"The Four Seasons": Fey & Carell's Comedy Falls Flat on Netflix
"The Four Seasons": Fey & Carell's Comedy Falls Flat on Netflix Netflix's latest offering, "The Four Seasons," attempts to tap into the popular "rich people on vacation" genre, made successful by shows like "The White Lotus." The premise, featuring a talented cast in picturesque locations, promised a delightful escape. However, the show proves to be a rather bland experience, failing to live up to its potential.
A Year of Relationship Drama "The Four Seasons" centers on three couples whose quarterly trips together expose cracks in their relationships. First, we meet Jack (Will Forte) and Kate (Tina Fey). Jack is portrayed as sensitive, while Kate is cynical. Their marriage, seemingly stable at first, reveals underlying resentments as the series progresses. Jack feels neglected, while Kate is frustrated by her caretaking role. Next are Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani). Danny, a workaholic with health issues, is married to Claude. Their open relationship adds another layer of complexity, sometimes confusing their more traditional friends.
Finally, Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), together for 25 years, shock their friends with a divorce announcement. Nick's subsequent relationship with a much younger woman, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), further complicates matters. Nick and Anne's breakup creates a ripple effect, threatening to unravel the group's dynamic.
Wasted Potential: A Stellar Cast, Underdeveloped Characters Despite boasting an incredible cast, "The Four Seasons" suffers from shallow character development. Each character embodies a familiar archetype, such as the nagging wife or the pushover husband, rarely deviating from these stereotypes. The lack of depth and originality makes it difficult to invest in their journeys. The show struggles to establish a genuine bond between the characters. Fleeting moments, such as reminiscing about a past New Year's Eve, hint at a shared history, but these are few and far between. The group's origin story feels like an afterthought, failing to serve as the foundation of their relationships. The couples often remain isolated, dealing with their own issues with minimal interaction. While the idea of trapping them together holds potential for complex storylines, the show avoids exploring these possibilities, resulting in a predictable and unengaging narrative.
Kate and Danny's dynamic offers the most compelling aspect of the show. Fey and Domingo have great chemistry. Domingo shines, injecting much-needed energy into the script, showcasing his comedic talents. Danny and Claude's relationship is also intriguing, with Calvani's sincerity adding heart to the show. These characters provide the bright spots, but even seasoned actors like Carell and Forte struggle to elevate their one-dimensional roles.
Neither Funny Nor Deep The show's structure, with two episodes dedicated to each season, feels logical but ultimately contributes to a slow and tedious pace. Characters repeatedly address the same issues, lacking genuine conflict or stakes. Unlike shows such as "The White Lotus", which embrace petty grievances with self-awareness, "The Four Seasons" lacks both style and substance. It fails to deliver either laugh-out-loud comedy or emotionally resonant drama. The fall episodes, centered around Nick and Anne's daughter Lila (Julia Lester), offer glimpses of a more substantive show. These moments, featuring nuanced performances from Carell, Kenney-Silver, and Lester, provide a brief respite. However, they ultimately lack the transformative impact needed to elevate the series. The twist in the penultimate episode also falls short, failing to evoke the intended emotional response due to the show's formulaic execution. "The Four Seasons" isn't terrible, but it's a disappointing waste of talent. It settles for being broad and forgettable. It's a mental vacation that viewers will likely quickly forget.