S01.E08: REWATCH: Three's a Crowd

[Bella]

 

Charlotte is dating Jack, who wants a threesome, but she is unsure. Carrie discovers that Mr. Big has an ex-wife, and feels threatened. Samantha is seeing a married man; when his wife finds out, she proposes a threesome to keep their marriage together. Miranda feels unattractive and looks for affirmation that she isn't.

 

[ShellSeeker]

OK, I realize that this was in 1998 or 1999, before the age of Google and Facebook, but Carrie setting up a fake meeting with Mr. Big's ex-wife just so she could check her out was soooo far out there for me. Is this something I would have thought about doing? Yes, because I'd want to know what the ex was like. Would I have actually done it? No, because I'm not a crazy, psychotic nut job, and I'm self aware enough to realize that this type of thing has a name, and that name is 'stalking.' OMG. And the fact that Big was pretty nonchalant about it was also unbelievable. I would have expected him to say, "WTF is wrong with you?" When Miranda said, "Time to check out the ex," surely this was not what she meant. Was it?

 

I did like Miranda's storyline and I thought all of the scenes with her therapist were funny. And poor Charlotte -- finally opens herself up to doing something outrageous, only to get shut out altogether. LOL.

[Maherjunkie]

Not to mention the cigarette children's story should have been a dead giveaway.;

[Hanahope]

Yes, I thought it funny that Charlotte, who wouldn't do anal or give blow jobs, would finally consent to trying a threesome with another woman, and then got shut out.  Poor Charlotte.

 

I didn't understand why Miranda was so upset.  Charlotte chose Carrie because Carrie is more of a free spirit (a bit unlike Miranda), but more trustworthy around men (a bit unlike Sam).  Carrie then suggested Sam because Sam, of course, had more experience.  Didn't sound like Miranda had any more than Carrie (which is to say, none), so why would Carrie choose Miranda?  Her friends did not reject her.

 

She can figure out Big's ex-wife's name and where she works, but didn't find out she publishes children's books?  And why so hung up on an ex-wife anyway.  its not like they were just separated, they were divorced, for a while.  That said, I can totally see why Big later married Natasha.  He totally has a "marrying" type (tall, brunette, classically beautiful, fairly conservative in behavior), that is definitely not Carrie. 

Edited July 30, 2014 by Hanahope

[Maherjunkie]

Maybe she wanted to know why he cheated on her.

[izabella]

I can't remember if we're spoiler tagging 'future' events or not.

 

"I have a child.  The jig is up."

[Bella]

Regarding spoilers, here's what I wrote in setting up the rewatch: 

 

 

I suspect everyone who comes to this forum will have seen the entire series at least once, so it would be silly to try to keep it spoiler-free. We're already spoiled, so to speak.

The intent is more to keep the discussion on the one episode and not turn it into something meta. For example, when Carrie meets Big for the first time, that episode thread is not the place to discuss the entire arc of their relationship. That could go into the Carrie thread, a Carrie/Big thread, or a Carrie's Relationships thread.

 

So you can mention future events if you want. I'm even having second thoughts about the "don't turn it into something meta" statement. If something is foreshadowing, maybe that discussion does belong in the episode thread.

 

However, the main thing is, we're not playing "gotcha" here, so if you go off on a tangent, it's not that big of a deal.

[Hanahope]

In that case, I edited my post.

[DkNNy79]

"I have a child.  The jig is up."

I love that line from Miranda. 

[mansonlamps]

Is this the episode where Miranda had a dream in which the others wouldn't let her sit with them in the taxi so she sat up front with the driver who happened to be the original Chris from Partridge Family? For some reason I found that hilarious and so very random.

[Inquisitionist]

Miranda had a dream in which the others wouldn't let her sit with them in the taxi so she sat up front with the driver who happened to be the original Chris from Partridge Family

 

I have no recollection of this!  Was it a story Miranda told the others?

[Hanahope]

She told that story to her therapist, which was interpreted as part of her feelings of being excluded by her friends because she wasn't chosen for a three-some.

[andromeda331]

OK, I realize that this was in 1998 or 1999, before the age of Google and Facebook, but Carrie setting up a fake meeting with Mr. Big's ex-wife just so she could check her out was soooo far out there for me. Is this something I would have thought about doing? Yes, because I'd want to know what the ex was like. Would I have actually done it? No, because I'm not a crazy, psychotic nut job, and I'm self aware enough to realize that this type of thing has a name, and that name is 'stalking.' OMG. And the fact that Big was pretty nonchalant about it was also unbelievable. I would have expected him to say, "WTF is wrong with you?"

 

 

This! I can't figure out why Big wasn't freaked out by her stalking his ex-wife? Every other man would have taken it as a sign to run for the hills. That's psycho behavior. I mean if she stalked my ex-wife, what's she going to do next? Kidnap my pet? Cut up my clothes. Carrie, that's the kind of behavior that scares men off. 

 

I didn't understand why Miranda was so upset.

 

 

I was more surprised by how many of them said they would rather do a threesome with a friend, I have to ask is that normal? I can see so many ways that can go wrong and you end up losing a friendship. I'd rather go with a stranger. 

[Maherjunkie]

A stranger would feel more dangerous, to me.

 

I too, by the lack of Big's response.  Is it mentioned how she gets caught?

[mansonlamps]

I really hated Charlotte's guy in this one.

[Judge Milianaire]

I've watched this episode twice recently, and I just can't reconcile the ending. Carrie tells Big she's been hanging with the ex-wife, and Big's answer is a casual, "she told me she told you." In what world are a man and a woman who've split up from a childless marriage, presumably years ago--because he had a wandering eye that wandered right over to her best friend--still "talking"? As in, chit-chatting. I picture the conversation to have gone like this:

Barbara: Jon, you'll never believe who came by the office this week to pitch a book: Carrie Bradshaw, the sex columnist for the New York Star.

Big: [no words, just stunned silence]

I just don't see them getting on the phone and making idle chit-chat like best friends from summer camp. Not when Big had never even mentioned to Carrie that he had been married before, even though he and Carrie had been in a monogamous relationship for a little while now. Could I see Carrie and Big gossiping on the phone post break-up? Absolutely. But Barbara seemed like a straightforward, mature woman who would walk away from the cheating louse and not look back.

The only alternative explanation is that Barbara divulged the info to Big with the knowledge that he and Carrie were in a relationship (aka your crazy girlfriend is stalking me), but I don't buy that for a second. Barbara sems like a self-confident woman who doesn't play mind games. I don't see her sitting around sipping wine with Carrie, asking her to be friends, without informing Carrie straight away that she had been married to Big, if she knows this information is relevant.

I think it was just shoddy writing. It's my personal conclusion that the writers wanted to give us a sort-of goofy, awkward, "who's on first" kind of dialogue, so they indulged themselves, even if it came at the cost of losing some fidelity with the characters.

[Maherjunkie]

I think it's more weird Big takes it as normal when he is told that.

[Judge Milianaire]

I think it's more weird Big takes it as normal when he is told that.

Yeah, I agree that a normal man would probably cut off all communication and maybe even paper the neighborhood with fliers that had a picture of Carrie and "stalker" written on it a la Samantha with Richard. And Big seems like a normal man, especially compared to some of the weirdos and creeps that have traipsed across our screen. But your post actually prompted me to come up with a theory about Big--he'll tolerate the crazy so long as it doesn't put him out--that I guess I'll post in the men's thread once I have it fleshed out.

[MulletorHater]

OK, I realize that this was in 1998 or 1999, before the age of Google and Facebook, but Carrie setting up a fake meeting with Mr. Big's ex-wife just so she could check her out was soooo far out there for me. Is this something I would have thought about doing? Yes, because I'd want to know what the ex was like. Would I have actually done it? No, because I'm not a crazy, psychotic nut job, and I'm self aware enough to realize that this type of thing has a name, and that name is 'stalking.' OMG. And the fact that Big was pretty nonchalant about it was also unbelievable. I would have expected him to say, "WTF is wrong with you?" 

 

By 1998, the movie Fatal Attraction had been seen in theaters, on cable and on DVD for several years.  Supposedly, it scared a lot of men, particularly married ones.  Most men I know would have cussed Carrie out and run--not walked--to the nearest exit.  They would have also contacted the ex and suggested she might want to get a restraining order.

[Gothish520]

Two thoughts about this episode:

1. Sex is better when you are focusing on only one partner, and

2. Charlotte and I have the same fantasy! (upstairs while at a party)

[Bb78]

On 28/07/2014 at 7:09 PM, ShellSeeker said:

OK, I realize that this was in 1998 or 1999, before the age of Google and Facebook, but Carrie setting up a fake meeting with Mr. Big's ex-wife just so she could check her out was soooo far out there for me. Is this something I would have thought about doing? Yes, because I'd want to know what the ex was like. Would I have actually done it? No, because I'm not a crazy, psychotic nut job, and I'm self aware enough to realize that this type of thing has a name, and that name is 'stalking.' OMG. And the fact that Big was pretty nonchalant about it was also unbelievable. I would have expected him to say, "WTF is wrong with you?" When Miranda said, "Time to check out the ex," surely this was not what she meant. Was it?

 

I did like Miranda's storyline and I thought all of the scenes with her therapist were funny. And poor Charlotte -- finally opens herself up to doing something outrageous, only to get shut out altogether. LOL.

Totally, stalking BIG's lady was outrageous. Who does that! only Carrie. 

As for Charlotte having a thresome again. Unbelievable. She's hardly the type . She had no need to be insecure she's very attractive.