S02.E02: The Real Deal

[Scarlett45]

7 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I'm not seeing Miranda, I see Cynthia Nixon.  Can the writers please find Miranda and bring her back to us?

I miss Miranda too!

Thank you for speaking the truth!

[MaggieG]

I laughed at Eden's face when Carrie opened her pigeon purse and took out a piece of gum

[bluegirl147]

23 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

I'm not seeing Miranda, I see Cynthia Nixon.  Can the writers please find Miranda and bring her back to us?

I don't think that's possible.  Miranda is completely ruined for me. Even if she left Che and wanted to go back to Steve I would hope he would tell her nope sorry I've moved on.  The Miranda I know would never have given up her life in NYC and a very good internship to go with someone clear across the company.  And we see what she does all day.  Stuff to keep herself busy since she has nothing to do except to wait for Che to have time for her.  She was loudly disapproving of Carrie doing exactly what Miranda is doing when she went to Paris to be with Alek.   I know she will be back in NYC eventually but we are still going to hear her talk about Che and their relationship like it's some great fairy tale love story.  If I could write this show I would have Miranda catch Che cheating on her.  

[Hana Chan]

I debated with myself about delving back into this garbage and clearly I decided that my time is perfectly fine to throw into the dumpster fire. Is the show marginally better than last season? Sure, but that's such a low bar that I'm not going to applaud for making the show just marginally more watchable. I still think that they're trying to find some kind of a story that resonates and that the writers have no clue what to do with women in their 50s. We're at a weird stage in our lives when we're not kids anymore, if we have children they're growing and finding their own identities outside of behind our kids. We might be widowed or divorces and trying to figure out the next stage of our lives while recognizing that the miles ahead are going to be fewer than the ones behind us. There is plenty of good ideas to tell intelligent, funny stories about this strange phase of our lives.

I don't have an issue with Carrie having casual sex, though I will agree that as a recent widow coming out of a long and supposedly happy marriage that it's fast. I wish that they would examine this - that after losing Big that she can't stand being alone while at the same time feeling like she's betraying Big's memory by trying to move on too quickly. Let Carrie vacillate and call into question pretty much everything in her life. She's independently wealthy and can do whatever she wants with her life without worrying about supporting herself and a podcast is the best storyline they could come up with? Why not show her trying to fit in with other wealthy women in her economic social circle with charities and showing how poorly she fits in with them. Have her consider taking the money and traveling the world. Anything more than this petty, silly bullshit.

Miranda also could have had an interesting storyline but CN was so focused on giving Miranda this quirky, queer storyline that she completely threw out all of the qualities that made Miranda an interesting character in the original series. It is possible to write a character discovering their sexual identity late in life (even though there was absolutely no indication that Miranda leaned that way before), but having her blow up her entire life in order to be with a person that she barely knew. She gave up her marriage and job and hasn't shown any sign of questioning her impulsive choices. Che is somewhat less obnoxious than they were last season, but having this marriage pop up and not have Miranda call Che out on their hypocrisy cements that this is not the character that we watched in the original series. This is all CN's social agenda and it is a major detriment to the show. I'd like to see some quiet moment where she really sits and questions what she's doing with her life and how  unfair she was to Steve and Brady. But given the influence that SN is so freely exercising, I highly doubt we're ever going to see anything that might paint Miranda in a less than favorable light.

Charlotte's storyline is the most relatable and there is the potential for a story that resonates since  her problems are more like what her audience is dealing with (minus the huge wealth). It feels like they get just to the edge of making this a really good story but are afraid to actually take that step. It is logical that Charlotte would struggle with watching her children grow into adult and start separating themselves from her and her image of the people that they should be. I get why she would cling to hard so the trappings of their childhood. I just wish that the show would let her delve more into her emotions and really wrestle with the fact that her children were growing up and that as a result, she was growing older.

It still so disappointing that the potential of this reboot is squandered for cheap laughs and superficial storylines that don't have the characters really dealing with the challenges of being a woman and aging. Not that the original series didn't have it's silly and shallow storylines, but there always was a deeper complexity that added weight to them. This show is all surface.

Sorry for the long rant.

Edited June 24, 2023 by Hana Chan

[Rebecca berkowit]

Also, isn’t a blow-dry supposed to DRY the hair?  As in, when it’s wet?  Who goes in for a blowout and all the guy does is fluff around your already-dry hair?  Why didn’t they show her going to the sink first?  Wouldn’t he say “go get washed?”  (He certainly would, or wash it himself).  Obviously, they just wanted to show the conversation and also maybe have no idea what a blowout involves. Do they have any women writers on this show or is it all gay men?  At least have him say something like “How do you want to style it today?” , so it seems like maybe a consultation they would be having before the washing or something, and not like they’re showing the actual blowout. (Or, make it a haircut!  Or show her starting the conversation after coming from the sink, not walking in the door! So many possibilities instead of this lazy writing!). And then, the guy’s like, “I’m not done!” No shit, dude, you didn’t even start yet!  (You fluffed the hair around slightly, like a terrible actor with bad writing and no direction).    She isn’t washed!   Someone tell me, are dry blowouts a thing?  I have seen it on the menu at some quick blowout places, but I don’t think it’s the usual procedure. Especially for people with curly/wavy hair- you need to apply the heat when it’s wet, once it’s dry it’s too late to get it smooth.  A blow dryer is just that, a DRYER.  If you’re going to make a cheap  “blow me” joke (and I am not above doing that with my stylist), at least know what you are talking about.  

Edited June 23, 2023 by Rebecca berkowit

[shelley1234]

I am often a nostalgic tv watcher, so even when I think this show is bad (and often I do), I'll still tune in. 

As for Charlotte's storyline, she probably would have had a lot more success having her lawyer husband send a legal notice that their child is not of legal age and therefore not able to engage in selling the items so the sale is null and void...and that the items need to be returned.  But I get that they wanted Charlotte to almost be a Karen and then realize that the items aren't the things she valued.   So fine.  

Oliver Hudson.  Well hello.  I've been a fan all the way to Dawson's Creek to Splitting Up Together and then to The Cleaning Lady.   I hope we see him again.  I'd also like to see him interact with Che.  I have seen a good number of people transition from married to just really good friends.   I do hate the relationship of Miranda and Che, but because like many others, it doesn't feel like Miranda.  She feels lost in all this and her not in NY with the others feels like a different show. 

All in all, the show is fine.  Not great, not dreadful...it's just fine.  

[Scarlett45]

12 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

I don't have an issue with Carrie having casual sex, though I will agree that as a recent widow coming out of a long and supposedly happy marriage that it's fast.

Big has been dead a year in show time, I don’t think it was that fast. 

 

13 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

Che is somewhat less obnoxious than they were last season, but having this marriage pop up and not have Miranda call Che out on their hypocrisy cements that this is not the character that we watched in the original series.

YES!

 

8 minutes ago, shelley1234 said:

Oliver Hudson.  Well hello.  I've been a fan all the way to Dawson's Creek to Splitting Up Together and then to The Cleaning Lady.   I hope we see him again.  I'd also like to see him interact with Che.  I have seen a good number of people transition from married to just really good friends.   I do hate the relationship of Miranda and Che, but because like many others, it doesn't feel like Miranda.  She feels lost in all this and her not in NY with the others feels like a different show. 

I would like them to keep Oliver Hudson as a supporting character. I don’t think they’d cast him for one scene. 

[bluegirl147]

8 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Big has been dead a year in show time, I don’t think it was that fast. 

 

I started dating seven months after my husband died. There is no timetable for when people who have lost their spouses to enter the dating world again.  

[Scarlett45]

7 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

I started dating seven months after my husband died. There is no timetable for when people who have lost their spouses to enter the dating world again.  

Sorry for the loss of your husband. 
 

Yeah I don’t think Carrie’s hooking up now is atypical. 

[bluegirl147]

1 minute ago, Scarlett45 said:

Sorry for the loss of your husband. 
 

Yeah I don’t think Carrie’s hooking up now is atypical. 

Thank you.  I was 43.  Which is a relatively young widow.  What rang true for me is last season when Carrie thought she was ready to date and realized she wasn't.   I also understand her being leery of making her hook ups with the cute producer into something more serious.  It might sound weird but sleeping with someone after your spouse dies is one thing but developing feelings for someone after your spouse dies can kinda feel like you are betraying them.   You aren't of course but sometimes it takes time to realize that.

[Mrsmaul2021]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

Carrie said in episode one that Standford sent her a Kimono from Japan (she was wearing it when the designer came before the Met Gala). So Stanford is alive in universe but still in Japan. 

Okay, thanks 

[libgirl2]

5 hours ago, greekmom said:

No one care about continuity.  I mean I still recall the episode in the original where the law partners thought Miranda was a lesbian and tried to fix her up with another gal. Miranda kissed the woman in the elevator and went yep -nope.  FF - now we have Miranda eating Che out.  I am not saying things don't happen in a span of what - 30 years but comeon...

 

Exactly! Yes, people change through the years but Miranda was firmly straight. And as said, it wasn't just her sexuality that changed it was her character. Leaving everything for someone she barely knew? No. 

Edited June 23, 2023 by libgirl2

[tennisgurl]

Che was actually a tiny bit less annoying in this one, but Miranda very much picked up the slack. Is this really what Cynthia wanted for Miranda? She started this show wanting to go back to school to start helping fight injustice, and now she's just aimlessly wandering around LA to be with a second rate comedian she has no chemistry with. I honestly thought for a second that Miranda was just going to AA for something to do, I totally forgot about her alcoholic story, that's how uninteresting it was. Che is also a massive hypocrite for not telling Miranda that they are still married considering how pissed they were about Miranda being married and when they started dating. How has that not come up? 

I understand Carrie not being ready to date, I think that part of the story is fine, but the podcast stuff was incredibly stupid. How could the whole podcast network shut down because one podcaster didn't want to do one add? I was hoping that between seasons the writers might have learned something about how podcasts work, but that clearly did not happen. It was also really off-putting how blasé she was about so many people losing their jobs, obviously Carrie will be fine but not everyone who worked there is as fabulously wealthy as she is. 

I thought that Charlottes story was by far the best one, while she might be pretty neurotic about clothes it was clearly more about feeling like her daughters are outgrowing her, which is the sort of stories that I wanted from this show in the first place. I'm also glad that Lily is getting more screen time, last season it was all about Rock. The actress has a pretty voice and her song sounded very much like a song that a girl her age would write. 

Seema's golden outfit looked amazing, if nothing else the clothes this season have been pretty great.

[Hanahope]

1 hour ago, Hana Chan said:

Charlotte's storyline is the most relatable and there is the potential for a story that resonates since  her problems are more like what her audience is dealing with (minus the huge wealth). It feels like they get just to the edge of making this a really good story but are afraid to actually take that step. It is logical that Charlotte would struggle with watching her children grow into adult and start separating themselves from her and her image of the people that they should be. I get why she would cling to hard to the trappings of their childhood. I just wish that the show would let her delve more into her emotions and really wrestle with the fact that her children were growing up and that as a result, she was growing older.

Yes.  It must have been very hard for Charlotte to listen to Lily's song and think about everything she has done for her to have Lily write a song about how she rejects everything, right after selling all her designer clothing (which imo, is a good reason not to buy designer clothing for children).  and yes, Charlotte is beginning to realize her children are growing up and have to live their own lives and that probably makes Charlotte not only feel old, but also wonder what place she will have in her children's future.  

It is nice that Carrie can apply another memory to her wedding outfit.  

Miranda, if you are going to live in LA for any length of time, learn to drive!  it will make your life a lot easier, and you'll find more things to do if you have your own car.    LA is not NYC.

 

[slowpoked]

14 hours ago, Shermie said:

I still can’t believe Carrie lives in such a small nondescript apartment. Her bed is a double, at best. How is that conducive to an active sex life?

It wasn't a problem when she was single in her 30s and bringing home guys, if it's the same bed (I assume the mattress has been replaced) As far as I can remember, Big, Aidan, Berger, her fuck buddy, Bon Jovi all stayed in her apartment and slept on her bed. 

[greekmom]

37 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I thought that Charlottes story was by far the best one, while she might be pretty neurotic about clothes it was clearly more about feeling like her daughters are outgrowing her, which is the sort of stories that I wanted from this show in the first place. I'm also glad that Lily is getting more screen time, last season it was all about Rock. The actress has a pretty voice and her song sounded very much like a song that a girl her age would write. 

Seema's golden outfit looked amazing, if nothing else the clothes this season have been pretty great.

I think I would have respected Charlotte's storyline if Lily's issue would have been the whole "adoption/who am I" trope instead of "poor little rich girl".

[libgirl2]

1 minute ago, greekmom said:

I think I would have respected Charlotte's storyline if Lily's issue would have been the whole "adoption/who am I" trope instead of "poor little rich girl".

Not everyone who is adopted wonders about that. I have several friends who are and they have told me they have no urge to find that out. I am glad they went with something different. 

[txhorns79]

43 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Che is also a massive hypocrite for not telling Miranda that they are still married considering how pissed they were about Miranda being married and when they started dating. How has that not come up? 

In fairness to Che, they were unhappy because while they knew Miranda was married, Che thought Miranda was in an open marriage.  When Che found out that was not the case, Che said that they did not want to be a homewrecker and told Miranda to figure it out.  Here, Che is married, but it's a marriage on paper only.  

Now mind you, I would not have sent the guy to pick Miranda up in the manner Che did without making it clear who the guy was.  That was poor behavior.  

[Lethallyfab]

Carrie’s Pigeon can be yours if you have $890 to spend.  890 dollars!

[CarpeFelis]

31 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

Yes.  It must have been very hard for Charlotte to listen to Lily's song and think about everything she has done for her to have Lily write a song about how she rejects everything, right after selling all her designer clothing

I think Charlotte will come around but first we’ll see a lot of handwringing and pearl clutching. Charlotte and AKA Mom both seem to have very definite opinions about How One Should Present Oneself.

9 minutes ago, Lethallyfab said:

Carrie’s Pigeon can be yours if you have $890 to spend.  890 dollars!

ROTFLMAO! $890 for a 3D-printed piece of plastic! And cheap plastic was exactly what it looked like on the show. When I first saw Carrie in that ugly outfit carrying this thing I thought she was headed to a costume party as a janitor.

I can’t help imagining “Callie Torres” rather than Che marrying Oliver Hudson‘s character. A lot must have happened since then.

[slowpoked]

57 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Not everyone who is adopted wonders about that. I have several friends who are and they have told me they have no urge to find that out. I am glad they went with something different. 

I agree. I also like that they're treating Lily as a regular rich kid like most shows would if she was a white kid. Last season I know there were grumblings of why Lily's storyline isn't the racism suffered by Asian Americans during the height of the pandemic, instead of being a piano prodigy and struggling with her period/puberty, etc. If Lily was a white kid no one would question her storyline about struggling to deal with puberty, growing up, etc. Asian kids also go through that same confusing time in their lives. I think it would actually be disrespectful to her character, ANY character actually, to reduce their storylines to whatever race issues their race has at that time. I would think these characters would want to be treated like any other regular (white) characters too.

Edited June 23, 2023 by slowpoked

[TV Diva Queen]

3 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

Also, isn’t a blow-dry supposed to DRY the hair?  As in, when it’s wet?  Who goes in for a blowout and all the guy does is fluff around your already-dry hair?  Why didn’t they show her going to the sink first?  Wouldn’t he say “go get washed?”  (He certainly would, or wash it himself).  Obviously, they just wanted to show the conversation and also maybe have no idea what a blowout involves. Do they have any women writers on this show or is it all gay men?  At least have him say something like “How do you want to style it today?” , so it seems like maybe a consultation they would be having before the washing or something, and not like they’re showing the actual blowout. (Or, make it a haircut!  Or show her starting the conversation after coming from the sink, not walking in the door! So many possibilities instead of this lazy writing!). And then, the guy’s like, “I’m not done!” No shit, dude, you didn’t even start yet!  (You fluffed the hair around slightly, like a terrible actor with bad writing and no direction).    She isn’t washed!   Someone tell me, are dry blowouts a thing?  I have seen it on the menu at some quick blowout places, but I don’t think it’s the usual procedure. Especially for people with curly/wavy hair- you need to apply the heat when it’s wet, once it’s dry it’s too late to get it smooth.  A blow dryer is just that, a DRYER.  If you’re going to make a cheap  “blow me” joke (and I am not above doing that with my stylist), at least know what you are talking about.  

Exactly - her hair looked worse than when she walked in - I thought he was checking her hair to see what needs to be done before he sent her for the wash

Edited June 23, 2023 by TV Diva Queen

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

I think I would have respected Charlotte's storyline if Lily's issue would have been the whole "adoption/who am I" trope instead of "poor little rich girl".

 

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

Not everyone who is adopted wonders about that. I have several friends who are and they have told me they have no urge to find that out. I am glad they went with something different. 

I didn’t see Lily’s storyline as “poor little rich girl”. Lily wanted something for her art, her parents told her she needed to finance it herself, so she sold what she had to get something she wanted. I wonder what other options Lily would’ve had to get her keyboard? She’s 16 in the universe of the show- I would’ve done the exact same thing, I don’t quite get what Charlotte expected her to do. Take it out of her savings? Selling her clothes seemed to be more financially responsible. 
 

I may need to check my privilege (that happens!) but I thought Lily made a good choice to be able to afford her keyboard. 
 

I appreciated this storyline more than a more often explored adoption trope so I agree with @libgirl2 .

40 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

I think Charlotte will come around but first we’ll see a lot of handwringing and pearl clutching. Charlotte and AKA Mom both seem to have very definite opinions about How One Should Present Oneself

Yes. That’s why I liked Herbert’s mother so much. I didn’t see LTW’s interaction with her as an exposition on being black, this may be because I AM black, I just saw it as “what happens when your mother in law comes to visit”. It felt very real to me. 

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

Now mind you, I would not have sent the guy to pick Miranda up in the manner Che did without making it clear who the guy was.  That was poor behavior.  

And a plot contrivance.  These writers are just not that good.

[chitowngirl]

2 hours ago, slowpoked said:

It wasn't a problem when she was single in her 30s and bringing home guys, if it's the same bed (I assume the mattress has been replaced) As far as I can remember, Big, Aidan, Berger, her fuck buddy, Bon Jovi all stayed in her apartment and slept on her bed. 

The mattress was replaced in the first movie after they got back from Mexico and Carrie moved back there and her assistant coordinated everything. The delivery guy was looking at Louise’s cleavage and she countered, “there ain’t nothing in there for you!”😆

[Hana Chan]

2 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Charlotte is beginning to realize her children are growing up and have to live their own lives and that probably makes Charlotte not only feel old, but also wonder what place she will have in her children's future.  

It always struck me that Charlotte would have the biggest issues as she matured because her entire life is wrapped up in being a wife and mother. It's easy when your children are young and dependent on you, but what happens now that they are teens and starting to find their lives away from you. I would love to see Charlotte  really wrestle with the realization that before long, she is not going to be needed by them and they'll have their own lives. 

Also, it's very obvious that Kristen has had some pretty extensive procedures done, so why not lean into that for Charlotte? Have this grasping for her youth and all that it entailed (including her children) and that she is terrified or aging and becoming less relevant. That would be interesting. Not seeing Miranda suddenly turning into the stupidest women in LA and Carrie doing whatever Carrie is doing.

[RedInk]

Beginning this season, I’m more in the camp that Che isn’t really such an awful character. Not actually funny, kind of too much, sure. Minor infractions. But MIRANDA, who had a loyal fan base, is now even more so an egregiously awful character, and Che was the catalyst, so Che gets more hate than likely deserved (IMO). I do think Miranda’s going to have a change of heart about becoming so dependent on another person and may do an about-face, but she’s too gross to acknowledge anything she’s left in her wake. I wish they’d do something nice for Steve this season because the “this (ring) is never coming off” ending was heartbreaking. And I’ve got no segue for this, but Oliver Hudson is a doll. 

[Scarlett45]

37 minutes ago, RedInk said:

Beginning this season, I’m more in the camp that Che isn’t really such an awful character. Not actually funny, kind of too much, sure. Minor infractions. But MIRANDA, who had a loyal fan base, is now even more so an egregiously awful character, and Che was the catalyst, so Che gets more hate than likely deserved (IMO). I do think Miranda’s going to have a change of heart about becoming so dependent on another person and may do an about-face, but she’s too gross to acknowledge anything she’s left in her wake. I wish they’d do something nice for Steve this season because the “this (ring) is never coming off” ending was heartbreaking. And I’ve got no segue for this, but Oliver Hudson is a doll. 

Yeah, Che has been fine so far this season. I’m more disappointed that a non binary character was written so poorly, portrayed by an actor we know is talented. 

Steve was hurt but he deserves way better than Miranda. I did like the idea of him with Nya. Or hell, Steve’s bar could’ve been the spot Nya went where people didn’t know her husband and she could’ve met the sexy guy that way!

[Peace 47]

I actually liked this episode better than the first one. 

Tony Danza looks fab. He’s been around in pop culture forever, so I was thinking he was older than he actually is:  he’s 72.  

I enjoy handbag YouTube as my escape indulgence. And I guess correspondingly, the outrageous/ fun/ funky/ trendy/ whatever fashion and handbags are my chief reason for watching this show.  To that end, the JW Anderson pigeon clutch brought it.  I mean, I do want to see some Fendi/ LV/ YSL/ Dior bags that I would actually drool over and aspire to buy (and have been a little disappointed on that front so far), but the pigeon clutch was fun for what it was.  It suits Carrie’s vibe.

[violet and green]

9 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Is the show marginally better than last season? Sure, but that's such a low bar that I'm not going to applaud for making the show just marginally more watchable.

Really? I was planning on hate-watching, with my finger ready to fast forward through the unbearable dross. I'm not sure if I enjoyed any of season one, so to find myself enjoying so many aspects of the first episode particularly and a fair bit of this one, and to be watching with interest, is a whole lot more than marginal improvement, in my view.

There really is no point in trying to watch what the show could have been, all the topics they could have or should have covered in an alternate reality. This is what they have come up with for this new show, and I am pretty amazed they listened to the criticisms and tried to fix what was fixable in season two.

[buckboard]

1) Where are Che and Miranda getting the money to rent that nice place and pay for all their other expenses?  The pilot hasn't sold and Miranda isn' working.

2) Why didn't Miranda first try calling her missing phone instead of Carrie in New York?  Or doesn't she know that either?

3)  Searching for her phone, Miranda threw all the seaweed and garbage that they'd spent the whole afternoon picking up out of the trash baskets back onto the sand.  

 

[CarpeFelis]

8 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I didn’t see Lily’s storyline as “poor little rich girl”. Lily wanted something for her art, her parents told her she needed to finance it herself, so she sold what she had to get something she wanted. I wonder what other options Lily would’ve had to get her keyboard? She’s 16 in the universe of the show- I would’ve done the exact same thing, I don’t quite get what Charlotte expected her to do. Take it out of her savings? Selling her clothes seemed to be more financially responsible. 

I may need to check my privilege (that happens!) but I thought Lily made a good choice to be able to afford her keyboard. 

The “poor little rich girl” aspect wasn’t so much about how she got the keyboard as the “poor little rich me, my surroundings are so devoid of meaning” type of song she wrote.

[Snazzy Daisy]

Wait a minute, we aren’t gonna see Franklyn again? Damn it!

Carrie does deranged quite well… 😆  
 

[Scarlett45]

8 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

The “poor little rich girl” aspect wasn’t so much about how she got the keyboard as the “poor little rich me, my surroundings are so devoid of meaning” type of song she wrote.

Oh I see! Thank you. 

[RoseGold13]

On 6/22/2023 at 10:49 PM, Scarlett45 said:

There are historically Black Sororities and Fraternities, which still exist but originate from a history of segregation in the USA. For ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery) persons, even if you weren’t involved in Black Greek life, you understand the cultural references and the stereotypes. There are a number of stereotypes about women that pledge AKA - Alpha Kappa Alpha and Herbert’s mother fit them all it was so comical when we saw her with her friends, we KNEW as @RoseGold13 and I noticed at the same time. 
 

AKA colors are pink and green, very distinctive so it was a clear sign to the audience if you are familiar with that culture. Delta- another black sorority, has white and red as their colors. So yes it was assumed the audience would know she was an AKA. 

Perfectly explained! 😃

[RedHawk]

20 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Not everyone who is adopted wonders about that. I have several friends who are and they have told me they have no urge to find that out. I am glad they went with something different. 

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

[Hana Chan]

11 hours ago, CarpeFelis said:

The “poor little rich girl” aspect wasn’t so much about how she got the keyboard as the “poor little rich me, my surroundings are so devoid of meaning” type of song she wrote.

I actually like this as a storyline for Charlotte. Here is a woman who came from a very well off background where she had one real job in adulthood before marriage to a socially appropriate man (and then to a less socially but certainly economically appropriate man). She has never questioned her wealth or her lack of any real purpose outside of being a wife and mother and she focuses a great deal on the superficial status symbols of her social station. That doesn't mean that she's shallow, but there is a reason why she is the way she is.

Her two children, rather than being perfect ornaments to her perfect life are proving to be a lot more complex than she anticipated and equipped to deal with. One is gender neutral and now Lilly is starting to question the things that Charlotte never did about her own upbringing. I like that, as with Harry becoming the great love of her life, that Charlotte often finds that things not turning out the way she planned bring her the greatest joy. And an intriguing character arc for her would be to take a hard look at her life and realize that she is capable of far more than just being a society wife. That maybe all these trapping of wealth that she prizes so highly really aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. I always felt like Charlotte got short changed on really meaty storylines because she started off as the most conservative and naïve of the group and most of her stories ended up being more comic relief. Outside of her failed marriage to Trey and her fertility woes, the one story that stands out most in my memory is the rabbit vibe addiction. I'd like to see her really take this new stage in her life as the opportunity to evolve.

[Aulty]

I loved the little scene where Rock  realises she has to support Lily because Lily supported her during her Rose to Rock journey, and then does. I like those two girls.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, RedHawk said:

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

One of the women I know did one of those DNA tests just to see her heritage. She pretty much got confirmation of what we all that, Irish mainly. 

[Lola82]

This show is really the definition of hate-watching.

Seema is exhausting! She walks out on every conversation she doesn’t like. Like a petulant child.

Why would you wear cowboy boots to a beach cleanup?! That drove me crazy.

The dialogue in this show is so strange, like no one actually hears what the other person is saying. Miranda answers the phone “I can’t talk right now” and Nya ignores her and goes on a rant. Miranda again says “I have to go” and Nya ignores her and makes a comment about guitars. 
Then at the lunch with Charlotte, LTW, and Anthony - Charlotte is ranting about the clothes. LTW says something about her MIL visiting and Charlotte ignores her and goes back to talking about clothes. Everyone is in their own world.

[Lethallyfab]

On 6/24/2023 at 8:43 AM, Hana Chan said:

Outside of her failed marriage to Trey and her fertility woes, the one story that stands out most in my memory is the rabbit vibe addiction.

I’ll never forget when everyone was trying to support Miranda in turning down the guy who was really into rimming, Charlotte casually mentioned “oh, Trey loves it!”  That and when she drunkenly reveals to her sorority sisters that she Trey is failing and she just wants to get good and “really fucked.”  Charlotte may be a Princess in the streets, but she’s a freak in the sheets.

Stephanie Zacharek did a really good long-take on why we should praise Charlotte York:

(I can’t do the quotations coding right for the life of me, I’ve tried editing thrice to no avail, please forgive me):

“She's the show's stealth actress, and the one whose character demands the utmost compassion and openness from us. Face it: Who wants to admit that Junior League types are people too? 

Davis is gifted in a different way from the others. She has a knack for stylized farce that's both broader than what the others do and yet subtler and much harder to pull off. She'd be perfectly at home wrestling down the wriggly charms of elegant '30s romantic comedies. Her face, with its delicately chiseled nose and alert brown eyes, is 100 percent high-society, but her smile has the fresh earnestness of a farm girl, and she seems to know it: She plays uptown and out-of-town against each other as if there were no difference between them.”

(I highly recommend the rest of Zacharek’s writings on the show, including S6’s ‘The Trouble with Carrie.’)

I agree that the writers should take a decent opportunity to have Charlotte go deep in introspecting her “perfect” life.  Hopefully they make her midlife crises more palatable than Miranda’s. 

Should we have seen more awkward attempts from the Podcast Sponsor regulars?  
 

Carrie: “When I’m getting rammed by my younger ‘lovah’ - I need trust and support.  That’s why I trust Casper to provide a mattress that offers support with its patented memory foam cushioning!”

“Can barely poach an egg?  You can still try Hello Fresh!  It’s healthy and simple!”

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Lethallyfab
Quotations, again and again

[Mellowyellow]

Ok this episode was worth it just for the pigeon purse!!!!! I almost died laughing during that scene. SJP's casual expression and the salesgirl's face was priceless as well.

I really like Carrie this season. She and Charlotte still remind me of SATC but I felt like she was a more sensible version of Carrie here (I liked the end scene where they went their separate ways. I thought it was mature and sane) and I enjoyed that.

I'm enjoying it so far. I just fast forward the bits I don't like, mainly Miranda the shrew, and the other random lady who is always miserable and screaming about something.

Wexleys are charming and need more screentime!

[greekmom]

14 hours ago, DrivingSideways said:

So much to say... sometimes it feels like aliens wrote this show - the actions and dialogue are just so strange to me.

Probably an AI.

[AKimbo]

I'm enjoying this second season better than the first but it still feels spastic to me. The Wexleys are my favorite characters and I'd watch a spinoff just about them and AKA Mom. She is a hoot--some of that generational dynamic would be interesting to explore.  

[RedDelicious]

I liked Miranda much better when she was straight and cynical. The full nudity in the deprivation tank was stupid. We get it, CN is here to normalize nearly 60-year old naked bodies but that was really dumb. The character is way too uptight for a sensory deprivation tank and doesn’t she have a bad back anyway?

[WendyCR72]

As I said, if Cynthia Nixon wanted to play out her real life, she could have been in some new series. I have absolutely zero issues with Nixon wanting to play a LGBTQ character. Hell, this show could have introduced another actress to play out a new character coming out later if Nixon wanted her story told, since that character would be a blank.

I have issues with her morphing Miranda into that character, since it flies in the face of that character's established history. Especially since SATC had a whole episode devoted to Miranda pondering lesbianism and then deciding that, no, she's straight. I know some do come out late in life, but again, her character had shown no real interest or any doubts about who she was.

So the revisionist history to accommodate the "new" Miranda just bugs and doesn't seem authentic. Not to mention that Miranda went from jaded and bluntly honest to the clinging vine, ditzy type that she so abhorred.

And, because of that, more than the abrupt change in her sexual orientation, it basically has tainted the character for me - and many other viewers, it appears.

[Cosmocrush]

On 6/23/2023 at 7:05 PM, buckboard said:

3)  Searching for her phone, Miranda threw all the seaweed and garbage that they'd spent the whole afternoon picking up out of the trash baskets back onto the sand.  

I know!!   Not bothering to put it all back just added another reason why I do not like this Miranda. 

On 6/24/2023 at 6:43 AM, Hana Chan said:

I'd like to see her [Charlotte] really take this new stage in her life as the opportunity to evolve.

I really like that idea but fear that is waaaay beyond these writers.  

[Asp Burger]

On 6/23/2023 at 1:39 AM, Lethallyfab said:

I wouldn’t have known that Franklyn’s name was spelled a stupid way without the closed-captioning but he’s hot enough for me to ignore.

Fitting, considering that the star and executive producer of the show gave her career-best performance as SanDeE*.  
 

 

[ruby24]

A really big problem for me is that Miranda and Che are such a HORRIBLE couple- I realized watching these episodes that I can stand both of them a lot more when they're in scenes not with each other. Honestly, I didn't mind Che that much in these episodes? But the two of them together just...seem so wrong. I'm sorry, but they have absolutely zero chemistry. Actually, it's more like anti-chemistry. And they also just look wrong together. You know how sometimes you see two people together and think these two just two just don't match at all. Like, AT ALL. Why would either of them be interested in the other? They have nothing in common. There's a massive age difference and generation gap. It does not make sense in any way. 

I think they're one of worst pairings I've ever seen on television. In one scene (and they didn't even share screentime!) I could more easily picture Sara Ramirez with Oliver Hudson than Cynthia Nixon.

Miranda not being anything like Miranda from SATC is hugely problematic. I think she was actually worse than Che in these episodes. And I don't know how they're going to fix this, since Cynthia Nixon wants her character to be a completely different person than what she was before. When Che and Miranda inevitably bite the dust, is Miranda just going to be into women now because Nixon is?

Edited June 26, 2023 by ruby24

[Hana Chan]

1 hour ago, ruby24 said:

Cynthia Nixon wants her character to be a completely different person than what she was before.

That really nails just why Miranda is such a huge problem. This series isn't about continuing Miranda's story from SITC and the films. This is about Cynthia Nixon's personal agenda. Miranda doesn't work because she's not an updated version of the character that we watched for so many years. She's just CN in costume, and it's really telling that just like in CN's real life, Miranda's attraction is to someone who doesn't fit standard gender norms and is seen has having very masculine traits. This is not a slam on Sara Rodriguez (who I normally adore and support 100%) but having Che be Miranda's sudden gay awakening just makes it look too much like they're coping CN's life. CN was married to a man for 15 years before divorcing and getting together with her current wife, and now Miranda divorces her long-time husband to get together with Che.

This can be done well if we had seen some kind of evolution of Miranda showing that she was dissatisfied with her marriage and had found sexual interest in women over a period of time. But the last we saw of her and Steve, she had been devastated that he'd cheated on her and make him crawl over broken glass to earn her forgiveness. She was still deeply invested in their relationship, otherwise she wouldn't have cared. But along comes Che with their magic fingers and suddenly Miranda not only can't wait to escape the hell of her marriage but declares her undying love for Che. If the show had taken it's time, even over the course of two seasons to show this change in Miranda (who had previously shown disgust when Samantha was involved with another woman), it could have worked (even if we never escaped the issue of this copying CN's life). But it was so rushed that it makes it completely unbelievable. And I agree that there is nil in the way of chemistry between Miranda and Che. CN looks pretty good for her age, but I find it hard to see how someone like Che, who is a decade younger, would have been at all interested in a (previously) grey-haired and presumably straight woman.