Credit: Netflix

The Four Seasons really snuck up on people this time, didn’t it? Last year, when the first season debuted, everyone thought Netflix was dropping another easy weekend comedy, and the next thing you know, the show had left your eyes all watery. Who knew we’d all get emotionally invested in a group of middle-aged friends going on vacation together? Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte in one series already sounded promising, but the show turned out to be far more emotional than many viewers expected.

The first season followed three long-time couples whose tradition of taking seasonal trips together starts falling apart after Nick announces he wants to leave Anne. From there, the series becomes about awkward conversations and relationship drama. But there still was something that made the show a hit, and that was how real the friendships felt. Yes, the vacations looked beautiful, but underneath all that was a story about people trying to hold onto relationships.

Season two pushed things even further. After Nick’s death at the end of season one, the group reunites while dealing with grief and Ginny’s pregnancy. The new season keeps the vacation format intact but changes the emotional dynamics quite a bit as Anne, Kate, Jack, Danny, and Claude all struggle with questions about love, ageing, and starting over. The surprising part is that they somehow found humour in all of this.

And honestly, finishing The Four Seasons creates a very specific craving. You want another show with complicated adult conversations and realistic relationships. Thankfully, Netflix has plenty of series like that.

Four shows to stream if you loved Four Seasons

The Kominsky Method (2018-2021)

If The Four Seasons season two worked for you because of its honest take on friendship after loss, The Kominsky Method is an easy next watch. The series follows Sandy Kominsky, a former actor who now runs an acting school in Los Angeles. His closest friend is Norman Newlander, a successful agent struggling to move forward after losing his wife. Most of the show revolves around the two men dealing with whatever life decides to throw at them next. And trust me, life stays busy.

The friendship at the centre is what makes this series so enjoyable. Sandy and Norman argue constantly. They get on each other’s nerves. They say things they probably shouldn’t. Then, when things get difficult, they are right there for each other. Sound familiar? That’s the same emotional territory that made The Four Seasons so compelling. Both shows understand that friendships evolve over time, but the best ones survive anyway. One moment, you are laughing at Sandy’s latest complaint. Next, the show catches you completely off guard with a genuinely moving scene. Are you kidding me? It works every time.

Nobody Wants This (2024-)

Not really a show about friendships, but Nobody Wants This has a lot of side characters that explore this dynamic. Also, you cannot rule out the romance. Not the fantasy version, though. This romance is complicated. The one where two people genuinely like each other, but life keeps getting in the way. The series follows Joanne, a podcast host who approaches relationships with plenty of scepticism, and Noah, a rabbi whose life is deeply connected to his family and faith. The attraction between them is immediate. The problem? Almost everything around them suggests that they should stay away.

And that is where the show shines. Much like The Four Seasons, it understands that adult relationships rarely come with simple answers. Every decision affects somebody else. Every choice carries baggage from the past. Sound exhausting? Sometimes it is. But Joanne and Noah are flawed and funny, and you keep rooting for them throughout the show.

Workin’ Moms (2017-2023)

Of course, relationships are only one part of adulthood. Sometimes the real challenge is trying to keep your entire life from falling apart at the same time. That’s where Workin’ Moms comes in. The series follows Kate Foster, Anne Carlson, Frankie Coyne, Jenny Matthews, and Val Szalinsky as they juggle work, parenting and marriage. Nobody has a perfect plan. Most of them are making things up as they go.

There is a messiness, yet a sense of wholesomeness, to Workin’ Moms if you think about it. And if you enjoyed watching the characters in The Four Seasons go through major life changes while depending on one another, you will probably most definitely connect with the friendships here as well. The women disagree, and they make mistakes. Occasionally, they make bad decisions. But all you have to do is wonder how they managed to create such a mess in the first place.

Sweet Magnolias (2020-)

If Workin’ Moms shows adulthood at its most hectic, Sweet Magnolias takes a different approach. The drama is still there. The emotional moments are still there. The difference is everything that happens in the charming town of Serenity. The story follows lifelong friends Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan, and Helen Decatur as they go through relationships, family challenges, and major turning points in their lives. Each woman is facing a different problem, but they never have to face it alone.

Sounds like a perfect watch after Four Seasons, right? Both shows are built around friendships that have stood the test of time. The characters know each other’s strengths. They know each other’s flaws. More importantly, they keep showing up for one another. The show doesn’t need huge twists to keep your attention. It simply gives you people worth caring about. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.