Based on writer-director-actor Alan Alda’s 1981 film of the same name, this miniseries follows three couples—Jack (Will Forte) and Kate (Tina Fey), Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney), and Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani)—who vacation together every season. Their group dynamics change, however, when one couple splits, and the husband starts bringing a younger woman (Erika Henningsen as Ginny) on subsequent trips. (eight 27- to 35-min. episodes)
Glen This new miniseries keeps many of the same elements of Alda’s original film, which was the ninth highest-grossing film of 1981. For instance, the characters’ names remain the same, though in the miniseries “Claudia” becomes “Claude” since Danny and Claude are a gay couple. Two of the couples’ children—Beth (Ashlyn Maddox) and Lila (Julia Lester, “Lisa” in the 1981 film)—turn up. The miniseries also makes use of Vivaldi’s violin concertos, The Four Seasons. Alda, who produced the series, has a cameo in the first episode. Despite the basic similarities and even a few scenes repeated from the film, the series explores more deeply many of the adult complications that develop among a closeknit group of friends as their lives evolve over time. One element that diverges somewhat wildly is the end. I didn’t see it coming.
Anna I haven’t seen the original film, but I was drawn to this based on its cast. This is a group of actors that can do funny and do earnest, so this is an ensemble of the “secret sauce” of onscreen enjoyment for me. The couples all met in college, and while it isn’t unreasonable to expect people to change over time, that doesn’t mean that change isn’t painful for those going through it. This series also explores the ripple effect that change has on those who surround it. The split of one couple forces those around them to examine their own relationships and shifts over time. Kate and Jack start to wonder if they’ve fallen into the mundane pit of day-to-day life, Danny can’t help but be annoyed by Claude’s helicopter partnering. Claude can’t help but be scared that Danny isn’t taking his health concerns seriously. Split into the seasons, this miniseries has the gift of time. We watch these people as they navigate through the year. I also didn’t see the ending coming, and I’m not sure how I feel about it even now. I see what the writers and directors were doing though, and ultimately, it’s reuniting our group of friends one more time after they’ve weathered the difficulties of growing and moving, just to come back together in the end.
Glen Fey is one of the show’s creators, and she and her team of writers seem to understand the concerns of middle-aged married couples just as Alda did in the original. So many romcoms are about the meet-cute and mad fall into love. The Four Seasons is about the (maybe) happily ever after. Marriages take work, happiness must be cultivated from within, and people change, grow, and sometimes move on—those are life’s truths. The series is both funny and sad, but there’s a comfortable charm to this story of six friends growing older.
Anna I’m excited to go back and watch the original film now to see the similarities and differences. From my perspective, this series is an easy recommendation for just about anyone who doesn’t mind skewing a bit melancholy at times. Fey and the rest do an outstanding job at keeping things real in The Four Seasons. Δ
Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Split Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in May 15-25, 2025.