The perfect facade of middle age: the series "The Four Seasons" will have you laughing through your tears.
Imagine you have been friends as a group for thirty years. You know everything about each other, from silly habits to hidden triggers. You share a sacred tradition of abandoning the routine once a quarter for a luxurious joint weekend getaway. Think picturesque lakes, refined dinners, clinking wine glasses, and idle conversations on a manicured lawn straight out of a Nancy Meyers film. It seems to be the perfect portrait of a stable, mature life.
But what happens if one piece suddenly falls out of this carefully calibrated mosaic? The seasons change, and with them, the foundation of what once seemed unshakeable quietly but irrevocably collapses.
This fragile balance is exactly what Netflix’s hit dramedy "The Four Seasons" explores. This modern reimagining of Alan Alda's cult classic—crafted by the acclaimed masters of intellectual humor Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield—succeeds in doing what few shows today dare: peering under the hood of a midlife crisis without resorting to cheap drama, yet maintaining a devastating honesty.
This new Netflix series starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell is more than just a comedy about a midlife crisis. It is a candid conversation about what happens when "happily ever after" begins to crack.
A star-studded ensemble delivering a performance you cannot afford to miss.
Picture this: Steve Carell ("The Office," "The Morning Show"), Tina Fey ("30 Rock," "Mean Girls"), Colman Domingo ("Rustin," "Euphoria"), and Will Forte ("The Last Man on Earth") all sharing the screen. This is no fantasy—it is "The Four Seasons," one of the most anticipated Netflix projects of 2025.
The directing duo of Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini ("The Nanny Diaries," "Girl Most Likely"), alongside Lang Fisher ("Superstore"), have created something truly special—a series where each of the first season's eight episodes lasts just 31 minutes but leaves an aftertaste that lingers for days.
A plot that hits the bullseye.
Three married couples. Decades of friendship. Their tradition: a weekend getaway every quarter. It sounds like the perfect formula for happiness, doesn't it?
But life makes its own adjustments when one of the couples decides to divorce. This fracture threatens not only their marriage but the friendship shared by all three families.
There are no clichéd scripts here. The series does not try to find someone to blame or offer simple answers. Instead, it asks the very questions many people prefer to turn away from:
What happens when the people you love can no longer be together?
Can you maintain a friendship when your values begin to diverge from those of your friends?
And most importantly: what does "happily ever after" actually mean in the modern world?
Subtle humor and the music of Vivaldi. One of the creators' most elegant strokes is the soundtrack, where Antonio Vivaldi’s famous "The Four Seasons" (composed in 1725!) becomes a metaphor for the characters' emotional cycles. Winter, spring, summer, and autumn exist not just in nature, but within their relationships.
The humor here does not shout; it whispers. It is found in the pauses between lines, in meaningful glances, and in the awkward situations recognizable to anyone who has ever tried to be a diplomat among close friends with opposing views.
As viewers have noted: "I didn't want to skip the dialogue; it wasn't boring for a single second."
Philosophy for those in their 30s (and 50s)
"The Four Seasons" is a show about a midlife crisis, but not in the way we are used to seeing. There are no sports car purchases or affairs with young secretaries here.
Instead, there is the quiet horror of realizing that life is slipping away. The realization that choices made twenty years ago might not have been entirely right. The fact that friends you have known for decades can suddenly feel like strangers. And the understanding that happiness is not a destination, but a constant work in progress.
The series is particularly touching in its portrayal of modern realities: one of the couples is gay, and it is presented not as an "agenda," but simply as a part of life. Their relationship is just as complex, beautiful, and fragile as those of the heterosexual couples.
Spoiler alert: it will be painful (but beautiful)
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Steve Carell’s character... dies in the first season finale. Viewers are comparing the shock to the twists in "The Morning Show." "I couldn't believe it; I thought it was a prank until the very end," one review reads.
It was his character who generated the most interesting and funny moments in the series. Yet, perhaps it is this very loss that forces the remaining characters (and the audience) to take a fresh look at what truly matters.
Why is it worth watching?
The ratings speak for themselves: IMDb—7.2, Kinopoisk—7.25. The series has already entered the lists of the best comedies and melodramas of 2025.
But numbers are one thing; the reviews of real people are another:
"Despite its apparent lightness and naivety, this is a high-quality, deeply emotional, and in some ways even instructive series."
"I watched it in one sitting without skipping. Great dialogue. Humor. Acting. Script. Presentation."
"It is sophisticated and pleasant in a way that doesn't feel typically American."
Season two: the story continues
Even though the title suggests a sense of completion (the four seasons have already "happened"), Netflix has officially renewed the series for a second season. On May 28, 2026, all eight episodes of the second season of "The Four Seasons" appeared simultaneously on Netflix.
What happens next? How will the characters cope with the loss? Can friendship survive the test of grief? And most importantly—will they find their own season?
The Verdict
"The Four Seasons" is not just a show for the evening. It is a conversation about what it means to be human in the middle of the road. It is about a friendship that sometimes must end in order to continue. It is about love that does not always win. And it is about a life that goes on, even when it seems like everything is over.
Recommended for: everyone over 30, anyone who has ever been married (or divorced), and those who value their friends and are not afraid of difficult questions.
Not recommended for: those looking for light entertainment and simple answers.
P.S. If, after watching, you feel like calling an old friend or simply hugging your partner—then the series worked.
