There’s plenty of stories to chew on in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Maya, living and breathing politics in New York as part of her career, gets a wedding invitation from an old friend in London. She decides to leave her life behind and travel to England to reunite with her old friends. However, what was meant to be a warm reunion turns into a combination of personal crises. I’ve watched every episode and put together a recap of season 1.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Season 1 Recap (Episodes 1-10)
Episode 1 – “Kash with a K”
Plenty happens in “Kash with a K,” which demonstrates early on how complicated the story is going to be for these characters. The Hulu series gets off to a funny, quick-witted, charming start and ends with a twist that will resonate in the subsequent episodes.
If we focus on Maya, her life is confused at the start of Four Weddings and a Funeral. She’s the communications director for a man running for Senator in the US, but she also has a relationship with this man, who also has a wife. When she scurries to London to meet her best friend Ainsley for her birthday, and she accidentally, without knowing, bumps into her new boyfriend Kash, the audience knows immediately that episode 1 is setting up for some flames later on. There’s an unspoken attraction between Maya and Kash.
And then you have Craig, a member of this social group who finds it challenging to settle down, but he seems to have hit it off with apparent “social media influencer” Zara. The only problem is that “Kash with a K” reveals that another woman is claiming he is the father of her child.
Duffy is also introduced in episode 1, though apart from the fact he secretly loves Maya, “Kash with a K” does not delve into this character yet.
Episode 1 fast-forwards 12 months. Maya and her relationship with the now senator are over after it was found he was having multiple affairs. But there are more pressing matters: Ainsley and Kash’s wedding is around the corner, and she is the maid of honor. Maya’s tension with Ainsley’s other best friend remains sky-high, but what is essential is that Kash and Maya still have that chemistry before the wedding even begins.
The wedding offers a few funny gags, and Maya fluffs her speech due to pressure and forgetting her notes. As the vicar attempts to marry Kash and Ainsley, the groom freezes and calls off the ceremony. It’s embarrassing; it’s a grand ceremony.
Episode 2 – “Hounslow”
“Hounslow” takes us forward one week after the disastrous wedding. Ainsley is grieving, with Maya and Gemma doing all they can to comfort her. Episode 2 was another heartwarming, funny episode for the Hulu series.
Episode 2 offers another moment for also-grieving Kash and Maya, who was tasked by Ainsley to drop off some of his stuff in her home. They were watching a quiz show together at Kash’s father’s house, and they were in sync for most of the questions—this will inevitably cause problems later.
“Hounslow” also sees Craig taking the initiative to bond with his daughter, secretly watching her play football. Her mother catches him watching, and unluckily for him, she’s a lawyer, and she drafts a paper for him to sign, so he gives up his parental rights. Zara believes Craig is cheating on her and also convinces Duffy that it is with Maya, serving some genuinely good comedy.
By the time episode 2 reaches the halfway mark, Ainsley is still suffering from her recent break-up, and her friends organize a game night. The night turns into an inquisition into Maya, as the group finds out she is planning to meet her ex. Maya is struggling with her break-up as well, and seemingly cannot let go.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 2 (Credit – Hulu)
When Maya meets up with her ex, it turns out it was his wife pretending to be him via text and urges Maya to stay away.
“Hounslow” offers closure for Ainsley, for now. Kash turns up at her house and explains he has been a fraud all his life, only realizing it on the wedding day. She returns his perfume and closes the door on him. Maya gets closure, too, writing a letter to her ex and throwing it into the sea.
“Hounslow” ends with Duffy finally finding the courage to get over Maya and ask a colleague of his for a date; Craig meets his daughter’s mother again and assures her that his girl is the most important person in all this, and then Zara intervenes in the conversation from nowhere, believing she has caught him in the act — he finally calms her down and tells her the truth about his daughter, but his lack of commitment to the relationships forces Zara to walk away; Maya also decides she is going to stay in London now, which excites Ainsley, but Gemma is not too pleased.
Episode 3 – “We Broke”
“We Broke” encourages the characters to move on after recent events. Episode 3 was less charming than the former, with a tragic ending for one of the characters.
After her recent embarrassing wedding, Ainsley is forced to downsize her lifestyle after her parents decide to cut the financial supply. Ainsley’s business, purchases, and social life are expensive, so this is a shock to the character’s system. It’s time for Ainsley to make needed cuts and Maya to find herself a job. Maya finds herself in a mental place where she does not want politicians hiring her because they believe she will sleep with them. After the scandal surrounding the relationship she had with the senator — those nightmares came to fruition in “We Broke”
Ainsley attempts to make cuts, especially with her two shopping assistants, but she finds herself riddled with guilt and retracts from firing one of them. Ainsley is also unintentionally abandoning her friend Gemma, who is getting increasingly upset at Ainsley’s lack of communication and her shallow friends. The problem Gemma faces is that her husband is so wealthy, she does not need to work and has to find hobbies to do during the day.
“We Broke” progresses Duffy’s relationship with Tabby, but becomes irrationally upset when she gives him constructive criticism over his unpublished novel; the criticism becomes worse when he finds out his friends haven’t read it.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 3 (Credit – Hulu)
In terms of Kash, episode 3 sees the man with a new lease of life, refusing pay rises at work so he can pursue an acting career. What he comes to realize is that auditions are hard and brutal, and when his father collapses due to pressure with work and keeping the family together, he decides to scrap the acting dreams altogether and stay working in banking.
“We Broke” ties up a few of the loose ends discussed above; Ainsley plucks up the courage to get rid of one of her shopping assistants after her mother puts on the pressure for her to move back to the USA; Maya gets the job she wants, a less seedy politician who will appreciate her work, not her looks and Duffy apologizes to Tabby and continues their relationship.
“We Broke” ends with the group having their usual game night, but this time it’s a book reading night to make it up to Duffy for not reading his novel. Craig breaks down reading the opening paragraph of Duffy’s book because Zara has left him indefinitely, and he reveals to the group that he has a daughter. While this is happening, Gemma finds her husband dead in their bed.
Episode 4 – “The Winner Takes It All”
Well, here is the funeral. “The Winner Takes It All” was not downbeat throughout, though it did pull at the heartstrings during the ceremony. What surprised me was the ending, which was not sold well at all, but we’ll get to that.
Episode 4 sees Kash considering an arranged marriage after his father lays the pressure. When he sees the profile of his prospective life partner, he changes his mind purely based on the attractiveness. “The Winner Takes It All” provides an amusing date in a shopping center, with the pair followed by his date’s grandmother and his best friend. He is soon alarmed when he gets a call from an agency claiming he needs to arrange for the parents to meet. In the heat of the moment, he declines, but later in the episode, he tells the agency that he wants to cool it down and enjoy a second date first.
As for Craig, he is getting it bad from his ex, Zara, who is refusing to meet him. There’s a lot of mystery as to where she has gone, with her friends not even giving a slight hint. He finds out near the end of “The Winner Takes It All” that she has joined a reality-based show, an equivalent of Love Island. The player got played.
Duffy is progressing in his relationship with Tabby, who has helped him secure a short story space in a popular newspaper — she assumes that he loves her and says the famous words. Episode 4 presents a scenario for Tabby that he does not understand what he has in front of him. Four Weddings and a Funeral has many more twists to come.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 4 (Credit – Hulu)
Maya is struggling at her new job in “The Winner Takes It All,” mostly because of the impending funeral reminding her of her mother’s death. Tabby reminds her that she has not been to a funeral since and convinces her to go.
And here is to the funeral — bless Gemma’s heart. Not only does she have to contest her dead husband’s parents, but she also has to consider genuine motherhood now. Episode 4 sees her balancing her life, preparing for the cloudy day, and initially, her dead husband’s parents’ advice. But she has a change of heart when her son goes missing, who is trying to buy a Chelsea FC shirt in honor of his father.
The funeral itself was emotional. Gemma changed her outfit, and everyone else’s while delivering her speech — Chelsea FC shirts. “The Winner Takes It All” sees Gemma make a fitting speech, despite the disapproving family watching. Gemma also decides not to send her son Giles back to boarding school, and she will take on the challenges of being a mother instead.
Episode 4 provides an ending that had a small impact, and I believe the makers of Four Weddings and a Funeral would have preferred it to mean more. Duffy arrives at Maya’s house in the pouring rain and confesses that he has broken up with Tabby and that he has been in love with her most of his life. The series has shown no inclination from Maya at all, so it felt slightly shoehorned in when they started kissing. Of course, they won’t last, as there are other forces at play here, but it felt like a whimper of a scene.
Episode 5 – “Love, Chalet”
Episode 5 was the most fun chapter of Four Weddings and a Funeral. The central premise follows Craig, who is desperately watching his ex Zara on the reality show Love Chalet, which is a caricature version of Love Island.
But episode 5 also explores the new relationship — Maya and Duffy. I did mention in the last episode that the build-up to their night of passion was very deflated, and “Love, Chalet” confirms that getting out of the friend zone does not mean instant results. You can sense a slight hesitation in Maya’s body language.
Ainsley is desperate to save her business in “Love, Chalet” after her parents cut the financial supply, and her luck is increased when she meets a vengeful divorced couple, willing to spend an outrageous amount of money on the house, which will, in turn, save the business.
But Ainsley’s short-term happiness at saving the business is soured by the fact that her friends spent the night watching Love Chalet with Kash present. Craig makes a good point; Kash is his friend, and he cannot avoid him forever. At the gathering, the tension between Kash and Maya is still there, and Duffy looks nerdier than ever. Meanwhile, Gemma (Zoe Boyle) is quickly adjusting to her new widowed life and experiencing a new type of motherhood.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 5 (Credit – Hulu)
Episode 5, “Love Chalet” sees all hope nearly lost for Craig who is watching Zara week by week on Love Chalet, but he becomes convinced that she is sending him signals. In a last-ditch effort, he goes on to Love Chalet as a guest, revealing all his secrets and proposing marriage. She declines on National TV, reducing him into a depressed slump.
As the chapter draws closer to the end, Kash starts to become frustrated with his dating life with Fatima, who cannot be alone with them as part of their “arranged marriage” process. Kash decides to go out to the club with the others, and it’s telling that Maya is the woman he wants.
Duffy continues to look like the man on the sidelines. Kash and his friend end up in a fight in the club after receiving some racist abuse, so Maya helps him to hospital, and he confesses that he has not stopped thinking about the time they met each other in the airport.
With Ainsley’s business saved, Gemma managing her new life and Duffy once again seemingly friend-zoned, episode 5, “Love, Chalet” ends with Craig grieving at home watching Zara in the finale of the reality show.
As she is proposed to, there’s a knock on his door. He angrily pauses the program thinking it’s Duffy. When he answers, it’s Zara who smiles at him and scratches her forehead. She was sending him signals.
Episode 6 – “Lights, Camera, Wedding”
It was always going to end badly for Duffy. The friendzone/relationship scenario always looked uncomfortable, but the realization came in the grimmest of circumstances — at a wedding. Zara and Craig are tying the knot in a Love Island-type ceremony, where the cameras are on them.
While Ainsley is adamant she will not be attending the wedding due to Kash ever being present in the social group, Maya is confused. She cannot keep her mind off Kash and his persistence that there is something between them both. In episode 6, “Lights, Camera, Wedding”, she writes a letter discussing the impossible scenario of anything ever happening between them. Unfortunately, Duffy finds the letter after they broke up amicably, believing it is about him. He plans a loving speech for the wedding — he’s the best man. Gemma (Zoe Boyle) insists the letter is not about him
We may as well shoot the wedding, which was produced and directed by the Love Chalet production team, showing the cheesiness of reality TV. The wedding opens up new and old wounds. Fatima (Kash’s date) realizes she has grown feelings for their chaperone (Kash’s best friend), who agrees to follow them as part of the “pre-arranged marriage” policy.
Ainsley does turn up, realizing she is being selfish, and delivers a rousing speech for Craig. But the damning moment occurs when Duffy sees Maya and Kash from a distance and recognizes the letter is about someone else. He messed up his best man speech — it was a car crash. “Lights, Camera, Wedding” sees Maya’s nightmare come true when Duffy approaches her and makes it known that he knows who she truly loves. At the same time, Fatima makes Kash aware that she has feelings for his best friend in a frank assessment.
Episode 7 – “The Sound Of Music”
The number of times Maya has said that nothing will ever happen. The writers overindulge on the inevitable. With the story coming together in Episode 7, Maya begs a drunken Duffy not to say anything about her feelings for Kash. She repeats it, “Nothing will ever happen”. But she’s suppressing her feelings and only making matters worse. When Kash sends her a video of his appeal for their latest theatre play, she has to immediately shut her laptop to prevent her from catching any more feelings.
But it is fate in “The Sound Of Music” when MP Andrew, who she is working for, decides to have a vested interest in the theatre. It’s merely because he felt guilty for how he treated Tony 2 in a romantic altercation in the past. He doesn’t want the community to think that he has no interest in black issues.
Duffy is all over the place in episode 7, turning up to work drunk and acting like a child. His performances become so dire that his ex-Tabby has been asked to monitor the lessons to keep him on track. He tries to speak to Tabby, but she already has a new boyfriend, and he seems to be a wealthy writer.
Duffy continues to be insufferable to the point that Gemma brings him back down to earth and asks him to get his s*** together. Her words appear to resonate as he scrubs himself up and gets over the Maya situation.
Back to the theatre, Maya gets more and more involved in the production, and it’s evident at this point that she is allowing her feelings to grow. She appeals to the MP to not pull funding after he starts getting political pressure.
Episode 7 sees the play becoming a success, with Kash earning his plaudits. At the end of episode 7, Maya makes her move and kisses Kash.
Episode 8 – “Game Night”
Four Weddings and a Funeral starts the beginnings of a long game for Maya and Kash. The feelings are there, but now they have to decide what to do next: risk all of Maya’s friendships and lose Ainsley or be with Kash. The couple decides to “hang out” in Episode 8 and nothing more. But this resulted in Maya becoming super-paranoid about Ainsley’s whereabouts. Maya is frustrated and upset in Episode 8, while Kash is adamant they should make a choice.
As for Tony 2, “Game Night” sees him decide to reignite his relationship with Andrew, but he soon realizes they come from two very different worlds in background, race, and politics. Tony 2 and Andrew do not last long, and they soon break up again, leaving Andrew feeling disappointed.
With Basheer and Fatima’s wedding around the corner, Maya decides to opt out and join the rest for the game night instead. The night is overrun by Zara’s agent attempting to record her life and create a social media influencer. Before the game night, Craig tells Ainsley about the love letter that Duffy mentioned, and they assume that Maya has feelings for her work colleague Marcus, so they attempt to matchmake.
So game night comes, and more matchmaking attempts are made: Andrew and Bryce also show up to see their respective romantic acquaintances frustrated by their presence. Zara reveals a new game called “No Secrets,” branded by her. When Andrew reveals his heartbreak, it prompts Maya to sneak off and join the wedding, where she tells Kash that she’s ready and Ainsley will be the first to know. Fireworks are around the corner.
Ainsley decides to go to Bryce’s house and tell him the truth, but her honesty goes too far, and he rejects her proposal to get together — Bryce overheard Ainsley earlier in the night talking about his age.
Episode 8 ends with Zara revealing to Craig that she’s pregnant.
Episode 9 – “Four Friends and a Secret”
It was always going to end in tears ever since Kash and Maya had their first chat at the airport.
But before we get into that drama, let’s explore what else happened in Episode 9, “Four Friends and a Secret.”
Ainsley does not know what to do about Bryce, but after much deliberation, she decides she is being selfish and plans a date. Ainsley finds Bryce with another woman but later finds out it was his sister. Bryce, owning up to his feelings, intervenes in one of Ainsley’s dates, and they decide to make it official.
More feelings are brewing in Episode 9 — Gemma has a soft spot for Duffy ever since his recent breakdown, but she soon becomes jealous when Duffy starts finding dates on Bumble. Duffy has played the game here; rather than doing his usual overexertion of emotions, he played it cool, and later on in Episode 9, Gemma pours out her feelings for him — he returns the same gesture.
Zara proves to be the best wife in Episode 9, finding ways for Craig to reconnect with his first daughter. Zara negotiates with his daughter’s mother and agrees he can watch her play football from a distance. Craig becomes too consumed by the game and confronts the coach. Craig’s daughter’s mother seems more relaxed about the situation, allowing Zara to begin further negotiations.
Episode 9 becomes extra political as well as romantic — Tony 2 reveals he cannot continue his relationship with Andrew due to the harsh immigration bill. Andrew, knowing that if he votes ‘no’ to the bill, it will likely put the prime minister up for a vote of no confidence, and he has an extreme decision to make. With the pressure on, Andrew decides to propose to Tony 2 but is rejected because he suggests he will vote ‘yes’ for the bill. Later in the episode, Andrew provides a U-turn on his party and declares a ‘no’, meaning that the bill failed to be passed into law.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 9 (Credit – Hulu)
Okay, so the major talking point is the story we all care about in Episode 9. Maya spends most of the chapter trying to find the most opportune time to tell Ainsley about her relationship with Kash. The issue is, in every circumstance, there is never a right time, ever, to tell your best friend that you are sleeping with your ex-fiance. It comes at no surprise that Maya cannot blurt the words out. Plus, Ainsley is ridiculously tricky to pin down due to her self-absorbed ways.
To add damage to the scenario, Maya has landed a dream job in New York, and Kash is adamant he will join her. Kash nearly had to back out of moving to New York, but his forgiving father gave him his blessing. Ainsley finds out about New York and is convinced that this is what Maya wants to speak to her about.
Episode 9 ends in tears. Gemma catches Maya kissing Kash, but Ainsley, not knowing the dangerous secret, rallies the troops to talk about Maya and New York. The group all have a conversation, believing Ainsley is talking about Maya and Kash, but Duffy accidentally reveals the actual discussion. Maya comes home, looking innocent, and Ainsley confronts her about Kash. The two have a raging, emotional argument about Maya’s betrayal. Ainsley demands that Maya leave by the morning.
It seems that Maya values her friendship with Ainsley and emotionally breaks it off with Kash.
This moment was worth the wait.
Episode 10 – “New Jersey”
Four Weddings and a Funeral has had a bad rap with critics, but if you have a heart, Episode 10 will surely have you elated and tearful at the same time. “New Jersey” moves forward one year; Kash is landing significant roles in theatre, Ainsley and Bryce are getting married, Craig and Zara’s baby is born, and Duffy and Gemma are sleeping together, but Gemma’s son cannot know.
A lot is going on, but the noticeable outsider is Maya. She has returned to New York and is running for State Assembly in the elections. After wise advice from Craig that Ainsley “deep down” misses her, Maya decides to take a quick trip to London in time for Ainsley’s engagement party.
Not all is well in Bryce and Ainsley’s relationship; Bryce is fed up with Ainsley’s obsession with Kash in the lead-up to the wedding. After a heated argument, Maya turns up with giant cards, explaining how sorry she is and how much she misses their friendship. It was a sweet moment between two friends who love each other, but that quickly diminishes when Ainsley closes the door on Maya.
As for Duffy, his mother is sick again and has to return to New Jersey. He coincidentally meets Maya on the plane. This provides an amusing moment because Duffy vows not to speak to Maya (as he’s taken sides) but ends up sitting next to her on the plane anyway. When he arrives in New Jersey, after encouragement from Maya, he rings Gemma and admits he is in love with her before swiftly putting the phone down.
Four Weddings and a Funeral Episode 10 (Credit – Hulu)
This is typical of Duffy going into flight mode due to the fear of getting hurt. Gemma flies over to New Jersey to support him and his mother. In a tearful moment, Gemma tells her son that Duffy is her boyfriend, and he wells up, explaining that he loves Duffy too but cries, “does that mean I love Daddy less”. It was an overly sweet moment that I was not expecting.
And then a wedding is confirmed in episode 10—as Gemma watches Duffy look after his mother, she realizes how much he means to her and asks if he wants to get married.
Meanwhile, Ainsley wants to save her relationship with Bryce and get over the “Kash situation” once and for all. Ainsley meets Kash at the stage door to his theatre play and learns that Kash never left her at the alter because of Maya.
Ainsley then meets Bryce at their chosen Church and tells him she doesn’t want to get married because she only wants it out of insecurity surrounding Kash, but she does want to spend the rest of her life with Bryce.
Episode 10 ends in happy terms. Maya is invited to Gemma and Duffy’s wedding; there’s a tense moment when Maya turns up to help out with the decorating, but Ainsley brings her guard down and invites her over to help.
Ainsley gives Maya her approval regarding Kash, claiming she cannot ruin true love, but Maya is convinced it is too late. Kash will not fly over, so Ainsley lies and says Maya is getting married to Duffy and that he must stop it. Kash crashes the wedding and realizes he has been stitched up. Gemma and Duffy marry, and Maya and Kash reconcile with a kiss.
A happy Four Weddings and a Funeral finale.
And that completes my recap of Four Weddings and a Funeral? What did you think of season 1? What was your favorite episode? Comment below.
