In Platonic, Vanessa is a partner at the law firm where Charlie works. Sylvia despises Vanessa because she is everything that she could have been. Janet Varney plays Vanessa.
Sylvia meets Vanessa in the third episode of Platonic after a while, only to learn that Vanessa is one of the lawyers who is becoming a partner at the firm where Charlie works. The news makes Sylvia sad.
Vanessa represents everything Sylvia could have been if she hadn’t quit her career. Both Vanessa and Sylvia graduated from the same law school and kicked off their careers together.
However, Vanessa now has a thriving career even though she is a mother of four, whereas Sylvia chose to quit her career in favor of raising her kids.
Vanessa’s success makes Sylvia, who is in a mid-life crisis, think what if she hadn’t quit her career in the first place?
Charlie and Vanessa’s act
Things between Charlie and Sylvia turn sour, first because of Vanessa only, as Charlie kept the news of Vanessa becoming a partner from Sylvia because he knew how Sylvia is going to react.
Later, their relationship gets affected when Sylvia starts getting close to her former best friend Will again. A jealous Charlie doesn’t back off from showing that he is angry when Sylvia starts hiding things from him but not Will.
This sees Charlie working late at night at his office. He parties with Vanessa and Stewart. Once Stewart leaves, Vanessa and Charlie unintentionally get too close and, in the heat of the moment, dirty dance to the point where they find themselves in an inappropriate sexual position.
Before things can get too far, they both realize what they are doing and back off. A guilty Charlie doesn’t hide this from Sylvia. However, this confession once again makes Sylvia overthink.
While Charlie getting with another woman bothers Sylvia, the fact that it is Vanessa makes her more furious. Sylvia stays cold towards Charlie, and when he is away, she discusses with Katie why Vanessa had to be the one who came close to Charlie.
Watching Vanessa’s accomplishments only makes Sylvia envious. Vanessa is tall, blonde, has four kids, and is on many boards. With the help of her friend Katie, she comes to the conclusion that Vanessa is basic and boring.
Even Charlie had admitted that he has no such feelings for Vanessa and that she is boring. However, Sylvia needed to punish Charlie. In the end, the two reconcile after having a talk with each other. Sylvia sarcastically tells him to get together with someone less accomplished if he ever does in the future.
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