A familiar ritual is disrupted
Three long-standing couples meet for a holiday every quarter. When Nick separates from Anne and brings a younger partner into the group, more than one relationship changes. The friends also have to reconsider how they deal with each other.
The eight-part first season follows the group through a year. Changing holiday settings and Vivaldi’s music give its seasonal structure an elegant frame. This is more than a succession of attractive destinations: shared breaks expose tensions that everyday routines can more easily conceal.
An ensemble that understands fractures
Tina Fey and Will Forte work well as the sarcastically sparring Kate and Jack. Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver give Nick and Anne’s separation depth without reducing it to bitterness or grand emotional gestures. Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani complete the group as Danny and Claude.
I particularly like the empathy with which the series approaches relationship fatigue, jealousy and the desire for change. Its humour grows out of situations and the characters’ behaviour. Conversations between Carell and Kenney-Silver find a recognisable tone for a break after many years together.
Verdict
The Four Seasons is a highlight among the series launches of 2025 for me: warm-hearted, well acted and attentive to interpersonal conflicts. Its first season combines a measured relationship drama with understated humour and appealing visuals. Viewers who enjoy closely observed stories about long friendships and partnerships will find plenty here.