Apple TV+ ‘Platonic’ Season 2 Episode 5 Review - A Buzz, a Buzzer, and a Friendship in Question

I’ll admit it right off: this episode charmed me more often than it ruffled me, in that quintessentially Platonic way when things feel both off-kilter and comfortably familiar, like your favorite pair of sweatpants that occasionally trip you up. There’s a buoyant energy here, delivered by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne’s effortless rapport, that feels like two roommates arguing over a microwave, scrappy, silly, and real.

The episode kicks off with Will crashing into Sylvia and Charlie’s domestic rhythm, subletting into their space because, well, whose personal boundaries don’t do with a healthy dose of comedic collateral damage? The consequences are immediate: one-on-one “guy time” blooms under the household’s new social geometry, and it’s fun to watch the familiar shift just slightly. The heartfelt chaos of their interactions pulses through quiet glances, mislaid coffee cups, and surprise reports on each other's behavior. It’s that small, emotional tease that Platonic plays so well.

Then, Charlie going on Jeopardy! or more accurately, Charlie goes on Jeopardy! is the episode’s gleaming centerpiece. I’ll give them this: stitching an actual game show into the narrative is delightfully absurd, while anchoring it in emotional stakes keeps it grounded. It’s not just a stunt; it shows Charlie’s need for validation, for his moment in the spotlight amid life’s quieter dramas. Watching him in that studio bubble, fumbling for answers, wrestling with nerves, it’s equal parts goofball and poignantly human. When he buzzes in, you feel the same thrill a kid gets when they survive a math pop quiz. The episode doesn’t depend on elaborate plot mechanics; it trusts in the small thrill of recognition.

There’s also a pleasing structural inventiveness. Instead of overdue dramatic confrontations, the episode uses silent beats, shared meals, bathroom door slams, and mid-conversation eye rolls to build its momentum. Rogen and Byrne don’t need big speeches; they glance, sigh, push each other’s buttons, and the entire emotional architecture unfolds. When Will and Charlie tack toward a surprising reconciliation in the control room (or maybe the kitchen), you feel seen, not manipulated.

At its best, this episode leans into the warmth at the heart of the show. It celebrates platonic intimacy, that rarity where two people can exist without having to fix each other, and instead just... sit there, with all the laughter and tension that brings. It reminds me of the series’ larger virtue: its refusal to romanticize what’s already deeply valuable. That feels rare, and it feels bold. The writing this week carries that tone gracefully, funny without snark, emotionally sincere, and lightly twisted. It’s the difference between a friend poking you in the ribs and one sending you a passive-aggressive memo: Platonic boasts the former.

And the comedic set pieces work nothing too wild, nothing too showy. Charlie on Jeopardy! delivers plenty of laughs, sure, but delights also come from him pacing nervously in the green room, or Will trying not to hyperventilate while Sylvia looks on. Those are little rhythms that feel lived-in, not staged.

Still, the episode isn’t flawless. At times, its pace feels slightly uneven, especially in the middle, when the domestic and game-show worlds collide. The tonal shift between the home base and the lights-and-cameras world of Jeopardy! Occasionally jarred, like switching from sleeping under a cozy blanket to standing in a spotlight mid-sentence. That contrast can be charming—but sometimes it feels abrupt, like being yanked from one vibe and dropped into another. A little smoother blending might've kept the emotional flow steadier.

And then there’s a small narrative worry: with Will moving in, there’s a creeping sense that “too much closeness” might crank up the chaos beyond charm. It’s playful here, but could easily slide toward grind if stretched too far. A little of that tension is engaging, but some moments here teeter toward “maybe this is a bit too much.” It’s still early in the season, but a word of caution: even episodes this playful can tip into clingy if the boundaries blur too much.

The Jeopardy! plot device also walks a fine line. On its own, it’s great fun, but compared to the show’s usual low-wire grace, it leans a little high-concept. Which means while it works, it also risks feeling like “mid-season stunt.” It pays off emotionally, but the ambition here overshoots their usual intimate scale. Not a misstep, just a louder beat than the others.

Even so, the episode’s strengths are unmistakable. It offers genuine how-are-you energy, the kind of friendship that survives bad jokes, awkward pauses, and low-stakes disasters. The emotional spark between Will and Sylvia remains the core, unsullied by dramatic tropes. It’s also structurally daring, opening up the domestic set before sliding into the surrealism of a game show, without ever breaking the texture of the show’s style.

Watching Charlie alone under the glare of studio lights, Will wringing his hands back home, that contrast is the episode’s secret: public pressure versus private familiarity. The show reminds us that pressure can be comic, warmth can be sustaining, and the best friendships live in that messy middle.

In short, the episode feels like a mid-season love letter to adult friendship: unflashy, a little nerve-wracking, hopeful, and unpredictably sweet. If any installment can deliver both a buzz and a belly laugh while asking “what does closeness actually mean now?”—this one does.

Final Score- [7/10]