The Four Seasons

What continues to make “The Four Seasons” so compulsively watchable is how it accurately captures small but relatable details about middle-aged friendships and relationships.

A TV winner about, and for, grown-ups of an older (if not yet over-the-hill) age.

Fey’s house style is famously joke-dense, but the series doesn’t succumb to the temptation to rush through uncomfortable conversations to get to the next one-liner, and it’s both richer and more deeply funny because of the time it takes.

Feels fresher, faster, brighter and more complex than the first.

The writing is tack-sharp and the ensemble is full of underappreciated comic performers.

There are enough one-liners in Fey’s characteristically scathing style to keep the ship afloat, but in this case, it’s mainly the banter between the core ensemble that makes the journey(s) worth it.

The second season of The Four Seasons doesn’t quite have the same fun group dynamic that the first season had, but it still has funny moments and more than enough chemistry between its cast members to be very watchable.

Despite the fact that they're being lived in by an all-star cast who have a wonderful sense of chemistry, there are moments where I was left thinking about the mechanics of the vacations we see these people taking. I wasn't taken aback by twists, but I didn't need to be. Ultimately, suspending my disbelief about the characters' PTO packages wasn't difficult in the slightest because of how rich the storytelling is throughout the season.

Season 2, which has less wit and seemingly lower stakes, never quite reaches the breezy, banter-filled charm. Yet, with several new locations, including the Italian Alps in all of their winter glory, and a group of utterly talented actors whose chemistry leaps off the screen, the show remains a world very much worth checking out.

Overall, The Four Seasons Season 2 is more uneven, yet still holds together thanks to the cast's chemistry and its exploration of grief, depression, and moving forward.