And Just Like That... (Sex & The City revival)

God, when she went to the gay club with her ‘new gai friend’ and he didn’t pay enough attention to her.
 
Yeah sorry @Suomi but this show has me down a rabbit hole now.

I also agree with the consensus developing around Samantha, often witty, but often jarring and the most selfish (and the most downright rude of them all). Why didn’t she get told to fuck off more?

Miranda, in retrospect, feels far more attuned to the feelings of her friends. Strange considering now maligned she has been.
 
I CANNOT stop noticing how often Carrie pivots conversation back to her. It happens constantly and in all forms - from her hijacking Anthony’s call to discuss the random beeping sound in her new green screen palace, or turning a conversation about Miranda’s sex life into one about Big dying. Carrie truly is the friend who takes everything and gives nothing. There’s no way she’d help Miranda move or care for Charlotte following a hip operation.
 
I CANNOT stop noticing how often Carrie pivots conversation back to her. It happens constantly and in all forms - from her hijacking Anthony’s call to discuss the random beeping sound in her new green screen palace, or turning a conversation about Miranda’s sex life into one about Big dying. Carrie truly is the friend who takes everything and gives nothing. There’s no way she’d help Miranda move or care for Charlotte following a hip operation.
This is no different from the original SATC though!
 
it really isn't. also, her husband literally died. I think it can be forgiven.

she's not wholly self centred. she's there for Seema and she prevented Miranda leaving to keep the group together. she's self centred in the way you can be with your closest friends.
 
The flawed female protagonist is a really common trope - but I agree that audiences expect ‘better’ from women than men UNLESS the flaw drives a theme of the plot.

My main issues with Carrie are: she isn’t really great at friendships, she is incredibly self-centred, but she is charming enough that she gets away with it every time by pulling off some kind of cute gambit. It’s unbelievable, she really reminds me of me :(
 
Not to deny that women face a higher standard, but has SATC really spent much time *exploring* Carrie’s awfulness?

I always got the impression that the fans picked up on her being a terrible friend/person long before the writers did.

With the likes of Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Walter White etc - to compare to other popular prestige shows of the era - the moral failings of those characters was very much the point.
 
TBH she’s very busy GIVING BLACK PEOPLE UNWANTED GIFTS and the like so she doesn’t have time to to reflect on the cause or impact of her own behaviour - only how other people’s behaviour impacts on her. Someone helpfully moves a Peloton or finds her an apartment and all she does is steal their cigarettes and not wear a sari. Can’t wait to see what shit hand me down she gives Seema.
 
Not to deny that women face a higher standard, but has SATC really spent much time *exploring* Carrie’s awfulness?

I always got the impression that the fans picked up on her being a terrible friend/person long before the writers did.

With the likes of Tony Soprano, Don Draper, Walter White etc - to compare to other popular prestige shows of the era - the moral failings of those characters was very much the point.
I remember SJP was on Jonathan Ross years ago and he pointed out how awful Carrie is and cited the episode where Aiden gives her a laptop and how utterly ungrateful and rude she was about it. SJP was totally shocked and defensive - she said the fact he thinks that says more about Jonathan than it does about Carrie. She wouldn't recognise any flaw to Carrie and was aghast that anyone could criticise her.

I kind of loved the total ignorance because it's exactly how Carrie would react to any criticism.
 
Is Carrie supposed to be a cunt though? I doubt exec-producer SJP would allow it but she’s just constantly awful. But it’s never addressed by the others.

Maybe there’ll be an episode where Carrie discovers a WhatsApp group exists (not before some jokes about how confusing Miranda found them) where Charlotte and Miranda slag her off none stop.
 
I always felt Carrie was meant to be a "normal gal" (she isn't) and the other 3 are exaggerations of different parts of her personality (sexual, intelligent/feminist, prudish/sensitive), all fighting within her to make her the modern woman. I think the intention is to show her warts and all, but that ultimately we're meant to sympathise with her against the backdrop of a society that's still pushing against her being a strong woman. That's been corrupted over the various series and she became more of a brat, so the premise doesn't really work any more. But I still really enjoy it 🤷
 
Sorry I can’t help myself (tell me to stop Moopy) but her book just launched and having spent the week feeling mournful about the lack of plaudits from her nearest and dearest, suddenly realises it doesn’t matter when her limo driver offers congratulations and takes her for fast food. Hurrah for the peasantry! I’m sure Carrie still didn’t tip.
 
Female characters are definitely held to higher standards but that isn't really the point for me. My issue is not that Carrie isn't perfect but that it is never really called out by the other characters, although forgive me if i'm forgetting examples from the original run...

It is clear that the show and SJP see Carrie as likeable and aspirational but I totally agree with HerSereneHighness earlier in saying that she really IS a terrible friend. And when you have a show in which strong female friendship is a central theme, it's kind of ridiculous that Carrie gets away with being as bad as she is.
 
And how difficult was for her to understand that the beeping was coming from the cooktop?

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Anyway my new theory is that Charlotte is actually POOR. Harry was only ever a middling divorce lawyer, and why are they still living in Trey's 2 bedroom apartment that she got after 20 minutes of marriage? They had their second child 12 years ago and can't afford a 3 bed? Actually Trey's apartment was only a 1 BED but they famously converted the study into a child's room! Between the private school fees and property taxes (approx $150k?) and the 3 Oscar de la Renta dresses bought for the piano recital ($20k?) is there much leftover from Harry's salary?
 
Anyway my new theory is that Charlotte is actually POOR. Harry was only ever a middling divorce lawyer, and why are they still living in Trey's 2 bedroom apartment that she got after 20 minutes of marriage? They had their second child 12 years ago and can't afford a 3 bed? Actually Trey's apartment was only a 1 BED but they famously converted the study into a child's room! Between the private school fees and property taxes (approx $150k?) and the 3 Oscar de la Renta dresses bought for the piano recital ($20k?) is there much leftover from Harry's salary?
Makes sense. But she said there are plenty of tables in this house to eat, which confuses me. How many tables normally fit this description? At most two? If they are poor something's wrong with their apartment layout.
 
. Why didn't they just shoot this in a real apartment?

That's what I was also thinking.

And who buys an apartment they don't like just because they feel that they've worn out their realtor and thinking that they would "grow to like it"? No one would ever do that.
 
That's what I was also thinking.

And who buys an apartment they don't like just because they feel that they've worn out their realtor and thinking that they would "grow to like it"? No one would ever do that.
No one would ever do that but I think she didn't do it for that either. Later on she says to the girls "I'm the problem". I can understand the situation where you will settle for sth you probably don't want because the problem is you. When we were looking with my parents to buy an apartment in the early 00s, having seen a ton of flawed listings and coming to terms with the fact that the reason for that was our limited budget, not the listings, we actually paid a deposit to buy an apartment none of us wanted. We didn't buy it eventually but disappointment, frustration, fatigue, helplessness etc can really make you act like that.
 
No one would ever do that but I think she didn't do it for that either. Later on she says to the girls "I'm the problem". I can understand the situation where you will settle for sth you probably don't want because the problem is you. When we were looking with my parents to buy an apartment in the early 00s, having seen a ton of flawed listings and coming to terms with the fact that the reason for that was our limited budget, not the listings, we actually paid a deposit to buy an apartment none of us wanted. We didn't buy it eventually but disappointment, frustration, fatigue, helplessness etc can really make you act like that.
all of which is very true but Carrie's budget is hardly limited! in fact it seems decidedly unlimited. *buys entire raft of non-beep fire hazard appliances*
 
That's what I was also thinking.

And who buys an apartment they don't like just because they feel that they've worn out their realtor and thinking that they would "grow to like it"? No one would ever do that.
This and also, just go on Rightmove! Don’t pay Seema for going on there herself and just printing off listings.
 
I want Seema to meet the other girls, I have a feeling there might be some tension at first but she would be a good additon to the group.
 
We are talking about a woman who asks her best friend to leave any obligations of hers to walk her to the bathroom and at the same time yell at her YOU WERE NOT THERE WHEN I NEEDED YOU

Also a woman who asked her best friend to sell her engagement ring so she could put down a deposit on her flat!
 

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