I think Nick's death in The Four Seasons felt unnecessary as the group's dynamics improved despite the tragedy

I was so shocked when I saw Nick die on The Four Seasons series on Netflix. Nick, played by Steve Carell, was one of the main characters — a man confronted with midlife crises with humor, flaws, and understated sympathy.

His unexpected death in a car accident toward the end of Season 1 came as a major twist. If you’ve seen the original 1981 film by Alan Alda, you’d remember that Nick survives in that version, and the story still delivers powerful themes of friendship, aging, and emotional growth, without needing a tragic moment. So this change in the Netflix version clearly points to a creative choice for a darker and more realistic tone.

** Disclaimer: The article is entirely based on the writer's opinion. **

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Did The Four Seasons need to kill off Nick?

Look at all that happened after Nick was killed off. Anne and Mark became closer as they fought things out, and tied up loose ends. There were new friendships, especifically between Anne and Ginny, who shared a relationship of tension until Ginny became pregnant.

The characters evolved and started confronting their issues more openly. Ironically, the program did feel richer and more emotionally compelling after Nick's death. That led me to wonder: Was it possible that the program could have been as profound and evolved without the tragedy?

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Nick's role in the group in The Four Seasons

Nick was both a stabilizer and a disruptor for the group. On the one hand, he kept everyone together in one place, hosting their annual holidays and regularly defusing tensions through his humor. On the other hand, his own troubles — namely, divorce from Anne and his affair with Ginny — regularly created tension into the group.

Nick's midlife crisis was expressed in terms of crazy moves and emotional withdrawal, sometimes doing more damage than good. He was a complex man, and his presence was definitely like a catalyst. However, the story was well set even without his death as a plot twist.

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How did the group change after Nick in The Four Seasons?

Since Nick's death, the group went through grief and confusion. Over time, however, the loss forced them to work on their relationship and individual issues. Anne and Ginny grew close. Other members of the group began to open up and work through residual tension. The mood changes appeared spontaneous and real.

However, it also seemed like this development did not necessarily have to come through in such a drastic event as Nick's death. The characters were all growing independent of this event, and the show had already established so many critical interactions and internal conflicts that could have propelled the story forward.

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Was it a creative blunder?

Later showrunner interviews explained that killing Nick was intended to mirror how crazy and unpredictable life really is. As per Collider, even Tracey Wigfield, one of the show's creators, admitted about killing off Nick:

"We regretted it immediately. When we were shooting the show, and it was too late, we were like, “Why have we done this?”

That's regretful in the sense that The Four Seasons did not require such a death to deal with concepts as friendship, aging, and emotional transformation. The narrative could have been accomplished with decent writing and genuine characterization.

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Sure, Nick's death in The Four Seasons provided shock value and an emotional impact. However, examining how the group evolved once he was dead, it is obvious that the same maturity and depth could have been achieved even if he was still with them.

The plot of The Four Seasons was already in motion. The characters were changing, working out their problems, and learning about each other. Nick's death may have hastened some of these changes, but the changes didn't depend on his death.

So while his death made for compelling drama, it perhaps wasn't necessary.

Also read: The Four Seasons: Release date, news, cast details, streaming details, and more about the upcoming comedy series