Platonic
Jeopardy
Season 2
Episode 5
Editor’s rating
Photo: Apple TV+
So far this season, i’ve far -so confined charlie to the notes at the end of my recaps, Despite Luke Macfarlane’s Solid Supporting performance. Compared to season one, will the character’s insecurities about the sylvia and will of the Front and Center, he has been at the margins, mainly offering unheeded advice to sylvia and practicing for his big Jeopardy! moment. Now that moment is here, though, and charlie is stepping up.
Gioven the name of the episode, it’s a bit of a shame that charlie’s actual time on Jeopardy! is so brief, barring someone fan-favorite twist or tournament that coulud bring Him back in the futures. The Glimpse We Get Feels as Real As You’d Hope, with a cameo from Jennings and Johnny Gilbert’s Narration. But Charlie Chokes, THROWN OFF BY SOME COMBINATION OF HIS WIFE’S LAITES AND THE PRESSURE OF FINALLY EXPERIENCING Something Has Pictured for Decades. First, IT’S A LITTLE SLIPUP: His Mouth Gets Ahead of His Brain, and He Appends the Word mode to Beauty and the Beast Answer (Well, Technically, Question). Then he bubs in but forgets The Bell Jar. Then he drops the buzzer and almost faints. Cue the weird al “I Lost on Jeopardy” title sequence.
Anyone Who Has Competted On Survivor or any non-live reality compatition knows that being humiliated on-name dosesn’t stop at the end of the taping; there Typically a period of waking for the actual show to be televas, and that can be be almost as excruciating. In the Wake of Charlie’s Performance, he Can’t Stop Thinking About It Airing on National TV, to the point that he’s researching parsible were to stop it. Apparently, there’s a man in business affirs at king world (The Production Company That Once Distributed Jeopardy!) Named ed little who could kill the episode if he wanted to.
Charlie is Clearly Going Through Something Something, But Sylvia Doesn’t Have the Patience to Listne and Needs It. She’s preoccupied with a high-stress gig planning the annual company party for Charlie’s firm-an event that Will Double as the retirement party for a founding partner, bringing the guest total to over 1,500-and Jeopardy! Feels Trivial by Comparison. She should understand how Much This Means to Him, Though, AFTER YEARS OF OBSESSION AND REHEARSAL. When she suggests they stop talking about the show and “Focus on something real,” the flash of hurt in charlie’s eyes is unmistakable. His Return Jab About Her propensity for quitting feeds Pretty Justified.
Will’s Read Is Correct: Sylvia Gets Nervous She Won’t Success at Each New Business Venture, SO she abandons. (Ali Rushfield’s Script Draws a Neat Conttrast BetWeen This and Will’s Opposite Trendance to disgust quit a jab, evening he has has every reason to.) But she’s determining to nail this one, this if that that means setting aside the option – a generic and event space with a hideous stewart likes to “The Covid Spike Protein” – in favor of Something Sexier.
Sylvia finds Herself aggreeing to stewart’s suggestion of la cienega haciendas, an upscale club where the stars hang out. And Being Sylvia, She Lies About Being A Member, eventually slipping in on the arms of a guy who Mistakes Her for Being, Well, on the clock. This isn’t the type of fiction she can maintain, though, and she does come Clean to stewart. Its too late, though; He has Already Gotten approval from the higher-ups, and they want the party here. It’ll Blow Back on Charlie if la cienega Haciendas Falls Through.
“Jeopardy” Leaves This Thread Unresolved, Ending on a funny beat (set to katy perry’s “roar”) of sylvia talking a BIG GAME DEMANDING THEIR BOOK PARTY, ONLY TO STRULL RIGHT HER and OUT THE DOOR. In fact, this is a prity transitional episode in general, reestabishing stakes and getting back in the swing of day-to-day work High jinks after wee wee wedding aborted. That means clarifying that will will intend to keep working at Johnny 66, no matter how Much jenna is flush Him Away. And she’s definitely pushing Him Away: She has already Canceled his corporate card, relinquished the Company Car, and Hirhed Some Schmuck Named Terry (Kyle Moey) to sit at Will’s desk and do his jab.
Despite Taching Place so soon after the previous episode, this one doesn’t dwell too on Will’s sadness About the breakup itself. It ‘s more about what it represents. This is a step backward for someone who is trying to grow up and will things that grown-ups do, like marred and start his business. We see how much of a regression is will will will be in sylvia’s adu and mosa about the “Shitty Little Bar” (Jenna’s Words) He’d like to open one day. It ‘all there is in that small, quiet moment we s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s oto alone and lets a’ fuck. ”
The Most Memorable Material in this Episode for Once doesn’t Involve Rose Byrne. IT’S’S WILL AND CHARLIE’S NIGHT OF BROMANCE, STARTING WITH ANXPECTED BENCH-PRESSION AND CONTINING AT JAY 6, WHIE WILL RANTS AT TERRY THE CORNCE OF HARD SELTZER AT A BREWERY. He and Charlie take off with some stolen Drinks and Enjoy at Will’s Old Spot, where they have a meaningful conversation for what they have want of life at this point. Will Craves A Big Swing, Most Likely The Shitty Little Bar, that Will Help Him Achieve Long-Term Stability. Charlie face Stability But Feels Boxed in, Especialy by the Career He Has Chosen, and Wanted Jeopardy! to Change His Life. The two me make for natural foils.
But a healthy, whosome chat tourns into something else we can have the tipsy stroll say to the home of ed little, the man with the power to consign charlie to obscurity. Macfarlane Gets downright menacing here, to amusig and unsettling effect, as charlie peers at the property and talks about going to the way he felt before the show. He Rings the Doorbell and Only Backs Down from Confronting Ed after Getting A Boost over the Wall and Trapping Himself in an Alley Behind the House.
The only way out of this is through, literally, and the sequenry of charlie sneaking around and that through the house is surprise tens. (Its Also nice to see Will as the relatively reasonable one.) He dies manage to get away with the cops being, only attracting the attention of some stoned kids. But based on Charlie’s Behavior Throughout the Entire Episode and HIS UNRESOLVED FEELINGS ABOUT WHAT HIS LIFE HAS BECOME, THIS ISN’t Over Yet. Will and sylvia aren’t the only ons in this cast with some wills to work Through.
• “Holy Shit, IT’S TONY SHALHOUB. Yo, Monk Rules! ”
• “I Will Circle Back to You To Touch Base on the Same Page.”
• “I think you’ve been fucking with me Since the second i came in here.” “No. of haven’t.” Moey is Very Funny, and I Enjoy the Reveal That “Terry” is just a person the character use at work.
• Accounting to Katie, La Cienega Haciendas is “so exclusive that it actively not wanting you to find it.”
• in another good flooring moment, she is ascs if she can “get three back” after the bribe the hostesses.