeah. It's just a fun show. People should check it out. And hopefully you'll enjoy it. And when you do check it out, you should definitely let us know what you think about Platonic. Find us@facebook.com PCHH that brings us to the end of our show. Ronald Young, Jr. And Linda Holmes, thanks so much for being here. It was fun chatting with you.
Linda Holmes
Oh, thank you.
Ronald Young Jr.
Always a pleasure to be with y'.
Aisha Harris
All. Yeah. And this episode was produced by Rommel Wood and edited by Mike Katsev. Our supervising producer is Jessica Reedy. And hello. Come in provides our theme music. And thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Aisha Harris, and we'll see you all tomorrow.
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Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Platonic" Episode Summary
Release Date: August 12, 2025
In this engaging episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosts Linda Holmes and Aisha Harris delve into the Apple TV series Platonic, a breezy comedy starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne. Joined by Ronald Young Jr., host of the Leaving the Theater podcast, the trio explores the show's themes, character dynamics, and its place within contemporary pop culture.
Aisha Harris kicks off the discussion by introducing Platonic, a comedy series where Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne portray Sylvia and Will—former best friends who reconnect after a significant falling out. As they attempt to rebuild their relationship, they navigate a series of humorous and occasionally profound situations.
Transcript Highlight:
[00:19] Aisha Harris: "In the breezy comedy series Platonic, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play former best friends who reconnect years after a falling out. As they attempt to rebuild their relationship, they find themselves in many a silly and occasionally profound situation."
Linda Holmes provides a brief overview, noting the show's appeal to fans of Rogen and Byrne. Aisha further introduces Ronald Young Jr., expressing enthusiasm for his participation.
Transcript Highlight:
[00:34] Linda Holmes: "It's a refreshingly low stakes premise, and if you're a fan of Rogen and Byrne, and who among us isn't, you'll probably dig this."
Linda and Ronald discuss their initial expectations based on the show's title and premise. They anticipated a focus on the classic debate of platonic friendships between men and women without romantic entanglements, possibly drawing parallels to When Harry Met Sally. However, the show expands beyond this, exploring deeper emotional intimacy and the complexities of maintaining close friendships within the bounds of marriage.
Transcript Highlights:
[04:06] Linda Holmes: "It does go into the questions of kind of how, like, emotionally intimate this friendship is and the confidences that happen in friendships that don't always happen in marriages..."
[06:14] Ronald Young Jr.: "Looking at the name Platonic and looking at the previews, I had apprehensions that this was just going to be examining can this actually happen?"
The hosts delve into the characters' personal lives—Sylvia as a retired lawyer contemplating returning to work and questioning her life's purpose, and Will dealing with a recent divorce while expanding his brewery business. They emphasize how the show centers on rebuilding a deep-seated friendship after years apart, a scenario they find both relatable and underrepresented in media.
Transcript Highlights:
[05:44] Aisha Harris: "It's really about trying to figure out how do you rebuild this relationship after being so close. And I don't think we've seen as many depictions of that kind of friendship as, you know, I think we maybe should..."
A standout discussion revolves around a memorable bar scene where characters showcase their "secret skills." This sequence highlights the show's blend of physical and verbal comedy, with guest actor Guy Branham delivering a particularly humorous performance.
Transcript Highlights:
[09:18] Aisha Harris: "There's an entire scene in a bar where they are all doing... everyone in the bar is giving off their secret skills."
[10:27] Ronald Young Jr.: "Thank you. I can name all of the prime numbers to a thousand. Do you want to see it?"
Additionally, the recurring gag of Seth Rogen's character antagonizing electric scooters offers a comedic throughline, culminating in a satisfying payoff that underscores the show's low-stakes humor.
Transcript Highlights:
[10:52] Aisha Harris: "Seth Rogen just has a beef with electric scooters. So, like, almost every episode, so does my dog. And almost every episode, he's like, knocking one over."
[11:04] Ronald Young Jr.: "There's a very satisfying payoff for that, I think at some point."
The conversation highlights Platonic's commitment to diverse and nuanced characters. Ronald praises the inclusion of fat characters and gay characters who are portrayed as fully realized individuals rather than stereotypes. This approach reflects a broader shift towards more inclusive storytelling in the industry.
Transcript Highlights:
[17:25] Aisha Harris: "But still funny."
[17:51] Ronald Young Jr.: "There are multiple fat people in this series, and them being fat is not a joke. It's not the joke or point or anything that they're just, like, living and hanging out."
Linda and Ronald discuss how the involvement of a diverse writers' room, including the married team Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller, contributes to the show's fresh perspectives and mindful storytelling. This collaborative environment fosters narratives that resonate with a wide audience while maintaining comedic integrity.
Transcript Highlights:
[16:46] Ronald Young Jr.: "They’re letting more people into the writer's room... which means that the stories we love, they're gonna be different and they're gonna be mindful..."
[16:58] Linda Holmes: "They are gay and talk about being gay and talk about his sex life and relationship. He's also the very hard charging, intense work friend. That's not a particular combination that I feel like I see all the time."
As the episode wraps up, the hosts commend the show's ability to function as a "hangout show," emphasizing the natural chemistry among the cast and the enjoyable, low-stakes narrative. They recommend checking out Platonic, appreciating its blend of humor, heartfelt moments, and inclusive representation.
Transcript Highlights:
[13:50] Linda Holmes: "This show is a bunch of people hanging out in different groups, people who are really good and funny. Some of it's physical comedy, some of it's verbal comedy."
[17:51] Ronald Young Jr.: "He's a whole human. I'm like, yes, it's that easy. Like, I love it."
Notable Quotes:
Linda Holmes [04:06]: "It does go into the questions of kind of how, like, emotionally intimate this friendship is and the confidences that happen in friendships that don't always happen in marriages..."
Ronald Young Jr. [06:14]: "Looking at the name Platonic and looking at the previews, I had apprehensions that this was just going to be examining can this actually happen?"
Aisha Harris [09:18]: "There's an entire scene in a bar where they are all doing... everyone in the bar is giving off their secret skills."
Ronald Young Jr. [17:25]: "There are multiple fat people in this series, and them being fat is not a joke."
Final Remarks:
Platonic emerges as a thoughtful and humorous exploration of rekindled friendships amidst personal upheavals. Through its talented cast and inclusive storytelling, the series offers viewers both laughter and meaningful reflections on the complexities of maintaining platonic relationships. Hosts Linda Holmes, Aisha Harris, and Ronald Young Jr. highly recommend the show for its authentic portrayal of friendship and its blend of comedic elements.
Produced by Rommel Wood and edited by Mike Katsev. Supervising Producer: Jessica Reedy. Theme music by hello. Come in.