NutMeg

The quote in the Variety article is taken from a longer article, or rather an interview of C. Bushnell in The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/candace-bushnell-is-back-in-the-city which I found well worth reading. The Carrie of the first two seasons of SATC is much more closely based on Bushnell than I ever knew, and I've been thinking of how more interesting her character could have been had that continued to be the case. When first hearing about the reboot, I had thought it was going to be based on Bushnell's Is There Still Sex in the City? I haven't read it, but based on some reviews (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45897976-is-there-still-sex-in-the-city), I understand it as having a format relatively similar to that of Sex and the City (the book), only about people in their fifties or more generally middle aged. Can someone who's read it confirm, and would you recommend it?

My understanding is that once the release was moving to streaming, she wanted to renegotiate the initial contract. And I think Disney is the bad guy here. From this article: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/29/scarlett-johansson-suing-disney-black-widow-streaming-wars Another articles (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/29/scarlett-johansson-suing-disney-black-widow-streaming-release) explains that Clearly, the renegotiation went to nought. Now, I am aware that actors get paid amounts that only CEOs maybe don't find excessive, but the thing is that a deal is a deal, as I see it, and if an actor generate shitloads of money and by contract they are entitled to a percentage of it, it is very wrong to deny them that right.

This show is brilliant, this season more than ever. Despite unlikely hijinks, like Diane representing the firm at that panel, it still manages to be both crazy and relatable. The brilliant posters who posted before me already made excellent points, so I'll just add what was not said yet: - it's been in all episodes so far and I wasn't a fan at first, but the idea of this parallel, disrupting court is growing on me. I like the idea of a forum where an arbitration is available for free at a time when hiring a lawyer or suing with cause is too expensive for people who might need it the most. I also liking the "disguising" of the parties, even if it didn't make sense this episode because we a video of the plaintiff was shown in "court"; - the office app is bonkers but so reflective of office culture, and of the way well-intentioned initiatives can end up being extremely time consuming, distracting from the work that needs to be done, and produce unintended consequences; - loved Diane's evening of woes with classical music at high volume and brandy; (also her convos with RBG, or rather her view of what her convos with RBG would be like) - diverging political views amongst friends or lovers used to be a interesting topic for (sometimes heated) debate, but the chasm that has built up makes it much harder to overcome, and it's a rare show that goes there (or maybe there are more that I'm unaware of - please let me know if that's the case); - absolutely loved the Liz/Diane conversation at the bar. This work relation which has the potential to become a real friendship between two clever women who respect each other and are willing to talk about serious issues without sugarcoating them is definitely something I will always want more of. (For those who watched the Good Wife, there was so much potential there too once, and it all went to dust.) I fully get where each of the two is coming from, and I very eagerly don't want a chasm to build up between them.

How heart-wrenching were the scenes in the pit. Uncanny timing too. Still really liking the addition of the Carmen character.

Reminds me of a time a girl friend of mine and I were waiting for our respective planes at an airport in Barcelona. There was a very good looking woman with a bun and glasses in what looked like a work meeting at another table in the bar, and my friend says, figure it, now she removes the glasses and shakes her hair... We collapsed laughing. Well, on the flip side, on a weekly zoom class I take, I have the camera off, and the sound is mute most of the time. I could theoretically be able to zip and strangle someone and be back in time to make it like I never missed the class. If I could do it, you could too, you just need to sign up on a virtual class :) Ooooh, I love that. My cat is clever but not that good with internet or satellite tv so if I am not seen during my zoom class and get suspected of a crime I would definitely use this. Probably why more and more series and movies are set in the past :)

Nothing surprising in Britney Spears behaving like a teenager or ever pre teen - that's the age she was when she last had agency in the best case scenario. I don't know how you can go suddenly from a teenage state of mind to that of an adult, I think it's a process that would take time and involve many errs. It would have been smoother if the adults in her life had helped along the way, but that was not the case, and she might have to just leap across 15-20 or how many years of life (sometimes toughly earned) experience in one go, if she is allowed to - poor kid, and I call her kid and not woman here because I feel for the kid she once was and still is somehow and who was not able to grow as she should have. I hope this woman is allowed to get back control of her life. Many other women "get crazy" after having kids, or when being stalked 24/7. Kanye West was never the victim of these, is known to not take his medication for a known condition, and will still never be submitted to what she has been. Britney S. needs, once she can, to find a very good help for navigating all her missed years and the future that she should be able to define and look forward to.

I love the new Carmen character, the actress is playing it beautifully and this opens up a lot of potential new avenues. I like your way of thinking - it's definitely very intriguing. Again, so happy to see this show back, and rather thrilled with the new cast additions / new story lines. Eagerly waiting for the next episode!

So happy that the show is back, and on good form too, based on this first episode. I really liked the flashback to events we all lived through and were affected by and seeing how they affected our protagonists. Also, how happy I was to hear the theme song, I absolutely love it and enjoy the various visual iterations we had with it. On to the second episode!

Just catching up after seeing the first 3 episodes of this season. Jane's "if men had to do it, they'd find a better way than have their balls crushed" (approximate wording) is something anyone who ever had a mammogram thought. This procedure is an assault on biology 😞 It's also sad to me that the print edition ceased to be. I used to be a regular reader of the print editions of magazines that ceased to print, and their online successor never filled the void (not only are the articles shorter and more generic, but now I seldom click on an article that doesn't seem like it'd interest me, whereas in the past I used to read all articles, and learn a lot I had no idea I'd be interested in). But mostly, there's no sense of closeness (for me) in reading online. And I never reread anything, so the impact is not so great. As for Jacqueline's marital woes, they would make sense if she had been unemployed for more than a minute. As it stands, it's weird that a reversal to the status quo of the last how many years causes so much problems. Was her husband who's now having his job opportunities left and right a stay home guy for 20 or so years until now? Jees, I wish it worked that way for stay at home women when they feel they want to go back to whatever they were doing 20 years before.

That was exactly Parvati's thought process, clearly articulated in game to James in FvF. Indeed, but mostly in that this freaking fire making potentially gives an in to people who would have been out at 4 otherwise when losing the final immunity challenge because their social game was not strong enough to keep them in otherwise. And most often than not, it is men who are reliant on winning immunities to get to the end when they don't have strong connections that can take them to the end regardless of the outcome of final tribal. If we go back and imagine how this rule would have played out had it been in place, some of ours (by that I mean favourite of each posters, which is obviously subjective) winners wouldn't have won. Just on the top of my head, YaoMan might have won Fiji, Ozzy wins South Pacific, Malcolm might have won Philippines. In the latter two, a woman won because she better worked the social angle with players still in the game, but was liked less by the jury that the alternative. With fire making at F4, Tina might have won Bvsw, Spencer might have had a shot at Cagayan, Kelley Wentworth in Cambodia, Cidney in Khao Rong, etc. and in each case it would have meant a completely different gameplay that penalised the social game in favour of the more physical one. And this is why this fire making is so detrimental to women's game. Because the women who won the game did so by playing powerful social connections, even when they were also challenge beasts (Kim, for instance). But the fire making challenge allows an outcast with no blood on his or her hand to make it through at what used to be the most difficult point in the game to navigate. Same in the French version. I only watched one season, but I liked that the non leader, non physical threat but highly strategic player managed to win it, though. Yes, indeed. That's a huge flaw because it actually helps with jury management if you are voted out early. If I was a returning player on S40, I would definitely look into exploiting that loophole if voted out early.

I love your whole post (which I only quoted part of here). I do love in the 1991 version how Gaston is a text book catch, because that's exactly the kind of person who feels entitled to anything and anyone. I'm sorry to hear that he's different in the 2017 version, because I remember thinking way back then how great it was that the villain was not your typical moustache twirling one but instead the super popular dude who can appear attractive at first, but who turns out to be looking less for love than for a confirmation of his status as he sees it. It was quite refreshing to see back then, especially in a cartoon movie.

I'm thinking this convos with Rob and Sandra are not helping anyone. Except Kellee, so far (who was clever to hide the II in her hair and go full on Actor's Studio on her tribemates). That's not to say I don't like seeing Rob and Sandra, even though I think they don't add much - but it kind of make me want for see them in Jeff's role. What would add more is having them discuss strategy with who comes up, hear what the dynamics are, advice based on the strengths and weaknesses they see in the person they meet, and to maximise strengths/minimise weaknesses. But that's not what Survivor is supposed to be, just a wish in case we have to have living Idols and how I want to use them better. What mostly caught my attention were the flashbacks to previous seasons. Poor Erik has to be there again, but those were very good examples on how you play on what someone wants to influence them. Less so were the examples of Parvati. Once again, she's shown as having a strategy of flirting. But really, she too gave everyone what they wanted, and in that respect she's one of the best influencers in the game: she convinced Cirie to join her when Cirie was the swing vote, she made friends with the newbies to help her get to the end (and they voted for her), but she still kept her promise to Cirie and Amanda to go to the end; she even was clear with James that she needed an all female finale. So I know she said she was going to flirt, and TBTB sure run with that to make her seem one note, but really that was just one note of her sonata (I agree she's not a full orchestra, but she's a damn good sonata). Her first season, she had Becky and Sandra wanting to keep her further, which scared Yul - she is very much the female equivalent to Boston Rob, getting more flack because she's using some 'female wiles', when he was doing just the same. Back to the current players, I really like the cast, and enjoying the episodes - and the outcomes surprised me. But it seems they think they HAVE to make big moves/engineer blindsides. What's fun for the viewers isn't necessarily what's best for the players, and based on the gameplay we've seen or the editing, only a few contestants are really playing well without looking to make big moves. Oh, and that hidden idol? looked like a real fake!! How are poor hamsters to know what's fake and what's not?

@ParadoxLost, you have all my sympathy. If at all possible, I'd say try to take a week off, and after three days of rest see what approach feels right for you. It's never easy nor optimal to make decisions while you're bang in the middle of things. I trust you'll find out what's best for you, my best wishes to you for getting some rest, finding peace of mind and keeping or getting the job you really want.

Three episodes in, so far so good, mostly. The casting is good, and we see more of player dynamics than on earlier seasons. BUT we do lose a lot of airtime getting invested in people who will go to Big Head Island (TM @goldil), and as this episode showed it can be all for nought. Spending how many minutes of a 45 min episode on the 3rd person voted out is excessive (only makes sense if all newbie seasons are now casting opps for future returnee seasons). Especially as we didn't even see how Vince and Elizabeth interacted or not about Big Head Island, or why Vince was really voted off, or why it was Elizabeth, the only one who'd been to Big Head Island, seemed to lead the charge against Vince because of his probability of having an idol. Also, the Coming up section before the episode has to go. Because there are no credits or previously on, it's hard to skip without missing the beginning of the episode. In summary: good cast, so so edit, bad gimmick that takes away for more important gameplay.

Agree on season 1 being better, although I did enjoy season 2 too. Lucky people who still haven't watched season 1!