Platonic Recap: Mediation Season

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Throughout the season, Sylvia and Will’s work and personal lives have become increasingly connected, beginning with Sylvia helping to plan a wedding. It makes sense, then, to see them officially teaming up in the latest episode, “Young Darcy Mysteries.” This episode is generally calm, but suggests more exciting events are coming in the final two episodes.

This episode feels more standalone than some of the others this season, which have been focused on bigger storylines. It still connects to what’s been happening, particularly the increasing friction between Sylvia and Charlie, but the main event is Sylvia planning a party for her first client who isn’t a friend. She’s organizing a premiere party for Mason Grand (played convincingly unlikeable by Milo Manheim), a popular young actor, to celebrate his new show, *Young Darcy Mysteries*. It’s a prequel to *Pride and Prejudice*, telling the story of a young Mr. Darcy.

The sitcom’s storyline is enjoyable, though the character of Mason Grand isn’t particularly funny. From the moment Sylvia meets him, he largely ignores her – initially seeming bothered by her politeness, but mostly because he’s arrogant and expects everyone to serve him. Sylvia quickly figures this out, and when she discovers Mason loves craft beer, she sees a simple way to win him over. She introduces him to Will, the brewer at Lucky Penny, and predictably, Mason showers Will with attention while completely disregarding Sylvia.

This pattern keeps happening: Will and Mason are becoming closer friends-they’re even sharing memes, which shows how comfortable they are with each other-but Will continues to be insensitive. He downplays Mason’s rude behavior and dismisses Sylvia’s feelings about it. It’s understandable why Sylvia is hurt, and it’s clear that Will’s desire to appear cool, combined with his privilege, is preventing him from understanding the situation.

Will tries to acknowledge Sylvia’s contributions and point them out to Mason, but Sylvia only truly feels appreciated by Cabo Carrie, who bluntly calls Mason out for his sexist behavior and how it alienates women on his team. Will still refuses to see Mason as a misogynist-and he’s even more hesitant to admit it, knowing Mason might invest in his bar. He unfairly criticizes Sylvia for being controlling, even though she does heavily influence his choices. It’s a poor showing for Will.

After the party, at a poker game Reggie hosted, Mason’s comedian friend started telling particularly offensive jokes that finally pushed Will too far. The camera focuses on Will’s distressed expression as the others laugh about politically sensitive topics, and he understands the situation he’s found himself in. He refuses to accept money from someone Reggie describes as being close to the Proud Boys, unwilling to compromise his values.

I like that the show is using Will’s friends from Lucky Penny sparingly this season, but this episode gives us a lot more of Reggie, who’s always been the most irritating of the three. His appearance is a bit of a mixed bag for Will – it offers a potential solution to his problems, but also feels like a setback, depending on how you see it. Will can’t afford his own place yet, but he *could* return to Lucky Penny and manage things for Reggie. He’s too proud to consider it, at least until the end of the episode, when he finally accepts a job and a friendly hug.

Everything feels pretty short-term right now. I still expect the ‘Shitty Little Bar’ to appear before the series ends, maybe even just in a quick glimpse of the future. However, the main drama is now focused on Sylvia and Charlie as they try to adjust after Charlie announced his retirement. He’s now pursuing an old passion – writing a series of legal thrillers he began in law school. Stewart is encouraging, but the writing is filled with legal jargon that’s difficult for anyone without a law background to understand – even Sylvia is having trouble with it.

I get why Charlie is upset that Sylvia won’t read his book or take his interests seriously, like his love for *Jeopardy!*. It’s possible he could revise his book and become a successful writer, but right now, he seems a bit unrealistic. His newfound “freedom” seems to be causing stress for Sylvia and could even put the family’s stability at risk. While it’s a little harsh of Sylvia to pay the kids to read his book instead of doing it herself, Charlie was reckless to quit his job so suddenly. His behavior towards Sylvia in this episode isn’t great – like impulsively fostering a dog and stubbornly refusing to discuss things with her. He didn’t even bother talking to her before deciding to retire!

It’s upsetting to watch Sylvia unintentionally hurt Charlie in the last scene by giving their son money, particularly right after she enthusiastically complimented his book. You can clearly see how much her approval means to him in his disappointed expression as he waits at the door – even the hat doesn’t quite lessen the sadness of the moment. If Sylvia and Charlie want to build a future where they can both follow their dreams, they need to be honest with each other and have an open conversation about their needs.

Inside Jokes

• Young Darcy is “a detective, a fencer, a boxer, a dirigible test pilot, and an amateur chemist.”

• Mason’s drink of choice on set: charcoal water.

A funny visual gag for one of Sylvia’s phone calls with Katie: Katie is shown eating chips while simultaneously walking on a treadmill.

With everything going on in the world, we could all use a good laugh, don’t you think? I’m talking about what’s happening with current events and in the news.

Frances was surprisingly clever to get fifty dollars from her mom so quickly. The way she pretended Sylvia needed to repeat herself to secretly record the conversation was a particularly smart move.

Honestly, that nun meme wasn’t great – it felt really outdated, like something from 9gag back in 2011. I think Mason would prefer the kind of bizarre, AI-created content popular with Gen Z, like Ballerina Cappuccina.

• “Remember not to rape anybody.” Brutal line from Sylvia!

• Reggie and Carrie hit it off!

If you enjoy seeing honest reactions in relationships – especially when it’s a tough truth, like your partner not liking your creative work – you should watch Nicole Holofcener’s film, *You Hurt My Feelings*.

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2025-09-17 16:58