The Four Seasons Season 2 Review: Netflix’s Midlife Crisis Comedy Finds Grief in the Getaways
- Je-Ree
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
When Netflix announced it was turning Alan Alda's 1981 film The Four Seasons into a modern streaming series, eyes were rolled. Yet, the freshman run delivered an almost perfect look at modern adult friendships. Now that season two has arrived to test our patience, let's get into exactly how the Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield collaboration handles its heaviest narrative pivot yet: killing off Steve Carell’s Nick.
The very first episode wastes no time throwing the audience into the deep end. Season 2 follows the remaining core friend group trying to still enjoy their vacation after Nick’s sudden car crash. It is an interesting narrative choice for a comedy, shifting the show from satire into how shared trauma affects friendships.
What drives this eight-episode run is the deeply uncomfortable, highly entertaining dynamic between Nick’s ex-wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) and his very young, very pregnant girlfriend Ginny (Erika Henningsen). Watching these two women bicker over Nick’s estate while preparing to raise baby Gino together is the best writing for the season. Kenney-Silver and Henningsen make a great comedic pair.
Meanwhile, Kate (Tina Fey) and Jack (Will Forte) are not having a great time this season. Jack is now tasked with being the group’s new emotional center and Forte plays it beautifully. Fey counters with a performance defined by pure exhaustion, as Kate collapses under the weight of playing the level-headed anchor for everyone else.
If I had to choose the weakest plotline this season, unfortunately it lies with Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani). There is this back and forth about becoming parents that while it reads well on paper, it slows down on screen. The acting from Coleman and Calvani were the only saving grace.
The writers stick to the same premise as season one with four different trips with unpredictable levels of success. The hiking trip in Upstate New York to spread Nick’s ashes was sad more than anything. However, the summer trip to the Jersey Shore felt livelier and on point.
That momentum shifts into fall at a Lake House where we get flashbacks to the group during the pandemic. Lastly, the winter trip to Italy offers beautiful cinematic visuals. Italy is also where we get our cliffhanger. Anne decides to stay and David Tennant makes an appearance as a potential love interest. Anne, did you check for a blue police box?
The sophomore season drops the rapid-fire joke density of the first year to build something more grounded and melancholic.
While there were some bumps, the chemistry between the cast remains the highlight of the series. Netflix has not renewed the show for a season 3 yet so if it doesn’t come back we will only have our imagination about Anne and the Doctor, I mean Gianpiero.
What did you think of the new episodes? Did the finale cliffhanger leave you wanting more? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
What did you think?
Loved it
Hated it
So/So