The Four Seasons is a new Netflix miniseries adaptations of the 1981 film of the same name. Created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, the show stars Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, Colman Domingo, Steve Carell, and Erika Henningsen. Fey, Six old friends head for a relaxing weekend away only to learn that one couple is about to split up. Over the course of a year, we follows the friends on four vacations and watch how this shake-up affects everyone’s dynamic – sending old issues and new bubbling to the surface.

I didn’t know much about the show, but the cast, particularly Colman Domingo & Steve Carell were the main selling points for me as they are two of my favorite working actors today. The show appeared to have a lighthearted tone that seemed appealing. With only 8 half-hour episodes, it seemed like an easy to digest. While it has more good than bad, the bad components offer certainly interesting story choices.

The first episode is perhaps the best episode to lean into the type of comedy, and it’s probably the funniest. It’s quite easy to understand who all these characters are. You can completely believe these characters are in the relationships they are in and are friends with each other. That’s why when Carell’s character says that he’s planning on leaving his wife, everyone is shocked to the core. When his wife throws a surprise ceremony, it throws a wrench into his plans with a fitting end, and that’s all within the first episode. It’s a lot to take in, but I was surprised by how much was offered in about 30 minutes.

As the rest of the show goes on, you can see where the cracks start to form. I haven’t seen the film, and I honestly don’t care to after seeing this. I can see the appeal with adapting the same type of story for the modern era within a TV show that fleshes more out and has episodes geared towards each season throughout the year. You get a strong sense what the creators are trying to go for thematically in each episode as these older adults have to reckon with their past, present, and future.

Luckily, you still have comedic actors embracing the comedy even when the show leans into heavy material. Colman Domingo can do just about any genre due to his confident swag as an actor. His charisma works for about any genre. Tina Fey & Will Forte are fitting as a couple I never thought could work. While Steve Carell gets to showcase his talents, I still can’t get past the fact that he is now being typecast. The way his arc ends here is literally the exact same resolution for another character he has played in the past. Kerri Kenney-Silver brings a lot of charm to the show. Marco Calvani & Erika Henningsen are strong standouts here that helps it all feel a little more complete.

While the performances mostly sell the show, the characterization doesn’t always land. There seems to be a sense of privilege with the characters that don’t always make them feel relatable. Their problems feel minimal compared to what others face. They are not real problems, but feel like problems they have built on their own, because of how bored they have become. Due to the issues these couples face, I didn’t always get the impression these characters were always friends. Even when one friend is seen crying, the other runs away. If these were real friends, they would be more for each other, and I didn’t quite always get the impression they wanted to be there for each other. These characters are incredibly selfish that I don’t think the show completely tapped into.

The issues lead into the finale, which may the show’s weakest point. The decisions are made are certainly strong ones. I can always appreciate writers taking a big swing. The problem here is that the big swing offers nothing new. I’ve seen done before. It’s redundant, and honestly, it hurts the tone the previous 7 episodes were going for. Instead of going for resolution, it results to something shocking and dark, leading to a final reveal before its end credits. It abruptly stops, forcing me to rewind to make sure I wasn’t crazy. The final reveal leads to more stories to tell, but I don’t know how they could keep this going.

The reason I am going to go up a little more on my score here is due to the strong performances and bold story decisions. It’s too bad Netflix isn’t really marketing this. Maybe there’s people like me who see the cast and are interested. With actors Colman Domingo acting in nearly as much as Pedro Pascal, I wish Domingo would get even more worldwide recognition. I do think the show has potential to gave more viewers over time. This was never meant to be a flawless show. It’s still entertaining nonetheless for a first-time watch.

Overall, The Four Seasons is an enjoyable watch worth your time. It has an easy tone for the most part with likable talent and offers some meaningful themes about growing older. The characterization could have been more realized though and the ending could have certainly gone in a different direction. If you are a fan of the cast like I am, you’ll have a good time.

VERDICT: 3.5/5 (Pretty Good)