Platonic

The narrative centers on a straight male-female platonic friendship and suburban married life. It touches on themes like female career sacrifices and modern masculinity, but these are explored through the lens of midlife crises and personal growth rather than modern identity politics. In fact, some progressive critics complained that the show is too traditional and "heteronormative," as it avoids subverting traditional relationship norms.

The show gently satirizes modern millennial hipster culture, corporate workplace trends, and upper-middle-class suburban expectations. However, it does not feature an activist-style critique of Western society, capitalism, or the patriarchy. Marriage and family life are depicted with all their real-world struggles, but they are ultimately shown as valuable institutions worth fighting for, avoiding any systemic ideological teardown.

There has been almost no coordinated anti-woke backlash against the series. A tiny fraction of online comments have expressed general fatigue with Apple TV's overall progressive slant, but the vast majority of viewers across the political spectrum have received the show warmly as a fun, relatable, and politically neutral buddy comedy.

The creative team has a strong history of progressive work. Co-creator Nicholas Stoller directed the queer rom-com "Bros," Rose Byrne co-founded a female-led production company to fight sexism, and writers like Alexandra Rushfield and Brittany Ann Miller have worked on identity-focused, feminist shows like "Shrill" and "Woke." This background is noticeable in the show's sensibilities, though the execution here remains mainstream.