Netflix’s The Four Seasons quickly became a binge-watch favorite after its May 1, 2025 release, with viewers praising its mix of comedy, relationship drama and longtime friendship. The eight-episode series, co-created by and starring Tina Fey, brings together a high-profile ensemble led by Fey and Steve Carell.

Netflix viewers are binge-watching The Four Seasons in one sitting

For viewers looking for a comedy-drama with plenty of heart, The Four Seasons has proved an easy series to settle into.

The show is based on Alan Alda’s 1981 romantic comedy of the same name and centers on six longtime friends whose carefully established routine is thrown into uncertainty when one of the couples announces that they are splitting up. The story then follows the group through four vacations across a year, with each trip bringing new tensions and old issues to the surface.

The Netflix adaptation was created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield, with Fey also taking on a starring role.

The series has attracted plenty of enthusiastic reactions from viewers, including people who say they watched all eight episodes in a single sitting.

One viewer wrote that they had “binged the entire” series and loved it, while another described the season as funny, wholesome and heartbreaking. A third said their family watched the whole series in one sitting.

Other viewers have particularly highlighted the chemistry among the ensemble cast. One reaction praised the show’s depiction of relationships, describing it as an honest look at the good, bad and complicated sides of longtime friendships and marriages.

That sense of familiarity was intentional. Steve Carell told Netflix’s Tudum that the characters feel as though they have been part of one another’s lives for years, with an established shorthand and an unspoken understanding between them.

What is The Four Seasons about?

The story begins when three couples meet for what is supposed to be a relaxing getaway.

The couples are Kate (Tina Fey) and Jack (Will Forte), Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), and Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani).

Their friendship is shaken when one of the couples reveals that they are about to break up.

From there, the series follows the six friends across four vacations throughout the year. As the group attempts to adjust to the unexpected change, long-standing tensions emerge alongside new complications.

The setup gives the series room to explore both romantic relationships and friendships that have lasted for years. Netflix describes the show as a heartfelt take on long-term relationships and old friendships, while Fey has spoken about the importance of having close friends who can provide support and perspective when a marriage is going through a difficult period.

The structure also mirrors the original 1981 movie, which followed three couples as they vacationed together during each season. Fey, Fisher and Wigfield received Alan Alda’s blessing before developing the television adaptation.

Tina Fey leads an all-star ensemble

Fey stars as Kate alongside Will Forte as Jack, Steve Carell as Nick and Kerri Kenney-Silver as Anne.

The remaining couple is made up of Colman Domingo as Danny and Marco Calvani as Claude.

The cast also includes Erika Henningsen, known for Girls5eva.

The ensemble is one of the show’s central strengths, with the characters designed to feel like people who have known each other for a very long time rather than a group of strangers brought together for the story. Netflix’s behind-the-scenes material similarly emphasizes the relationships between the three couples and the way the group’s dynamic changes after the breakup.

The series also brings together several actors with previous connections. Fey and Carell previously worked together on Date Night, while Fey and Forte collaborated on 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live.

A modern take on a 1981 classic

The new series takes its inspiration from Alda’s 1981 film, which starred Alda alongside Carol Burnett and Rita Moreno.

Fey has said she was a fan of the original movie from a young age and had always been drawn to its depiction of adult friendships and relationships. When Fey, Fisher and Wigfield began discussing a project together, they repeatedly returned to the film before deciding to build a new series around its premise.

Rather than simply reproduce the original story, the Netflix series uses its basic structure as a starting point for a new ensemble comedy-drama. The eight episodes are spread across the four seasons, giving the characters time to develop as their friendships and relationships change.

That combination of humor, emotional drama and an established ensemble appears to be a major part of the show’s appeal to viewers.

Watch the trailer

Netflix released an official trailer ahead of the series premiere, introducing the three couples and the relationship crisis that changes their group dynamic.

Who stars in The Four Seasons?

The main cast includes:

• Tina Fey as Kate
• Will Forte as Jack
• Steve Carell as Nick
• Kerri Kenney-Silver as Anne
• Colman Domingo as Danny
• Marco Calvani as Claude
• Erika Henningsen

The Four Seasons premiered on Netflix on May 1, 2025, with all eight episodes released at once, making it particularly well suited to viewers who prefer to binge an entire season.

The series has since continued beyond its first season, but the original eight-episode run remains the starting point for the story of Kate, Jack, Nick, Anne, Danny and Claude.