Sex and the City

[technicolor]

I think what has been a bit of a trend in weaker series/movies/books is a wrong-headed notion of empowerment, which some of the storylines here suffer from as well IMO. Empowerment does not mean doing whatever the heck you want without facing the consequences of your decisions and actions. That's just sociopathy ;-).

Last year, for example, "I Care A Lot" came in for criticism for striking this weird girlboss tone about a character who was exploiting and abusing the elderly. And I do think some of the writing here just wants the characters to explore new avenues and identities without having to deal with all these pesky things like loved ones being hurt by actions. Which is a shame, since it would make the storylines more compelling. Steve telling Miranda that he's been fighting to prove himself good enough for her for decades and is just tired of it now was the strongest bit of that storyline so far IMO. It would have been better had Miranda actually listend to him and been somehow affected by it. But they're writing her as weirdly disconnected from her own arc tbh.

[famvir]

Off track, sorry, I just started watching And Just Like That…I’ve seen 4 episodes in two days.

I never watched Sex/City. For a new viewer, it feels like This Is Us. A soapy drama with some funny/bitchy/cringey bits, but mostly weepy drama. I did ugly cry at the death scene, but all I saw was a happy 20 year marriage, not a “blink and you’ll miss it” 10 years of off again on again Carrie/Big drama.

But now the cringe part. I live in a smallish midwestern town. 50,000 people. Surrounded by cows and farmland. Our next closest city is 2 hours away. They boast 250,00 people. I am also in the retired demographic with hearing aides and hip replacements they are trying to shoehorn these 50 yo still trying to have children/HS and elementary school at home families into.

And you know what? Even in this smallish town, I have neighbors, friends, and colleagues who are black and Asian and Eastern European and Hispanic and even Canadian for god’s sake! But yeah, in day to day life, most of the people I see run into are white.

But that’s the conceit of this whole (I’m figuring California snob) writing. That three successful party hound women in NYC, for god’s sake, don’t know how to conduct themselves around people of color. Flummoxed by a teacher’s dreads? Having a party where you have to dig up some token blacks? Who are these people? I give a pizza party in butt-fuck Wisconsin, and have more diversity than these “sophisticates.”

But then suddenly every. single. person. they meet is a minority? And they all become bffs of each of the women? The African American prof, the Asian real estate agent, the rich connected black couple from the fancy private school? They really hit it big with Che. The Irish, Catholic, Hispanic, Bi, non binary about to take Miranda’s flower character. Checked a lot of boxes with Che.

So now I have to watch this. Because after a moving first two shows, I am now hate watching it like you guys.

[prisma]

I am not watching the new series but I am thoroughly enjoying following the discussion here. So thank you to all of you!

[magazinewhore]

What's weird is one of the show's new writers (and producer) is Samantha Irby, a 41 year old African American writer who I LOVE. She wrote We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and is funny AF.

She wrote the Tragically Hip episode where Carrie had surgery and Miranda cheated with Ch, which is the episode where everyone decided Che was the worst character ever on TV (I agree). Maybe she's just a not-great fit for the show. She's very frank about her own body issues (she suffered from terrible IBS among other things), which is part of what makes her so funny. It's just weird that it didn't translate into a better show. But then I get the sense SATC characters (and maybe audience) are a bit more extra than her sense of humor.

Now I kind of want to go back and watch the original show to document all the ways this Miranda is so off (because that's what I should be doing with my free time).

[scarlet]

Mar 12, 2005 15:27:38 GMT -4 magazinewhore said:

where everyone decided Che was the worst character ever on TV (I agree).

The thing I find annoying about this character is they're portrayed as this hilarious comedian/social commentator and is everywhere (Netflix specials! school auctions! podcast! LBGQT rallies!) and they're just not that funny. I guess it can be seen as a commentary on how someone can be the 'hot thing' and be everywhere, but I don't think it's translating well at all.

[laurenj]

Jan 21, 2022 13:04:52 GMT -4 eveschmeve said:

I think there’s a lot going on with Miranda’s character that is awful and it’s not just that Steve is a nice guy so she should stay with him. I don’t think anyone is really saying that. It’s more that she crapped all over their life together and then gave herself a pat on the back for how nicely she asked him for a divorce. Also remember that she’s throwing out her life with Steve for someone she started seeing 3 weeks ago…doesn’t seem like a recipe for success.

Honestly the thing I love the most about these episodes is Carrie is consistently the world’s worst friend. Miranda mentions she’s going to ask Steve for a divorce and Carrie says, “well I guess I can’t talk about my neighbor issues” as if it’s at all close to the same importance. She’s so awful, at least that’s entertaining to watch.

Yeah, Miranda's methods and her selfishness are the problem for me. Although I will say, it's fairly typical mid-life crisis behavior, one that we see more often from men, but women do it too. Caught up in the flush of something that makes them feel alive again in a way that they hadn't experienced in a long while, people can be completely thoughtless and awful to people who didn't deserve it.

Based on the preview and on life itself, it looks like Miranda's in for a hard fall back to earth when she pops in on Che. I think the "I'm living in a rom-com" line is the biggest clue that things aren't going to work out for her. Also, while part of me thinks she's crazy for torching her life for someone like Che, who seems like the flashy type made for short-term relationships, it also perfectly follows that cloudy thinking that extreme emotions can provoke. Miranda's got a singular focus, she's ending her relationship to be fair to Che, who is currently more important to her than Steve is. It completely sucks, but it actually happens quite often IRL.

Totally agreed on Carrie. It was stunning to hear her "well, I guess I'll table my new neighbor issue" in response to Miranda's bombshell news. And I noticed that Miranda got about half a second to discuss it before they moved on to the Harry/Charlotte stuff. Nice friends...

[famvir]

Just watched the Miranda/Che deflowering episode. Two questions, why didn't Carrie fling the bottle she was trying to pee into at Miranda? Or at the mirror? I’d be so pissed.

That squeaky sotto voce "...miranda..."

Fling that sucker. Break some glass. Make some noise!

Second question. Doesn't Miranda own a vibrator? She acts like that’s her first orgasm in 20 years.

[Ridha]

I suspect that Miranda’s arc in AJLT is essentially Cynthia Nixon long justification to her circle and the world on the mirror step she took 15-20 years ago when she divorced her long term husband/boyfriend and left him for a woman (a woman who looks not unlike Che, ie v much on the butch side. Cynthia was apparently the one who recommended Sara Ramirez for the role, and directed the masturbation scene, another indication that Cynthia Nixon was a driving force behind this storyline). And I think the character’s complete lack of self awareness about how soul destroying this must have been for her family and was All. About. Her. The irony is she was probably trying to put an empowered rom com spin on it because that’s how she views her own life and all it’s probably done is make anyone who was in doubt sure that, nah she’s a selfish asshole.

Eta: having caught up with Prince Andrew and Joss Whedon threats, it seems that Cynthia has gone their route and pulled a bit of an own goal. Where people are against them and it’s all come from things that they themselves have said in their attempted defence.

[magazinewhore]

Wait, so...we don't get to see Miranda show up to Che's hotel in Cleveland at all? That's not addressed at all in the next episode?

Did I miss something?

Hi, middle aged lady here to remind you that menopause is when you haven't had a period in one year. Look it up, people. Also, I've never had a period go through my clothes like that in all the 37 years I've been getting them, despite my fear of that happening publicly.

Carrie and Steve's moment was nice, but he still acts as though he's had a stroke. It'd be nice if Garbage Miranda could have viewed some of that and maybe had a twinge of conscience.

[eveschmeve]

Out of all the episodes this season this one was my favorite which isn’t saying much.

I think part of the issue with the season is there are too many characters. We have to watch what Seema, Che, Nya, and Lisa Todd Wesley do now, so everything gets stuffed in and there’s not enough time to explore things. And while the new characters are fine, they’re only there to serve specific roles and aren’t 3 dimensional at all. Seema has no friends other than Carrie and wants a man, Nya’s husband wants kids and she doesn’t, and LTW is Charlotte but much cooler. (Actually I loved LTW in this episode, she pulled up in that limo looking absolutely ridiculous but was super helpful in a lot of different ways, including feeding everyone last minute.) The less I say about Che the better.

The season has had a really slow start, it seems like Carrie was just starting to get back into things and the show is over next week. What was it all for? (I realize the answer is lots of money.)