Number One on Netflix is a weekly highlight on no matter is at the moment the preferred factor on the world’s hottest streaming service. Generally it’ll be a film. Generally it’ll be a TV present. No matter it’s, lots of people are clearly watching, and we’ll attempt to perceive why with a fast assessment. In the present day, we’re trying on the new TV collection The 4 Seasons, co-created by Tina Fey.
Be aware: The next accommodates spoilers for the total season.
As one would possibly anticipate from somebody who bought her begin at Second Metropolis and was head author of Saturday Night time Reside earlier than creating her personal NBC sitcom, Tina Fey is primarily related to the world of comedy. However regardless of that legacy, she hasn’t been afraid to weave some drama into her tasks, whether or not or not it’s Liz Lemon (Fey) giving a heartfelt speech about love on 30 Rock or the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) confronting her previous trauma.
She additionally co-starred in an episode of the Prime Video anthology collection Trendy Love, enjoying a girl struggling along with her marriage: Which may have truly been a part of what led her to co-creating and starring in The 4 Seasons, Netflix’s primary TV present for the previous week, and an unexpectedly honest and .
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Primarily based on the movie starring, written, and directed by Alan Alda (who makes a really welcome cameo within the collection), The 4 Seasons takes us on 4 journeys throughout the span of a 12 months with three {couples} — faculty buddies and their spouses. With an ensemble solid together with Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, Colman Domingo, and Steve Carell, the collection is crammed with comedy, nevertheless it additionally actually focuses on what it means to become old with the individuals you’re keen on, and the way issues can change in a second.
Alda’s movie is definitely a good bit lighter in tone than the collection, co-created by Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield, which makes a number of dramatic decisions all through its run. The largest of which being the loss of life of Nick (Carell) on the finish of Episode 7, after having left his spouse (Kerri Kenney-Silver) to strike up a brand new relationship with a a lot youthful lady (Erika Henningsen).
Nick’s destiny does set off quasi-hilarious recollections of how Carell’s character on a special present met a considerably comparable destiny (The Morning Present goes arduous, y’all). Extra importantly, the sharp blast of mortality it brings to the again half of the season is with out query a strong alternative, but one which doesn’t really feel misplaced with the present as much as that time limit, which has touched on the realities of getting old and loss in profound methods.
One other consequence of Nick’s loss of life is that The 4 Seasons turns into an unimaginable performing showcase for Kerri Kenney-Silver. For comedy followers, Kenney-Silver first rose to prominence as “the woman in The State,” earlier than her career-defining position in Reno 911!, accompanied by a slew of visitor appearances on exhibits together with What We Do within the Shadows, It’s All the time Sunny in Philadelphia, and Bob’s Burgers.
In The 4 Seasons, although, we watch as Anne does her greatest to choose herself up after the top of her marriage, adopted by the physique blow of Nick’s loss of life. There’s a steely resolve to Kenney-Silver’s efficiency that by no means feels over-the-top or compelled, in excellent live performance with the sparks of pleasure Anne manages to search out in the course of the summer season and fall.
The present’s most iconic pairing finally ends up being Fey and Colman Domingo — their comedic chemistry is unimaginable. Nevertheless, the present’s most vital relationship is the one between Fey and Will Forte, and watching them negotiate the awkwardness of a wedding that’s struggling for all times is dealt with with an excessive amount of nuance. Out on an icy lake, they’re lastly capable of overcome the worst of their points, reconciling sweetly within the aftermath — and with out ever going for the plain joke.
All of it speaks to how The 4 Seasons finds that excellent spot between the emotional catharsis of nice drama and the welcome reprieve of nice comedy. And it leaves me very excited to search out out what Fey continues to do going ahead, as age appears to have introduced a brand new degree of maturity to her storytelling. Comedy is among the greatest issues on Earth, in any case. However comedy that makes you are feeling one thing? That’s really particular.
The 4 Seasons (each the film and the movie) are streaming now on Netflix.
