‘The Four Seasons’ Netflix Series Review - Four Trips and a Funeral

Writers/creators Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield take Alan Alda's 1981 romantic comedy, The Four Seasons, and convert it into an eight-episode-long series for Netflix by retaining the film's title (Alda has a cameo here). While watching the series, the unmarried individuals will heave a sigh of relief and feel grateful. The series says that marriage requires hard work and two-way communication. All single people are safe from this hard work and can freely channel their energies towards something more fruitful instead of worrying about things like why their spouse has changed their phone's password or why their boyfriend or girlfriend is "living in an opera." The Four Seasons is like a therapy (or a mirror) for married, middle-aged couples. They can look at the screen and recognize themselves. Fey, Fisher, and Wigfield create genuine moments, and the actors render almost every scene believable. There is so much to admire in The Four Seasons. I especially liked Nick Callan's journey (Steve Carell). Here is a man who decides to be brave and gets out of a long, boring relationship because, well, life is short. After giving a divorce to his wife, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), he starts a relationship with a 34-year-old Ginny (Erika Henningsen). Ginny could have been easily reduced to a cheap punchline (she uses TikTok) or a bimbo, but The Four Seasons sees her as a human. It's also perceptive enough to show that Nick indeed follows his heart, and despite all the complications (Ginny's friend circle and Nick's friend circle are not compatible at all), he doesn't regret going through the divorce.

But by killing Nick towards the end of the first season, The Four Seasons looks like a jealous, miserable couple who cannot bear to see someone happy, someone pursuing their desires. This unexpected turn of events turns Carell's performance into a cliché when you look back at his "wise man" expressions. You suddenly realize that throughout the show, Carell's Nick acted like one of those characters whose demise becomes predictable due to their sweet, kind, mushy demeanor. Additionally, the notion that Nick would have survived had he stayed with Anne is somewhat weird. If he hadn't broken up with Anne, he wouldn't have gone to the supermarket, which means he wouldn't have gotten into that fatal accident. Compare this to Kate (Fey) and Jack's (Will Forte) ice incident. The icy surface breaks and Kate falls down into the cold water. But she is saved by her husband. The man who follows his heart is the one who ends up meeting his maker. The Four Seasons seems to be saying, "Go ahead, do what you want. Age is just a number." At the same time, it seems to contradict itself by saying, "Be careful before actually following your heart. You could find yourself in a perilous situation." So, I guess, continue living in a rotten relationship if you want to live longer?

You look at Fey in The Four Seasons and wonder how can someone be so adorable, so beautiful, so funny all at the same time. The mix of embarrassment and amusement she brings to the surface through her face during the scene where the TV reveals a "spicy detail" about Anne just makes you want to laugh. Colman Domingo, too, elicits chuckles merely through his expressions when a man plays guitar while everyone tries to mourn. It's Kenney-Silver, however, who walks away with the Funniest Person Award. I don't think she has a mediocre or "just okay" scene here. Her Anne, at first, simply looks melancholic and fragile. After the divorce, a subtle comic energy is blended with the layer of sadness. She has an appealing, childlike smile that brightens her countenance. Both the actor and the creators are aware of this strength, which is why the smile is deployed almost consciously to generate warm reactions from the audience. This kind of calculation is also evident in the scene where Kate, completely wrapped in a towel, lifts a finger. The filmmakers know Fey's winsome appearance will make audiences go "aww." It's a carefully planned moment.

The four seasons in The Four Seasons are Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Winter, of course, brings tragedy with it - that's the rule. Regardless of the season, the characters spend most of their time gossiping about their friends and making sentimental promises (Kate and Jack vow never to hurt each other). However, what's noticeably absent from the conversations is any discussion about expenses. Claude (Marco Calvani) and Danny (Domingo), in one of the episodes, leave their friends and secretly check into a four-star resort. Throughout all four seasons, the characters embark on trips and make impromptu purchases, yet they never look at the bill or talk about the money they are spending here and there. Conversations about jobs are rare; the show only touches on Danny's profession when necessary for the plot. There is also a lack of political discussions, and art is never passionately debated at the dinner table. These couples seem to have a very narrow range of experiences; they live in a bubble. Their taste and interests are limited to the personal lives of other characters - their own friend circle. If this is what being married looks like, if being in a relationship makes you so insular, you are better off being single.

Final Score- [5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times