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Tina Fey turns The Four Seasons into comfort TV

Colman Domingo steals the show in this contemporary spin on the 1981 film.

By Saloni Gajjar | May 1, 2025 | 3:01am

Photo: Jon Pack/Netflix

TV Reviews The Four Seasons

Tina Fey turns The Four Seasons into comfort TV

It’s easy to get lost in the world of The Four Seasons. The series hops between a sunny lakeside, a cozy inn, and a snowy mountain, with the beautiful locations doubling as a backdrop for some serious introspection from its protagonists. The show’s ruminative spirit is lifted directly from the 1981 film it’s based on. Co-creators Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield pay dutiful homage to Alan Alda’s The Four Seasons while giving the plot just enough of a modern makeover. And despite a few foibles, this more heartbreaking and less wry take on middle-age friendships and crises is extremely enjoyable.

Of course, much like the original, an instant draw of the Netflix series is its top-notch ensemble. (The movie featured the likes of Alda, Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, and Sandy Dennis.) The Four Seasons marks Fey’s first lead role on the small screen since 30 Rock‘s end in 2013. She’s joined by fellow comedic pros like Steve Carell and Will Forte (all three flaunt dramatic chops here), Reno 911!‘s Kerri Kenney-Silver, and the always-great Colman Domingo, who walks away as the series MVP. The cast’s warm chemistry makes their characters’ bonds feel lived-in, an essential requirement for a TV show about the importance of having a trusted crew to help one through life’s ups and downs.

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The Four Seasons delves into the joys and complications of maintaining kinship through the lens of three couples. Jack (Forte) and Kate (Fey) are the kind of committed partners with inside jokes and open communication. Their yin-and-yang personalities (she’s a type-A planner; he’s happy to go with the flow) make them fit well together. The SNL alums take a bit to establish an onscreen dynamic, but once they do, Fey and Forte become The Four Seasons’ sweet, reliable anchors. The next couple is Danny (Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani), who are in an open marriage, although their respective strong-willed attitudes often lead to fights. And finally, there’s Nick (Carell) and Anne (Kenney-Silver), who are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

All six longtime friends meet up for an annual spring vacation to mark the occasion, but their getaway goes awry when Nick announces that he intends to divorce his wife. His definitely-not-spur-of-the-moment decision has a domino effect that moves the group into uncharted territory. Each of them begins to question how fulfilled they truly are—whether in romance, their careers, or as parents and spouses—and if significant life changes are even possible at this juncture. Nick’s pursuit of a fresh start with a younger girlfriend and a wilder spirit intriguingly propels those around him to look inward as well.

TFS isn’t laugh-out-loud funny despite its co-creators’ backgrounds and the original film’s slapstick climax. Instead, the show has a relatively straightforward approach designed to tug at the heartstrings. Kate and Jack’s verbal sparring, for example, is laced with sarcasm but grounded in an honesty that’s possible only when two people have spent years figuring each other out. (They both know what buttons to push and how to fix a marital problem.) A similar depth isn’t afforded to Claude, the “clingy” one, and Danny, who doesn’t know how to demand his space while facing a health issue.

The conceit of these six friends taking trips when the seasons change highlights the passage of time and how people are forced to adapt and survive. Since Nick has left Anne by the time everyone reunites again at a Florida resort in the summer, his friends are forced to adjust to his new lover, Ginny (a wonderful Erika Henningsen), who shakes up their routine. Ginny infuses a lighter energy into the show starting with episode three. Her presence affects the tight-knit circle, bringing up long-buried resentments and feelings of jealousy, confusion, and regret. Meanwhile, there’s the added tension to make Anne feel included without dividing the crew. TFS‘ back half, which covers the fall and winter trips, is the most visually pleasing and the strongest narratively, with darker twists that should surprise fans of the film.

As serious as this all sounds, and despite the aforementioned lack of jokes, the show is never too intense, with the eight half-hour installments flowing by breezily. The characters are entertaining and worth spending time with, and the miniseries boasts well-written banter, immersive settings, and, best of all, Antonio Vivaldi’s eponymous violin concertos acting as a comforting companion throughout this journey.

The Four Seasons premieres May 1 on Netflix