S01.E03: When in Rome...

[Hana Chan]

27 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yes, otherwise the term for what she is thinking of doing is "cheating", even if she and her husband are not sleeping together.  At the very least, she is contemplating having an emotional affair, which might actually be worse.

Can I say, as a bisexual woman, that I utterly detest storylines where a woman discovers a sexual interest in other women later in life, so that means that she must torpedo her current relationship with a man in order to explore it? That bisexuals are completely incapable of fidelity because our lives are not complete if we don't explore every facet of our sexual curiosities? That physical relationships are the be all, end all?

The way the show is teeing off Miranda to leave Steve is really gross. Plenty of marriages go through lulls, but to go years without physical intimacy with no clear reason? Is Steve physically incapable of sex at this point, or are they just just totally uninterested in one another? If Miranda was going to cheat or leave Steve, why not with a man? Why does it have to be a non-binary woman? Are the writers that desperate to have a queer storyline that they have to ruin one of the nicest relationships that the show ever had? It makes no sense except that perhaps Cynthia Nixon insisted upon it.

[Pestilentia]

23 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Losing a spouse is one of the most painful things anyone will ever go through, especially in a long term relationship (my parents would have been married 55 years this past April ...

One would think, but having been widowed 30 days in- at least they had their happily ever after. Over time that type of grief can turn to gratitude for having received the gift of a life together. I never even got to open my 'gift.'

 

Quote

Carrie does seem to be getting over losing the love of her life pretty quickly. After watching my father still mourning the loss of his wife after nearly a year, this just rubs me the wrong way.

I am old now so have seen many friends lose spouses and the women handle it WAY better than the men 90% of the time. Women seem to be far more resilient while men just fall into this bottomless pit of despair and many never do climb back out. They either waste away or remarry very quickly while the women go out and have fabulous single lives with their gal pals. It's a little weird but I've seen it over and over.   

I truly hate Miranda in this reboot. I thought she was smarter than this awkward/don't even know when to shut up babbling idiot.

14 hours ago, qtpye said:

A part of her wanted there to be some truth in Big having feelings or an affair so she could again be the center of everyone's world with her drama.

Very true.

[chediavolo]

12 hours ago, JeanJean said:

BRILLIANT!!!!

Yes. Can’t believe she didn’t try it. I’d be calling up the best computer person to hack into the thing and see what else he was hiding. I also don’t know my husband‘s computer password. 

3 minutes ago, Pestilentia said:

One would think, but having been widowed 30 days in- at least they had their happily ever after. Over time that type of grief can turn to gratitude for having received the gift of a life together. I never even got to open my 'gift.'

 

I am old now so have seen many friends lose spouses and the women handle it WAY better than the men 90% of the time. Women seem to be far more resilient while men just fall into this bottomless pit of despair and many never do climb back out. They either waste away or remarry very quickly while the women go out and have fabulous single lives with their gal pals. It's a little weird but I've seen it over and over.   

I truly hate Miranda in this reboot. I thought she was smarter than this awkward/don't even know when to shut up babbling idiot.

Very true.

Well. I do believe that women are stronger emotionally. I’ve seen men  Not able  to bounce back from the death of a friend or relative never mind spouse. They really are weak emotionally.  women have it worse because they may be affected financially and have an added burden thrust upon them but they deal eventually 

[Hana Chan]

8 hours ago, Surrealist said:

Big might have gotten bored in the marriage, but I don't believe he never loved Natasha. I can't imagine you'd get married unless you genuinely loved the other person. I'm aware there are exceptions to this, but you all get what I'm saying here.

I think that Big loved Natasha as much as he was capable of loving anyone but they didn't click the way he and Carrie do. However deep we think that either of them are capable of genuinely caring for someone other than themselves, the key is that they understand one another and get along well enough to make a marriage work. It's not like we saw a whole lot of their married lives so we don't have much to really judge.

The fact that Carrie knew nothing about Big's will or any of his wishes should he pass away before her isn't that unusual. When my mom got sick and died, there was the mad scramble to figure a lot of things out for my dad because she took care of all the household bills and accounts. He didn't know about life insurance policies that she still had, and I spent weeks getting things straightened out for him. It's actually pretty common for one spouse to be totally in the dark about the financial stuff.

Having said that, with Big's level of wealth, he would have had a financial manager to take care of things and would have been a point person for Carrie to get access to accounts. Because bills have to get paid from somewhere and I don't see Big as the type to have a joint checking account with his wife.

[ifionlyknew]

2 hours ago, ivygirl said:

 The comment that got a little chuckle out of me was that Che would have had a special five years ago if they were male.

It's funny because it's true.

7 hours ago, BitterApple said:

It's also important to note that Carrie only ended up with Big because Natasha divorced him. What would've happened if Natasha forgave the affair and decided to stay? Would Big have eventually left her for Carrie? My spidey senses say no. 

Big did tell Carrie he was going to leave Natasha.  But then he told Carrie it was going to cost him and he seemed a lot less inclined to divorce her.  

1 hour ago, violet and green said:

So, they were cryogenically frozen after the second movie and have just been reanimated?

My belief is they took the plot of third movie and have spread it across 8 (?) episodes and have added all these new characters to fill time.

 

[luna1122]

Re: Natasha knowing about Big’s death…I kind of just thought that his obit was sort of splashed across the papers. He was kind of a big deal in NYC, so would have merited more than a regular obit? Or maybe I’m assuming something not in evidence. I’da probably kept the money, but then again, I’m poor. Natasha came from money (or is this just another assumption of mine with no merit?) and has a good job and probably doesn’t need it. I don’t know why anyone would think she’d go to his funeral. He treated her like shit, they were married for a very short time a million years ago, they had no kids or connections. I wouldn’t go to my ex’s funeral and we were married 14 years. He literally means nothing to me now, I suspect Natasha feels like that as well.

I think Big fell for Natasha, for a minute. I still have no idea why he married her tho, it just always felt like a plot contrivance. I do think he loved Carrie, as much as he was capable of. But that doesn’t mean it was a healthy or aspirational love. I never bought their domestic bliss. Big was a cheater. He’d have probably cheated again. I believe Carrie believed they were happy, but I also have no problem with her IMMEDIATELY assuming he’d been hiding things, possibly an affair, because that was his pattern.

I like Sara Ramirez and think they’re talented, and I like Che and their swagger, to a point, but I see no heat between them and Miranda, and no understanding of why they’re drawn to one another. Then again, I am still annoyed by the whole Miranda situation. They’ve torpedoed her character in so many ways that it’s kind of inexplicable (and her possibly discovering her queerness is the very least of it).

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Natasha would have been notified of her inheritance.

I wonder how that would work, Big might have decided to give Natasha money eons ago, Natasha could have moved five times, gotten married more than once or twice since then, maybe living out of NY...how would they find her after all that time?

It would never be up to Carrie to hand deliver a check to Natasha and it may not happen a week after the funeral, sometimes those things take time so Carrie did not even have to be part of the equation.  It does bring up another question, had Big still been married to Natasha would he had left a million dollars to Carrie for blowing up her relationship with Aiden?

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Yes, otherwise the term for what she is thinking of doing is "cheating", even if she and her husband are not sleeping together.  At the very least, she is contemplating having an emotional affair, which might actually be worse.

When Steve cheated it was just sex, (sounds so trivial) because he did not feel a connection to Miranda but Miranda is willing to have an emotionally intimate relationship with someone and does not talk to Steve about it which was the same thing she went off on Steve about, she was pissed about the lack of communication between them that lead to him straying, kettle, meet pot.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Baltimore Betty

[ifionlyknew]

2 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

 

When Steve cheated it was just sex, (sounds so trivial) because he did not feel a connection to Miranda but Miranda is willing to have an emotionally intimate relationship with someone and does not talk to Steve about it which was the same thing she went off on Steve about, she was pissed about the lack of communication between them that lead to him straying, kettle, meet pot.

Which begs the question?  Which is worse?  A physical betrayal or an emotional betrayal? For me a partner having feelings for someone else would hurt me more.

[violet and green]

4 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

I don’t know why anyone would think she’d go to his funeral.

Well, I am the lone loon who expected her to be at the funeral.

Maybe it's because these people are characters in a long-running series, not real people, I thought she would be at the funeral.

And I thought the will would be more exciting, and maybe open up some really interesting storylines - but it looks like, as IMDB indicates that Natasha is only in one episode, that is all we are getting.

[Baltimore Betty]

6 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

Re: Natasha knowing about Big’s death…I kind of just thought that his obit was sort of splashed across the papers. He was kind of a big deal in NYC, so would have merited more than a regular obit?

See, the obit would have been something that Samantha could have written so Carrie would not have had to, get it positioned in the papers, etc...also helped with the guest list for the funeral and the reception following.

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

Natasha's marriage to Big ended in humiliation and physical injury. I wouldn't expect her to go to the funeral. I'm also surprised she didn't keep the money. She probably spent a small fortune on  that post-fall cosmetic dental surgery. 

I know. Big did her DIRTY. I don’t blame her for never wanting to speak to him ever again (which she didn’t). So why would she attend the funeral? It wouldn’t be to mourn with other people that loved him (because she didn’t any more), it wouldn’t be to show emotional support to his loved ones (she didn’t have any sort of relationship with them). Natasha was more gracious than Carrie deserved- but I think when she realized Carrie didn’t follow her into the coffee shop on purpose she felt for her like any human being would. 
 

I would’ve accepted the money (even though Natasha didn’t need it) and given it to a cause I was passionate about or something. 

12 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Which begs the question?  Which is worse?  A physical betrayal or an emotional betrayal? For me a partner having feelings for someone else would hurt me more.

Yeah I agree. A lone sexual encounter to get your rocks off after months of celibacy, where by you immediately confessed and weren’t going to do it again- I could see forgiving someone for. 
 

An emotional affair with no sex takes more effort in my book and is a bigger deal. 

[Trillian]

On 12/16/2021 at 8:31 AM, Maum said:

PS isn't Gogi the computer password? It seemed so obvious. 

I thought so, too. An IT guy at one of my former jobs once told me that, if you want an unguessable password, use your spouse’s name. He said pets are number one, kids number two … and that no one uses the spouse. 

[ChicksDigScars]

18 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

 

Also, when did Charlotte ever have an issue with Stannie? I don't remember that at all. 

I have to admit, even though I'm sad about Willie Garson, that Stannie is a royal pain in the ass this season. He's trying too hard to fill the Samantha void. He was rude to Gloria (how DARE he), totally made sure that Charlotte saw him in Carrie's apartment, and makes Anthony look like the calm rational one. He totally deserved the chair by the swinging kitchen door. 

Wait...was her name Gloria? Because it was also Gloria when Brenda Vaccaro played Joey's mom in Friends. Maybe I'm thinking of that.

And I'm peeved that they're going to blow up Miranda and Steve. Fuckers. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

26 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Natasha would have been notified of her inheritance.

I wonder how that would work, Big might have decided to give Natasha money eons ago, Natasha could have moved five times, gotten married more than once or twice since then, maybe living out of NY...how would they find her after all that time?

A member of the support staff at the law firm would Google her name. In this particular case, they would have easily found her employer, at the very least, and notified her right away.  Therefore, she would have known that Big had died.

If she had changed her name/moved around and they couldn't easily find her, they would have hired someone who could (who might very well use any social media presence, among other ways of finding her.)  Unless she entered Witness Protection (or gone completely off the grid along with her kids), she would have been located, although I grant it might have taken a bit of time.

Edited December 17, 2021 by ItCouldBeWorse

[ItCouldBeWorse]

34 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

Re: Natasha knowing about Big’s death…I kind of just thought that his obit was sort of splashed across the papers. He was kind of a big deal in NYC, so would have merited more than a regular obit?

Good point.

[luna1122]

34 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Which begs the question?  Which is worse?  A physical betrayal or an emotional betrayal? For me a partner having feelings for someone else would hurt me more.

Eh, either way, for me, the end result is likely to be the same: see ya. 

15 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

And I'm peeved that they're going to blow up Miranda and Steve. Fuckers. 

Didn't you know? Miranda and Steve only got married cuz she was pregnant. :::huge eyeroll emoji:::

Sometimes I think these showrunners don’t watch their own shows and certainly don't get the details and history right. 

You'd think I'd learn to not get excited about reboots of my faves, after Veronica Mars and X Files. These guys sure do love to kill their darlings. 

Edited December 17, 2021 by luna1122

[chediavolo]

10 hours ago, BitterApple said:

I liked this episode the best of the three, but the constant waxing over gender identity is getting old. I get it. They're trying to be the wokiest of the woke, but good grief, it's so ham-fisted. What's next, Charlotte's English Bulldog comes out as non-binary? 

I wish Carrie would quit the podcast. It's vulgar and she doesn't bring anything to the table. 

I agree with everyone that Natasha didn't owe Carrie anything, however I'm surprised Charlotte was on the "you had him first" team. On the original series, she was extremely upset when she found out about the affair and tried to get Carrie to see how wrong it was. 

I'm also confused by Stanford's conversation with Charlotte. I don't recall them ever having beef, and if Carrie specifically invited him to lunch, it's not Charlotte's prerogative to ask him to leave. 

The final scene of Carrie returning home to her original apartment was beautifully done, my favorite of the episode. 

So that apartment has just been sitting there empty with the lights on this whole time?

[ifionlyknew]

2 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

Sometimes I think these showrunners don’t watch their own shows and certainly don't get the details and history right. 

I can't remember what show a writer was talking about but they said they didn't watch the show they wrote for.  If more writers feel that way it would explain why so many shows have glaring inconsistencies. 

6 minutes ago, luna1122 said:

You'd think I'd learn to not get excited about reboots of my faves, after Veronica Mars and X Files. These guys sure do love to kill their darlings. 

I am still not over that. After watching that reboot I had to immediately watch the movie to cleanse my palate.

[Scarlett45]

2 minutes ago, chediavolo said:

So that apartment has just been sitting there empty with the lights on this whole time?

At the end of movie 2 Carrie was using it as a "get away/writing space" and Charlotte would use it when she wanted a break from her family. So there might not be food in the fridge but it was being used every now and again. (so there would be furniture, linens etc)

[chaifan]

A lot of people seem annoyed that Carrie isn't grieving "enough", but I'm ok with how they're showing this.  I thought the can't stop walking around NYC was well done - a little funny (this is supposed to be a comedy, after all), but also I could see that giving Carrie comfort.  NYC is her home, the city is like a family member to her.  She's enveloping herself in it. 

Also, a lot of the grieving process isn't just mentally processing the fact that someone you love has died.  It's the actual dealing with it - the average 50-something year old woman who loses their spouse mostly likely also has a full time job they have to show back up to after a few days, kids and/or aging parents to take care of, financial concerns with the loss of an income, and all the paper hassles - insurance policies, bank accounts, investments, house deeds, car titles, etc., that all have to be notified of death and beneficiary changes, etc.  Carrie has none of that, or what there is to deal with she has people (lawyers, financial advisors, etc.) to take care of it. 

I was expecting Carrie to make some comment at the lawyer's office about "well, I guess I should have a will".  Because I could see Carrie not having a will. 

 

[luna1122]

13 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

 

I am still not over that. After watching that reboot I had to immediately watch the movie to cleanse my palate.

I'm not over it either. I'm still so bitter that the entire franchise was ruined for me. I'm not sure I can ever watch any of it again, and I was a rabid VMars fan. It made me regret I'd thrown money at that Kickstarter campaign. 

re: Carrie’s apt. Maybe Stanny left the lights on last time he stayed over. 

Edited December 17, 2021 by luna1122

[chediavolo]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I think if Natasha had decided to forgive Big for the affair he may have divorced her eventually because he would've hated being married. But left her for Carrie? Nah. Big also cheated on wife 1 and she left him (although they stayed friendly). 
 

Natasha had her lawyers tell Big’s lawyers she didn’t want the money. She was under no obligation to speak to Carrie. Now it would be different if there were kids involved or something, but Natasha was married to Big for about a year 20yrs ago- she didn’t need to have a convo with his widow. But because she’s not an awful person she was nice to her in the end, when fate put them in that coffee shop together. 

She was aware- she said to his lawyers that she didn’t want the inheritance. She and Big were married for only a year about 20yrs ago. No kids and no mutual friends, I’m not surprised she didn’t go to the funeral. 

 

I admit Che has a sexy swagger that can’t be denied. I saw the tension. 

I just can’t. Who the fuck turns down $1 million?!!! Must be nice.  I’ll take. I have home repairs to make, taxes, bills, car pmts,etc. etc. of course these women are so filthy Rich they don’t know real life is like. I watch the show for the fantasy side of it but as I get older I just cannot abide these out of touch people.   

[Scarlett45]

7 minutes ago, chaifan said:

A lot of people seem annoyed that Carrie isn't grieving "enough", but I'm ok with how they're showing this.  I thought the can't stop walking around NYC was well done - a little funny (this is supposed to be a comedy, after all), but also I could see that giving Carrie comfort.  NYC is her home, the city is like a family member to her.  She's enveloping herself in it. 

Also, a lot of the grieving process isn't just mentally processing the fact that someone you love has died.  It's the actual dealing with it - the average 50-something year old woman who loses their spouse mostly likely also has a full time job they have to show back up to after a few days, kids and/or aging parents to take care of, financial concerns with the loss of an income, and all the paper hassles - insurance policies, bank accounts, investments, house deeds, car titles, etc., that all have to be notified of death and beneficiary changes, etc.  Carrie has none of that, or what there is to deal with she has people (lawyers, financial advisors, etc.) to take care of it. 

I was expecting Carrie to make some comment at the lawyer's office about "well, I guess I should have a will".  Because I could see Carrie not having a will. 

I think Carrie is grieving plenty. Yes, after someone you are close with dies (much less a spouse) there are a lot of practical things to dealing with life without them. If the person had a long illness, and you were their caregiver, you are EXHAUSTED physically and emotionally from that. 

That wasnt Carrie's situation- Big died suddenly at home. A big thing is still dealing with the shock and still expecting him to "be there". Going to call him and remembering that she cannot. Wondering what he would like for dinner etc. It is going to come in waves. Sometimes I am sure it just feels like he is on a business trip.

Also, Carrie spent a a LARGE portion of her adult life living alone (they got married end of movie 1, so 2009, aka 12yrs ago)- I think that is less of a practical transition for her compared to someone that had been living with someone for 40 or 50yrs and had never done "adult life" without them.

[tennisgurl]

22 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

I am still not over that. After watching that reboot I had to immediately watch the movie to cleanse my palate.

A cold shiver just ran down my spine thinking about those, specially VMars. I regret every dollar I gave them for that kickstarter. Who knew so many showrunners had such burning hatred for the shows that made them famous and the fans that love them? Or they all got together and made a bet about who can kill their shows most painfully? 

And I just keep watching them and hoping it'll be different this time, so I guess the joke is on me. 

[Carolina Girl]

10 hours ago, RedHawk said:

hen the love waned, he got bored, he ran into Carrie and started an affair because he was bored and he and Carrie were always pretty good in bed.

Plus, Carrie always seemed - to me at least - to find her "worth" in her relationship with Big.  She was bugged because Big didn't want to get married again, yet when Aidan offered her marriage, she balked.  I think there was a part of her that was always holding out for Big, and he picked up on those vibes. 

Carrie always came across to me as being attracted to emotionally selfish men - Big, Petrovsky, Berger, all of whom in large and small ways emotionally abused her (remember Petrovsky making her miss a party being thrown by her French fans because of his insecurities and then abandoning her in the first five minutes when the adulation for his exhibit was plain?  I thought Carrie arriving late to the party and seeing her book used as a wine coaster particularly said).   Yet in many ways, she was the emotionally selfish one in her dealings with Aidan.  

[ExMathMajor]

First time posting on this show and let me get this out of the way:

• Like most people in this thread (I think), I've watched the original series multiple times. I didn't watch a whole helluva lot of TV in the 90s (because work, because life) but this series was probably the closest to "must-see-TV" for me at the time.
• I did not need either movie but I watched them both out of curiosity...and hated them. (In fact I rented the second one from the library, which turned out to be a good thing because if I'd paid to see it in the theater, I'd have walked out in the middle.)
• I wasn't interested in the teen spinoff show.
• I really wasn't planning on watching this sequel. I'm not sure what changed my mind...it might have been the everyoutfitonsatc IG account.
• I'm a black, cisgender, hetero-leaning woman who's the same age as SJP.

Having now watched three of these episodes, knowing that first seasons (and first episodes of first seasons) are often tricky, knowing also that this particular series is standing on some pretty elevated cultural shoulders, and as someone who was perfectly fine with just the original series...I think I might stick it out for at least one more episode to see if this writing team will find its feet and give me something that's not just rewarmed bits of series history, awkward tying-up of ends, or ham-handed social commentary.

Focusing on this episode:

• Even though I'm trying to give Carrie some grace seeing as she's now a widow, they're going to lose me if she goes back to being that neurotic, self-absorbed girl-child I hated in the original series. I know some folks were happy that she returned to her old apartment; I just rolled my eyes.
• I'm not sure what they're trying to do with Charlotte but I hope they do something with her. Her scene with Anthony (in which he told her to chill out re Rose) was one of the only truly interesting scenes in the entire episode.
• I don't like where they're going with Miranda at all...and I'm going to blame it on the writing (because I still think Cynthia Nixon is a great actress). All of the points they're trying to hit could have been done a lot more elegantly. As it stands, it's all really clumsy right now. That said...
• That Netflix special wasn't funny in the slightest and it went on too long, but Che could get it. ("Hetero-leaning" = I'm apparently attracted to masculine-flavored swagger.)
• I don't know if the actress has had work done, but I don't care...Natasha still looks good. The white/beige styling still works for her and as someone who literally fell the last time she wore heels (2 months ago) I'm not mad at her about the flats. Also, she's clearly evolved, unlike Carrie. 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by ExMathMajor

[ifionlyknew]

5 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

Carrie always came across to me as being attracted to emotionally selfish men -

Carrie's dad left the family when she was young which I'm sure affected her and led her to choose men that were not the best boyfriend material.  

6 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

Yet in many ways, she was the emotionally selfish one in her dealings with Aidan.  

I think Carrie was more committed to the drama that came with men like Big than the peace and contentment that came with someone like Aidan.  Even after Big died Carrie was looking for drama concerning him.

 

[RedHawk]

2 hours ago, violet and green said:

That indicates she was aware he had died, having been notified of her inclusion in the will. I was expecting her to be at the funeral.

She wouldn't have gone because she knew Carrie didn't want her there. It's more likely we would have seen Barbara, Big's first wife whom he was still friendly with when Carrie originally learned about her early in the series. She and Carrie actually connected in a friendly way but then we never heard of her again.

Edited December 17, 2021 by RedHawk

[Carolina Girl]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

I would’ve accepted the money (even though Natasha didn’t need it) and given it to a cause I was passionate about or something. 

Me too - it would have been split between St. Jude's and Shriners.

[RedHawk]

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

Natasha's marriage to Big ended in humiliation and physical injury. I wouldn't expect her to go to the funeral. I'm also surprised she didn't keep the money. She probably spent a small fortune on  that post-fall cosmetic dental surgery. 

The bitch in me would have told Carrie 1) "Stop stalking me!" and 2) "I'm using part of the money for a trip to Paris to revisit the places where John and I fell in love." Yeah, that would dis the current husband but I'd enjoy sticking in and then twisting the knife.

If this was an episode of the series that piece of paper would have had "L.L." written above the phone number and Carrie would have spent most of the episode agonizing over who it could be. She would have ruminated on how "sexy" an alliterative name or nickname (like "Lana Lowell" or "Lucious Lover") sounds and imagined all sorts of women who were definitely not Carrie and much more like Natasha. The payoff of her calling her own landline would have been a howler, even though I did LOL when she called it here.

Also, at the end of the episode she would have figured out that Big's password was GoGi1965. And the next episode would include all sorts of fallout from delving into his e-mails and texts. A girl can dream...

[Carolina Girl]

18 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Carrie's dad left the family when she was young which I'm sure affected her and led her to choose men that were not the best boyfriend material.  

I think Carrie was more committed to the drama that came with men like Big than the peace and contentment that came with someone like Aidan.  Even after Big died Carrie was looking for drama concerning him.

 

Well said!

[ifionlyknew]

2 minutes ago, Carolina Girl said:

Well said!

Thank you.  I have analyzed these characters for over 20 yrs.  LOL

[Scarlett45]

30 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Carrie's dad left the family when she was young which I'm sure affected her and led her to choose men that were not the best boyfriend material.  

I think Carrie was more committed to the drama that came with men like Big than the peace and contentment that came with someone like Aidan.  Even after Big died Carrie was looking for drama concerning him.

 

This is true. I have appreciated your analysis in the SATC thread. 

As someone who has lost two people very close to her in 2021- and seen how other people have reacted; I do try to have grace for grieving people (*within reason). 

Carrie sending Natasha an email, okay, perfectly socially acceptable. But when the woman blocked her on instagram and she still chose to go to her place of employment; Carrie said it herself. She regressed back into that needy insecure person she was 20yrs ago dealing with Big during round 1 (following he and his mom to church) and round 2(asking to go to Paris with him and flipping out over Big Macs).

I am sure Carrie's emotions are everywhere (and rightfully so), and she found comfort in familiar behavior. I am sorry she burned her hand, that can hurt so badly.

[BitterApple]

11 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

The bitch in me would have told Carrie 1) "Stop stalking me!" and 2) "I'm using part of the money for a trip to Paris to revisit the places where John and I fell in love." Yeah, that would dis the current husband but I'd enjoy sticking in and then twisting the knife.

Lol, Natasha's a way better person than we are because that was my first line of thought as well! Taking the money would've pissed Carrie off more than not taking it, so I would've happily told her the address where Big's lawyer could mail my check. And for all of Carrie's posturing that the amount could've been $10 and she would've felt the same, yeah, right. She always felt like the ugly duckling compared to Natasha and was devastated when Big told her he was getting married. No way that million doesn't hit a sore spot.

I just had another thought with regards to the last scene. Carrie going back to her original apartment symbolizes the transition from married woman to single/widow. I wonder if the show will go back to the old format with Carrie pecking away at her laptop and narrating the scenes? That would be kind of cool.

[ifionlyknew]

3 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I have appreciated your analysis in the SATC thread. 

As I have yours.  We have had some great insightful conversations on that board. 

1 minute ago, BitterApple said:

I just had another thought with regards to the last scene. Carrie going back to her original apartment symbolizes the transition from married woman to single/widow.

I don't have a problem with Carrie going back to her apartment.  That apartment represents who she was before she married Big so it makes sense her wanting to return there since she is no longer with Big.  As much as I liked Carrie with Big I don't think Carrie with Big was the real Carrie.   Her moving back home will allow her to become her authentic self again.   If the writers don't fuck it up.  

[Scarlett45]

10 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

I just had another thought with regards to the last scene. Carrie going back to her original apartment symbolizes the transition from married woman to single/widow. I wonder if the show will go back to the old format with Carrie pecking away at her laptop and narrating the scenes? That would be kind of cool.

I think that would be cool too. 

 

5 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

I don't have a problem with Carrie going back to her apartment.  That apartment represents who she was before she married Big so it makes sense her wanting to return there since she is no longer with Big.  As much as I liked Carrie with Big I don't think Carrie with Big was the real Carrie.   Her moving back home will allow her to become her authentic self again.   If the writers don't fuck it up.

Also I think the apartment was a symbol, it was HERS. She never lived there with anyone else (besides Aidan for a few months), she held onto it even in marriage because it represented a part of herself. I understand why after Big died suddenly IN the apartment, she wouldn't want to stay there without him.

People can be weird about things like that. My grandfather lived with us growing up, and lived until the age of 89. After he died, NO ONE sat in his chair that had the mechanic lift (he could walk it just helped him rise). That was his chair. Even my sister who is mentally disabled and doesn't understand death, never sat in it. My mom did not get rid of it until she sold her house. 

In Carrie's shoes, I would not want to sit at the dinner table looking at Big's empty seat, use the mugs that sat next to his mugs etc. Especially when "her home" was available. After this episode the series is looking up for me.

[RedHawk]

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

I think that Big loved Natasha as much as he was capable of loving anyone but they didn't click the way he and Carrie do. However deep we think that either of them are capable of genuinely caring for someone other than themselves, the key is that they understand one another and get along well enough to make a marriage work. It's not like we saw a whole lot of their married lives so we don't have much to really judge.

The fact that Carrie knew nothing about Big's will or any of his wishes should he pass away before her isn't that unusual. When my mom got sick and died, there was the mad scramble to figure a lot of things out for my dad because she took care of all the household bills and accounts. He didn't know about life insurance policies that she still had, and I spent weeks getting things straightened out for him. It's actually pretty common for one spouse to be totally in the dark about the financial stuff.

Having said that, with Big's level of wealth, he would have had a financial manager to take care of things and would have been a point person for Carrie to get access to accounts. Because bills have to get paid from somewhere and I don't see Big as the type to have a joint checking account with his wife.

Very much like Big to not offer her details of his finances and intentions, and Carrie would not have had the courage to ask. She didn't have financial savvy at all, even after almost losing her apartment when Big left her at the altar. Carrie would have her own separate bank account. She would have wanted to continue to earn money of her own, as well. Likely Big paid all the bills so her money was for personal expenses, gifts, etc. She ended up a "kept woman" after all. 

As far as Big and Natasha, a lot of people who meet and marry quickly as they did later  realize that it was infatuation. Sometimes it fades rather than growing into real love. It sure feels like love when it happens though, so we tend to say "fell in love" or "was in love with".

2 hours ago, ifionlyknew said:

Big did tell Carrie he was going to leave Natasha.  But then he told Carrie it was going to cost him and he seemed a lot less inclined to divorce her.  

My belief is they took the plot of third movie and have spread it across 8 (?) episodes and have added all these new characters to fill time.

I remember that and that is so totally Big. Which makes it even more likely that he and Carrie had separate finances and she really knew little about his income and investments. I was hoping for more of a shocker than a bequest to Natasha, which I guessed well in advance. 

2 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

I wonder how that would work, Big might have decided to give Natasha money eons ago, Natasha could have moved five times, gotten married more than once or twice since then, maybe living out of NY...how would they find her after all that time?

If you set up a trust, which he almost certainly did, you give your lawyers the Social Security number of anyone you're listing to receive a bequest, and they can be found that way. He would have known her SSN.

2 hours ago, Trillian said:

I thought so, too. An IT guy at one of my former jobs once told me that, if you want an unguessable password, use your spouse’s name. He said pets are number one, kids number two … and that no one uses the spouse. 

I thought she should/would eventually try "CarrieLove" or something like that and get in.

1 hour ago, chediavolo said:

I just can’t. Who the fuck turns down $1 million?!!! Must be nice.  I’ll take. I have home repairs to make, taxes, bills, car pmts,etc. etc. of course these women are so filthy Rich they don’t know real life is like. I watch the show for the fantasy side of it but as I get older I just cannot abide these out of touch people.   

$1 million is a huge amount of money to most people. But likely Natasha has a wealthy husband as well as a high salary, so she can turn it down.

In the two movies when Big finally married Carrie she got the promised closet and a fabulous apartment and we saw them living a wealthy lifestyle. That was basically the payoff of all her "Big" hopes and dreams. She was relatable to many women who rooted for her to get the fairytale: she married the man she most wanted and (in the end) it was "happily ever after until he died". But she's now a very wealthy widow -- is she relatable? In many ways, for the show purposes, it would have been better if somehow Carrie wasn't left wealthy.

59 minutes ago, ExMathMajor said:

First time posting on this show and let me get this out of the way:

• Like most people in this thread (I think), I've watched the original series multiple times. I didn't watch a whole helluva lot of TV in the 90s (because work, because life) but this series was probably the closest to "must-see-TV" for me at the time.

 

Welcome to the snark!

Edited December 17, 2021 by RedHawk

[luna1122]

1 hour ago, RedHawk said:

She wouldn't have gone because she knew Carrie didn't want her there. It's more likely we would have seen Barbara, Big's first wife whom he was still friendly with when Carrie originally learned about her early in the series. She and Carrie actually connected in a friendly way but then we never heard of her again.

Yeah, can you imagine the clapback Natasha might have received from the gang--including Stanny, who has been in Mean Girl mode this series--if she'd shown up at the funeral? I mean, I'd like to think everyone would be gracious and not create drama, but with this group, you cannot be sure 

1 hour ago, ExMathMajor said:

 

Focusing on this episode:

• Even though I'm trying to give Carrie some grace seeing as she's now a widow, they're going to lose me if she goes back to being that neurotic, self-absorbed girl-child I hated in the original series. I know some folks were happy that she returned to her old apartment; I just rolled my eyes. 

 

.... 

I get the thing about the apartment, and Carrie....but I think, unfortunately, Carrie IS that person. Mostly, I liked her going "home" cuz I really love that apartment. The Big apartment just feels impersonal and too...Big

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by luna1122

[RedHawk]

40 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

I don't have a problem with Carrie going back to her apartment.  That apartment represents who she was before she married Big so it makes sense her wanting to return there since she is no longer with Big.  As much as I liked Carrie with Big I don't think Carrie with Big was the real Carrie.   Her moving back home will allow her to become her authentic self again.   If the writers don't fuck it up.  

The return to the apartment makes sense. From a couple of interviews I've read, the writers did seem interested in exploring who Carrie really is without Big. So, here's hoping.

Will she actually sell their place, which clearly she spent time decorating, making it a home reflecting her/their tastes and lifestyle. If the writers do us right they will show her reflecting on their years together, the good and bad. There was a slight hint when she was talking to Che and said, "We were happy...in the end." So what was the marriage like during the ~10 years we didn't see? 

Maybe the last scene of the series will be her decision to sell the Big apartment because she's not that person and not part of that couple anymore. 

Edited December 17, 2021 by RedHawk

[Maum]

Is Sara Ramirez non-binary or just her character?

[luna1122]

3 minutes ago, Maum said:

Is Sara Ramirez non-binary or just her character?

Sara Ramirez, from what I've read, identifies as queer, bisexual and non binary and uses They pronouns. 

[ifionlyknew]

51 minutes ago, RedHawk said:

So what was the marriage like during the ~10 years we didn't see? 

Did I read there were more scenes of Big? Maybe flashbacks that will show them throughout their marriage?

[RedDelicious]

4 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Did I read there were more scenes of Big? Maybe flashbacks that will show them throughout their marriage?

Spoiler

I wonder what's going to happen to those scenes now 😳

 

[ChicksDigScars]

16 hours ago, Hotellanai said:

Yep, Carrie's hair or the lacefront that Sarah uses - the one with beach waves - is fabulous.  However, her hands are aged to the nth degree.  THIS is what happens when women keep extreme diets for long periods of time (see any of the top thin TV stars of the past 25 years up to 2010). This is not normal aging.  Not in the slightest which is why I object that similar critiques are ageist or "body shaming."  Again, this is not normal aging.  The actress is not even 60.  Many of my colleagues are older than 60 and have not employed extreme dieting in their earlier years and are blossoming.  They are beautiful.  Some even rock gray hair (I'm being sarcastic at the tone of wonder in these words) which looks fabulous on some women, think of the character Storm.  Also, before you start throwing stones at the hair comment above, all I want to add is there are many people who work on TV shows and movies and they have relatives.  That is all I am going to say on that.

I was always fixated on SJP's hands YEARS ago in the original show, and how aged they looked. They always looked like they belonged to an older woman in her 70's, not a 35-40 year old, younger woman. 

On a side note, if she sells that album collection, I want in!!

Edited December 17, 2021 by ChicksDigScars

[bichonblitz]

Was Che's standup routine necessary? Boring, not funny, who cares and god this reboot sucks. 

[MissFeatherbottom]

On 12/16/2021 at 7:24 AM, Hana Chan said:

And while everyone grieve differently, Carrie does seem to be getting over losing the love of her life pretty quickly. After watching my father still mourning the loss of his wife after nearly a year, this just rubs me the wrong way. No, I'm not interested in seeing the recently widowed Carrie finding love again. 

They do seem to be rushing her grieving and it is a bit odd to me that she was way more emotional after her break ups wtih him than his actual death (before he married Natasha and when he left her at the alter). They could at least show some sadness other than her restless "walking" 

[Scarlett45]

37 minutes ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I was always fixated on SJP's hands YEARS ago in the original show, and how aged they looked. They always looked like they belonged to an older woman in her 70's, not a 35-40 year old, younger woman. 

On a side note, if she sells that album collection, I want in!!

to quote you and address what @Hotellanai- yes, for a lot of people that have always had a lower amount of body fat, their hands/feet and neck tend to show aging much more quickly compared the typical person.

SJPs hair is fab- I like it a lot. Lots of people wear wigs when filming, so they can do the various styles without damaging their own hair AND so that the hair is CONSISTENT from shot to shot. Reshoots are a thing, and its so much easier to do that with wigs.

[Real Housewife LI]

Is there some woke issue bingo card that goes along with this series that I’m missing? So far we have alcoholism, non binary, legal marijuana, teen sex, racial issues, white privilege, ageism...the list goes on and on.....and it’s only episode 3.

i think it’s great that a series is addressing these but it feels sooo forced. If it flowed more naturally maybe...but It almost feels like they are doing a charicature of each issue and character.

[PRgal]

10 minutes ago, Real Housewife LI said:

Is there some woke issue bingo card that goes along with this series that I’m missing? So far we have alcoholism, non binary, legal marijuana, teen sex, racial issues, white privilege, ageism...the list goes on and on.....and it’s only episode 3.

i think it’s great that a series is addressing these but it feels sooo forced. If it flowed more naturally maybe...but It almost feels like they are doing a charicature of each issue and character.

Bingo or drinking game? Or both?  Oh wait, it isn’t “woke” to talk about drinking, is it??!

[Carolina Girl]

1 hour ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I was always fixated on SJP's hands YEARS ago in the original show, and how aged they looked. They always looked like they belonged to an older woman in her 70's, not a 35-40 year old, younger woman. 

On a side note, if she sells that album collection, I want in!!

I mentioned the reboot of this show to one of my co-workers and she said that she couldn't take looking at SJP's "man hands."