'Platonic' Season 2 Episode 8 Recap: Is Charlie And Sylvia’s Marriage On The Line?

Charlie is in search of a new career, and in episode 8 of Platonic, he envisions himself as an author of legal thrillers (inspired by Michael Connelly, popular for his Bosch book series). Sylvia didn’t know how to react. Becoming a writer wasn’t a financially smart career choice for someone in his mid-40s with zero writing experience. She assumed it was a phase, but she was afraid that if Charlie didn’t figure things out, her family would financially struggle. As an event organizer, Sylvia was gradually making a name for herself. In the new episode, she secured her first high-profile client, Mason Grand, though the experience of organizing a party for him wasn’t all that memorable.

Spoiler Alert

Why did Sylvia hate Mason Grand?

Sylvia was excited about her new gig, and she tried her best to create a good impression. When she met Mason, on his film set, the first time, she thought he was rude. He didn’t like her enthusiasm and blatantly ignored her. Sylvia figured that he was into craft beer, and she thought of mentioning that Will Zysman, the founder of Lucky Penny, was her best friend and her party planning partner. When she mentioned Will, Mason started paying attention and mentioned that he looked forward to meeting Will. Sylvia sensed that Mason didn’t like her, and Will was the only one who could get her the job. Mason and Will instantly hit it off when Sylvia introduced them. She noticed how Mason intentionally ignored her while appreciating everything Will said or did. When he left, Sylvia told Will that he was rude, but Will vehemently disagreed. He thought Mason was a cool guy, and considering how self-absorbed celebrities usually are, he was alright. Sylvia pointed out that he was nice to Will, but he was quite rude to her. Will didn’t think that was the case; he wondered if Sylvia didn’t like the fact that Mason thought he was more fun to talk to than Sylvia. She ultimately decided to not make any presumptions, and before calling it a night, she thanked Will for helping her out. Will had agreed to host Mason’s party at Lucky Penny’s, and Sylvia was grateful to him for it. Sylvia executed the party plans to perfection, but Mason didn’t even care to thank her. He instead complimented Will for getting the vibe right, though Will was quick to point out that Sylvia had organized everything. But even then Mason entirely ignored her. Sylvia felt seen when Cabo Carrie, who worked with Mason, admitted that he was a sexist. His attitude towards women was why the first party planner bailed on them and Sylvia was brought on board. Sylvia knew it, and she was relieved to find out that it was not all in her head. 

What did Will realize in the end?

Will was thrilled when Mason showed interest in investing in Will’s bar business. He loved the vision, and he looked forward to working closely with Will. When he shared the news with Sylvia, she wasn’t happy. Sylvia wondered if Will was about to make the right decision by going into business with a severely problematic man. Will reasoned that it didn’t matter if his investor was a little weird, as long as he believed in his business plan. Sylvia was surprised that Will was ready to take a long-term chance with a man of questionable moral values and extreme opinions. Will believed Sylvia was overthinking, and Mason wasn’t that terrible a man. He was so frustrated with Sylvia’s opinion that he ended up blurting out that she simply couldn’t be happy for him, she didn’t want his business to succeed, and she didn’t want him to date anyone she didn’t approve of. He thought she wanted to control him, and that was why she didn’t want his business to go anywhere. Sylvia was shocked; all she wanted was for Will to admit that Mason was a misogynist, but Will refused to say it. That night, Will, Mason, and a few friends stayed back at Lucky Penny’s for Reggie’s game. While playing poker, Mason and his friends made misogynistic comments and jokes repeatedly. They even made fun of Will for being too offended. Will ultimately realized that Sylvia was right—Mason was a terrible human being, and going into business with him was not really an option. 

Is Will going to start a business or get a job?

Will was disheartened when he came to the realization he shouldn’t partner up with Mason. His dream of starting his bar would remain unfulfilled. He had found the perfect spot, he had the brewing equipment ready, and all he needed was money, but for some reason he just couldn’t find the right investor. He had asked Reggie to invest in his new business, but that seems unlikely, considering it will be a conflict of interest. But Reggie loved Will, and he had already offered for him to come back and work as a manager at Lucky Penny’s. The ending of Platonic episode 8 suggests that Will might consider Reggie’s proposal. It is definitely not what he wants to do, but he also needs a steady flow of income to move out of Sylvia’s ADU. We’re all rooting for Will’s “Sh***y Little Bar,” and hopefully he will make it happen somehow. He just needs the right investor, and perhaps the stars will soon align. 

Is Charlie and Sylvia’s marriage on the line?

Sylvia tried reading Charlie’s legal thriller manuscript centered around Brett Coyote, a lawyer who uncovers a massive conspiracy. But she barely made any progress because she found it extremely boring. She knew that Charlie was looking forward to her opinion, and she didn’t wish to disappoint him. Sylvia didn’t know if she should tell him the truth and ask him to focus on an alternative that would actually help him pay the bills, or if she should just play along and appreciate his efforts. Charlie had always been supportive of her, and she hoped to reciprocate the same. He was surprised when he learned that his former colleague/best friend, Stewart, had already finished reading his book, whereas Sylvia was yet to discuss the manuscript with him. Stewart loved Brett Coyote and the thriller altogether, though it was possibly because he could relate to it as a lawyer. There was a lot of legal jargon, and it bored Sylvia, but she didn’t know how to tell that to Charlie. Meanwhile, Charlie felt frustrated with Sylvia’s lack of support and encouragement. He decided that he was done waiting for her permission to do things. He believed he was at a stage in life where he shouldn’t fear taking chances, so he randomly decided to adopt a dog. Since the Brett Coyote character was loosely based on him, Stewart suggested a companion, such as a dog, would just be the perfect side character. 

Sylvia wasn’t happy seeing a stray dog inside her house. Charlie explained that he was a foster, and Sylvia didn’t know how to react. She felt a little overwhelmed; she had her business to take care of, she needed to be there for her children, and now she also had to worry about Charlie because she wasn’t sure what he was up to. He was seriously considering becoming a writer, and that didn’t sit well with Sylvia. She ultimately paid her son 50 bucks to read the manuscript and tell her the important bits so that she could pretend to have read it. The plan worked, and she was glad that Charlie felt supported. 

Though Platonic episode 8’s ending revealed that Charlie had seen Sylvia pay the bribe to their son for reading his manuscript, it can be assumed that he felt cheated. All he wanted was Sylvia’s genuine reaction and opinion; maybe he would’ve been heartbroken if she told him the truth, but that still would’ve been a lot better than lying to him about something he felt so passionately about. Charlie and Sylvia often preferred living in denial; they weren’t ready to discuss things that they didn’t like about each other and that could potentially affect their marriage in the future. Maybe they really need a couple’s counselling to figure out the issues that they didn’t address but that were clearly affecting their relationship. 

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