S01.E05: Tragically Hip

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, candle96 said:

Yeah, so far the podcast reminds me of those podcasts I hate - people who are not really that funny laughing too much rather than discussing an actual topic. I've had a few recommended to me that I just can't get into because of it. 

And whether or not the humor was my taste, Carrie was always portrayed fairly witty in the original version of this show. Cracking one-liners or puns at brunch, etc. On the podcast she seems so humorless. And that was even before Big died.

I'm hoping at the end of this thing, Carrie realizes the podcast is not for her and moves on. 

Ha!  Sounds like some of the mom podcasts I listen to.  I'm picking and choosing episodes now because they often giggle too much.  It's annoying when you're not part of the conversation yourself - it's like sitting at a communal table and overhearing fellow students/colleagues/other patrons joke about something AND being really loud.

[RealHousewife]

6 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Ha!  Sounds like some of the mom podcasts I listen to.  I'm picking and choosing episodes now because they often giggle too much.  It's annoying when you're not part of the conversation yourself - it's like sitting at a communal table and overhearing fellow students/colleagues/other patrons joke about something AND being really loud.

I love podcasts, but I’ve totally listened to some where it’s a giggle fest. It’s so annoying. And I say this as an easily amused person who loves the sound of laughter. If anyone who makes podcasts is here, please cut that out. Dying of laughter over every little comment is not charming! It’s annoying and ruins the show. Hysterically laughing over your own jokes in general is a no-no too. It’s why comedians don’t do it. 

I haven’t had an unfunny podcast recommended to me by a friend, but I get constant tiktok videos that aren’t the least bit funny. I don’t have the heart to tell them the videos are boring and childish. 

I don’t get all these kids being on tiktok in the first place. Whatever you make will be out there forever. Was anyone else kind of surprised Rock makes a bunch of videos their parents don’t okay first? I would think someone like Charlotte would want to monitor everything. 

[Passing Strange]

13 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Anyway, I was under the impression the school assumed they knew about it and that's why they didn't tell them.

Me, too, so I went back and checked and that was the case. During the Conference of Discomfort Laura said, "I honestly had no idea that you didn't know." She confirmed that with Robin, who then went on to say that Rock never gave them any clue that their parents were resistant to their changing identity. So they had no concerns about safety. Although I wasn't a fan of Laura and Robin and all their assuming, I think the school is off the hook here. They didn't call the parents because they thought it wasn't necessary.

[Baltimore Betty]

12 minutes ago, Passing Strange said:

Me, too, so I went back and checked and that was the case. During the Conference of Discomfort Laura said, "I honestly had no idea that you didn't know." She confirmed that with Robin, who then went on to say that Rock never gave them any clue that their parents were resistant to their changing identity. So they had no concerns about safety. Although I wasn't a fan of Laura and Robin and all their assuming, I think the school is off the hook here. They didn't call the parents because they thought it wasn't necessary.

But that's just it, Rose decides she wants to make a change to Rock/They/Them, etc...wouldn't that be something the parents would call the school and let them know that, it is kind of a big deal but nobody in the office heard from the parents, that wasn't strange for that situation?

[Keywestclubkid]

18 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

But that's just it, Rose decides she wants to make a change to Rock/They/Them, etc...wouldn't that be something the parents would call the school and let them know that, it is kind of a big deal but nobody in the office heard from the parents, that wasn't strange for that situation?

She did have the conversation about not feeling like a girl so it didn't come out of nowhere and kids go by nicknames all the time ...

[Passing Strange]

23 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

wouldn't that be something the parents would call the school and let them know that, it is kind of a big deal but nobody in the office heard from the parents, that wasn't strange for that situation?

In the meeting Charlotte said they were aware that there's a wide range in this type of exploration and they were trying to figure out how seriously they should take this. Talking to Charlotte in the hallway Harry notes that Rose could be doing this for fun or attention. So at this point Charlotte and Harry weren't sure it was a big enough deal to call the school.

I don't think they were wrong. This is an exploration. Wait until the dust settles, see who Rock is then and act accordingly. In the meantime, everyone needs to stop stressing and let the kid run their race.

[CeeBeeGee]

2 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Dying of laughter over every little comment is not charming! It’s annoying and ruins the show. Hysterically laughing over your own jokes in general is a no-no too. It’s why comedians don’t do it. 

YES. It's an amateur move--let us, the audience, decide if you're funny. Don't take that choice away from us. I went to a play where one of the two actors kept laughing at her own lines and then mugging to the audience like "aren't I hilarious?"

Me as I sat there:

[ChicksDigScars]

On 12/31/2021 at 10:30 AM, Trillian said:

I was thinking the same.  I was once referred to an absolutely gorgeous, hot, young gastroenterologist. He was a great doctor, but, yeah, I would’ve preferred talking about my, um, digestive problems with someone a little less swoon inducing. 

This is me the day the HOT OB/GYN resident walked in the labor room to check my cervix.  On the day I look my absolute worst, and you send in the hottie? (side note: I was single) Fuck you, God. 

Reading through this thread, I am so relived that so many are echoing my sentiments on this reboot. I worried that I was not being "woke" enough, but I find that they took every complaint that critics had about the original, and tried to fix everything at once. Not enough racial diversity....check.  Not enough sexual diversity, other than gay male friends in the original....check.  Gender fluidity? Check.  

As a fan of Grey's Anatomy since the first episode premiered, I was initially excited for Sara Ramirez, but I just can't with Che. Inappropriate, obnoxious, not cool. 

 

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, ChicksDigScars said:

This is me the day the HOT OB/GYN resident walked in the labor room to check my cervix.  On the day I look my absolute worst, and you send in the hottie? (side note: I was single) Fuck you, God. 

Reading through this thread, I am so relived that so many are echoing my sentiments on this reboot. I worried that I was not being "woke" enough, but I find that they took every complaint that critics had about the original, and tried to fix everything at once. Not enough racial diversity....check.  Not enough sexual diversity, other than gay male friends in the original....check.  Gender fluidity? Check.  

As a fan of Grey's Anatomy since the first episode premiered, I was initially excited for Sara Ramirez, but I just can't with Che. Inappropriate, obnoxious, not cool. 

 

My former OB was a doll. When I was in hospital for something  kind of related, he came to see me. He was wearing regular clothes and when he walked in I was like wow who is that nice looking guy. He looked like Bill Paxton. 

[violet and green]

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

Scarred for life.

[WendyCR72]

11 minutes ago, violet and green said:

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

Scarred for life.

Eeeewwwww. Now I am doubly glad I quit watching this shitfest.

[CeeBeeGee]

1 hour ago, violet and green said:

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

Scarred for life.

A FB friend of mine posted a truly disturbing "artist's rendition" of Che covering Miranda's mouth with her hand in the kitchen. I hid it under a spoiler cut because it is  grooosssssss.

Spoiler

 

 

[T Summer]

1 hour ago, violet and green said:

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

Scarred for life.

I can't make up my mind which was more disturbing that, or the scene in ep 1 where Carrie observes Big in the act of self gratification.  It's that  last one for me in view of recent celebrity news.

 

 

 

[RealHousewife]

40 minutes ago, T Summer said:

I can't make up my mind which was more disturbing that, or the scene in ep 1 where Carrie observes Big in the act of self gratification.  It's that  last one for me in view of recent celebrity news.

Seriously. I know SATC and AJLT are not shows for prudes, but when a lot of the audience thinks these scenes aren't tasteful, that says something. The OG show handled sex so much better imo. I don't remember cringing so much. 

[T Summer]

The scene with Miranda and Che wouldn't have been so bad if not for the hand over the mouth thing. Seriously, just whispering shhh  in her ear would have been fine.

Or better yet, they could have experienced a spark between them in Carrie's kitchen and met up later... like  people normally would.

[ferjy]

On 12/30/2021 at 6:05 AM, ruby24 said:

Okay, so..Miranda just IS Cynthia Nixon now. Great. Everything we ever knew about her was a lie then?

Pisses me off. I know that many people are in the closet when young and come out when older, but Miranda explored lesbianism and specifically realized she was not gay. This is such bad writing. And with Che no less... ugh!

 

[ifionlyknew]

12 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

Reading through this thread, I am so relived that so many are echoing my sentiments on this reboot. I worried that I was not being "woke" enough, but I find that they took every complaint that critics had about the original, and tried to fix everything at once. Not enough racial diversity....check.  Not enough sexual diversity, other than gay male friends in the original....check.  Gender fluidity? Check.  

I'm afraid that this will be a criticism of any criticism leveled at the show.  That the audience just doesn't get it. As if we are the problem.  Has anyone read a positive review of the show in general or this episode in particular?

8 hours ago, violet and green said:

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

 

7 hours ago, T Summer said:

I can't make up my mind which was more disturbing that, or the scene in ep 1 where Carrie observes Big in the act of self gratification.  It's that  last one for me in view of recent celebrity news.

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, RealHousewife said:

Seriously. I know SATC and AJLT are not shows for prudes, but when a lot of the audience thinks these scenes aren't tasteful, that says something. The OG show handled sex so much better imo. I don't remember cringing so much. 

I know that movies and TV shows get criticism (mostly valid) that sex is shown in an unrealistic way.  Too perfect.  Nobody is sweating. A woman's hair is perfect.  But I do think SATC did a good job with their sex scenes.  But I don't know what AJLT was going for with that kitchen scene.  It was uncomfortable to watch.  It's getting a lot of media attention so maybe that is what they wanted but if I were to ever rewatch this episode I will be skipping that scene.

[Jillybean]

58 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

Has anyone read a positive review of the show in general or this episode in particular?

Unfortunately, yes. And in the New York Times, no less. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/arts/television/and-just-like-that-recap-episode-5.html

[ifionlyknew]

Double post

Edited January 4, 2022 by ifionlyknew

[NotMySekrit2Tell]

1 hour ago, ifionlyknew said:

Has anyone read a positive review of the show in general or this episode in particular?

The review aggregate sites (Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic) say the critical reviews are mixed/mediocre and the audience reviews are savage. Only 28% of RT users give it a score in the "fresh" (rather than "rotten") range.

Maybe there are a lot of people quietly enjoying it and staying out of the fray, and maybe the happy viewers and hate-watchers together are giving it high viewership numbers (I don't know), but I wouldn't say it's been well received at all. For an HBO original series that revives a beloved property, it has had a lot of negativity hanging over it.

Edited January 4, 2022 by NotMySekrit2Tell

[ifionlyknew]

10 minutes ago, Jillybean said:

Unfortunately, yes. And in the New York Times, no less. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/arts/television/and-just-like-that-recap-episode-5.html

From the article:

But in our collective older age, many of us are wise enough to know that’s not the end of every woman’s story. Maybe things continue to change, and maybe everything she thought she had figured out ends up being nothing like she expected. Maybe that’s uncomfortable. And maybe that’s good.

That is not what we are seeing. That is what we wanted to see.  And the writer said the scene in the kitchen was steamy.  Yeah, no.

[Keywestclubkid]

25 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

From the article:

But in our collective older age, many of us are wise enough to know that’s not the end of every woman’s story. Maybe things continue to change, and maybe everything she thought she had figured out ends up being nothing like she expected. Maybe that’s uncomfortable. And maybe that’s good.

That is not what we are seeing. That is what we wanted to see.  And the writer said the scene in the kitchen was steamy.  Yeah, no.

the fact they gloss over her cheating is annoying its steamy that she cheated on a man that she has been with off and on since season 2? she can find herself and not be a freaking cheater?  .... esp after the shit show they made us sit through that was the first movie

Edited January 4, 2022 by Keywestclubkid

[Baltimore Betty]

Are we getting the double standard from Miranda having sex or hand sex with a woman is okay but Steve boinking a woman was cause for a separation in their relationship?  Miranda is unhappy just like Steve was, he felt he was not being seen or heard as a partner in their marriage so he strayed and now Miranda is in the same boat and does exactly what Steve did but it is okay it was with a woman and she was drunk and high and totally unplanned.  

Are there any woman writers on staff for this show?

[ifionlyknew]

11 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

she can find herself and not be a freaking cheater? 

The fact Miranda cheated is being glossed over. Miranda's explanation to Carrie that she is unhappy doesn't excuse it.  That was Steve's excuse in the first movie and Miranda didn't cut him any slack.    I feel like the writers expect us to sympathize with Miranda and I would do that if maybe they showed her being the least little conflicted but all I'm seeing is her giggling like a school girl over an absolutely awful character who I no doubt is going to end up hurting her.  When Carrie cheated on Aidan she at least felt guilty about it.  And yes I know her and Aidan were on more solid ground than Miranda and Steve.  If they have Miranda stop drinking will she better deal with her unhappiness?  Because I'm really hoping the woman we are watching now is just drunk Miranda and the real Miranda will make an appearance when she gets sober.

[Keywestclubkid]

5 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

Are we getting the double standard from Miranda having sex or hand sex with a woman is okay but Steve boinking a woman was cause for a separation in their relationship?  Miranda is unhappy just like Steve was, he felt he was not being seen or heard as a partner in their marriage so he strayed and now Miranda is in the same boat and does exactly what Steve did but it is okay it was with a woman and she was drunk and high and totally unplanned.  

Are there any woman writers on staff for this show?

its the same thing with Ogling the hot physical therapy guy and disising the "less" attractive one.... IF this was guys doing it the OUTRAGE that would be pouring out how sexist how dare they but since it was sex and the city and a woman doing it its fine .. that is such fucking bullshit

[Scarlett45]

I have to say, I am appalled at Miranda's behavior at Carrie's house. I have been a caregiver for most of my life (in some form of another, for elderly relatives and relatives with disabilities- temporary and permanent), and I would NEVER behave the way Miranda did. 

Taking it back to how Carrie behaved in the original series with sending Aidan when Miranda hurt her back, at least Carrie did send someone who had the physical strength to help Miranda (and was kind/useful).

Carrie's tone was snippy, but in this instance Carrie had a right to be snippy. She has had surgery, she is in pain, coming up from a nap, and the person that VOLUNTEERED to help her, is drinking and smoking pot and having sexual relations in her kitchen. When she just wanted to go to the bathroom! She didn't curse her friend out or anything, but I think the tone was warranted given how Miranda acted. People who have always been healthy/mobile can get REALLY snippy when they are sick and vulnerable.

As far as Miranda cheating on Steve, Miranda was wrong for doing that, and I would not mind if the writers explored how she/Steve were having problems again, IF we actually saw it- but Steve is a non entity right now. I didn't mind Miranda and Steve as a couple, but I always felt they decided to marry because they were parenting Brady. Not that there wasn't genuine emotion and affection between them, but if they hadnt conceived Brady, and been working together to raise him, I don't think they would've ended up together. With him almost an adult, I can believe they are having problems in their relationship.

25 minutes ago, ifionlyknew said:

The fact Miranda cheated is being glossed over. Miranda's explanation to Carrie that she is unhappy doesn't excuse it.  That was Steve's excuse in the first movie and Miranda didn't cut him any slack.    I feel like the writers expect us to sympathize with Miranda and I would do that if maybe they showed her being the least little conflicted but all I'm seeing is her giggling like a school girl over an absolutely awful character who I no doubt is going to end up hurting her.  When Carrie cheated on Aidan she at least felt guilty about it.  And yes I know her and Aidan were on more solid ground than Miranda and Steve.  If they have Miranda stop drinking will she better deal with her unhappiness?  Because I'm really hoping the woman we are watching now is just drunk Miranda and the real Miranda will make an appearance when she gets sober.

I would sympathize with Miranda if she would acknowledge what she has done/wants to continue to do, and we can see her reflect intellectually on how she reacted when Steve cheated 12ish years ago (in the universe of the show). I don't need Miranda to feel guilty, but if she decides to be honest with Steve and accept the consequences, I can respect that, rather than her wallowing. 

[Yogisbooboo64]

(Note to self, NEVER eat creamy chicken salad during sex scenes!)

What in the bluedilly finger fuck was that in the kitchen?!  I actually felt sorry for Carrie having to listen/see Miranda and Che making out, and I’ve never felt sorry for the heathen in all the SATC viewing.  But of course, any lingering sympathy went right out the window when she kept whining at Miranda for not being there when she needed her after telling her the first time.  And the way Che practically sprinted towards the door afterwards yeah, I think she’s gonna break Miranda’s heart.

Miranda and Steven have been through so much together, I refuse to believe that she has been this miserable, especially after the first movie (I can’t listen to Al Green’s How Can You Mend a Broken Heart without remembering their reconciliation scene, it was very sweet).  If you’re that trapped leave the man.

I found the school employees very condescending to Charlotte and Harry concerning Rose.  They should have called them right after Rose announced she wanted to be known as Rock.

[debbie311]

I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that Cynthia Nixon, as one of the executive producers, strongly suggested/insisted that Miranda's life mirror her own in this re-boot.

I remember the Miranda/Steve reconciliation in the movie. As I have said here and on other social media, I like to watch the old episodes from time to time.  I just don't think I will now.  How can I watch those old episodes knowing how it turns out, that it's almost fraudulent, there actually is no happy ending. I honestly wish I had not seen any of the re-boot.  Real life has been a shitshow these last couple of years.  Let me keep my fantasies.

[MicheleinPhilly]

I have a gazillion issues with this dumpster fire, most of which have been articulated by others but I have one gigantic issue with Che - they come across as slightly stalkerish WRT Carrie. 

I don't understand why they thought it was appropriate to show up at Big's funeral. Or the hospital. Or Carrie's apartment. I have co-workers that have become my friends but if someone I only recently started working with/for inserted themselves, uninvited, into any of  these situations I would tell them to take 37 GIGANTIC steps back. 

The writers are trying too hard to shoehorm them into every situation in order to justify the "relationship" with Miranda. 

Meanwhile I'm over here thinking Che comes across as non-binary Skipper. Settle down. If I didn't know any better, I'd think Che had a crush on Carrie, not Miranda. 

[BrindaWalsh]

Quote

I get the whole “I’m not like a regular boss, I’m the cool boss” vibe they’re trying for, but, good lord, if Che were a man, he would get extremely MeToo-ed for HAVING SEX IN AN EMPLOYEE’S APARTMENT while said employee was 50 feet away!  That’s the one issue they haven’t covered yet and I am begging the writers not to. (Though I guess they kinda covered it with Ron Rifkin’s perviness at Vogue in the original series.)

Thank you.  This is one of those things that drives me nuts about these things.  The standards apply to everybody.  Not just straight white privileged men.  Che has crossed SO many lines and it's not "woke," it's definitely not steamy, it's not cool, it is offensive and honestly they should be fired. 

Quote

I don't understand why they thought it was appropriate to show up at Big's funeral. Or the hospital. Or Carrie's apartment. I have co-workers that have become my friends but if someone I only recently started working with/for inserted themselves, uninvited, into any of  these situations I would tell them to take 37 GIGANTIC steps back. 

Thank you.  I can give a pass on the funeral.  When my parents dies half of my office showed up at the funeral, the other half made their way to the visitation.  But the hospital?  The apartment?  Send gift card to doordash or a bouquet of flowers.  Even dropping off the food and drink, okay,  but when Miranda said "come on up, come on in" the only appropriate thing for Che to do at that point was drop off the bottle and go and stay on the other side of that doorframe.  Yes, you can point a finger at Miranda here as well for inviting Che in, and I do, but at least she has the decency to admit that she is totally fucking things up right now and is unhappy (credit to CN for the acting on that one).  Che just sauntered out of there practically licking their finger.  

Poor Steve is just collateral damage in all of this, they are using him like a prop instead of recognizing that he is a beloved, respected and well established character in the show.  And I don't get why.  There are other ways to tell this story without sending in the wrecking ball.

And don't tell me that Miranda doesn't know how to keep it down during an orgasm.  She's lost all credibility in her complaints about her son and his girlfriend being too loud and not having boundries. 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by BrindaWalsh

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I have to say, I am appalled at Miranda's behavior at Carrie's house. I have been a caregiver for most of my life (in some form of another, for elderly relatives and relatives with disabilities- temporary and permanent), and I would NEVER behave the way Miranda did. 

Thank you!

 

Any time I read anything positive about this series I want to die a little inside, but I'm sooooooooo glad the consensus is that it's horrible.  I don't really care if that sounds evil, because they ruined one of my favourite shows, and frankly they deserve the hate they're getting.  A screw up from beginning to end.

[buttersister]

Quote

And the way Che practically sprinted towards the door afterwards yeah, I think she’s gonna break Miranda’s heart.

Go right ahead.

[ExMathMajor]

I'm coming in late on this and have only read about half the comments but based on what I've read on other episodes, I'm not surprised by the negative reactions.

For me this episode confirmed my decision to place a figurative fence around the original series in my imagination. This allows me to view AJLT as a kind of alternative reality SATC, set in the future, in which the characters look familiar but their history is completely different. Put another way, I'm now watching this show with a massive suspension of disbelief...like, Golden Gate Bridge-size suspension, lol.

I do realize that I'm sort of letting these writers off the hook a little by doing this...but I also understand that there really was no way they were going to revisit these characters without pissing the die-hards off in some way. And again, I'm someone who was PERFECTLY FINE with just the original series. I didn't need to see any revisiting ever again in my life.

I say all this to acknowledge that I'm one of the few who wasn't bothered by the Che-Miranda scene in Carrie's kitchen. In fact, can we acknowledge how little sex there's been up until now compared to the original series? I for one was happy to see some again, problematic though it was. (I'm not counting whatever that was between Brady and his girlfriend, and I'm definitely not counting the Big/Carrie trifle in episode 1.) Instead of thinking "Miranda wouldn't" and "Carrie wouldn't" I'm just interested in seeing what fallout, if any, will occur from this. I want to believe the writers will give me some, but I doubt it.

The other issues with this episode, to me, say more about the writing (and the writers) than they do about the characters. Minus all the history, I still think a better writing team could have created a Rose/Rock and Carrie/Carrie's hip storyline that would have make more sense.

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, buttersister said:

Go right ahead.

Good.  Miranda will deserve every last bit of it. And if/when she wakes up and her marriage is in ruins (and I know Steve cheated, but he was actually honest about it and remorseful! The three months after time line basically says Miranda keeps it going...) and he's gone and if her son is upset with her (even if he is an inconsiderate shithead), I hope she will still think her grossfest with Che was worth it.

[Alice Mudgarden]

On 1/3/2022 at 11:22 PM, violet and green said:

I'm still getting over those awful mating fox sounds that Miranda made in Carrie's kitchen...

Scarred for life.

What have poor, innocent foxes ever done to you that you're bringing them into this dumpster fire of a mess so casually?

[T Summer]

I have a question about this podcast thing...

If someone invites you to be on their podcast whether it's one time or on an ongoing basis, are you then in their employ? Is this usually a paid position? I must admit I was a little confused by some of the comments referring as Che as Carrie's boss and the idea that there would be an H.R. department to report inappropriate comments or deeds to.

I figured Che was instructing Carrie to spice it up if she wanted to continue appearing, not that  a boss was giving critique. It all seemed so informal.

Is this a real job nowadays ?

Perhaps I should go back to when Carrie was talking to Miranda in ep1...was it? about taking photos of people in interesting looks just for her own Instagram at first and see if she said how that lead to the podcast appearances? I just haven't really wanted to rewatch    these episodes.

[Lethallyfab]

I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts but they really should have thrown a Stamps.com or a Casper shout-out for believability.  

As far as I can tell, there are a couple different tiers of podcasts — the independents, who rely on said ads, sponsorships, and Patreon-tier memberships for funding and then the podcasts who are part of an existing podcast network or otherwise existing media group (i.e. - Hit Parade is a Slate.com podcast and Slate itself is a division of the Washington Post.)

Che’s podcast offices seemed pretty swanky rather than “we’re recording this in our apartment and we can’t afford actual mics,” so I don’t think the suggestion that they would have an HR department is unwarranted.

Going off the top of my head, Carrie guesting once and feeling unsettled about it might have been an interesting plotline — is she out of touch?  Has sex changed that much?  Now she has to re-examine and rethink her old columns — is there still _____ in the city? After 40?  50?  And now she has to reexplore those ideas.  

[T Summer]

12 minutes ago, Lethallyfab said:

I don’t listen to a lot of podcasts but they really should have thrown a Stamps.com or a Casper shout-out for believability.  

As far as I can tell, there are a couple different tiers of podcasts — the independents, who rely on said ads, sponsorships, and Patreon-tier memberships for funding and then the podcasts who are part of an existing podcast network or otherwise existing media group (i.e. - Hit Parade is a Slate.com podcast and Slate itself is a division of the Washington Post.)

Che’s podcast offices seemed pretty swanky rather than “we’re recording this in our apartment and we can’t afford actual mics,” so I don’t think the suggestion that they would have an HR department is unwarranted.

Going off the top of my head, Carrie guesting once and feeling unsettled about it might have been an interesting plotline — is she out of touch?  Has sex changed that much?  Now she has to re-examine and rethink her old columns — is there still _____ in the city? After 40?  50?  And now she has to reexplore those ideas.  

OK thanks. I was thinking if it didn't have some known media group attached and who's name they repeated early and often, they were  probably akin to You Tube videos everyone and their brothers  do really informally  in their home or office minus you know...  the video.

[Hana Chan]

There are so many problems with this show that I'm really not sure how the writers could have approached this without totally shitting all over the elements of the show that the audience had loved. You're dealing with three white, very financially privileged women at the stage of their lives where they naturally would reconsider a lot of things that they'd taken for granted. I've tried to think about how their storylines could have been handled in a more interest manner.

Carrie - I would have had Big die, but rather than having Carrie now being a wealthy widow, I would have had her inheritance much smaller. That most of Big's wealth wasn't personal but tied up in his business and she now is a woman in her 50s with no husband, real job and no financial security. She now is not just facing the loss of her husband, but the life of ease that she had become accustomed to and is now facing starting over at an age where it's hard for women to get back into the workforce. She's out of place and out of touch and the career that she'd had before her marriage no longer applies.

Miranda - I could see her going through something of a mid-life crisis, finding herself dissatisfied with her career and wondering if she was really living life to its fullest. With Steve's support (because he is a loving husband who wants his wife to be happy and because they can financially afford her to do so), Miranda quits her firm and uses her skills for a charitable organization. She might even get into politics. And she learned to relax and not control everything. For a woman who had been the most career-driven of the bunch, she finally realizes that she's more than just her current job. As for Brady, after being pushed to go into a lucrative career, he's pushing to explore a more artistic one that doesn't promise financial security, leading to arguments between him and his mother and between Miranda and Steve (Steve who would support Brady's interests).

Charlotte's story I would leave pretty much alone as far as the kids go, but I could see her wondering if she'd really made the most of her life. She sees Carrie struggling after Big's death and Miranda having her career crisis and starts asking herself if she is more than just a well off housewife. 

I would also have given a more plausible reason explain Samantha's absence that didn't crap on her character and make her seem foolish and petty. 

[Baltimore Betty]

11 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

There are so many problems with this show that I'm really not sure how the writers could have approached this without totally shitting all over the elements of the show that the audience had loved. You're dealing with three white, very financially privileged women at the stage of their lives where they naturally would reconsider a lot of things that they'd taken for granted. I've tried to think about how their storylines could have been handled in a more interest manner.

Carrie - I would have had Big die, but rather than having Carrie now being a wealthy widow, I would have had her inheritance much smaller. That most of Big's wealth wasn't personal but tied up in his business and she now is a woman in her 50s with no husband, real job and no financial security. She now is not just facing the loss of her husband, but the life of ease that she had become accustomed to and is now facing starting over at an age where it's hard for women to get back into the workforce. She's out of place and out of touch and the career that she'd had before her marriage no longer applies.

Miranda - I could see her going through something of a mid-life crisis, finding herself dissatisfied with her career and wondering if she was really living life to its fullest. With Steve's support (because he is a loving husband who wants his wife to be happy and because they can financially afford her to do so), Miranda quits her firm and uses her skills for a charitable organization. She might even get into politics. And she learned to relax and not control everything. For a woman who had been the most career-driven of the bunch, she finally realizes that she's more than just her current job. As for Brady, after being pushed to go into a lucrative career, he's pushing to explore a more artistic one that doesn't promise financial security, leading to arguments between him and his mother and between Miranda and Steve (Steve who would support Brady's interests).

Charlotte's story I would leave pretty much alone as far as the kids go, but I could see her wondering if she'd really made the most of her life. She sees Carrie struggling after Big's death and Miranda having her career crisis and starts asking herself if she is more than just a well off housewife. 

I would also have given a more plausible reason explain Samantha's absence that didn't crap on her character and make her seem foolish and petty. 

I wish you were a writer on this show, your take makes so much more sense.

[catherinejane]

I was wondering, in the hospital scene, how Carrie did not know she was peeing?

I get she may not have felt it, physically, but surely, like Charlotte, she would have heard it?

And whilst Charlotte needed to be there to assist after, she could have maybe loitered outside the bathroom door saying LA LA LA (or run a tap), rather than just stand there :D

(i did assume the waking up with pearls on was actually way after waking up from the operation and just something the ladies did to pass the time.

I am doing a law masters in UK and it takes up most of my time - Miranda should so fail hers if it was in any way realistic!

[ifionlyknew]

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Carrie - I would have had Big die, but rather than having Carrie now being a wealthy widow, I would have had her inheritance much smaller.

I might have had them divorced.  Carrie having signed a prenup she could have had to start over. And if there was a divorce they could have shown the reality that as a woman gets older it's a lot more likely her ex is going to remarry and to a younger woman.  Carrie could have had a new stick figure with no soul to hate.

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Miranda - I could see her going through something of a mid-life crisis, finding herself dissatisfied with her career and wondering if she was really living life to its fullest

 

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

She might even get into politics.

When this show was first announced I did theorize Miranda would run for office. I also thought they might have had her run into Robert.  She might have caught a glimpse of a road not taken.  

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Charlotte's story I would leave pretty much alone as far as the kids go, but I could see her wondering if she'd really made the most of her life. She sees Carrie struggling after Big's death and Miranda having her career crisis and starts asking herself if she is more than just a well off housewife. 

They could have done any number of things with Charlotte. I would have kept her happy with Harry. But I do think with her girls getting older and needing her less she might have felt like she needed something to do. She could have volunteered somewhere.  Or maybe she could have become a lifestyle/mommy blogger or something and become famous.

Not in my wildest dreams did I think they would have Carrie peeing in a Snapple bottle and Miranda cheating on Steve in Carrie's kitchen.

[Bookish Jen]

3 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

There are so many problems with this show that I'm really not sure how the writers could have approached this without totally shitting all over the elements of the show that the audience had loved. You're dealing with three white, very financially privileged women at the stage of their lives where they naturally would reconsider a lot of things that they'd taken for granted. I've tried to think about how their storylines could have been handled in a more interest manner.

Carrie - I would have had Big die, but rather than having Carrie now being a wealthy widow, I would have had her inheritance much smaller. That most of Big's wealth wasn't personal but tied up in his business and she now is a woman in her 50s with no husband, real job and no financial security. She now is not just facing the loss of her husband, but the life of ease that she had become accustomed to and is now facing starting over at an age where it's hard for women to get back into the workforce. She's out of place and out of touch and the career that she'd had before her marriage no longer applies.

Miranda - I could see her going through something of a mid-life crisis, finding herself dissatisfied with her career and wondering if she was really living life to its fullest. With Steve's support (because he is a loving husband who wants his wife to be happy and because they can financially afford her to do so), Miranda quits her firm and uses her skills for a charitable organization. She might even get into politics. And she learned to relax and not control everything. For a woman who had been the most career-driven of the bunch, she finally realizes that she's more than just her current job. As for Brady, after being pushed to go into a lucrative career, he's pushing to explore a more artistic one that doesn't promise financial security, leading to arguments between him and his mother and between Miranda and Steve (Steve who would support Brady's interests).

Charlotte's story I would leave pretty much alone as far as the kids go, but I could see her wondering if she'd really made the most of her life. She sees Carrie struggling after Big's death and Miranda having her career crisis and starts asking herself if she is more than just a well off housewife. 

I would also have given a more plausible reason explain Samantha's absence that didn't crap on her character and make her seem foolish and petty. 

Now this is a show I would want to watch. I don't know about anybody else, but as my friends and I went through some major upheavals once we got into our 50s-divorce, professional setbacks, physical and mental health issues, the death of one's parents, and the empty nest syndrome. And AJLT wouldn't necessarily have to make these issues all doom and gloom. There is humor to be found in the gallows of life.

[ifionlyknew]

16 minutes ago, Bookish Jen said:

And AJLT wouldn't necessarily have to make these issues all doom and gloom. There is humor to be found in the gallows of life.

That is what I thought they would have done.  I pictured one of the them doing online dating and all the fun stuff that could have come with that.  

[RedHawk]

I would have preferred Rose/Rock being a rising TikTok influencer, much to the amazement and confusion of both parents, to the way they're handling the gender uncertainty issue.

[Emma C]

I just binged episodes 3- this one (forget which #)- overall opinion? This horrible woke reboot is just cringy moment after cringier  moment. Charlotte with her racial quota dinner party? The trans-kid? Miranda experimenting with Che? I understand a show has to be woke to get on the air these days, but for the 99% of us that don't live in NYC, this is a joke.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Emma C

[candle96]

12 hours ago, T Summer said:

I have a question about this podcast thing...

If someone invites you to be on their podcast whether it's one time or on an ongoing basis, are you then in their employ? Is this usually a paid position? I must admit I was a little confused by some of the comments referring as Che as Carrie's boss and the idea that there would be an H.R. department to report inappropriate comments or deeds to.

I figured Che was instructing Carrie to spice it up if she wanted to continue appearing, not that  a boss was giving critique. It all seemed so informal.

Is this a real job nowadays ?

Perhaps I should go back to when Carrie was talking to Miranda in ep1...was it? about taking photos of people in interesting looks just for her own Instagram at first and see if she said how that lead to the podcast appearances? I just haven't really wanted to rewatch    these episodes.

I listen to a fairly popular podcast, Bitch Sesh, with legitimate comedians, and they were laughing about the fact that AJLT was calling Carrie's podcast her "job." The women on Bitch Sesh have several other jobs, they could not sustain on the podcast alone.

Edited January 5, 2022 by candle96

[Maysie]

The storyline I would be interested in seeing with Miranda and Steve would have been kind of two-fold. First, Steve has a bar - or at least he did - so how did he get through the pandemic? How is that not a financial struggle for them in some way? Even if they’re set financially from Miranda’s career, there’s still some financial burden to maintaining a shuttered business. And if that had been combined with Miranda questioning her career or life choices, that would have been plenty of drama that didn’t entail her cheating on Steve, but instead a natural questioning of “my life is more than half over and this huge event (pandemic) is happening so really, how do I want to spend the next 20-30 years?  It wouldn’t have to focus on the pandemic, but I think it would be realistic to acknowledge the fallout from it through such a story (people are leaving their jobs in record numbers and small businesses are struggling to stay afloat). I know people want to escape from the pandemic, but to use a realistic situation that many people find themselves in might make the story more relatable. Plus, it would also serve as a backdrop for how NYC has changed since the show went off the air.

But they would have to sacrifice a sexual/gender orientation storyline and god knows we can’t have that because there’s lost time to make up for… 

I posted a link in the media thread to a New York Times story today that basically refers to them as Rip Van Winkle. The story noted there’s nothing about menopause, or the male counterpart, andropause, and that the age-related stuff is clunky and a bit cringey.

From what I’ve been reading, it seems like the show has a major shortcoming of being out of touch or unrelatable; it sounds like the writers know they’re supposed to have a certain viewpoint but they don’t know why and so they don’t know how to write for it.

[SailorGirl]

3 hours ago, ifionlyknew said:

I might have had them divorced.  Carrie having signed a prenup she could have had to start over. And if there was a divorce they could have shown the reality that as a woman gets older it's a lot more likely her ex is going to remarry and to a younger woman.  Carrie could have had a new stick figure with no soul to hate.

One of the articles I read with Michael Patrick King said that for Carrie to truly move into this age on her own, Big's dying was the only option, as he was always her "person." He moved away, married Natasha, dated other women, Carrie dated other men, etc., but Carrie and Big would always be the end game and somehow or another find their way back to each other in some manner. Until he was dead, he would always be a factor in her life in some regard.

With Big dead, she has to finally and fully close that part of her psyche/life/etc. 

That makes a lot of sense and is in line with the entire canon of the original series.  If they'd given us the show they should have -- and the one we were hoping for -- that would have come through. 

[RealHousewife]

5 hours ago, catherinejane said:

I was wondering, in the hospital scene, how Carrie did not know she was peeing?

I get she may not have felt it, physically, but surely, like Charlotte, she would have heard it?

And whilst Charlotte needed to be there to assist after, she could have maybe loitered outside the bathroom door saying LA LA LA (or run a tap), rather than just stand there :D

I was confused by that too. I wondered if Carrie was too out of it due to pain meds.