“Seasons” does not contain your stereotypical fairy tale happy ending and it’s for the best
“Love, Rosie,” “13 Going On 30,” and “Made of Honor.” Besides being romance movie classics in their own right, these films follow the same and now overused trope, “friends-to-lovers.” It is a cliché that has tugged at the heartstrings of both the heartbroken and the lovesick—enamoring individuals with the inner conflict and the ever-familiar mistimings between star-crossed lovers that onlookers can only hope to break free from in their own relationships.
And yet, despite being a popular recurring theme across various forms of media, it is a cliché because it has become overused—and soon enough, dull, once it has further saturated our theaters and streaming platforms. However, “Seasons” from Netflix, starring Lifestyle.INQ’s August 2023 cover star Lovi Poe, and leading man Carlo Aquino, seems to have broken out of this trope, playing with rather than sticking to the idea of “friends-to-lovers.”
About “Seasons”
“Seasons” is directed by Easy Ferrer and stars Lovi Poe, Carlo Aquino, Sarah Edwards, Jolo Estrada, and Sheenly Gener among others. The film follows the inseparable Charlie (Poe) and Kurt (Aquino) as they seek to spice up their respective failed yet colorful dating lives. Having found impressionable romantic prospects due to the support of one another, emotions run high, bad decisions are made, and their very relationship hangs in the balance as Charlie and Kurt come to terms with what they truly feel for each other.
The film also takes inspiration from a popular saying that “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.” Empowered by this philosophy, or clinging unto it as a means to rationalize each failed attempt at love, Charlie looks back at her past relationships, carefully categorizing where each falls under, all while considering where Kurt lies in all of this.
Lovi Poe and Carlo Aquino
Lovi Poe dazzles in her performance in “Seasons.” As Charlie, she is outgoing, fun-loving, passionate, and unfortunately, quite unhinged. She is in endless pursuit of her ever-elusive lifetime love and it causes her to be impulsive, easily hurt, and prone to emotionally lashing out. And playing a character that gives so much of herself to her own detriment, Poe was up for the task.
Throughout the entirety of the film, Poe plays Charlie with every fiber of her being, owning the identity she had worn, and embracing whatever shenanigans she had to do for the sake of her love (even if it meant that I had to pause the movie a number of times due to second-hand-embarrassment). And as the primary character we get to spend so much time with, it’s safe to say that there was no dull scene whenever she was involved.
Carlo Aquino on the other hand, is the opposite of Charlie. The more reserved between the two, Kurt is practically the “adopted” introvert—picked out of thin air by their extroverted counterpart, and dragged wherever and whenever she so wishes. He is seen constantly playing along, always nodding in agreement, and providing comfort as he plays the role of the best friend.
In that regard, it was quite difficult to have a full grasp on Kurt’s character being that he had almost become an item acting in supplement of Charlie; a recipient of her murmurings and reflections. And yet in between lines, Aquino delivered an impressionable performance that goes beyond dialogue. He uses his eyes to carefully steal glances, and in those moments of silence, lets us into the mind of Kurt more than the dialogue ever did.
Frankly uncomfortable
In the film’s second act, Charlie, desperate to cling to Kurt who had fostered quite the relationship with his new girlfriend, tells a bold-faced lie that takes the pair on a trip to Ilocos Norte. It is at this point that all common sense goes out of the window because who would even believe what she said—and this is also where the film tells us that we should hate Charlie and hope that everything falls crashing down around her.
Spoiler alert. This lie does not work out and ends up firing back at her at the expense of her friendship with Kurt. I am aware that we do not always have to like our main characters, but it made no sense for the film to paint her in such a despicable manner that we begin to become unable to sympathize with her. Having feelings for your best friend is quite normal, maybe even a universal experience—but to lie about a pregnancy to have your beloved to yourself for a few days as he’s contemplating marrying his partner—a bit too psycho perhaps?
No happy endings
The film skips a lot to get to its ending, glossing over the years in between, and presenting Charlie and Kurt as entirely different people compared to what we had gotten to know just a couple minutes beforehand. This does not add to its merits, and yet the lack of a so-called happy ending is what ultimately saves “Seasons.”
Charlie and Kurt are not good people. Sure, we can relate to what they were feeling, however, their actions: Charlie’s lie; and Kurt’s infidelity; should not simply be let off the hook without some sort of repercussion. To allow them the perfect “friends-to-lovers” ending would not have left a good taste in the mouth. Having Charlie in the middle of her healing process, and Kurt finding love in another person on the other hand made much more sense.
“Seasons” is about the “friends-to-lovers” trope not going your way and the accountability one must have for their actions. It is plagued by issues concerning its plot, characterization, and the lack of character development in certain areas. However, the performances of Poe and Aquino, and the film’s bittersweet ending are what make it a rather enjoyable watch that further expands upon an overused cliché.