8 Small Details in Netflix’s ‘The Four Seasons’ Most People Missed

The Four Seasons has become the hit of the season, captivating audiences with its humor, intriguing characters, and genuinely touching moments. Plus, it has amazing re-watch potential, with hidden details scattered throughout every episode. In fact, going forward, these seemingly small details have some potentially big implications for the show.

While eagle-eyed viewers might have caught some of these details during their first watch, other details only start to make sense after finishing the series. As we eagerly await the show’s second season, we’ve rounded up some of the most interesting blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments.

8

Anne’s Strawberry Connection

During episode 3, vacationers Claude and Danny discover that Anne is at a nearby resort. Danny encourages her to enjoy herself, so she tries flirting with her surfing instructor by showing him a strawberry man she purchased at the gift shop, as she had told him that strawberries were her “thing.” On a second watch, Anne’s connection to strawberries is apparent much earlier, with strawberries constantly surrounding her—even though there’s reason to think she doesn’t really like them.

Sour Strawberries

In the wake of her flirting failure, Anne explains that she wore strawberry pajama pants while postpartum, so people began to associate her with the fruit. After a while, she began to buy strawberry-themed items for herself as well, as seen with the strawberry apron Jack wears in episode 1 and the strawberry painting in episode 2. Sadly, as evidenced by her breaking the figurine, they weren’t something she actually liked (or at least, not anymore).

7

Nick Plays Anne’s Farm Game

Nick (Steve Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) begin the series when their relationship is at an all-time low. Nick is thinking of leaving Anne, largely because she doesn’t “do anything” anymore, and essentially has “given up.” One of the things he complains about is a farm game she’s become obsessed with, pointing out that she’s shockingly high on the leader board. And yet, a few months after leaving Anne for Ginny (Erika Henningsen), Nick is seen playing that exact same game.

Possible Implications

Was Nick playing the game because he missed Anne? Or was he perhaps unhappy with his new relationship, and the game symbolized that Anne had been unhappy as well? Maybe the game simply serves to show how their age has influenced their interests when compared to Ginny’s group. There are several ways to interpret the game-playing scenes, and each interpretation reveals important layers to the characters and their relationships.

6

Beth and Lila Have Grown Apart

During the fall, the friends visit Nick and Anne’s daughter, Lila (Julia Lester), and Kate and Jack’s daughter, Beth (Ashlyn Maddox), for Parents Weekend. Lila is putting on a play, and the parents are excited to watch. Beth, however, explains that she hasn’t seen much of Lila recently, and later, she doesn’t attend the show. While a small detail, this interaction could have huge implications for Season 2.

Possible Movie Connection

In the movie version of The Four Seasons, a significant part of the “Fall” episodes revolve around Beth and Lila (there called Lisa) no longer being friends. Although they’ve known each other since childhood, their connection has waned in young adulthood. This small scene in the TV version seems to be hinting at a similar plot line to come, and if so, we’re eager to see where it goes in Season 2.

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5

Kate and Jack’s Issues Were Apparent Early

Shortly after Nick and Anne’s divorce, Jack (Will Forte) and Kate’s (Tina Fey) marriage starts showing some cracks of its own. Both seem worried that they’re missing out on something and that the other person is letting them down. At first, it appears that their friends’ divorce was the impetus to their own relationship’s downward spiral. However, the signs were there all the way back in the very first scene.

Early Signs

The Four Seasons begins with Jack being late to pick up Danny (Colman Domingo) and Claude (Marco Calvani). Kate is outside his school waiting for him, saying she had wanted to get to Anne and Nick’s before dark. Unfortunately, Jack had stayed behind with his students in order to learn a “cool handshake.” While not the worst thing you could do to your spouse, it clearly shows that Jack was putting his own wants above Kate’s, especially since his tardiness meant that they got there late at night.

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4

Each Intro Hints at Key Plot Points

The Four Seasons is so named because the show explores a vacation during each season, and also because the introduction sequences use Antonio Vivaldi’s four songs of the same title. During these intro sequences, a series of lines appear that turn into leaves, with different leaves marking the start and end of each season. More interestingly, each sequence includes a small nod to an important item that appears in each episode.

Breaking Down Each Sequence

Crawdad and flames appear in episodes 1 and 2, highlighting the group’s meal and Anne’s kiln exploding, respectively. In episodes 3 and 4, we see a sea urchin and falling strawberry, forecasting Nick’s injury and Anne’s unwanted connection to the fruit. Then, in episodes 5 and 6, a hatchet and sandwich appear, the former being used by Lila to break a dresser and the latter highlighting a pivotal moment between Kate and Jack. Finally, episode 7 shows the guitar Terry plays, while episode 8 includes a shoe, which is used to house Nick’s ashes.

3

Claude Wasn’t Part of the Core Friend Group

Before Ginny, Claude was the newest member of the friend group, and it showed. Kate was constantly badmouthing him, similar to what she later did to Ginny (though arguably even worse). Some of this might have stemmed from jealousy, since Kate and Danny were among the closest friends, while some of it might have been because Claude’s presence altered the group’s more general dynamic. Regardless of the reasons, Claude tries to prove himself again and again to his friends, only to constantly have his actions overlooked, diminished, or misconstrued.

The Best Friend

Time and time again, Claude was the best friend in the group. For example, he was seen reading Jack’s book in episode 1, making so much progress that he finished it by episode 8, even though it didn’t really seem to fit his interests. He also helped pull Anne out of the water during the boat scene and accompanied Ginny on a bike tour when both were feeling down, even though Danny remarked that Claude wouldn’t have wanted to go on one. He also encouraged Danny and Kate to settle their differences and comforted Kate at her lowest. And yet, the group constantly made fun of his intelligence and tendency to be emotional, even though, more often than not, those emotions were completely warranted.

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2

Alan Alda’s Cameo

Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons is based on a movie of the same name from 1981. This original was written and directed by Alan Alda, who also played the character of Jack. In Tina Fey’s version, Alda returned to play a different character, Anne’s father, Don. Though not a huge role, he appears in several scenes expressing excitement about his daughter’s vow renewal ceremony.

Every Line Counted

If nothing else, Don was responsible for encouraging “Sex Day,” and we can thank him for that later awkward moment with Kate. Plus, his cameo was a fun nod to the original. We wouldn’t be surprised if he returned in Season 2 to show further support to Anne while offering additional advice to her friends.

1

Nick’s Death is Hinted at Several Times

For many viewers, Nick’s death at the end of episode 7 was shocking, marking an incredibly dark moment in a mostly light series. And yet, Nick’s death was all but inevitable, based on earlier scenes. The characters constantly brought up his car and the idea that he was going to die or be killed in ways that, at first, seemed humorous. But upon reflection, they should have served as warnings to Nick (and the viewer) of his tragic fate to come.

Heavily Foreshadowed

In episode 1, Kate says “one of you is going to die” after Anne and Nick jump scare them in the road, essentially foreshadowing Nick’s own traffic accident and death in episode 7. Additionally, in episode 2, Anne worries that Nick is late because he’s having car troubles. In episode 3, Danny asks if Nick thinks he’s the first old man to date a younger woman, then tells him, “You’re joining a long tradition of May-December relationships, but you’re doing it all wrong.” Sure, he meant this symbolically, but it’s interesting that Nick and Ginny first started dating around May, only for Nick to then die on New Year’s Eve.

Given all of this foreshadowing, we’re inclined to go back and watch the episodes (starting with our favorite!) to see if any of the other characters might be in danger in Season 2.