Pop Culture Happy Hour: Episode Summary – "The Four Seasons"

Release Date: May 5, 2025
Host: Aisha Harris
Guest: Christina Escobar, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Latina Media Punto Co.

Introduction to "The Four Seasons"

In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, host Aisha Harris introduces the Netflix comedy series "The Four Seasons," marking Tina Fey's return to television after over a decade. The show is lauded as a "charming comedy that makes for a great weekend binge" (00:34).

Overview of the Series

Aisha Harris provides a succinct overview of the show:

"It's about a group of couples whose friendship dynamic is rocked by their midlife crises. The cast is pretty impressive. It includes Colman Domingo, Will Forte, and Steve Carell. And while the jokes may not fly quite as fast as they did on 30 Rock, Fey's comedic sensibilities are all over this thing." (00:45)

Glen Weldon adds his perspective on the premise and cast:

"I loved the Alan Alda movie back in, I saw it as a tween theaters at age like 12 and I was really, I thought it was so wise about, you know, middle age. I really liked it more than I should have. But as a whole, it kind of didn't hit me as hard as I thought it was going to." (05:12)

Cast and Characters

The show centers around three married couples:

• Kate and Jack (Tina Fey and Will Forte)
• Claude and Danny (Marco Calvani and Colman Domingo)
• Nick and Anne (Steve Carell and Carrie Kenny Silver)

Aisha Harris elaborates on the characters:

"Nick and Anne are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, but everything's thrown out of whack when Nick announces to some of the others in the group that he's unhappy and plans to leave." (03:50)

Themes and Relationship Dynamics

The discussion delves into the intricate relationship dynamics portrayed in the series:

• Midlife Crises and Friendship Dynamics: The show explores how midlife crises impact the friendships among the couples.
• Character Development: While the cast is praised, some characters, like Claude, are noted as underdeveloped:

  "Claude and Danny are played by Marco Cavani and Colman Domingo...a character you keep waiting to get a moment to deepen or complicate or surprise us in any way. And that never really comes." (05:38)

Christina Escobar shares her insights on the portrayal of middle age:

"I felt like it was a downer. I felt like usually in shows when you have multiple representations of a certain type and this is really about people in their 50s, that you therefore get a diversity of experience because you have like six characters all going through the same things. And man, they were all going through the same, same thing." (07:34)

Critical Analysis

Glen Weldon critiques the show's pacing and humor:

"The rhythms of the show... are not those of 30 Rock or Kimmy Schmidt. And that's fine because different comedies have different rhythms and pacing, but it is less broad, it's less manic, and because it is deliberately less joke dense, it ends up being less funny." (06:02)

Despite this, he appreciates certain aspects:

"Even if the show around them ends up being... a little staid... it doesn't overstay its welcome and it goes down easy on a weekend afternoon." (06:53)

Christina Escobar addresses the representation of middle-aged marriage:

"I like a show where none of the characters are all the way good or all the way bad and there's sort of empathy for everybody and some sort of, like, understanding." (15:13)

Guest Insights: Christina Escobar

Christina Escobar provides a nuanced take on the series:

• Representation and Relatability: She acknowledges the challenge of portraying middle-aged relationships without falling into monotonous struggles:

  "It was nice to see Colman Domingo out of a drama. ... Just like having friends and going on vacation. I was like, we need this for you." (20:19)

• Character Empathy: She appreciates the show's attempt to foster empathy among characters:

  "I thought the show did that well with Ginny, although towards the end we get to see her with some of her friend group, and that felt a little bit exaggerated to me." (15:13)

• Tina Fey's Performance: Christina notes Tina Fey's portrayal of vulnerability:

  "I felt that distance, but I found her mostly charming and vulnerable." (19:23)

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Several standout moments and quotes from the episode highlight the show's depth and humor:

• On Middle-Aged Struggles:

  "Just because you're not a small child anymore doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt." (16:19)

• On Character Dynamics:

  "You need to get yourself a massage, go shopping, have yourself an adventure, spend all his money." (12:16)

• Humorous Exchanges:

  "When do you need an answer by?"
  "Oh, God, that's so dumb." (17:09)

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Aisha Harris wraps up the discussion by inviting listeners to share their thoughts and encouraging them to watch the series:

"And it's fun. You should definitely check it out if you haven't already." (20:53)

Glen Weldon and Christina Escobar express their enjoyment and appreciation for the show's genuine portrayal of middle-aged relationships and friendships.

Notable Quotes

• Aisha Harris (00:34):
  "It's been over a decade since Tina Fey last starred in a TV show, and now she's back in Netflix's The Four Seasons, a charming comedy that makes for a great weekend binge."

• Glen Weldon (05:38):
  "Claude is a character you keep waiting to get a moment to deepen or complicate or surprise us in any way. And that never really comes."

• Christina Escobar (07:34):
  "I felt like it was a downer... they were all going through the same, same thing."

• Glen Weldon (06:53):
  "It doesn't overstay its welcome and it goes down easy on a weekend afternoon."

• Christina Escobar (15:13):
  "I like a show where none of the characters are all the way good or all the way bad and there's sort of empathy for everybody and some sort of, like, understanding."

Timestamp Guide

• 00:34 – Introduction to "The Four Seasons"
• 00:45 – Glen Weldon on show premise
• 03:50 – Overview of Nick and Anne's storyline
• 05:12 – Glen on personal connection to the show
• 05:38 – Glen on character depth
• 06:02 – Glen on show pacing
• 06:53 – Glen's final thoughts on pacing
• 07:34 – Christina on representation
• 12:16 – Memorable quotes from the show
• 15:13 – Christina on character empathy
• 16:19 – Discussion on family dynamics
• 17:09 – Humorous exchanges
• 19:23 – Christina on Tina Fey's performance
• 20:19 – Christina on character portrayal
• 20:53 – Aisha's concluding remarks

Join the Conversation:
Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts on "The Four Seasons" via Facebook at facebook.com/bchh.

Produced by Liz Metzger and edited by Mike Katsiff. Supervising Producer: Jessica Reedy. Theme Music by Hello Kamin.