Tina Fey’s ‘The Four Seasons’ Laughs at Midlife Crises With Melancholy Heart 

Alci Rengifo

Netflix’s “The Four Seasons” once again explores that dread of the midlife crisis through the gaze of privileged Americans. Age is the great enemy in a society that worships mobility and affluence. If we must go down this road again, there is scarcely a better guide than Tina Fey. Fans will be delighted to see Fey back in action as one of the creators, along with Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield, of the series as well as one of the writers. Short film memories might not realize this is also a remake of sorts, based on a 1981 Alan Alda movie. On its own, the series is engaging as an ensemble where major names don’t mind looking vulnerable and downright silly, capturing how absurd we become when attempting to fight against the clock.

Kate (Fey) is part of a group of old friends who for years have planned quarterly getaways to blow off steam or whatever successful suburbanites need to do to grapple with life. She is married to easy going Jack (Will Forte). There is also Claude (Marco Calvani) and his husband Danny (Colman Domingo). Their delicate balance is threatened when another member of the group, Nick (Steve Carell), tells the gang he wants to divorce his wife of 25 years, Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver). The reasons are nothing explosive other than the usual cycles of one party feeling few sparks or reasons to keep the union going. It gets worse when Anne reveals she has arranged an elaborate vow renewal ceremony. With precision terrible timing, it’s on this occasion that Nick tells her the truth. Cut to a new group vacation at a tropical eco resort where Nick arrives with a new, 32-year-old girlfriend, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), who chose the yurt-based locale. 

The title of the series is not a hotel reference but a direct connection to Vivaldi’s classic violin concerto of the same name (though this makes one wonder why they opted for eight episodes instead of four). His famous themes shimmer throughout episodes, with “Summer” the most appropriate when things get intense at the eco retreat. Middle age woes may be the key theme, but on a broader level this is a sharp comedy about the ways break ups or any kind of falling out ripple through a group dynamic. When friends separate, so many questions of loyalty and trust spring up. In the first episode Kate and the others suffer from carrying the knowledge of Nick’s plans to leave Anne. At the resort Ginny is initially an outsider being tacked on. She’s not unlikeable, though Nick’s buddies try to make him see how he’s probably just blinded by fears of aging. He wants to feel young again and is using the new girlfriend as the conduit. The back sniping is especially funny (“sorry you’ve been dating yoga Barbie for 10 seconds and now you’re the king of relationships”). 

Fey’s brand of comedy has always been welcoming but not without bite, going back to her “Saturday Night Live” days and “Mean Girls.” Her scenes have such masterful, subtle comedic timing when Kate awkwardly tries to make small chat with Ginny. “The Four Seasons” overall doesn’t have the sort of doom and gloom critique of the upper middle or elite classes you find in “The White Lotus.” You don’t cringe but empathize when Anne makes it to the resort eager to confront what happened with Nick but feeling seen when a surfing instructor compliments her. Later she calls Danny to wonder if it’s ok to sleep with the instructor. It’s a rather endearing, sweet moment between two genuine friends. These are not unsavory characters, just breezily flawed ones with challenges anyone can relate to. Claude and Danny’s private conversations and arguments have such vibrant believability they could merit their own show. 

Generational gaps also become fun, quirky moments of confusion in “The Four Seasons.” During a rave Nick looks puzzled when Ginny describes one of her past open relationships as “fluid” (“why doesn’t anyone like labels anymore?”). The others in the group can only look at each other, sharing the same thought about their friend’s plight. It’s not just about Nick however, but about how relationships at any age continue to be hard work, even when based on genuine care and affection. Claude has to watch out for Danny getting too loose on the dance floor when someone gives him cocaine. They’re not spring chickens anymore. Kate has to provide the backbone softer Jack lacks. Poor Anne looks like a fool when choosing the wrong gift to give her instructor in a sad attempt at seduction. A couple can be together for years and not realize how they truly behave when drunk. We might just be happier accepting that time goes by, we and our bodies change, and pleasure can still be found but in new and smart ways. As for Fey, this is a wonderful return for an actor and wordsmith who has not lost her bite or wit.

“The Four Seasons” begins streaming May 1 on Netflix.