The Four Seasons from Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracy Wigfield just hit Netflix on Thursday, May 1. The new Netflix show has an incredible cast led by Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerry Kenney-Silver, Erika Henningsen, and Marco Calvani.
The new Netflix comedy is an eight-episode series based on Alan Alda's film of the same name. It tells the story of a friend group of four couples who get their worlds rocked when one of the couples gets divorced. All those friend trips and vacations together just aren't the same.
I'm sure there are many parents out there who want to know if the new Netflix comedy is a good show to watch as a family. So, let's dive in for the parents guide.
The Four Seasons is rated TV-MA
Despite The Four Seasons TV-MA rating on Netflix, this is about as clean of a mature TV show that I can remember. Yes, there are some heavy subjects, bad language, drinking, drug references, and sex and nudity, but it's not over the top. It's a show for adults, but I wouldn't have a problem with most teens watching The Four Seasons with their parents. There are many good conversations (and some incredibly awkward moments) that could come from watching a show like this as a family or with your children.
I shared some specific examples about the language, drinking and drug use, sex and nudity, and violence and gore in the series.
Language: Overall, these are adults who use some bad language, slang, and curse words. Everything is on the table in this series when it comes to language. I don't need to list them all, but I don't remember hearing anything especially flagrant. It's all pretty standard yet tame for an adult comedy on a streaming network rather than a broadcast series.
Drinking and drug use: The adult characters drink alcohol in almost every episode. Most of the time, they are on vacation, and in my experience, we see this in a lot of shows like this when the characters are celebrating an occasion, just hanging out with old friends, and the like. I don't recall any drug use, but there are probably some references to using drugs in the series. Like the language, it's honestly quite tame compared to other similar shows.
Sex and nudity: Along with the language, this is probably where The Four Seasons earns its rating. Overall, there isn't much sex and nudity in the series, but there are a few instances. It's definitely not overly graphic or anything like that. If anything, some of the moments are played up for comedy.
There is a lot of discussion about sex, though. It comes with the territory in a show about couples struggling to hold their friend group and romantic relationships together over a long period of time. Some moments might be hard for parents and kids to watch together, so consider yourself warned.
Violence and gore: Overall, there is minimal violence and no gore. There are a few intense arguments between the characters, especially those in the couples, which could be triggering to some viewers.
The Four Seasons is a safe Netflix pick for most families
While it is a TV-MA show, The Four Seasons definitely isn't a raunchy comedy by any means, which makes it a pretty safe pick to watch with older teens. I do want to mention that the show is about divorce, relationships, and the things that go into those decisions. It gets intense and emotional at times.
I don't want to give too much away, but mortality is also considered. Many of these characters are going through some form of identity crises as they get older, and that's common theme across all eight episodes.
So, that's The Four Seasons! I really enjoyed this show, and I'm very hopeful that Netflix picks it up for a second season.