In the fifth installment of The Four Seasons, titled “Family Weekend,” the show trades vineyard drama for ivy-covered halls and college nostalgia. But make no mistake—what’s meant to be a cozy reunion weekend quickly spirals into a cocktail of unspoken resentments, messy confessions, and deeply personal reckonings.
The episode is set at Jack, Kate, and Danny’s alma mater, where a scenic fall reunion promises old friends, warm memories, and perhaps a breather from the chaos of their adult lives. Instead, it becomes the emotional gauntlet no one saw coming.
Anne sets the tone right from the start. Still reeling from the shock of Nick’s vow renewal surprise and his relationship with Ginny, she boldly takes the Molly Pitcher Suite—a room that Nick had reserved for himself and Ginny. It’s not just about the bed or the view; it’s about reclaiming her place in a group she feels increasingly disconnected from. Her move feels passive-aggressive, but it’s also deeply human—Anne is trying to feel seen again.
Nick, oblivious or just stubborn, introduces Ginny to both Anne and his teenage daughter, Lila. The discomfort is immediate and thick. Ginny is trying, in her own way, to blend in—but the forced smiles and quiet moments of awkwardness speak volumes. Lila, watching all of this unfold, channels her frustration into a school play that becomes the emotional core of the episode. In the performance, she wordlessly critiques her family’s unraveling—her father’s sudden decisions, the loss of her mother’s presence, and her own sense of confusion in the fallout.
Ginny is visibly shaken. Lila is defiant. And Nick, for the first time this season, is unsure of how to fix things. The confrontation that follows between father and daughter is one of the rawest in the series so far. Nick’s insistence that Lila accept his choices is met with rightful teenage resistance. It’s a clash of generations, priorities, and grief.
Meanwhile, Jack and Kate attempt to recapture their spark by digging through old college memories. Jack even buys a record player and vintage vinyl, hoping music from their youth will reawaken something dormant. What he gets, instead, is a sobering realization that nostalgia doesn’t fix distance. The silence between them is louder than any playlist. Kate’s preoccupation, Jack’s constant effort to keep things light—everything points to a couple quietly drifting apart, unsure of how to say it out loud.
On the other side of the romantic spectrum, Claude and Danny are experimenting—with both each other and the boundaries of their open relationship. They invite a burly, flirtatious lumberjack-type for a potential threesome, a decision that feels more like a Band-Aid than a celebration. But things come to a head when Claude discovers cigarettes in Danny’s bag while searching for a condom. The betrayal isn’t about the smoking—it’s about the secrecy. For a couple that prides itself on honesty and freedom, this moment is a rude awakening. Their argument strips them bare: beneath all the sexual liberation is a need for stability and mutual care.
What’s remarkable about “Family Weekend” is its refusal to wrap things up neatly. The episode isn’t interested in big reconciliations or dramatic make-ups. Instead, it revels in discomfort—in conversations left hanging, in truths exposed too late, in people trying and failing to bridge the emotional gaps between them.
Visually, the episode contrasts beautifully. The golden leaves, vintage architecture, and warm interiors are soft and romantic, but the emotional terrain is anything but. Director David Warren leans into this contrast, using picturesque settings to underscore the characters’ internal disarray.
In many ways, Family Weekend serves as a mirror—holding up reflections of who these characters used to be, who they are now, and who they might become if they’re brave enough to be honest. It’s an episode about parenting, partnership, and the painful reality that love—whether romantic or familial—is rarely simple.
As the group toasts under dim lighting and half-hearted laughter, it’s clear: they’re all searching for something, even if they don’t quite know what it is yet.
