Tina Fey and Steve Carell are finally back on screen together in The Four Seasons, and while your kids might recognize their voices from Minions or Megamind, this Netflix series is strictly for the grown-ups. It’s a sharp, dialogue-heavy, and occasionally cringey look at what happens when three long-term couples try to maintain their friendship through the changing "seasons" of their lives.
TL;DR: The Four Seasons is a comedy dream team reunion starring Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Maya Rudolph. Based on the 1981 Alan Alda film, it’s a "parents-only" watch that swaps slapstick for smart, messy observations about midlife, marriage, and the friends who know too much about you. If you’re looking for your next post-bedtime binge, this is it.
The cast list for this show reads like a "Best of the 2000s" highlight reel, but don't expect a The Office or 30 Rock retread. Fey and Carell are playing characters with actual weight, dealing with the kind of baggage that only accumulates after twenty years of shared vacations.
Tina Fey and Steve Carell
Fey (who also co-created the show) and Carell play the central couple. After their chemistry in Date Night, seeing them back together feels like a warm blanket—if that blanket was occasionally passive-aggressive and struggling with a mortgage. Carell has moved far past Michael Scott territory here; he’s playing a man trying to navigate the "winter" of his professional life with a dry, grounded humor that hits close to home.
Maya Rudolph and Colman Domingo
If Fey and Carell are the grounded center, Maya Rudolph and Colman Domingo are the high-energy disruptors. Rudolph is doing what she does best—finding the absurdity in the mundane—while Domingo brings a level of dramatic gravitas that reminds you this isn't just a sitcom. The dynamic between these four is the engine of the show; it’s about the shorthand that develops between couples who have seen each other through kids, career shifts, and bad haircuts.
Erika Henningsen and Caspar Phillipson
Rounding out the group is Erika Henningsen (who many will recognize as the original Cady Heron from the Mean Girls musical) and Caspar Phillipson. Henningsen brings a younger, slightly outsider perspective to the group that highlights exactly how set in their ways the older couples have become.
It isn't that The Four Seasons is "inappropriate" in the sense of being ultra-violent or graphic. It’s just that it’s boring for anyone who hasn't ever wondered if they actually like their best friends or if they’re just trauma-bonded by two decades of shared history.
The show leans into "adult comedy" in the truest sense:
- The Dialogue: It’s fast, witty, and full of the kind of hyper-specific grievances that only married people understand.
- The Themes: Midlife crises, the fear of becoming irrelevant, and the realization that your "inner circle" might be getting a little too small.
- The Vibe: It’s a "hangout show" for people who are tired of hanging out.
If your teenagers walk in, they’ll probably roll their eyes at the "old people problems" and head back to their rooms. Let them. This is one of those rare shows that feels like it was written specifically for the people paying the Netflix subscription, not the ones borrowing the password.
With Season 1 having recently wrapped (and that Episode 7 "Winter" twist still being debated in every group chat), the buzz is already shifting toward what’s next. Based on the behind-the-scenes footage and the cast's recent interviews, Season 2 is expected to dive deeper into the fallout of the vacation-gone-wrong.
From the teaser clips, it looks like the production is leaning even further into the "seasonal" anthology feel, potentially shifting locations or jumping forward in time to see how the group survives—or doesn't—another year of forced proximity. Given Tina Fey's track record, expect the writing to get even sharper as the characters' veneers continue to crack.
If you’re loving the dynamic in the show, the move is to go back to the source material. The original 1981 film The Four Seasons (written, directed by, and starring Alan Alda) is a masterclass in the "ensemble vacation" genre. Watching it after the Netflix series is a great way to see how Fey has modernized the tropes while keeping the heart of the story intact.
For families who do want a shared viewing experience with older teens, you might use this show as a bridge to talk about friendship. Ask them: "Do you think you’ll still be hanging out with your current friend group when you’re 50?" It’s a heavy question, but The Four Seasons makes it an easy one to start.
Q: Is The Four Seasons okay for kids to watch? It’s rated for adults, mostly for language and mature themes (infidelity, midlife crises, etc.). There’s nothing "dangerous" here, but the plot will be entirely unrelatable to anyone under 25.
Q: Is this a reboot of the 1981 movie? It’s a "reimagining." It takes the core premise—three couples vacationing together across four seasons—and updates the humor and social dynamics for 2026.
Q: How many seasons are planned for the show? Netflix hasn't confirmed a long-term run, but with Season 2 already in the works and the "Four Seasons" title built into the premise, at least a two-season arc was clearly the plan from the jump.
The Four Seasons is the kind of show we don't get enough of: a high-budget, high-talent comedy that treats middle-aged friendship as a topic worthy of prestige TV. The cast chemistry is undeniable, the writing is biting, and it’s a perfect reminder that even as an adult, you’re still trying to figure out who you are and who your "people" really are.
- Check out our best shows for kids list for something the whole family can actually agree on.
- If you have older teens, see our digital guide for high schoolers for more age-appropriate recommendations.
- Find more adult comedies like this
