‘The Four Seasons’ Review: Netflix’s Witty, Warm Look at the Highs and Lows of Long-Term Love
Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’ marks a triumphant return to television for ‘Saturday Night Live’ alums Tina Fey and Will Forte, trading in their trademark satire for something gentler, but no less current. Supported by Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Marco Calvani, this heartfelt dramedy dives headfirst into the emotional wreckage that follows when one couple’s divorce rocks the delicate equilibrium between three married pairs who have spent decades sharing friendship, lake house weekends, and the quiet illusion that their relationships are unbreakable.
Set against the lush backdrops of beautiful lake homes and beautiful island views and structured around the couples’ cherished quarterly getaways, ‘The Four Seasons’ is a series preoccupied with time: how we pass through it, how we waste it, and how it carves away at the idealized versions of love we are taught to believe in. The tone is whimsical and bittersweet, with a score that calls to mind the elegance of a period drama or a fairytale, equal parts royal and romantic. It is a show that wears a heart on its well-tailored caftan sleeve, pairing sun-dappled cinematography with sharp dialogue and emotionally rich performances.
At the emotional core of the ensemble is Tina Fey’s character, Kate, who delivers her most emotionally nuanced performance in years. Her marriage to the clumsy, loyal Jack (Will Forte) is one of quiet understanding– two folks who have been through difficult times but have come out the other side more in sync. Their relationship offers a contrast to the emotional implosion of Nick (Carell) and Anne’s (played with a sweet resignation by Kenney-Silver) union. Nick, played with aching delusion by Steve Carell, is emotionally checked out. “We’re like coworkers at a nuclear facility,” he says about Anne, a line that cuts deep with its mix of comedy and cruelty. His decision to leave Anne shatters the group’s dynamic and sends emotional shockwaves through the rest of the season.
Anne, meanwhile, retreats inward. She has given up on confrontation, content to spend hours farming imaginary crops on her iPad. Kerri Kenney-Silver plays her resignation beautifully, evoking both frustration and deep empathy. The remnants of their family–old childhood bedrooms still decorated in the home–linger like ghosts, making Anne’s heartbreak feel all the more lived in and unresolved.
Then there’s Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (played hilariously by Riccardo Calvani), the third couple, whose long-standing marriage is beginning to show cracks. Their relationship, one of the most refreshing on screen, avoids clichés. Danny and Claude’s queer relationship is handled with rare, refreshing complexity. Far from being a token addition, their marriage is central to the emotional themes of the show. Danny played with warmth, restraint, and frustration by Domingo is grappling with the fragility that comes with aging. After a health scare, Danny is forced to confront his mortality. Claude, healthier and restless, cares deeply for Danny, making his husband feel smothered by his love. Their issues are not dramatically loud, but deeply felt.
Stylistically, ‘The Four Seasons’ is unlike most adult dramas; its aesthetic leans more toward ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or ‘Emma.’ than the grim realism of HBO’s adaptation of ‘Scenes from a Marriage.’ The cinematography is breezy and golden, the wardrobe stylish and current, and the score is a romantic, orchestral triumph straight out of a fairy tale. Even the opening credits are a delight: whimsical, colorful, and bursting with youthful energy, despite the show’s focus on middle-aged protagonists.
For all of its charm brought by the ensemble and aesthetic choices, the show does not shy away from the realities of marriage, the fading of love, and the realities of aging. The vow renewal ceremony that ends the second episode is particularly heartwrenching. Anne, attempting to stave off a divorce from her husband, Nick, stages an awkward, slightly absurd, yet touching ceremony that ends with, well, a bang. Given heart and saccharine sweetness by a lovely cameo from creator of the original 1981 film of the same name (and comedy legend) Alan Alda, the vow renewal ceremony beats cliches and is an incredible kick-off to an emotional season. It sets up a clever device that carries us into the rest of the season: Which couples’ love will survive?
The show finds humor in how people grow into their marriage, or don’t. Jack muses at the group’s quarterly dinner, “So many couples either hate each other or make their whole personality about craft beer,” skewering the faux-nostalgia and forced hobbies that often fill the void when emotional intimacy fades, when folks refuse to continue to do the work for their partner. In ‘The Four Seasons,’ the antidote is not wine tastings or glamping; it’s honesty.
The End of a Marriage and the Power of Friendship
Steve Carell is back to being unlikable on TV, but while his work on ‘The Morning Show’ was purely sinister, Nick of ‘The Four Seasons’ is an emotional mess. He is neither villain nor victim, a man paralysed by guilt, desire, and the unending passage of time. His new relationship with a younger woman, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), is less a romantic rebirth and more a midlife crisis with nice skin. The show does not glamorize the affair; it shows it for what it is– a distraction, and Carell plays every beat with a barely hidden devastation.
To its credit, ‘The Four Seasons’ does not reduce Ginny into a shallow homewrecker or bimbo. She is fleshed out with empathy and depth– ambitious, kind, and genuinely confused about the space she occupies in the chaotic life of Nick. Ginny’s presence is not just a plot device, but a complicating force in the emotional dynamics of the group, especially as she tries (and largely fails) to fit into a stubborn circle forged decades before her time.
Fey and Domingo are the standout comedic duo of the season. Always holding hands and revealed to be college exes, their comedic chemistry reminds us of Fey’s known chops and shows us a new Domingo, one who is silly and oh so witty. Kate and Danny’s scenes together are electric, funny, and filled with emotional intelligence. Their friendship feels lived in, a platonic intimacy that’s rarely explored on screen. They talk about happiness, about change, and how romantic love transforms into something deeper with time. This show believes in the power of friendship as much as romantic connection. Domingo, who tried his hand at directing the standout sixth episode of the season “Ultimate Frisbee,” seems to be on the precipice of a breakout comedic role (a girl can dream).
After the Honeymoon: A Series About the Love That Stays
‘The Four Seasons’ is not flashy, but it is refreshingly real. It trusts its characters to be flawed and its audience to handle nuance. With a genius cast stacked with known comedic alums, the show can both get deep into the weeds of marriage while maintaining a lightness and relatability. The show asks real questions: What happens after the honeymoon? After the kids are off to college? After one partner gives up?
The show combats the myth that romantic love lasts forever, that fairytale romance is eternal, and suggests something deeper remains. A shared history. The ability to fight, cry, laugh, and still come back for another season, together. In a sea of cynical adult dramas and superficial streaming comedies, ‘The Four Seasons’ feels like a small revelation that deserves more attention. Stylish, smart, funny, and emotionally rich, it is a must-watch for anyone who knows that love is not just about falling, it’s about staying.
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