A comedy for boomers
Netflix has just released the perfect comedy for those looking to binge-watch some lighthearted series this long weekend. The stars of The four seasons (The Four Seasons) are three couples in their fifties who have been friends since university. They usually spend a few vacations together in idyllic settings. Life is good for them. Their children have grown up, are doing well, and are financially stable enough to allow themselves certain amenities on their trips. The trust they have in each other allows them to relax without complications, and everything seems to flow. But sometimes, circumstances are not what they seem, and one of them will confess to the rest that they want to separate from their partner because they are no longer happy. This unexpected change will distort the bond between them, and their friendship will suffer in their subsequent meetings.
The name of the series comes from the narrative structure. The quarterly meetings of the group of friends take place during the different seasons—clearly indicated by Vivaldi's violin concertos—and last two chapters. Therefore, in the ellipses of each seasonal transition, we understand the changes that have taken place in the lives of the six friends.
The series is based on a film that actor Alan Alda premiered in theaters in 1984, and this time he plays a symbolic role: he appears briefly as the elderly and endearing father of one of the protagonists. Tina Fey is, apart from one of the main actresses, one of the creators and scriptwriters of the production.
The four seasons It has the dynamism of ensemble comedies set in beautiful and pleasant settings. Tense situations arise when the characters on stage talk about the only protagonist who isn't there at the time. boomersIt talks about everything you aspire to as you get older: living a peaceful life, maintaining your dreams, and, from time to time, taking on a challenge. But it also exposes the new problems that can arise: excessive monotony, a degree of boredom, or disagreements with your partner resulting from the routine accumulated over the years. It portrays the miseries of aging and the crises common at this stage, when, although it may seem that everything is resolved, changes require time to adapt and rethink.
The four seasons It's a paean to friendship, with the idealizations typical of American fiction, the usual sugar coating of these comedies, and predictable humor, with doses of drama to accentuate existential difficulties but with the subsequent epic narrative to overcome them. The series won't change your life, but it might make you want to call your friends and meet up for dinner or go away for a weekend.