When the first installment of The Four Seasons was released last year, audiences were intrigued by how well the concept of an acclaimed and commercially successful Alan Alda film with the same title had been adapted for the 21st century. The series has been renewed for a second season, which in itself is a testament to how some ideas are evergreen.
The strength of the series lies in how it makes effective use of comedic talents, such as Steve Carell and Tina Fey, in a story that explores the tensions and turmoil in human relationships. As the characters navigate complex social situations and make their fair share of mistakes, viewers aren’t tempted to judge them too harshly. Instead, the familiarity with these actors urges them to be sympathetic to the characters they play.
Be that as it may, the much-awaited second part of The Four Seasons stands out for examining the dramatic fallout of the events witnessed at the end of the previous installment. In the first season, the lingering shadow of infidelity and death had compelled four middle-aged, middle-class couples to make tough choices. The second season reveals how those shocking events impacted the characters’ lives, reminding us that new beginnings are impossible if we don’t confront the past.
Comprising eight episodes, the latest season makes for breezy, binge-worthy viewing, and the plot rarely loses its rhythm. Even so, an episode that hearkens back to the early days of the pandemic momentarily breaks the linear flow of the narrative. It serves as a convenient pretext for a beloved actor from the first installment to reprise his role and for another’s emotional journey to assume centre-stage. Beyond that, the episode seems a tad extraneous, even if it steers clear of romanticising the difficulties faced by the characters.
The series opens a portal into the characters’ lives during the four seasons of a year. At first, this technique comes across as a bit too formulaic and repetitive. Above all, it runs the danger of turning the characters into robotic figures rather than fully realised individuals with the agency to chart their own path.
The other problem is that viewers only get to see the characters while they are on vacation with their friends. As a result, the characters seem to be plucked out of their natural habitat. Nevertheless, underlying tensions tend to bubble to the surface in the most unpredictable ways. At its core, this technique appears intentional and reveals how the characters sustain external appearances despite the inner chaos of their lives.
Through its evocation of the highs and lows of romantic relationships and friendship, the series also offers some valuable insights on how people cope with heartbreak and the upheavals of life. Grief lingers like a curse and a well-meaning companion, urging characters to recognise their mistakes.
At some points, the characters reveal subtle signs of the fractures and frictions in their relationships. The series doesn’t seek to diagnose any of these problems or make suggestions on how they can be addressed. In any case, airtight conclusions on the nature and future of these imperfectly perfect bonds are difficult to achieve. The series offers an intimate glimpse at how relationships, be they marital or platonic, go through numerous phases. The messy business of living morphs and mangles them, and it rests squarely on the characters and how they choose to deal with the repercussions.
Memorable, moving, and deeply absorbing, the second part of The Four Seasons prompts us to question how relationships can be maintained through trial and error.
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