Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Four Seasons
Tina Feyis among the best comedy writers of the modern era, and given the success of30 RockandThe Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, there was much anticipation for her next project on Netflix. WhileThe Four Seasonswas a relatively obscureAlan Aldafilm, Fey decided to reboot the same story from a modern perspective, and told the same narrative throughout eight episodes. Although fans of the original certainly had their reservations,The Four Seasonsends on a surprisingly emotional note,forcing the viewers to reassesstheir perception of the main characters.
Set over one year,The Four Seasonsfollows three couples who meet regularly to take a vacation and reconnect with one another. Nick (Steve Carell) is in a seemingly perfect relationship with his wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), Danny (Colman Domingo) is in an open marriage with his husband Claude (Marco Calvani), and Jack (Will Forte) is struggling to feel confident in his marriage to Fey’s character, Kate. Although the majority of the show explores the pratfalls involved in an extended vacation,The Four Seasonsfeatures a surprising tragedythat changes the course of the show.
What Is ‘The Four Seasons’ About?
Signs of conflict become noticeable in the first episode ofThe Four Seasonswhen Nick reveals to his friends that he is leaving Anne. After working very hard and feeling underappreciated, Nick feels that it is not possible to be happy anymore ifhe stays in his current marriage. Although Anne does express some degree of awareness about the state of their relationship, the entire group is shocked when Nick returns from a summer trip with his new girlfriend, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), a dental hygienist who is the youngest member of the group by a significant margin. Although Nick, Kate, Claude, and Danny all express some initial trepidation about accepting Ginny, they steadily begin to bond throughout the trip. However, Anne remains increasingly belligerent and aggressive towards Nick; despite several attempts, she finds it challenging to start a new relationship.
Conflicts begin to arisebetween Nick and his family, as his daughter, Lila (Julia Lester), is very angry that he split up their family. While Nick attempts to create a bond between her and Ginny by inviting her to a college weekend, it quickly turns into an embarrassing scenario; Lila performs an art show in which she characterizes Ginny as an evil presence that is trying to split apart their family. Meanwhile,Claude begins to grow irritated with Danny, who has been having health issues that he has kept a secret. Jack also begins to grow frustrated with Kate’s drinking, and accidentally kisses Anne in the aftermath of Lila’s performance. Although Kate is not offended, they both agree to attend the couple’s counseling to address the barriers in their communication.
“Is This Their Kink?": Tina Fey and Will Forte Get Uncomfortably Honest About Their Intimate Scenes in ‘The Four Seasons’
The cherry on top was Fey’s husband directing the scene!
After choosing to spend the winter holiday with Ginny and her younger friends, Nick begins to feel uncomfortable, showing remorse for the fact that he is not able to spend New Year’s Eve with Claude, Danny, Kate, Jack, and Anne, who has invited her new boyfriend, Terry (Toby Huss). Although he gets into a brief fight with Ginny, Nick is killed offscreen when he is driving back to the ski lodgealone. Ginny leaves several messages for Kate,who informs the rest of the group.
Does ‘The Four Seasons’ Set up a Second Season?
Nick’s death sparks confused reactions from his friends, all of whom express shock, as they had been talking with him only a few hours before he took the drive that ended his life. While Ginny wants to take an active part in planning the funeral, Anne decides to shut her out of the process and refuses to let her speak. After Anne decides to take a cheap approach to the ceremony, she struggles to come up with a sincere eulogy, given her complex feelings about Nick. This inspires Ginny to make an angry retort to the rest of the group, asshe argues that her relationshipwith Nick was very pure, although they had only been with one another for a year. After looking through the pictures of Nick that Ginny had gathered for the funeral, Anne begins to express feelings of regret.
Anne and Ginny are able to treat each other with respect, as they bond over their shared sense of grief. Although Kate had found it increasingly challenging to talk to Jack, as they are forced to speak in the declarative statements that she had been advised to use during couples’ therapy, there is a brief spark of passion when he saves her from falling into a lake. Ultimately, Kate declares that Jack is her soul mate, despite previously stating that she did not believe in the concept.
However, the most shocking reveal comes whenAnne reveals to everyone that Ginny is pregnant, which would explain why she was previously unwilling to take shots with everyone else. Although it has yet to be confirmed, co-creatorTracy Wigfieldstatedthat there was an intention to do another season, and that the writing staff would “want Ginny to really be tied in there because she and Anne are going to have children who are siblings.”
The series cuts right after Anne makes the announcement, so the viewers never get to see how Jack, Claude, Kate, and Danny react to the news.The series diverges from the plot of the movie, which featured Nick remaining alive and announcing Ginny’s pregnancy to the group. Ginny’s pregnancy raises many questions, particularly concerning her dynamic with Lila. While Lila has expressed a great deal of animosity towards her father’s new girlfriend, Anne decides to spare herself the difficult task of telling her about Nick’s death. Considering thatthe group has promised to still meeteach other each season, it’s likely that a second season could explore their grieving process over an entire year.
The Four Seasonsis now streaming on Netflix.
The Four Seasons
