The Four Seasons: A Lackluster Exploration of Relationships

An Overview of The Four Seasons

Netflix's latest offering, The Four Seasons, has sparked a wave of dissatisfaction among viewers. Despite its potential, the series struggles to rise above a sea of mediocrity, overshadowing those productions that genuinely make an impact.

This series largely fails to impress, presenting a collection of uninspired jokes that lack depth, despite some commendable performances. The narrative feels aimless, as The Four Seasons seems to drift along without a clear direction.

The dynamics among the friends are laced with self-satisfied humor, resembling a stand-up routine that only the performer finds amusing, leaving the audience chuckling out of courtesy or perhaps complacency.

Upon meeting the six friends, now in their 50s and facing mid-life crises, we witness the unraveling of their camaraderie. Nick (played by the talented Steve Carell) reveals he is leaving his long-time wife, not for another woman at this moment, but the arrival of a new character in Season 2 hints at complications ahead.

Some of the series' more engaging moments occur amidst its self-destructive tendencies. The abrupt shifts from humor to serious themes often fall flat. The portrayal of Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) as a naive character detracts from the emotional weight of her marital struggles, leading to forced irony when she repeatedly encounters Nick and his new partner during vacations.

It would have been more compelling to see Anne depicted as a robust character grappling with the end of her marriage, akin to Shabana Azmi's role in Arth. Instead, the narrative reduces her experience to a series of half-hearted laughs, which are not as amusing as intended.

The series suffers from poor writing and awkward formatting, with each episode centered around a holiday reunion at exotic locations. This travel-centric approach undermines the serious implications of the friendships portrayed.

For instance, Kate (Tina Fey) begins to question her marriage to the overly emotional Jack (Will Forte), while a gay couple, convincingly portrayed by Coman Domingo and Marco Calvani, navigates the suffocating nature of their relationship. Although the series touches on the need for personal space in relationships, it fails to explore this theme effectively.

At times, excessive attention can be detrimental, a theme that resonates more with the characters' lives than the series itself. Ultimately, The Four Seasons lacks the vibrancy needed to push boundaries.