The Netflix comedy miniseries THE FOUR SEASONS, co-created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, has an unexpectedly emotional ending. While the show is based on the same-named 1981 movie, Episode 7 features Nick’s sudden death, played by Steve Carell. This version of the story takes a brave and moving turn. Everyone in the show is shocked by his death, and viewers who have grown close to this group of close friends over the years are also deeply affected.
A GROUP OF FRIENDS AND A YEAR OF VACATIONS
THE FOUR SEASONS is about three couples who have been taking vacations together for years. Each season gives them a new setting for their personal growth and changing relationships. Kate and Jack, played by Tina Fey and Will Forte, Nick and Anne, played by Steve Carell and Kerri Kenney-Silver, and Danny and Claude, played by Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani, are some of these couples. There is laughter, warmth, and a few shakeups at the start of the series. In the first episode, Nick decides to divorce Anne and start dating Ginny (Erika Henningsen) a much younger woman. This is the most dramatic of these changes.
This choice changes how the group works, and friends have to get used to the new situation. It’s tense, especially for Anne, but the friendships are still strong. The group finds a new rhythm as the seasons change from spring to summer to fall to winter. Anne and Nick even manage to take turns planning the family vacations.
The Four Seasons Filming Locations: Where Was Netflix’s Miniseries Shot?
THE TRAGIC TURN: NICK’S UNEXPECTED DEATH
An awful event stops everything just as it looks like the group has gotten used to their new life. By the time New Year’s Eve comes around—Nick and Anne are used to spending their vacations with their friends. When things look like they might be getting better, everything changes quickly and in a very sad way. Nick dies in a car accident at the end of Episode 7. That he died so quickly is not taken from the original 1981 movie. It’s a new addition meant to show how things really are in midlife, when loss is an unavoidable part of life.
Tina Fey, a co-creator, said that the team wanted to look into events that were on a “human scale.” Fey said, “Having someone die is something that, the older you get, the more that starts to happen”. For Nick’s character arc, this choice made sense. He was the one who bravely accepted change by ending his marriage, looking for a new partner, and refusing to settle down. Even though it breaks my heart, his death shows how fragile life is and how important it is to have community and support.
THE CAST REACTS
At first, only Steve Carell knew what would happen to Nick. The rest of the cast didn’t find out until the table read for Episode 7. It was a very emotional response. Colman Domingo, who plays Danny, called it a “punch in the gut” and Kerri Kenney-Silver, who plays Anne, said that everyone was sad. Carell joked about his character’s death, “It’s a running joke now that I die in every TV show I’m in.” He still knew how important the moment was and how much it added to the story.
Nick was like glue to a lot of the characters. Even when he made bad decisions, he kept the group together and made everyone face their own lives. The death of him has really upset the group. Not only do they miss their friend, but they also have to think about love, loyalty, and what will happen next.
PLANNING A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
The last episode, called “Fun,” is about what happened after. When the friends get back home, they start planning Nick’s funeral party. Some old problems do come up, though, especially between Anne and Ginny. Anne still feels hurt from the divorce, and it’s hard for her to accept Ginny’s place in Nick’s life. She won’t even let Ginny speak at the funeral. Kate tries to defend her friend by telling Ginny that she was only a “blip” in Nick’s life, but Ginny saw them as real friends.
This scene shows how grief can bring up old hurts and jealousies. Ginny’s life changes after Nick dies. She gets the courage to stand up for herself, which shows Nick that she has grown and wants to be seen for who she was.
The Four Seasons Ending Explained: Who Is The Father Of Ginny’s Baby?
WHY NICK’S DEATH MATTERS
Nick’s choice to live his life on his own terms and the sudden end of that life make all the characters think about a lot of things. Nick was just beginning to change and ask new questions about himself when his journey was cut short, as Calvani said. But the show makes me think that maybe that’s part of the point: we don’t always get closure, and things can change at any time.
Nick is still a part of how the characters change, even though he isn’t there. His absence brings the friends who are still together closer together, makes them think about what’s most important to them, and ultimately ushers them into a new phase of life.
Check back soon on tvacute.com for more news, updates, and coverage on THE FOUR SEASONS and your other favorite shows.
Is The Four Seasons On Netflix Based On A True Story? Explained
