The Four Seasons season two review – Tina Fey’s brilliant follow-up is up there with 30 Rock

The Guardian published a review on 28 May 2026 of the second season of The Four Seasons, a midlife comedy drama created by Tina Fey, Tracey Wigfield, and Lang Fisher. The publication describes the series as poignant, hilarious, and superior to its first season, comparing it favourably to Fey’s previous hit, 30 Rock. The review highlights the show’s sharp script, complex character dynamics, and luxurious settings, noting that the series offers a dark and difficult meditation on long-term relationships and midlife crises.

The plot follows three couples navigating life after the death of Nick, played by Steve Carell, in the previous season. The narrative structure revolves around four fancy holidays, each split into two episodes, allowing the story to focus on the aftermath of major events. The review notes that this rigid but neat structural device permits significant character development to occur off-screen, while the remaining couples deal with the immediate repercussions of their changing circumstances.

Key character arcs include Kate, played by Fey, and Jack’s marital struggles, which involve a decision to “grow apart on purpose.” The review also details the dynamics of Danny and Claude, a gay couple described as unbearably chic and forever bickering, as well as Anne’s new life with Ginny, the much younger woman Nick left her for. Anne is now living with Ginny, who is pregnant with Nick’s baby, and the review highlights Anne’s transition from a lonely ex-wife to a contented single woman.

The review praises the show’s “super-sharp script” and its “Nancy Meyers movie” aesthetics, noting that the laughably exquisite settings serve as a lure into the murky depths of midlife experience. Specific scenes mentioned include a group scattering Nick’s ashes interrupted by a Brownies group and a manhunt, and a Thanksgiving episode set during a pandemic flashback. The critic also highlights Kate’s “Emmy award-deserving speech” delivered while running a marathon, underscoring the show’s blend of humour and despair.

The Guardian’s assessment positions The Four Seasons as a zippy 2020s update of the 1980s film of the same name. The review concludes that the series is even more fantastic than the first, offering a brilliant follow-up that mines the brutal realities of middle age for both laughs and tears. The publication notes that the show’s ability to balance acidic humour with a sensitive portrayal of grief and relationship endurance sets it apart in the current television landscape.