[REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA’S JOURNALISM PROGRAM]
Can’t knock this show’s knack for making it rain
PAIGE MARQUEZ - ENTRY 004: AND JUST LIKE THAT … SATC IS DEAD?
Disclaimer: This is a critique of Sex and the City – aka “SATC” – in all of its shapes and forms. And this is coming from a later-generation yet lifelong fan of the show. I love the OG installments. Whereas, I simply like the new seasons aka And Just Like That or “AJLT”. That said, regardless of how much I like or dislike the most recent iteration of the series, many of the program’s enduring qualities remain. Finally, this will be a two-part article, continuing with an observation of my generation.
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Only time we don't speak is during Sex and the City. She gets Carrie fever, but soon as the show is over. She's right back to being my soldier
- Jay-Z, ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde via Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse
Per the namesake of Jay-Z’s album that contains this lyric about my favorite show, one can argue that Carrie Bradshaw — aka Sarah Jessica Parker — truly is the blueprint for navigating this current dating landscape.
Allow me to explain.
Throughout my teenage years, my mom would often wonder why I hadn't yet gotten into SATC. Without any parental judgment here, she would constantly recommend that I become a watcher of it, like she is.
Why would my mother feel this way? Because the show is a virtual playbook as to how a young and aspiring woman can navigate the world of relationships (The loyal readers in the house might recall my first boyfriend — and the lighthouse tattoo debacle).
So long after my mother first suggested it, I finally started watching SATC. This happened around the beginning of sophomore year of college. There we were: My mom and I. Inside my college house, drinking wine and watching the entire first season front-to-back.
I couldn't get enough. And all I can say is that doing so changed my life.
BUT BACK TO CARRIE BRADSHAW
Often I hear people bashing on Carrie Bradshaw’s character. They say that she's manipulative, a bad friend (and girlfriend) – and at times a bit crazy. These point’s considered, I can't help but love her anyway.
I see a lot of myself in Carrie. Like her, I am a writer. I also love a nice pair of shoes – and NYC. And beyond that, I have also had very similar relationships.
Though I’m still in my twenties, I've already had a “Mr. Big” and an “Aiden” in my life. And although I am neither married nor a widow, both relationships ended up in a similar place.
Along the same lines as Carrie, the relationship with my version of “Mr. Big'' ended in a huge falling out. And in a way that person is – more or less – now “dead and gone” to me (as is Christopher Noth in real life these days too, no?).
Specifically, I can resonate in a major way with the Natasha, Carrie and Big love triangle.
I was dating a man who was also in a (much longer) relationship with another woman. Four-years-long, I might add. I didn't know at first – but once I did I was already in too deep. And I am not too proud to admit that I have also experienced a similar scenario to when Carrie was running out of Big’s apartment – physically being chased by the furious, Natasha.
But I digress.
The point is that I take solace (and notes) from watching Carrie react to the same kind of “ups and downs.” Carrie basically takes it all in stride and keeps it moving. Aka: You just can’t knock this woman’s hustle.
This is why Carrie is my blueprint.
She isn't perfect. To be honest she's kind of a mess. But she’s just like me. The way that she handles relationships is how I do too. In other words, nothing is perfect. We all make our best efforts.
Even when it comes to her hobbies, fashion and vices we are the same. Like many, we share a deep appreciation for a pair of Manolo Bhlanik Mary Jane’s, a night out with our friends – and of course – a (healthy) stream of cocktails and related accoutrement.
Basically, it's comforting to have a character that makes you feel seen and understood.
But I digress.
Some key elements obviously absent from the most recent cast … and writing
MORE ABOUT THE OG SEX AND THE CITY
By now, I have likely watched the entire OG series at least 20 times. Maybe even 50.
It's what I watch before bed, while getting ready – and whilst doing my homework. The show is my soundtrack. It is also how my current and past roommates know if I'm home. If it's on, I'm home.
Let’s call it what it is: I am a Sex and the City expert. And proud of it.
Alas: I am sitting here writing a piece about the 25th anniversary of the pilot episode’s debut. And I can’t help but think about how much this show has impacted so many individuals – whether they know it or not!
So here is what made the OG version of the show so great (and more about Carrie as the blueprint):
Firstly, the fashion in SATC is beyond interesting. It’s critical to SATC’s entire appeal. It's also highly consistent – encapsulating each character and their respective personality.
Carrie’s outfits occasionally border on shocking (in a good way). For me, Carrie’s knack for putting together outfits is so ahead of its time that I want to use the word groundbreaking.
I can honestly say that raiding Carrie Bradshaw's closet would be a dream come true. Literally, I've dreamt of it. Having a closet with such iconic pieces would be the end to a success story if you ask me.
Next, SATC would be nothing without the iconic friend group of four. Without question, I can also confidently attest that I have been a Samantha, a Carrie and a Miranda. I was never and will never be a Charlotte. My mom takes that win.
My close friends call me Carrie 2.0. I am Carrie to the core with a dash of Miranda and Samantha. Even the way I obsess about men is the same. I might not want to admit it but I can be (a bit) neurotic as well.
I even annoy my friends. Regardless if they say I don't, I know I do. There are times where I even annoy myself.
Carrie and her gang of gals meet up every Saturday at an iconic brunch spot to debrief the week. We all do it. Every woman that I know appreciates the debrief (often about the previous night-out). The bond that the show’s characters have with each other is something that all gals dream of having.
Personally, unless it is a night for the ages, I love the debrief more than the night out itself. There is nothing like it. My version, however, is a little different. You’re hungover and you look a mess while talking with the girls about how the night unfolded. Bonus points if you barely remember the night at all – and need help piecing it together.
(BTW: For all of you struggling with the physical aspect of hangovers, I have no tips. But let me know if you do).
And while I am lucky to say that I also have a group of girls to call my own – it took a long while to get there. We all know a Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. The question is, which one are you?
Carrie Bradshaw still making her telephone ring
MORE ABOUT AND JUST LIKE THAT — AKA THE SPINOFF
First off, AJLT’s second season is better than the first.
In the first season, I understand why Mr. Big dying had to be done (i.e., Once again, because Christopher Noth is basically dead to the world). Hence, with her former main man in the rear view mirror, Carrie must navigate being newly single – which ultimately gets boring. But that's not why I dislike the first season.
Beyond being too political at times (I mean can’t a gal just have a momentary pause on real life?), AJLT’s inaugural plot was just plain forced – predictably like every other sequel these days, I might add.
Ultimately, the main downfall of the spinoff as a whole – and I've seen many fans agree on social media – is the cast.
While I understand the reasons contributing to Kim Cattrall leaving, I don't think her spot should've been filled with a new character. And after further analysis of the new character, Seema, played by Sarita Choudhury, I have noticed that she is still made to appear just like Samantha. This said, AJLT’s writers should make Seema’s character at least a tiny bit different from Samantha, right?
Thankfully, costume designers Molly Rogers and Danny Santiago have a good handle on keeping the characters in the same general aesthetic as before. That said, while the fashion in this spinoff is good – there are little to no “groundbreaking fits'' in the mix. Simply put, no outfits thus far have shocked me in a good way.
The best thing about the spinoff is how the connection between the group (minus Kim Cattrall) is just as strong as before. While Seema does seem to inherit the tendencies of Samantha’s original character, she still adds value to the group and their dynamic.
The overall tone of both shows are very different. SATC is more fun and light. AJLT is more serious (Specifically, see Miranda's change in her sexual preferences and drinking habits – both relatable storylines).
Candace Bushnell, the OG Carrie Bradshaw, likes the spinoff. Specifically she likes Che, one of the more controversially liked characters. That said, many long-time-fans are clearly not unsatisfied with Che’s character or storyline.
Personally, I love Sara Ramirez as an actress; I think she’s phenomenal. But I don't know how I feel about her character in AJLT. It just doesn't fit in the mold of AJLT or SATC in my opinion. It just doesn't click for me, it feels forced.
OG Natasha suffered no guff
SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN
My mom and I (like other fans) were overly ecstatic about the SATC spinoff, until it came.
For us SATC purists, there is unfortunately a rather big dropoff between SATC (the show), SATC’s movies – and And Just Like That… the recently released series.
Like many things on television nowadays, And Just Like That seems to have an identity crisis. Is it a story that we are supposed to fall in love with? Or is it a big dose of the sobering reality that we see today? It vacillates between both.
This lingering problem with our present entertainment landscape doesn't just sit with AJLT either. There are plenty of shows today that have perhaps too much reality in them. Grey’s Anatomy (another one of my favorites) is a prime example. Everything after season 15, in my opinion, is just unwatchable (prove me wrong).
It begs the question … Why can’t I just be entertained?
As a die-hard SATC fan, I obviously have to watch it, but I can't even sit here and pretend that I love it like the original. Honestly it's hard for me to even say if I am that into the spinoff – or if I'm just so deeply connected to and nostalgic about the OG show in the first place.
Then again, I can't even think of any spinoff that was better than the original. Kill Bill 2 possibly?
In any case, having now watched all of AJLT’s season 2 at this juncture, I can at least say that I am pleasantly surprised. I would still consider Carrie to be my blueprint. While not as good as the original SATC, AJLT is at least somewhat accurate to real life “in the streets” today.
Which brings me to my next point… Is society today more boring than before?
Stay tuned for part 2 of this commentary.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paige Marquez is an alum of the University of Florida, lives in Hoboken and is a CKTH Ambassador