THE STORY – The decades-long friendship between three married couples is tested when one divorces, complicating their tradition of quarterly weekend getaways.
THE CAST – Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, Erika Henningsen, Colman Domingo & Steve Carell
THE TEAM – Tina Fey, Lang Fisher & Tracey Wigfield (Creators)
A show created by the minds behind comedy staples such as “30 Rock,“ “The Mindy Project,“ and “Never Have I Ever“brings high expectations. Add in the fact that it’s based on a hit 1981 film by the legendary Alan Alda (who makes a brief and welcome appearance in this rendition), and you have a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, in partnership with a few Mindy Kaling favorites in Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield, Tina Fey’s newest creation, “The Four Seasons,” only scratches the surface of its full dramedy potential.
While the creators pay enough homage to the original to satisfy fans of the classic hit, the modern makeover in mini-series form never dives deep enough into the interpersonal dynamics of the relationships at large, instead choosing to dip a toe into their lives at different times. This slice-of-life snapshot works if you take it for what it is: a peak into the window of a group of Gen X-ers with decades of friendship behind them and their evolving relationships throughout adulthood. But it often attempts to create depth without earned character building, leaving plot developments to feel random and apropos of nothing.
Too often does the show attempt to intricately explore the depths of changing relationships à la “Scenes From a Marriage,“ but the format of the 30-minute episodes and focus on four couples instead of one only ever allows us to skim over the changing dynamics of longstanding romantic and platonic relationships. It appears that between seasons (every two episodes), the characters stop talking to each other outside of their romantic pairings, let alone make any progress on issues or complications that arise during their vacation. Instead of the plot thickening, we step into their lives every few months with seemingly nothing having changed. Throwing in a twist towards the end that appears to be put in place only for shock value when character development could have been achieved in better ways may leave you wanting more and a bit unsatisfied with the uneven pacing of the show.
The powerhouse leads are certainly a draw, and they do all the heavy lifting here. Tina Fey and Will Forte play a happily married couple in Kate and Jack, living out a blissful suburban life as empty-nesters who enjoy quarterly vacations with their college friends. Their idyllic relationship soon unravels as each begins to question their identity, their relationship with each other, and their friends. These two carry most of the laughs for the series, but fans of both Fey and Forte will be let down by the infrequency of comedic moments they are typically known for. Fey turns in a particularly strong performance as the glue holding many of these friendships and her husband’s neurotic tendencies together, balancing serious topics with her signature wit that works more than it should.
Portraying perhaps the most clichéd of characters, Steve Carell’s Nick is an empty-nester experiencing an unoriginal mid-life crisis, providing the catalyst for the longstanding friend group to navigate a significant dynamic change for the rest of the series. Nick’s wife Anne, played with sincerity and relatability by Kerri Kenney-Silver, has her carefully constructed identity and security rocked when her husband decides to leave her after their vacation. The back half of the series’ bright spots are in the fleeting moments of honesty between the couple, explored too few and far between throughout the eight episodes.
In perhaps the most endearing of couples, Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani play married partners experiencing health crises while they navigate dealing with differing reactions, love languages, and communication styles. Domingo and Calvani have solid chemistry, allowing Calvani’s Claude to ramp up both the emotional depth and vibrant flair of the pair, while Domingo’s Danny stays grounded and avoidant of Claude’s affection. In an unexpected yet welcome pairing, Domingo and Fey have the wonderful chemistry of long-time friends who slide right back into a flow state of platonic compatibility, no matter how much time they spend apart. The dynamics between each of the friends in the group are a highlight of the show, but the brief 30-minute episodes never allow for deep exploration into each pairing.
Besides the fact that these couples can all financially afford to take ample vacation days every three months, something many millennials resent against the older generations, there’s also a generational divide in the opinions of this show. Boomers and Gen X-ers will likely find it highly relatable, while millennials and Gen Z-ers could be turned off by a glimpse of their futures. No matter the plot, Tina Fey knows how to bring in heavy hitters, which could be the saving grace for all of these friends and the show itself.
THE GOOD – Comedy legends Tina Fey, Will Forte, and Kerri Kenny-Silver, along with Colman Domingo returning to his comedy roots all turn in compelling performances with strong chemistry amongst the long-time friends that will appeal to many middle-aged Americans, satisfying your craving for a rainy Sunday binge watch.
THE BAD – An underdeveloped plot, especially between episodes never fully allows “The Four Seasons” to tell the story it’s set out to tell. A few cliché characters and twists leaves the show feeling stale and unoriginal.
THE EMMY PROSPECTS – None
THE FINAL SCORE – 6/10
