S02.E04: Alive!

[CarpeFelis]

For me this was the STFU Episode:

STFU, Brady. First the snotty comment about the headphones. (You want to wise off to your mom? See if you can find somewhere else to live rent free.) Then demanding to know what’s going on between his parents in the therapy session. He has a right to know whether they intend to stay together. He does NOT have the right to demand any details of what’s going on between them.

STFU, Bitsy. And learn to read the room. Carrie was plainly taken aback at finding out Bitsy was the “little bird” and equally plainly not the slightest bit interested in Marlon, but Bitsy just kept pushing and Would. Not. Shut. Up. And sending her that dick pic was just wrong. No consent from Carrie to receive it and no consent from Marlon to share it. And BTW, Bitsy, your wig sucks.

STFU, Mother Wexler, you hypocrite. She says nothing about her precious baby boy forgetting to send out the invitations, but castigates Lisa for not sending out WRITTEN invitations, like the invitations should’ve been her responsibility all along. And then the bitch goes on a rant about how dare Lisa have a career and not spend all her time catering to her husband. Barf. I was cheering for Billy Dee when he (in effect) told her off. It’s about damn time someone did. Harry deserves a medal for going back to sit by her again. Which deserves another STFU to Charlotte for ordering him to do that. If they were going to have Gloria Steinem in this episode, I wish it had been a scene where she tells Mother Wexler what’s what!

BTW, though I’ve never really cared for Steve, it was nice to see him this way rather than being the doddering old man portrayed in season 1. He’s not THAT old!

[DoubleUTeeEff]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

It’s like if George Lucas read all the reviews of Phantom Menace and then decided to build the rest of the franchise around Jar Jar Binks out of spite. 

This is too good. Perhaps we should refer to them as Che Che Binks from now on.

So strangely, I find myself disagreeing with a lot of the audience reaction so far. I'm in 100% agreement that Che is a total asshole and very unfunny, especially for a stand-up. A sitcom that no one will watch seems their speed, so that's realistic at least. @Penman1 covered how fucked up that whole threesome situation was so I won't go over that again, not that I have a problem if 3 consenting adults want to participate or that it make an LGBTQ+ some kind of freak if that's their jam.

But the weed smoking? Like who give a flying duck? There are people in this show who drain copious amounts of wine but no one says boo about that. And I doubt if it were considered abnormal weed legalization would have so much support. It's been legalized in a bunch of places so far so it's totally mainstream now. I'm more offended by Seema smoking cigarettes, but mainly because she does it indoors and I think that's pretty gross. Why ruin all your nice things with nicotine stains and smells?

Second thing I'm in disagreement about is Charlotte not wanting to get her tits jizzed on all the time means she's frigid or doesn't like sex or something. That's ridiculous! I'm not drawing a parallel between those two things at all. In fact, I thought the only funny part of the episode was Charlotte explaining how it was a "special treat" for Harry just because the language she used was so absurd and so Charlotte. I can totally see her not being that into it but letting Harry do it once and awhile since he is. Honestly, if women are supposed to just let men spew their jizz all willy-nilly nowadays or it makes them some kind of prude then go ahead and call me Grandpa Simpson.

 

Another thing I was offended by was that they used a body double for Kristin Davis in the kegel exercise scene. Just let her be the size she is. It's hypocritical to make a whole story line about Che being a fat shamed TV actor and then do that.

The rest of the episode was boring and offensively unfunny. At least give me a chuckle every once and awhile! Once per 45 minutes is not enough.

[Lethallyfab]

And one other glaring thing - it was *strongly* implied in the previous episode that Miranda and Che broke up or, at least, took a Ross and Rachel “we were on a break!”  
 

To not even remember one episode prior is egregious, on the writers’ part.  Fine, even if they didn’t break up, they had a huge blow-up fight, which, again, is totally ignored and glossed over in this episode.

OG Miranda never shied away from a difficult conversation.  OG Miranda *adored* having the difficult conversations.  About everything from bullshit bagels to Carrie blowing off girls’ night to cook veal (“you’re blowing me off for a politically incorrect or piece of meat?”) for Big to Carrie going to Paris with Petrovsky.

For her to go silent during family therapy — when she sure had no issues with stating her issues with Steve in couple’s therapy in the first movie.  

For her to never actually have difficult conversations with Che and just be all “oh no, I’m totally cool with it!  You want me to wear a strap-on!  Sure!  You want me to have a threesome?  Sure!”

She should’ve gotten “doormat” tattooed on her wrist.

It’s coming across as Miranda is afraid to say anything or raise any objections because as a baby queer, she just has to defer to the infinite wisdom of queer veteran Che and is afraid not to.  Also, as mentioned by folks here, Che comes across as extremely predatory.
 

Che, the proper reaction to someone saying “oh, hey, I’m new to being queer and I don’t entirely know how I feel” isn’t “okay, well, you’re not supposed to have any boundaries at all or else you don’t get to sit at the Cool Queers Table.”

As Oprah once said to Meghan Markle: “were you silent or were you silenced ?”

“This is the finest gathering of female minds since Eleanor Roosevelt had lunch alone at the White House.”

Is Che writing Enid’s jokes now, too?

Steve getting ripped as hell to be out here living his Best Life — is “Khloe Kardashian’s Revenge Body” still on the air?  Sign him up!

Please let Harry end up as Miranda and Steve’s divorce lawyer.  That is a scenario I would actually find hilarious.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Lethallyfab
Lawyered!

[BellyLaughter]

You know if they were so all in on this horrible, depressing Miranda storyline they should have made more effort to cast an actor who she had actual chemistry with.  
 

Also, if we don’t get a scene between Carrie and Miranda where Carrie stops being a doormat and decides to read Miranda her life’s history I will be really disappointed…

Edited July 7, 2023 by BellyLaughter

[Rebecca berkowit]

21 minutes ago, BellyLaughter said:

You know if they were so all in on this horrible, depressing Miranda storyline they should have made more effort to cast an actor who she had actual chemistry with.  
 

Also, if we don’t get a scene between Carrie and Miranda where Carrie stops being a doormat and decides to read Miranda her life’s history I will be really disappointed…

It is stunning the lack of chemistry with Miranda and Che, especially since Cynthia Nixon was apparently so attracted to the actor.  Guess it just doesn’t translate.  I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ve never seen such un-hot sex scenes.  Even with Oliver Hudson, Che has zero chemistry.  

[luna1122again]

This was a packed episode. And I didn't hate it. 

Full disclosure: I'm around the same age as Carrie, and I struggle with ageism too. I don't want to, I'm not proud of it, and yes, getting old is a privilege not everyone gets. Still, I sometimes just can't figure out how I got so old. I have a hard time dealing with what that's meant for me. Loss of beauty (some women look gorgeous as they age, I fear I'm not one of them). Spinal stenosis rendering my mobility precarious. Blah blah. But I got some of Carrie's reactions. 

Tho her saying she'd never date a man "that old". Carrie, if it had worked out with "the Russian", he'd be about that old, and Enid knows that. I love Candace Bergin and here I'm being ageist again but it's kind of hard to see what getting older has done to her and Billy Dee (Lando!)  When you were as beautiful as they were, it must be even harder to see the changes. But they're still working and active and stylish, so good on them. 

Mother Wexler is also stylish and stunning but ugh, I hate her so much. 

I didn't need to see as much of Harry and Charlotte's sex life as we have, but good for them too. 

Che and Miranda remain chemistry free and gross. A threesome is probably something a couple should discuss before it just shows up in your bed. Speaking of, 3 people is too many in a bed. For sleeping, I mean. Just no. 

Oliver Hudson is hot AF and I have a very hard time imagining he'd want to sleep with either Che or Miranda. He IS kind of Aidan-adjacent, with the shaggy hair and silver rings. 

And yes,  Che basically giving Miranda no time to figure out whether she wanted to participate in a threesome, pretty much telling her to shut up...is very problematic and gaslight-y. But hey, they didn't bone their ex after all, so it's all good. Miranda is so embarrassing around Che. 

Steve looked great. I did not hate Brady wanting to know about wtf happened between them. And yeah, he spoke for all of us when he said Miranda wasn't herself. 

That big Brooklyn house doesn't have a guest room? I'm very glad Steve's not sleeping on the couch, and tho he shouldn't have to move out, yay him, he gets his own place. I also very much appreciated that he is no longer looking at Miranda moonily, but more with derision, or anger. She's definitely earned that. 

 

 

[violet and green]

Season two was sliding down hill, after what to me seemed a promising start, prior to this, but it fell of the cliff this episode.

So much Che to endure. Stupid living arrangements: Steve saying he'll move out, when Miranda's been living with Che and surely could stay in their new apartment or get a little place of their own. Oliver Hudson driving Che all the way from LA, for some spurious furniture pickup, so they could shoehorn that awful scene in with Miranda as the third wheel.

I thought the real meat of the episode should have been around ageing and perspectives - when Enid referenced Carrie as being the same age, and there was a brief scene with Seema to expostulate about it. Old Carrie would have done a voiceover that tied the whole episode together, but instead we get a lot of bitsy little scenes (I enjoyed Bitsy's reappearance!) most of which have no connection to anything.

The reality is Carrie (or SJP, at least) is at an age when older women start to make those sweeping inclusive statements about "at our age" and it is disconcerting.

I have zero interest in the Wexleys. They seem to take up so much screen time with their dull family dynamics. To the  point of thinking we are all goldfish who won't notice Lisa Todd Wexley's father rising from the dead, after season one, just to engineer a plot point.

The offspring are off to summer camp, so they have room to cover more interesting ground, but we get more of whiny teen Brady, who should be in his early twenties by now, apparently needing "family therapy" after his breakup.

The dialogue was more cringemaking than ever. It's like an intern was fed a bunch of stuff on a whiteboard about series one, and then told to write the banter for when they get together around a table and quip re sexual topics. Mayonnaise, please...

The only thing I found interesting was that retrograde ejaculation is "cured" by doing Kegel's. Didn't need the doctor scoffing a protein bar to dispel that information.

So many clumsy segue's. Bobby Lee's bowel problems, so unnecessary, just to clear the deck for the interchange with Enid. In better hands, that whole arc around Vivacity or whatever it was called could have carried the episode, with a few other minor plot points, and ended with one of Carrie's pithy summations. Instead she said something so awkward and pointless at the end, I gasped with disbelief.

I also was stunned when Carrie goes to write out a cheque for 100K just to smoothe over an awkward moment. There has been absolutely no character growth or maturing in the last 20 plus years.

The best parts were sighting Richard Burton, and Anthony, and Bitsy's scene at Enid's gathering. There are these sparks here and there, but the whole thing is dragged down by side characters and side plots and tedious offspring, and most of all by Miranda and Che.

 

[Rebecca berkowit]

2 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

This is too good. Perhaps we should refer to them as Che Che Binks from now on.

So strangely, I find myself disagreeing with a lot of the audience reaction so far. I'm in 100% agreement that Che is a total asshole and very unfunny, especially for a stand-up. A sitcom that no one will watch seems their speed, so that's realistic at least. @Penman1 covered how fucked up that whole threesome situation was so I won't go over that again, not that I have a problem if 3 consenting adults want to participate or that it make an LGBTQ+ some kind of freak if that's their jam.

But the weed smoking? Like who give a flying duck? There are people in this show who drain copious amounts of wine but no one says boo about that. And I doubt if it were considered abnormal weed legalization would have so much support. It's been legalized in a bunch of places so far so it's totally mainstream now. I'm more offended by Seema smoking cigarettes, but mainly because she does it indoors and I think that's pretty gross. Why ruin all your nice things with nicotine stains and smells?

Second thing I'm in disagreement about is Charlotte not wanting to get her tits jizzed on all the time means she's frigid or doesn't like sex or something. That's ridiculous! I'm not drawing a parallel between those two things at all. In fact, I thought the only funny part of the episode was Charlotte explaining how it was a "special treat" for Harry just because the language she used was so absurd and so Charlotte. I can totally see her not being that into it but letting Harry do it once and awhile since he is. Honestly, if women are supposed to just let men spew their jizz all willy-nilly nowadays or it makes them some kind of prude then go ahead and call me Grandpa Simpson.

 

Another thing I was offended by was that they used a body double for Kristin Davis in the kegel exercise scene. Just let her be the size she is. It's hypocritical to make a whole story line about Che being a fat shamed TV actor and then do that.

The rest of the episode was boring and offensively unfunny. At least give me a chuckle every once and awhile! Once per 45 minutes is not enough.

I just think the whole “I only do this for special occasions” thing was inconsistent with her apparent willingness last season to blow Harry, just on a random afternoon,  presumably to completion.  And she did say she was really into the stuff,  so much so that she was upset when he couldn’t produce any.  So, which is it? 
 

Is it true they used a body double for the kegel scene?  Why would they use a body double?  She wasn’t naked.  Was it because of where he was touching her, maybe she didn’t want that?  I know the actress is kind of wide in the hips/butt area, which is why she is always in voluminous skirts.  So maybe it was because of the exercise clothes?  

[txhorns79]

15 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

 

Mother Wexler is also stylish and stunning but ugh, I hate her so much. 

I don't understand how Lisa and her husband ever got married with parents who are so openly hostile to their spouses. 

 

13 minutes ago, violet and green said:

The reality is Carrie (or SJP, at least) is at an age when older women start to make those sweeping inclusive statements about "at our age" and it is disconcerting.

Yes.  It's hard to be in your 50s and have someone in their 70s including you in their age group.  You are like: "I just got adjusted to being this age, and suddenly you added 20 years?" 

1 hour ago, Lethallyfab said:

 

For her to go silent during family therapy — when she sure had no issues with stating her issues with Steve in couple’s therapy in the first movie.  

It's two very different situations.  I understood her point to Carrie after the session.  She blew things up, so she's mostly going to keep her head down and maintain the uneasy peace in the household.  

[Scarlett45]

I thought Kirsten Davis/Charlotte looked stunning in the pink outfit at the anniversary party. Her makeup looked so good, and the sleeves were so elegant. I have to say that I’m jealous because I always wanted to go to sleep away camp and wasn’t allowed. 
 

I don’t find Oliver Hudson attractive, but I like what he’s doing with the role. I think Lyle and Che have 500x more chemistry than Che & Miranda. 

42 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

That big Brooklyn house doesn't have a guest room? I'm very glad Steve's not sleeping on the couch, and tho he shouldn't have to move out, yay him, he gets his own place. I also very much appreciated that he is no longer looking at Miranda moonily, but more with derision, or anger. She's definitely earned that. 

I wouldn’t have left if I were Steve. Miranda isn’t even there half the time and she’s not a full time caregiver to Brady- he’s 18! Steve and Brady stay, Miranda move out. 

[Scarlett45]

6 hours ago, Penman61 said:

OF ALL PEOPLE ON ALL SHOWS, I would expect that combination of Miranda (savvy feminist lawyer) and Che (sex-wise, experienced NB) would not make the exchange they do at the start of a surprise, college-level "spontaneous" threeway: 

Che (as surprise threeway begins), to Miranda: Is this OK?

Miranda (paraphrasing): Give me a minute. It might be hot, but I'm unsure.

Che: The more you talk, the less hot this is. 

Are you fucking kidding me right now? Those words are, my friends, the words of a fucking predator. This is fucking coercion, and short of actual force, it's one of the most taboo things you can do in this brave and good new world of CONSENT, especially poly play and most any other sexual communities. It. Is. Not. Done.

I agree with you. I did NOT like Che during that exchange at all. 

[greekmom]

1 hour ago, Lethallyfab said:

Please let Harry end up as Miranda and Steve’s divorce lawyer.  That is a scenario I would actually find hilarious.

I hope that Harry represents Steve. Miranda needs to be taken down a peg.

48 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

That big Brooklyn house doesn't have a guest room? I'm very glad Steve's not sleeping on the couch, and tho he shouldn't have to move out, yay him, he gets his own place. I also very much appreciated that he is no longer looking at Miranda moonily, but more with derision, or anger. She's definitely earned that. 

It should have at least 2 extra rooms.  Steve's mom lived with them and Brady's nanny Magda.

Edited July 7, 2023 by greekmom

[Alice Mudgarden]

So what I'm gleaning from season two is that now, not only does this show not care about having accurate continuity with SATC, it also doesn't bother to make sure there's proper continuity WITH ITS OWN PREVIOUS SEASON.

Monkeys banging on typewriters could spit out something better at this point.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Alice Mudgarden

[Lola82]

The MVP of the episode is the lady that snapped at Carrie “Talk or go!” when she was holding up the bathroom line. 

[Emily Thrace]

7 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I like to think he had a slight epiphany. Living in that apt has the issue with his son or ex wife being there at any time. 
If he gets a new apt closer to his bar he has more privacy. A place to hop to for hanky panky. Privacy, peace and quiet. He has done all the right things for so long. I understand the show is not about men, but it’s time for him to move on with his life and for Miranda to see just what she left in order to be with Che. Starting with Steve’s revenge body 🔥

I think he is trying to play the long game. He thinks if he moves out and gets a crappy studio it will be easier to move back in. He also doesn't want Miranda moving in with Che. Plus if she is living with Brady it might put a crimp in that relationship. I think Steve agrees with most of us that this relationship is doomed and is waiting them out.

[JeanJean]

On the old show, did everyone talk in such an exaggerated way all the time? I was so grateful when the therapist talked like a normal person.

[JeanJean]

10 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I always laugh when I think about the scene where they are having lunch outside and Carrie is thinking how normal everything is... then the guy runs by yelling feces. 

which could actually happen any old time in NYC, too

[JeanJean]

10 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

 

Carrie:  the ageism I assume was meant to be played for laughs, and they did call her out on it eventually, (they waited too long), but it didn’t come across as funny at all.  It seemed like the show was making fun of older women.    Gloria effing Steinem was there, you little brat!  And that’s going to be you someday, sooner than you think!  That old man they were setting her up with didn’t look exactly geriatric, he looked like Ted Danson to me, but I couldn’t see the photo too well.  And to just tell Enid she would never date someone that old?  Who DOES that?  Frankly, SJP doesn’t look much younger than the person who plays Bitsy.  The whole thing was insulting, and I’m younger than SJP!   Obviously MPK thinks old ladies are gross.  Someone in a walker?  Please.  But, hey, we get to see a geriatric dick.  Because that’s not gross.  

 

 

Wouldn't Big be somewhere around 70 now if he'd lived?

[JeanJean]

8 hours ago, Hanahope said:

oh, i meant to mention that i thought it was very unprofessional of Harry's doctor to start eating a protein bar or whatever right in front of them while discussing the issue.  i mean really, you can't wait 5 minutes, or just take a small bite and finish it before you start talking?  what were the writers thinking?

I'd much rather that than my doc being unable to focus because they're so hungry.
Full disclosure: I used to take smoke breaks with my dentist.

[WendyCR72]

50 minutes ago, Emily Thrace said:

I think Steve agrees with most of us that this relationship is doomed and is waiting them out.

If competent writers and producers were involved here, sure. And if the actors were just acting.

But between Michael Patrick King's bullshit revisionist history vis a vis Miranda and Steve and his obsession with Che - AND Cynthia Nixon living out some fantasy crush on Sara Ramirez on screen, I'm not so sure this crappy "relationship" will draw to a natural conclusion.

Also, I'd hope that Steve will finally realize that he does deserve better, take off the damned ring, and leave Miranda to the mess that is her life. With Brady being 18, they have no reason to have to deal with each other, unless - God forbid - Brady becomes ill or whatever.

Other than that, Steve needs to embrace his new bachelor status and show Miranda that other women would appreciate a hard-working guy that owns his own business and, yeah, likes ice cream and quiet activities.

So far, Miranda has been pretty fancy free considering the damage she caused. Which is why, reading all these responses, I have no issue with Brady acting out. Entitled? Maybe. But after the way Miranda and her "rom-com" fling basically shrugged off not just Steve, but Brady, I figure the kid is entitled to a meltdown, for now.

[JeanJean]

2 hours ago, luna1122again said:

 

Oliver Hudson is hot AF and I have a very hard time imagining he'd want to sleep with either Che or Miranda. He IS kind of Aidan-adjacent, with the shaggy hair and silver rings. 

I'm in for the two guys meeting up in a kind of Ross/Russ in Friends way.

[violet and green]

1 hour ago, Emily Thrace said:

I think he is trying to play the long game.

From everything we know about Steve, he is just being decent.

[luna1122again]

19 minutes ago, JeanJean said:

I'd much rather that than my doc being unable to focus because they're so hungry.
Full disclosure: I used to take smoke breaks with my dentist.

My doctor came in munching an apple once. I didn’t mind, I know sometimes they get too busy to eat an actual meal. And then she sent me home with a couple honeycrisps, so win/win. (But clearly apples do not keep the doctor away) 

Also, Harry's doc was hot. 

[Roccos Brother]

Is it possible for Charlotte to have an even remotely interesting storyline? I think I'm just going to have to start fast forwarding through all her scenes at this point.

[heatherchandler]

4 hours ago, violet and green said:

I have zero interest in the Wexleys. They seem to take up so much screen time with their dull family dynamics.

They are painfully boring.

13 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I always laugh when I think about the scene where they are having lunch outside and Carrie is thinking how normal everything is... then the guy runs by yelling feces. 

That’s the show I want!

 

[JeanJean]

1 hour ago, heatherchandler said:

They are painfully boring.

 

I keep wishing Christopher Jackson would burst into "One Last Time" from Hamilton.

[Aulty]

Personally, I think Charlotte and Harry's story this week was very old school Charlotte. Especially her coaching him on the kegels. And there was something educational in there.

How do people in the Wexley's income range and status not have someone take care of the invitations, RSVPs and cake order (and the grumpy mother in law).

Let me chime in with the popular opinion if 'Steve shouldn't be the one to move out', but maybe its a win win for him to get away from Miranda and their whiney son.

[Baltimore Betty]

56 minutes ago, Aulty said:

Let me chime in with the popular opinion if 'Steve shouldn't be the one to move out', but maybe its a win win for him to get away from Miranda and their whiney son.

I get that motivation!

Seriously tho, Steve who has always been a good guy (except for he affair), does not need to always be the nice guy for Miranda.  They bought that five bedroom house and now it is too small for Miranda to have a bedroom? Steve says he will move out, he said he wants a place closer to the bar, so suddenly he is able to pull another 5 or 6 grand of income to spend a month on an apartment near his bar, it's not like he has several bars, just income from one bar, plus the difficulty finding a decent place because it is New York...none of that makes sense. The writers really do think we are stupid.

In my opinion Brady knows how to work his parents to get out of adulting or at least mature, now thinks he can skip college and sleep till noon everyday...Miranda waking him up in the morning only to tell him he as therapy at 1PM, like he would totally sleep till then.  They need to toughen up when it comes to parenting, therapy can only do so much when Steve and Miranda let everything slide. Brady is 18, he can be a bar back in Steve's bar in exchange for food and rent at home, that kid needs military school if you ask me! 

My question is about Che's apartment, Miranda and they lived together in LA but now she is in NY Che got an apartment without thinking that Miranda would live with her while knowing the living situation Miranda is currently in? Wow, what a way to send a message!

Carrie still did not ask Enid to plug her book, why is self employed Carrie so bad at self promotion? But to just write a check to Enid without parlaying it in to an opportunity, that is just stupid, Enid wants and needs that money, Carrie could have gotten something for investing in an AARP magazine redux.

The whole anniversary party table seating was dumb, Mother Wexley sits at the other end of the table alone so instead of everyone just moving to the other end of the table Charlotte tells Harry to sit with her, why wouldn't Lisa or her husband just move everyone down?

Do kegels really cure the non existent cum? I am so not Googling that info.

Miranda Priestly's townhome! The home was more welcome to see on our screens than Che and Miranda Hobbs.

 

[greekmom]

7 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

If competent writers and producers were involved here, sure. And if the actors were just acting.

But between Michael Patrick King's bullshit revisionist history vis a vis Miranda and Steve and his obsession with Che - AND Cynthia Nixon living out some fantasy crush on Sara Ramirez on screen, I'm not so sure this crappy "relationship" will draw to a

If this was a deeper show, and not superficial piece of kaka, they could have explored how isolation due to the pandemic has had lasting mental effects on people. Not saying that Miranda becoming a lesbian is due to the pandemic but Miranda due to the pandemic has become un-Miranda like. She became an alcoholic which now she is going to AA but there could have been other psychological impacts on Miranda's personality which resulted in her being so insecure and docile. 

But this is MPK and it's all bullshit.

God I hate watch this shit so bad.

[bluegirl147]

1 hour ago, Baltimore Betty said:

The writers really do think we are stupid.

No, they are stupid.

10 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I understood her point to Carrie after the session.  She blew things up, so she's mostly going to keep her head down and maintain the uneasy peace in the household.  

And I see that as Miranda still continuing to be selfish. Yes she acknowledges what she did but she isn't taking responsibility for it.

13 hours ago, DoubleUTeeEff said:

But the weed smoking? Like who give a flying duck?

Yeah I don't understand why the show was trying to make us believe Che smoking weed was supposed to make them edgy or something. 

11 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

To not even remember one episode prior is egregious, on the writers’ part.  Fine, even if they didn’t break up, they had a huge blow-up fight, which, again, is totally ignored and glossed over in this episode.

Because they aren't capable of writing a throughline for this show. The writers seem to have a starting place and I assume they have an ending place but getting there is one giant mess.  I checked and it's the same writers who wrote this episode and the previous episode.  I'm guessing they needed to cause conflict in the previous episode to get Miranda back to NYC and in this episode they needed that whole ridiculous almost threesome to happen so they ignored the conflict that happened between Miranda and Che. If this was a story written in a creative writing class it would be get a D. D+ maybe.

11 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

 I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, I’ve never seen such un-hot sex scenes.

It's true.  And I'm not sure if they are intentionally un hot or if they are just so poorly written and acted.

11 hours ago, luna1122again said:

Tho her saying she'd never date a man "that old". Carrie, if it had worked out with "the Russian", he'd be about that old,

When my husband died I was in my 40s.  Men my age or a little older weren't interested. They wanted women younger than me.  Carrie is in her 50s so I wouldn't be surprised if men her age also wanted women younger than her.  She might want to rethink her thoughts on dating older men.

 

[luna1122again]

3 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

 

When my husband died I was in my 40s.  Men my age or a little older weren't interested. They wanted women younger than me.  Carrie is in her 50s so I wouldn't be surprised if men her age also wanted women younger than her.  She might want to rethink her thoughts on dating older men.

 

I couldn't tell how old the dick pic guy was supposed to be. 80s? I'm assuming Enid is supposed to be roughly Candice's age, which is late 70s. Bitsy is almost 70 (or the actress is). I dunno, I probably wouldn't want to date an 80 year old either. But if something happened to my husband (and he's 16 years younger than me, I got divorced in my late 30s, got together my now husband in my early 40s), I really feel like I'd be too tired to date anybody. Seriously. 

But someone made the good point that Big would be nearly 70 himself. Carrie's podcast producer fuckbuddy was probably 10 or so years younger than her, yes? I don't know. She might have to realize that dating older, at some point, is the only pool to wade in, to paraphrase Enid from long ago. And poor Enid. She has bad luck with men. Guess it didn't work out with Martin Graple. 

[bluegirl147]

16 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

I probably wouldn't want to date an 80 year old either.

But I get the impression Carrie doesn't want to date anyone older than her.

And by the way that dick pic did not look like it came from a guy that old.  And while I'm thinking about it did they have an actor pose for that dick pic?  Did they get a pic from online porn?  Why do I care?

[Mrsmaul2021]

I loved Carrie acknowledged her ageism. I thought the "jizz" dialogue was classic SATC and would have worked best with Samantha.  Didn't Che have a fit that Miranda was living with Steve last season??  but now she's sleeping with her ex husband and willing to do a threesome.   Che's not working just cut your losses. And I HATED when Che was discussing her sexual past and Miranda replied: I was cutting up carrot sticks for Brady's lunch during that time If anybody watched Miranda progress from workaholic to loving mom, wife, etc, that small line felt like such an insult to her entire arc in SATC, . 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Mrsmaul2021

[bluegirl147]

5 minutes ago, Mrsmaul2021 said:

. I thought the "jizz" dialogue was classic SATC and would have worked best with Samantha.

I agree which tells me the writers are writing dialogue they want to hear and not dialogue that is right for the characters.  Carrie doesn't want to say vagina but kept saying jizz?

[SnapHappy]

8 hours ago, violet and green said:

From everything we know about Steve, he is just being decent.

Agreed.  Steve is not a "deep thinker".  He goes with the flow most of the time and rarely gets crazed.  I never understood their relationship in any capacity.  

And I really dislike the term "revenge body".  Revenge against whom?  You get dumped, so losing weight/working out/getting jacked is revenge against your ex?  So they can see what they're missing AFTER you've already broken up and then done all the work you wouldn't do when you were with them?  I don't get it.  Steve with chiseled abs is not going to be any more attractive to Miranda than Steve on the couch with ice cream. 

Chris Noth is 68.  He looks good, but definitely that age, and a good 10+ years older than Carrie.  

[luna1122again]

15 minutes ago, Mrsmaul2021 said:

I loved Carrie acknowledged her ageism. I thought the "jizz" dialogue was classic SATC and would have worked best with Samantha.  Didn't Che have a fit that Miranda was living with Steve last season??  but now she's sleeping with her ex husband and willing to do a threesome.   Che's not working just cut your losses. And I HATED when Che was discussing her sexual past and Miranda replied: I was cutting up carrot sticks for Brady's lunch during that time If anybody watched Miranda progress from workaholic to loving mom, wife, etc, that small line felt like such an insult to her entire arc in SATC, . 

I think it was that Miranda hadn't told Steve about them. Che assumed he knew, that they had an open marriage. They didn't much care that Miranda lived with him, or slept with him. And Che seemed not remotely surprised when their ex began to join in. I think they banged their way across country. Which: if Che and Miranda have had that talk, and Miranda knows for certain Che will never be monogamous, then okay. But we never see that. We never see Miranda process that. And would she really have been okay if Che had just continued with Hot Oliver (I don't remember his character's name)while she slept on the couch? The real Miranda would have thought and stewed and overthought and discussed this all to death, but we've seen none of that. People do change and grow and regress but it's all just...not Miranda. 

[TV Diva Queen]

20 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

I can’t believe Gloria Steinem signed on for this dreck.  Must’ve thought it was still the groundbreaking female-empowerment old show, but now with older women viewers.  Wrong on all counts.  Also, Billy Dee Williams, nice to see him, but he’s too old to be acting.  Something is clearly wrong there, he sounded like he had a lot of trouble memorizing those lines and getting them out.  Hope he’s ok
 

Which brings me to the stupid party plot.  NO WAY someone, no matter how busy with work, wouldn’t CHECK PAPERLESS POST REGULARLY and notice there were NO RSVP’s.  You don’t just tell the restaurant 31 people, unless you just have money to burn.  That’s not how any of this works.  Have these writers never held a party?  Or did they just think “hey, wouldn’t it be funny if the guy forgot to send the invites?”  The thing is, if you’re a human being on planet Earth, when you send electronic invites, you check regularly and get a final count.   That’s how you get RSVP’s.  For any party, you need to monitor RSVP’s.  (Unless you wrote “regrets only,”  but you wouldn’t do regrets only for a seated dinner with a head count.).  You need to know how many people are coming.  Why wouldn’t you check?  Also, that particular website, which they mentioned by name, doesn’t just tell you RSVP’s. It tells you which invites were sent and which were opened.  You’d see that none were sent, and none were opened,  if you checked it, even once.   You can even set notifications for when people respond.  So are we supposed to believe that this guy just made an invitation, forgot to hit send, and then just NEVER LOOKED AT THE WEBSITE AGAIN?  And just TOLD THE RESTAURANT 31 PEOPLE?   Why?  Why would he even know the exact number 31 without checking the site?   It would’ve been just as easy, and made so much more sense, to have him notice that he had put the wrong date.  That sort of thing happens.  That is plausible.  That would result in them getting a lot of RSVP’s, so they wouldn’t realize something was wrong, but then nobody showing up.  That’s where I thought they were going.  But, no.   Also, why is “Mother Wexley” (what is this, The Jeffersons?) having an argument from 1978 about whether women should work outside the home?  (Paging Gloria Steinem).  Seriously ridiculous plot.   Not only is it totally dated, but they’ve  been married like 20 years, and she’s been working the whole time, but we are supposed to believe this is the first time it’s come up?  This was the best story idea you could think of for this couple?  So relevant to the concerns of modern successful working parents?   Just, do better.  For Lisa.  
 

Miranda almost seemed like her old self when she was at home with Brady and Steve, and especially in the elevator with Carrie talking about the therapy.  But WHY WAS THE WHOLE FAMILY ATTENDING THERAPY TOGETHER FOR THREE WEEKS FOR BRADY’S BREAKUP?  Hear me out:  Brady at the beginning of the session said it had been three weeks, and he felt he was over the breakup, and he now wanted to talk about the parents’ situation.  Miranda seemed surprised he even noticed that or wanted to talk about it.  So, are we to believe that they had been in family therapy for three weeks JUST to discuss the breakup?  Why?  Are we to believe Brady had been going to therapy alone?  But Miranda said “we have therapy today” and it seemed like it wasn’t the first time they had all gone together. It seemed like family therapy.  For a teen’s breakup.  Does.  Not. Happen.  This show is just soooo poorly written.  Miranda would’ve scheduled therapy for Brady, alone, because of the breakup.  OR, she would’ve scheduled family therapy for them all, but specifically to talk about the separation/divorce situation.  No way it would not have come up in family therapy for 3 weeks.  No way she would be surprised he wanted to talk about it.

Miranda and Che- still horrible, and I called the whole threesome a mile away.  And Miranda was a total third wheel in that sex scene, neither of them made any effort to attend to her, it was either Che and the Ex doing stuff with Miranda just sort of there, or Miranda and the Ex both doing stuff to Che.  And Miranda is just fine with this, and grateful when Che deigns to come out and sleep on the couch with her?  Hate.

Carrie:  the ageism I assume was meant to be played for laughs, and they did call her out on it eventually, (they waited too long), but it didn’t come across as funny at all.  It seemed like the show was making fun of older women.    Gloria effing Steinem was there, you little brat!  And that’s going to be you someday, sooner than you think!  That old man they were setting her up with didn’t look exactly geriatric, he looked like Ted Danson to me, but I couldn’t see the photo too well.  And to just tell Enid she would never date someone that old?  Who DOES that?  Frankly, SJP doesn’t look much younger than the person who plays Bitsy.  The whole thing was insulting, and I’m younger than SJP!   Obviously MPK thinks old ladies are gross.  Someone in a walker?  Please.  But, hey, we get to see a geriatric dick.  Because that’s not gross.  

Charlotte:  loved the summer camp empty nest plot, that really does happen, parents go nuts when the kids are away.  (I’m vacationing in Europe as we speak).  Didn’t need to know about Harry’s ejaculate, and the sex scenes were gross.  But sometimes the original show was like that, with the graphic weird embarrassing sex stuff and the girls discussing it after.  So it was on brand.  Didn’t really need to see that, though.  The actor who plays Harry is a real trouper.  He must be getting paid a lot to be naked and making those faces.  
 

Overall, this wasn’t a horrible episode if you can get past all of the above.  
 
ETA:  Seema!  I forgot to mention Seema!  She is really funny.  And she had no plot this week.  They don’t know what to do with her.  See also, Nya.  Nada for Nya.  This show works with four women, they can’t seem to do more, and maybe that would be too much for the audience.  So they seem to be alternating a main plot for one of the new characters each week.

 

I am an executive assistant to some powerhouses throughout my 30 year career and monitoring those invites would have been my job.  Female boss, male boss....doesn't matter, my job.  That whole party sequence made me cringe so hard.

[ahpny]

15 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

The dick pic was a consent problem too.  And it was also a Chekov’s gun waiting to go off.  Why didn’t she delete it?

Why was the dick pic in her photos at all? It was texted to her. In order for that pic to be stored in the phone's photos, at least on any IPhone I know, Carrie would have had to save it to her photos, which she did NOT do as far as I could tell. 

Also, was there some sort of meta point or joke in having Carrie discuss the movie "Shampoo" with Oliver Hudson, and making him a former hairdresser because "Shampoo" stared his mother or something? Maybe that was just foreshadowing his randiness and readiness for adventurous threesomes?

[luna1122again]

2 minutes ago, ahpny said:

Why was the dick pic in her photos at all? It was texted to her. In order for that pic to be stored in the phone's photos, at least on any IPhone I know, Carrie would have had to save it to her photos, which she did NOT do as far as I could tell. 

Also, was there some sort of meta point or joke in having Carrie discuss the movie "Shampoo" with Oliver Hudson, and making him a former hairdresser because "Shampoo" stared his mother or something? Maybe that was just foreshadowing his randiness and readiness for adventurous threesomes?

I didn't make that connection, good catch! That's funny. So, yeah, I'm sure that was a deliberately meta moment. 

[bluegirl147]

26 minutes ago, luna1122again said:

The real Miranda would have thought and stewed and overthought and discussed this all to death, but we've seen none of that. People do change and grow and regress but it's all just...not Miranda. 

This is not an equal relationship.  Whether Miranda wants to admit it or not they are on different pages.  I remember when Miranda counseled Charlotte on her prenup with Trey and she wanted Charlotte to see her value.  And how many times did she preach to Carrie about needing to have power in her relationships with Big and the Russian? On any other show this would be shown as an unhealthy relationship.  But on this show it's Miranda living a rom com. 

The writers are never going to pull out of this tailspin they have created because they think they are writing some great treatise about being woke or whatever the fuck they think they are.

This show and in particular this storyline has been roundly and rightly criticized and they keep doubling down and telling us we are wrong. Not only is it insulting to fans it is also not doing the LGTBQ community any favors. For anyone watching who already had negative feelings towards that community this is just going to reinforce them. 

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Mrsmaul2021 said:

I loved Carrie acknowledged her ageism. I thought the "jizz" dialogue was classic SATC and would have worked best with Samantha.  Didn't Che have a fit that Miranda was living with Steve last season??  but now she's sleeping with her ex husband and willing to do a threesome.   Che's not working just cut your losses. And I HATED when Che was discussing her sexual past and Miranda replied: I was cutting up carrot sticks for Brady's lunch during that time If anybody watched Miranda progress from workaholic to loving mom, wife, etc, that small line felt like such an insult to her entire arc in SATC, . 

Yes, it is an insult. Miranda learned to love and let go of herself with Steve, Brady and Steve's mother. Didn't Magda even say that, "You love"? So now she regrets it? 

[Spartan Girl]

2 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

And I see that as Miranda still continuing to be selfish. Yes she acknowledges what she did but she isn't taking responsibility for it.

Exactly. Acting all meek during therapy then grousing all about it to Carrie is the kind of passive-aggressive bullshit I’d expect from Marge Simpson. And of course it’s all about her and her feelings, not one bit of true guilt for how she hurt Steve and Brady. She’s not guilty, she just doesn’t like being cast as the asshole.

Playing the victim is not new for Miranda. She certainly did it enough in the movie, but at least then she 1)was still the wronged party and 2) got called out on it. 

She’s doing the same thing with Che. She’s not being upfront about her clear discomfort with their ex-with-benefits arrangement, she’s just bottling up her resentment while playing Cool Girl. It’s just pathetic. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Spartan Girl

[Mrsmaul2021]

25 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Yes, it is an insult. Miranda learned to love and let go of herself with Steve, Brady and Steve's mother. Didn't Magda even say that, "You love"? So now she regrets it? 

 

 

One of the most beautiful moments in SATC history, 

[Rebecca berkowit]

2 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

But I get the impression Carrie doesn't want to date anyone older than her.

And by the way that dick pic did not look like it came from a guy that old.  And while I'm thinking about it did they have an actor pose for that dick pic?  Did they get a pic from online porn?  Why do I care?

OMG, I was thinking about that, too!  WHERE DID THEY GET THAT DICK PIC? Was it in the public domain?  Some kind of stock photo archive? Can you get stock dick picks?  And what are your search parameters?  Was someone on the staff tasked with looking at a million dick pics for the one which seemed like it was large and old?  How many large, old dick pics are there?  (Honestly, it was a decent size, but it wasn’t THAT large, and flaccid doesn’t matter.  Why was it flaccid?  I think they’re not allowed to show hard.).   I wanna know!  

1 hour ago, ahpny said:

Why was the dick pic in her photos at all? It was texted to her. In order for that pic to be stored in the phone's photos, at least on any IPhone I know, Carrie would have had to save it to her photos, which she did NOT do as far as I could tell. 

Also, was there some sort of meta point or joke in having Carrie discuss the movie "Shampoo" with Oliver Hudson, and making him a former hairdresser because "Shampoo" stared his mother or something? Maybe that was just foreshadowing his randiness and readiness for adventurous threesomes?

Such a good point about the pic being in her photos!  And also about shampoo! 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Rebecca berkowit

[libgirl2]

17 minutes ago, Mrsmaul2021 said:

 

 

One of the most beautiful moments in SATC history, 

Now thrown into the toilet. 

[Lola82]

Here’s what I don’t understand. Kegels are for inside muscles so how was Harry able to feel them on Charlotte through her clothes? And he was surprised “wow it’s like a vice”, they have sex, wouldn’t he be feeling them then??

And I didn’t get the dr eating his protein bar. It was like a joke without a punchline. This isn’t a documentary, he doesn’t actually need to eat during the scene. Where’s the humor?

I need answers, this show frustrates me so much.

[Rebecca berkowit]

3 minutes ago, Lola82 said:

Here’s what I don’t understand. Kegels are for inside muscles so how was Harry able to feel them on Charlotte through her clothes? And he was surprised “wow it’s like a vice”, they have sex, wouldn’t he be feeling them then??

And I didn’t get the dr eating his protein bar. It was like a joke without a punchline. This isn’t a documentary, he doesn’t actually need to eat during the scene. Where’s the humor?

I need answers, this show frustrates me so much.

Yes, I also didn’t get what Harry was supposed to be feeling there.  Another indication that these writers are obviously not women and have never met a live human woman.  Maybe they should just make a revival of Queer as Folk and call it a day. 

[tennisgurl]

Just now, Spartan Girl said:

Exactly. Acting all meek during therapy then grousing all about it to Carrie is the kind of passive-aggressive bullshit I’d expect from Marge Simpson. And of course it’s all about her and her feelings, not one bit of true guilt for how she hurt Steve and Brady. She’s not guilty, she just doesn’t like being cast as the asshole.

 

Brady nailed it in one when he told their family therapist that this isn't Miranda. The Miranda we all knew and loved would have never pulled that kind of passive aggressive crap, she would have told Brady right away what she was thinking instead of whining about it later. This Miranda is just this awful combination of selfish and pathetic, not helped by her and Che having absolutely no chemistry whatsoever. I have rarely seen something as cringe as Che and their ex husband with benefits starting the worlds most awkward threesome without even talking to Miranda first, and then Miranda just awkwardly nodding until she ran off while telling them to keep going. Its just sad to witness, almost as sad as Steve still trying so hard to be the nice guy with Miranda even after she treated him so horribly. At least he's got a super hot post-break up body, get it Steve!

The rest of the episode had is ups and downs, but Che and Miranda are so awful its like they just suck up all of my energy as a viewer. Although that dick pic did certainly throw me, what the ever loving fuck?

Edited July 7, 2023 by tennisgurl

[Yogisbooboo64]

14 minutes ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

How was Harry able to feel them on Charlotte through her clothes?

I’m assuming Harry was referring to the strength of Charlotte’s inner thighs….I used to use Suzanne Somers’ Thighmaster years ago and, well let’s just say I could crack open a coconut!

As for the doctor eating, didn’t he say his blood sugar was low?  I didn’t see anything wrong with what he did if that was the case.

See?!  Brady’s dickholery is precisely why I didn’t give a bluedilly fuck at his crying like a punk the other week.  I do agree with everyone that he should be told about Cheranda.

I wish Steve would go awf and tell Miranda just what he thinks of her, from Che to the hypocritical way she’s been treating him….remember ‘YOU BROKE US!’?  Well heiffa, that’s just what you did.  And talk about changing who you are, you’ve gone from a feisty cynical lawyer to a nattering, doddering thirsty old woman.

I always loved Harry and Charlotte’s sex scenes but with Kristin now looking like love that Joker, I cringe.  Evan Handler can still get it though, I find him very sexy!  And since when would prissy Charlotte not get upset about having jizz all over her perfect lacy bra?  I’ve always hated when television wives use a special event to do something freaky….shoot, Mr. Yogisbooboo can get my freaky on his birthday, my birthday, hell at Christmas! 

Mr. Yogisbooboo would likely win a Kegel match against Charlotte though….with his prostate taken out, he has to do it three times a day, I learned about male Kegel stuff through that.

Loved seeing Billy Dee Williams but yikes!  He reminded me of John Amos when he played Alderman Davis on the Good Times play reboot….unsteady and taking a long time to say his lines. 

Lisa’s MIL is a piece of work!  Husband or not its time Lisa tells this old heifer where to get off, she’s worse than Mother Jefferson ever was….at least Billy Dee’s character told her about herself.

I don’t know who said it, but still LMAO at ‘baby queer’!

[monagatuna]

11 hours ago, JeanJean said:

I'm in for the two guys meeting up in a kind of Ross/Russ in Friends way.

I watched this scene in France last year, and hearing Phoebe go "Ross-Russ, Russ-Ross" in a French accent was hilarious.

Re Carrie dating older, I think she should lean into the cougar thing if she wants someone younger. She's got a rockin' body, is rich, and isn't ready for a relationship. She could be pulling 20- and 30-somethings left and right if she wanted to.