RedHawk

Thank you! You pointed out the other "issue" the suppository seemed to be for and I agree that most of us (I hope) have learned that we don't need those products or to constantly worry about "odor". I did think they were mixing up two separate issues due as usual to unclear writing, and I was annoyed. As you say, Carrie could have said, "NUN UH, I'm not selling some new version of 'you smell bad down there so here's a product to fix it' when it actually will mess you up. I know this is not a good thing to use." But instead they went with her not being able to say certain words, so whatever, I just throw up my hands at this crap.

Ok, I want to see how they write an evolving "friendship" between Carrie and Che. Both are immature in their own ways, they have that in common. Maybe Che can get Carrie to smoke a bowl and chill a little? And they'll have a talk about Life and find they have some similar thoughts? Perhaps Che will come to Carrie to ask for insight into Miranda.

I'm starting to feel like we're heading in the direction of a big reckoning for Miranda, even though everything we hear from MPK interviews etc. says that's not going to happen and it's gonna be Miranda-Che all the way (why? why? for the love of God why?). Yet I can see in some ways it's being set up for Miranda to look at her entire treatment of Steve over the years and re-evaluate their relationship and her part in its demise. Like the throw-away "when Steve moves out" thing she keeps saying and "I don't feel I can ask anything right now". Like, she's not even questioning her assumption that because Steve said he'd move out that's what should happen and what she expects to happen and what is even the right thing for Steve, Brady, and herself. Plus, there's her guilt for "abandoning" Brady and not being honest with her near-adult son about what was happening in her life. After months of immersion in Che-mania Miranda now runs back every morning to make pancakes, carve pumpkins, and decorate the stoop with him like when he was a child. (Even calling him "Pumpkin", a childhood nickname?) No wonder he's totally freaked out and says, "This is not her!" As for the Pump Guy scene, it was so obvious to me how Samantha (Kim Cattrall) with just her facial expressions would have brought out the full comedic aspect of needing to use the vibrator and then having Pump Guy object by repeatedly yelling "Not cool!" Seema (RC) could have pulled it off if there had been better dialogue and perhaps directing. The intention of the scene wasn't comedy, however, so I don't know what the point was really. I didn't like it either. And yes, that gear looked like something from a medical museum! At least have him explain that, like Trey, he has heart issues and can't take Viagra. The whole used/new mattress thing was stupidly confusing. Miranda needed a bed frame, preferably twin-sized, and surely would have purchased a new mattress. I thought it was illegal to sell used mattresses, anyway. More crappy writing. Don't this team even use a whiteboard to keep things straight? Totally! I was waiting to see who would be offered money (another recall of a SATC ep, the one where a guy left money on Carrie's nightstand) and how they all would react. Early bet was on Nya because she had never done the hotel bar thing. Must say, her character is getting the most stunning men! I guess that was MPK's compensation to the actress for taking away her part in the Miranda-Nya relationship story and sticking her with little to do. I could imagine Seema sometimes going to upscale hotel bars with friends. A couple of my friends and I do that occasionally, not so much to meet men (though that's always a possibility) but to dress up and enjoy the vibe. However, none of us would ever take a guy we just met to our home or go to his hotel room. Most "Miranda" Miranda has been this entire series. Loved it. My thought was that Rose wanted to be tough-cool like "RAWK!" music.

Ok, so another WTF moment in this ep was when Bitsy and Carrie were talking at Enid's party. Bitsy was talking up Big Dick Older Guy and said something about how of course he couldn't satisfy her like Bobby could. So Carrie says, "I always thought that Bobby was gay." Bitsy says that he was and that was why he "tried harder" to please her. WTF???? In the series I liked that everyone was surprised that Bobby and Bitsy got married and we never really learned if Bobby was gay, straight, or bisexual. Two people who loved each other got married. What they did or didn't do in the bedroom was not anyone's business. Now Bitsy says that he was this great lover even though he was gay. Why not say bisexual? Is the show still pretending bisexual people don't really exist or are weird? Would a gay man have that much interest in sex with a woman? Some gay men I have known would say "no way" to sex with a woman, a couple had sex with women when they weren't sure they were gay but then stopped when they came out because they were much more strongly attracted to men. I have known men (and women) who were sexually attracted to both men and women -- bisexual. Couldn't Bitsy tell Carrie, "Oh with me my Bobby was very bisexual!" It's not like Bobby was a 28-year-old rent boy Bitsy was financially supporting. The "that's why he tried harder" remark made no sense.

Probably that's why they called it the Met Ball and not the Met Gala. It's this show's fantasy version of the Met Ball. I noted that at least two times one character told another "We're not going to be on the red carpet". They clarified that none of the women was important enough for that. Maybe they hold the "Met Ball" on the same night in the basement for the "lesser" people who are still willing to pay huge money to walk to the Met, enter through the back door, and down below all the real action sashay around trying to impress each other.

No one else has said it yet so I will: "Billy Dee, Billy Dee, Billy Dee!" I thought he was very good as LTW's dad. His scenes were a treat and the only part of that dinner party that was watchable. Gloria Steinem seemed comfortable in front of the camera. Her scenes were a treat.

I wish we had seen Che's reaction when Miranda show up in Cleveland. That might have told us something about how Che views Miranda's clear intention to have a rather typical relationship, which Che already said they can't/won't provide. The writers leave out a lot and that's why we'er also not buying into their connection. Lyle seems to be up for anything just like Che, and they described getting married in Vegas by an Elvis impersonator. I gather they had an ongoing sexual relationship. Drunk wedding?

Some older people (ages ~70-92) in my building created a social society that meets every Thursday night. It's for anyone in the building but they did it especially for older folks who are less able to get out in the evenings, are lonely, etc. When one of the ladies invited me (age ~57) to join them she said, "We'd love to have you, and we know you're not a senior." I said, "Oh, that's ok, I'm a junior senior."

No problem, T Summer, I don't know how to make those so still just bold the person's name. (I didn't even get what those bubbles meant until you mentioned them.) 🙂 I also rarely have seen a spark of chemistry. I think maybe a brief one in the first couple of times they met. It really doesn't help us to understand why they're together if we can't see a few sparks now and then. Ok, another knock on Carrie. As a few have reminded us, Carrie had a hip replacement last season. Like, about a year ago in show time. And I assume at some point (can't recall if we saw it) she needed to use a walker during her recover/rehab. So she knows what it's like not to be fully abled and to have to go slow climbing stairs and such. That remark about "no photos with anyone on a walker" was bad enough. Then she is going up Enid's staircase and sees the woman pulling herself up slowly hand over hand. Carrie blurts out "Do you need help?!" in her usual cadence and the woman snaps at her. (Were we to think that was funny? OMG, I hope not.) Where was Carrie's kindness and compassion? She could have paused and said, "May I offer you my arm?" and given the woman the opportunity to take her arm and hold the stair rail with her other hand as they climbed. That would have respected the woman's dignity. Instead, Carrie was rude and unhelpful. I would have snapped at her, too. Carrie is awful. I hope she loses all her money.

The original version of ChatGPT. And they trained it only on the two SATC movies, not the series.

It was also stupid that Lisette was saying tearfully on the couch, "I lost everything." Clearly the guy did not take ALL the jewelry. Yes, it was a big loss to have even one piece taken but there were enough pieces left that the Neiman's buyer could purchase. And next time Lisette needs to hire more security, one at every table and a couple roaming. That was all dumb. And no WAY am I handing over my stuff to some guy who tries to menace me but clearly doesn't have a weapon, especially if it's two of us against one in a crowd where we know security is... somewhere. I'd have screamed bloody murder. Seema's lighter gun was one of the best moments of the entire series, I just wish she had pulled it out sooner. She could have been the hero who held the thief at "gunpoint", showing him as he was pulled away that it was actually just a lighter. Then Lisette could have rewarded her with an item after closing the deal with the Neiman's lady. I just came up with that, why are the writers writing stuff that's stupid?

I thought Lyle (Oliver Hudson's character's name that no one can remember is Lyle) was kinda hot when he started turning it into a threesome. Would have been funny if Miranda decided to green light the action then they both pushed Che away for totally man-on-woman straight sex, so Che would go out and sleep alone on the broken couch. LOL! A gal can dream... And yes, Carrie looks closer to 60. When they were all obviously stating their ages in S1 E1, didn't we learn she is 55, or was it 58? A year has passed so she's now definitely closer to 60. Most any woman who becomes single in her 40s will say the same. A majority of men want to date younger women. So indeed Carrie may want to date guys her age but a lot of them will be looking for a woman under 50. (I still don't know why she gave up Thursday Guy. He was hot. Ok, she says she's "not ready.") When she is ready she's attractive and rich and in those circles you do look for introductions. She just needs to tell friends that she only wants to date within a few years of her own age. Bitsy was trying to do her a favor it seems by setting her up not so much for dating but for sex. What a weird twist that the white-haired dick pic guy was supposedly Enid's boyfriend. Yeah, there aren't so many single, attractive, wealthy, well-hung (LOL!) men even in their circles. I guess he gets around, and some of the "older" ladies love it! As for Enid's "our age" comment, Carrie had a right to cringe at that. Flipping it around, I say "our age" when I'm talking to my friend who is 77 to my 60. I said it when when I was 57, to mean generally we women over 55 or so, and because I didn't want her to think I was putting her in the "old woman" category. Some things we do have in common, others not so much because there is a 15-year-plus age difference. SATC Carrie probably would have mused on that more, and Samantha, being some years older than the other gals would have had an interesting contribution. These typists (can't call them writers) seem to have no real world experience to bring to the table, especially not of women over 50. What a shame.

If someone has heard about the cameo through the leaks and Kim's media appearances it was made clear that it's brief. So they shouldn't be disappointed in the brevity because they already know. Those who haven't heard about it will be surprised/delighted and then disappointed to realize that is all they'll get of Samantha. I'd rather know in advance that it's a "farewell cameo" and enjoy it for that.

So Seema's "red flag" detector was correct and her guy was trying to hustle her when he asked her to invest in a club with him. I wasn't sure that he wasn't legit and had just asked too soon, when it was too early in their relationship to mix dating and business. Her other red flags -- that he instructed his ex-wife to get the check and that he was still living with her -- then did add up to three red flags. He tried to explain their living together because of how difficult and expensive it is to rent/buy in NYC, but Seema wasn't having it. I liked this story for her! She's a wealthy and independent woman who has learned to be wary and note red flags early on to avoid wasting her time. She is wise to decide yay or nay before she gets too emotionally invested, which might cloud her judgment. I think finding her Birkin was her signal that her bullshit detector was working just fine and she was right to walk away from that guy. Like her blowout man told her, he "blows hot and cold" and isn't living Seema's life so she shouldn't take his "advice" seriously. I'd have kept her guy around a while longer for the sex though, LOL!

I saw that you and another poster said a variant of that and should have quoted you both. 🙂 It is another example of the writers losing track of Carrie the character. But then she was always a bit prudish, which really did not track with writing the column. Samantha should have written it! They also blew it when Thursday Guy suggested "vajayjay" and Carrie didn't come back with "No! People will think I'm a Kardashian!" I rewatched the scene where she's given the copy to read. Apparently there's a reference to "vaginal odor". Umm, couldn't she have made a stand against saying "vaginal odor" because women are already worried enough about "down there" so no need to add more fuel to their fears in order to sell a product? I still don't know exactly what she was objecting to, it was so muddled and dumb. Again I say, a man being the lead writer is not the best thing for this show. Even Thursday Guy's lines were weird and awkward. Came out sounding like "I'm a man, Carrie, I don't know nuthin' 'bout this female stuff!"

SATC would have written Carrie not wanting to read the copy for the vaginal suppositories ("Chapter Three") very differently. First of all Carrie's excuse was so flimsy and not even clear. Why was she embarrassed? The Sex and the City columnist couldn't bring herself to say "vagina"? Oh, wait, it was "suppository" that she couldn't bring herself to say. Did she even grasp what the product was? Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte all seem be past menopause and at least one of them might have the vaginal dryness that can occur after menopause. It's the basis of the "dried up" older woman stereotype and crude comments women face regarding an actual medical issue. I got the impression that the suppositories being advertised were to help the dryness problem. Here's how I imagine this being handled on SATC: Carrie would have brought up her inability to record the ad at brunch and they would have been clueless (Charlotte), curious (Miranda), and informed (Samantha). They would have discussed Carrie's hesitance and shame and talked about their fears of being seen as "old" and no longer sexually desirable or active. They would have decided that it was nothing to be embarrassed about, and Carrie would be doing her listeners a service by not being afraid to talk about a common medical issue. She would be sharing information with her audience. The gals would have encouraged her to rewrite the copy, and she would have made it lightly funny in a "Carrie" way. Later we might have seen Charlotte alone in the pharmacy aisle reading a box of the suppositories and then buying it. And finally the episode would have cleverly linked Carrie not being able to read that ad copy with her not being able to read about Big's death in "Chapter Three" of her memoir.

So we're going to have Carrie and Aidan e-mailing back and forth for several episodes like they're on Match.com in 2002? As far as I've heard Samantha's tiny (but reportedly fabulous) cameo will be very close to the end of the season. The writers know they have to keep us hooked by dangling the past fan faves because their new material ain't cuttin' it.

How much better and more interesting would it be if the second half of this season has Miranda coming to terms with the hurt and upheaval her "I'm living in a rom com, Carrie!" choices made in the life of those she loves? Breaking up with Che after realizing no matter how exciting the sex they just aren't a good match. Trying to pull herself, her relationships, and her career back together after losing Steve as a husband and the respect and trust of her son. Losing her house in Brooklyn and having to find a new rental in NYC (because she better not make Steve sell his home!). Exploring her new sexual feelings as a single woman. All of that would be real and intriguing. I just don't think MPK has that in him though.

For New Yorkers they were stunningly unsophisticated and ignorant. At least Miranda tried to understand and follow the country's customs and LAWS. And to compare AJLT, the ladies seem more like Movie #2 SATC gals than the original show gals. Which isn't a good thing.

I appreciate your comments and understand what you're saying and seeing now that you rewatch. I haven't watched the original episodes in more than a decade, so I don't remember many details, except Carrie screaming in fear of the squirrel in the cabin window! At the time I felt like she could and should have stopped dating Aidan if she felt too much pressure to change herself. There was an interesting dynamic about him being seen as this great guy ("he sanded your floors!") and how Carrie couldn't "appreciate" him and the loving relationship he offered. She kept choosing Big who constantly mistreated her and also made her feel she wasn't right for/good enough for him (we can agree on that, right?). I found it interesting that SHE kept trying to change herself to fit Aidan and now I can recall that he did exude an expectation. I always saw that she wanted Aidan because Big treated her so badly and didn't seem to love her while Aidan did at least show love for her, yet with Big she could be more "herself". Still stuns me that many see her relationship with Big as romantic when I saw it as so harmful and lacking in real love. Looking at it now I guess neither guy was at all a good choice for Carrie but she couldn't choose herself over a man. The time she walked away from Big after quoting "The Way We Were" should have been the end of them. I like articles that reexamine the series. "If handled well" is the key here. I see what you're saying, and I expect that Aidan has matured and will be shown to have had some ups and downs. The problem is that I don't see much maturity from Carrie so far. Maybe Aidan will be a catalyst for her to do some introspection. They could indeed end up as good, supportive friends.

My husband smoked when we met. I told him I wouldn't date a smoker and he said, "Ok, I'll quit" and he did, immediately. I believe Carrie did the same, and why shouldn't Aidan have given Carrie the same option? IIRC she also said she would quit but then she snuck around and didn't, lying to him about it. I don't see how he was manipulative. If they use Aidan's appearance on the show to finally wrap up the relationship in a mature adult way, with a little nostalgia for the fans, then fine. But if somehow Carrie starts talking about how he was right for her and blah blah blah it will be IMO another character assassination on the part of MPK. Carrie was not at all right for Aidan, nor he for her, and he couldn't and then wouldn't see it until she broke his heart the second time. I'd like to see them chatting about his now nearly adult children, his woodworking business, and maybe how Steve is doing post divorce, but please, spare me some attempt by Carrie to selfishly get him in love with her again.

I have several friends who were adopted. Most in their 20s and 30s said they had no urge, their [adoptive] parents were their parents, etc. Then in their 40s or 50s they got the urge, perhaps partly because that's when home DNA tests became easily available, sometimes because one or both of the adoptive parents passed away. It can change over time.

IIRC in S1 Che had a fit when Che found out Miranda was married. The conversation that happened later would have been a rather good time for Che to tell Miranda about being married as well! So much for openness. Oh right, MPK dreamed up Che’s marriage in between seasons. It didn’t exist in S1 but who cares about character consistency?

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Aha! Lily kept a token of her crime.