The return of The Four Seasons is cause for celebration — not just because you get to reunite with the lovable and hilarious friend group at the center of the heartwarming comedy series from creators and showrunners Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield. It also marks an exciting milestone for Fey (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Wigfield (Great News, The Mindy Project): the TV veterans direct for the first time.
At the end of the first season of The Four Seasons, Kate (Fey), Jack (Will Forte), Danny (Colman Domingo), Claude (Marco Calvani), and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) navigate the sudden death of Anne’s ex-husband, Nick (Steve Carell). Nick’s new girlfriend, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), joins them in their mourning before revealing she’s pregnant. The surprising cliffhanger sets the stage for more antics from our favorite friends in Season 2 of The Four Seasons, now streaming on Netflix.
In the second season, 10-time Emmy winner Fey steps into unfamiliar territory. “I’ve always felt that I really wanted to leave [directing] with people [for whom it’s] their great passion,” Fey explains. “But at this point I thought, ‘OK, I think it’s time to try it,’ because this show itself is such a great passion of mine.”
Fey helms the second episode of the season, “Funky Motel,” in which unforeseen circumstances force the friends to be confined to the “fake-nice,” as Danny describes it, upstate getaway Midnight Ramble Hotel. It’s the first of four vacations the crew takes in The Four Seasons Season 2. As tensions simmer in their restricted state, hijinks ensue — as they tend to with this gang. “It was challenging because it was a bottle episode. Almost all of it took place in one room, so I was always on camera,” says Fey. “My take on directing is a little bit like how I felt about motherhood: Maybe I’m not a natural, but I don’t think I fucked it up.”
The comedy series’ sophomore season also marks co-creator and showrunner Wigfield’s first time as director. She helms the fourth episode, “On the Boardwalk,” in which the friends venture to the Jersey Shore with Ginny’s new little one in tow. “It was nice that Tina did it first, and Lang had done it already. I felt very supported by both of them,” says Wigfield. And it was only right for Jersey native Wigfield to take on an episode down the shore to ensure authenticity. “Tracey and I love the Jersey Shore and wanted to represent it on the show,” says Fey.
Fellow writer and director Fisher (Never Have I Ever) emphasizes the collaboration of the cast as a highlight of directing. “Each actor is such a pro and will pitch ideas,” Fisher explains. “Everyone has been working for so long and is so invested in their characters that it makes directing a real delight.”
With the stakes ratcheted up after Nick’s death, Season 2 dives deep into the friend group’s grieving process. “Everyone is looking at their lives, thinking, ‘This happened to our friend. Life is short. Is it too late?’” says Wigfield. Claude and Danny contemplate whether parenthood is the right next step for them. Kate considers a possible new career path as she struggles to connect with Jack, who’s taking Nick’s passing particularly hard. Anne navigates being single after years of marriage, and balances showing up for Ginny and her new baby, Gino.
Through their highs and lows, the friends commit to their ongoing tradition and reunite for seasonal jaunts to the beach and Claude’s village in Italy. Spending holidays together, they continue to process the loss of a person who’d been such a presence since their college days. This helps them return to the truest version of themselves. “When you’re with friends you grew up with, you’re transported back to being a young person,” says Fisher. “It’s nice to be with someone who remembers you when you had zero responsibilities — when you were just a person with dreams and were awkward, weird, and funny.”
Fey, Fisher, and Wigfield have a signature way of balancing heart with hilarity, infusing The Four Seasons’ jagged edges with vulnerability and authenticity. “I hope the takeaway is that these relationships — both your boring marriage and your friend you’ve known forever — can be something you take for granted,” reflects Wigfield. “What we’re trying to say is that these relationships are your life, and they are profound. Slow down and think about how long you’ve been friends. Appreciate those relationships for how meaningful they are.”
The Four Seasons Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
