S02.E05: Trick or Treat

[Asp Burger]

11 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of Che and Miranda.

I think they're hinting at it. No one's brought it up here yet, but in the scene in which they're eating, Che is talking about something, and Miranda's eyes are watering and she's clearly not attending to the conversation, and she finally manages to gasp out that the red curry means business. Che says something like "You have to be prepared when you get something spicy," and Miranda says she needed something to wake her up.

AJLT writing isn't known for being furtive and subtle (nor was SATC writing), but I wondered if we were supposed to store that away as a signal of impending doom, even more than the overt incompatibilities we've seen. Che was the spicy thing that "woke Miranda up," and now she'll find a more sustainable long-term love interest. 

Like some above, I thought this was the best episode of the season so far. It did feel like an SATC with older women. 

Don't even get me started on that focus-group scene, though. 

3 hours ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

For someone prone to making speeches about how non-binary characters should not be shown crying, BECAUSE THEY’RE NOT SAD, Che sure cries a lot.  Why are they writing the character that way? 

I have a dreadful feeling that MPK and crew decided that what we didn't like last season was that Che was too brash and confident and lacked vulnerability, and the "vulnerability" this season means a Che who is irritable, insecure, and prone to tears. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Asp Burger
Fixing a pronoun.

[SeanBug]

5 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

I had to double-check to see if ‘The Americans’ has recently been added to Max.

No but Matthew is Perry Mason on HBO/Max. And it is amazing.  It is not remotely the old tv show your parents watched. 

As far as dressing up for Halloween, half the fun is being who you want to be and having others figure it out. I was Buffy a couple times. I think the fake blood on my arms and the stake gave it away tho. 

Che & Miranda are going to blow up big time.  

 

 

5 minutes ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

Roy Fitzgerald.  I just watched a really good documentary on him.  They renamed everyone.  There was this one agent who renamed a lot of these cute young guys, and dated some of them, too.  

I started watching that too.  He even had to get married for a while. Just to keep the studios happy.  

[bluegirl147]

14 minutes ago, SeanBug said:

Che and Miranda randa are going to blow up big time.  

 

 

 

If they do one of two things is going to happen.  Either MPK will say that was the plan all along or they were pressured because of the backlash.  He will never admit the character and the storyline was a mess from the beginning.

[zamp33]

21 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

I think they're hinting at it. No one's brought it up here yet, but in the scene in which they're eating, Che is talking about something, and Miranda's eyes are watering and she's clearly not attending to the conversation, and she finally manages to gasp out that the red curry means business. Che says something like "You have to be prepared when you get something spicy," and Miranda says she needed something to wake her up.

AJLT writing isn't known for being furtive and subtle (nor was SATC writing), but I wondered if we were supposed to store that away as a signal of impending doom, even more than the overt incompatibilities we've seen. Che was the spicy thing that "woke Miranda up," and now she'll find a more sustainable long-term love interest. 

Like some above, I thought this was the best episode of the season so far. It did feel like an SATC with older women. 

Don't even get me started on that focus-group scene, though. 

I have a dreadful feeling that MPK and crew decided that what we didn't like about Che last season was that she was too brash and confident and lacked vulnerability, and the "vulnerability" this season means a Che who is irritable, insecure, and prone to tears. 

Wow - that was a deep read on the scene with Che and Miranda and really accurate  - maybe they can "redeem" the story by Miranda realizing that Che woke her up but realizing  it is not sustainable. Che seems like they are still stuck in their 20s - the all night partying, the pot smoking, hanging out with lots of random people - when I see them it is like they are a college student or a person recently graduated. They do not have to act old but they do not seem to have anything in common with Miranda. And Miranda was good for LA because she could be there to support, cheerlead and be there for sex, but now that Che is back in NYC Miranda does not seem to fit into Che's lifestyle.

I hope the writers do not forget this scene - after the pilot taping we never got to see Miranda and Che discuss their fight, and it would be awful if next week we picked up and they were ok again. 

Oh, why would Miranda, who obviously has a lot of money buy a USED twin mattress -yuck! 

 

[SnapHappy]

29 minutes ago, SeanBug said:

No but Matthew is Perry Mason on HBO/Max. And it is amazing.  It is not remotely the old tv show your parents watched. 

I cannot believe it's not getting another season. I LOVED every minute of it.  So smart and dynamic.  A show for actual adults that's not a medical drama, super heroes or a stupid gaame show. 

I'm SO pissed it got dropped.....

Sorry, back to the topic at hand.  Che still sucks.  

[Rebecca berkowit]

23 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

If they do one of two things is going to happen.  Either MPK will say that was the plan all along or they were pressured because of the backlash.  He will never admit the character and the storyline was a mess from the beginning.

I think there were moments when it might have worked, when Che was being funny and joking around with Miranda and Carrie, and not taking everything so seriously.  But the rest of it was just too earnest and dramatic, and also the romance was just not believable.  They didn’t even seem to like each other, or at least Che didn’t seem to like Miranda.  They had nothing in common, and there was a huge age/stage of life difference.  (Miranda looked super old in that restaurant scene.). I’d say it was just sexual, but that didn’t seem to work either.  Could’ve done without Che telling Miranda to wipe her mouth so she could perform oral sex later.  Remember  the “glazed donut” episode, and how it grossed Miranda out?  And now she’s ok with “curry-lingus” jokes?  

 

Edited July 13, 2023 by Rebecca berkowit

[SeanBug]

7 minutes ago, SnapHappy said:

I cannot believe it's not getting another season. I LOVED every minute of it.  So smart and dynamic.  A show for actual adults that's not a medical drama, super heroes or a stupid gaame show. 

I'm SO pissed it got dropped.....

Sorry, back to the topic at hand.  Che still sucks.  

Maybe another streaming service will pick it up. I LOVED it.  The cast was craz-mazing.  Speaking of our favorite Russian sleeper cell spies, Keri's "The Diplomat" is very good as well.  (Netflix). 

 

 

[SeanBug]

11 minutes ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

And now she’s ok with “curry-lingus” jokes?

If this is an example of Che's jokes no wonder their pilot wasn't picked up. And wouldn't Che want a Netflix stand up special instead of a crappy sitcom that Tony Danza has to save?  

 

[TakomaSnark]

1 hour ago, zamp33 said:

I think it was Roy, can't remember the last name but they changed everyone's name back then!!First and last

Roy Fitzgerald. There's a new documentary about Hudson that premiered on Max not that long ago.

 

[Asp Burger]

I didn't comment on the episode in which we actually saw the sitcom pilot being taped, but the reasons not to pick that up are myriad. It looked terrible, like a really bad show from Tony Danza's actual network sitcom heyday of 30-40 years ago. The AJLT writers were no better at writing an old-fashioned "taped before a studio audience" sitcom than they were at writing a "comedy concert." 

[luna1122again]

First: I loved most of the fashion in this episode. I'm always drawn to fall/winter fashion, and all the gorgeous oversized coats and cozy sweaters and boots, I thought almost everyone looked great most of the time, the bows in Carrie's Helen Gurley Brown hair, and her "nice hat" in the thrift store scene notwithstanding. And why did Charlotte look so much better as Keri Russell than as herself? She was gorgeous again. 

Nya was a spectacular Eartha Kitt-woman, and LTW and Anthony dancing was fab. Loved the George Washington nod. Cute. Didn't appreciate Herbert's prissy critique of LTW's dancing. 

I have basically no sympathy for Miranda getting up to take the train to Brooklyn to feed her adult son and ex, who was nowhere to be seen. I get her guilt is working overtime but I don't care. But yeah, Che was obnoxious, and it's just a little pathetic that they're nearly 50 and acting 15. And Che honestly doesn't seem to especially like Miranda most of the time. 

The focus group was heavy handed and chiding, but I'll confess that I did feel bad for Che, for a minute. Despite their stupid dad jokes and pseudo swaggery machismo and groanworthy curry-lingus pun, I still don't hate Che. I just hate Miranda with Che. 

Carrie threw in the towel way too quickly with Peter Hermann, who is still super attractive, but she does have a history of not being pleased when a man prioritizes work over her, even temporarily. I don't really think Carrie is looking for anything serious right now, but still, throwing away a handsome rich potential fuckbuddy seems hasty. 

Not a bad episode. Maybe I like CN better behind the camera than in front of it. 

 

 

[RedDelicious]

I need to defend the pineapple bed. That’s what that type of carved finial was. People have lost all respect for natural solid wood furniture. My guestroom is a solid maple set from a used furniture store and I love it. An in-law who is an idiot took a beautiful cherry cannon ball bed that had been in our family since childhood and had it painted BLUE. I would never buy a used mattress, but furniture just isn’t made it like it was 50 years ago. It’s all veneers that de-laminate and fall apart like Che’s couch.

I just said 50 years ago not realizing that I am 48. But you catch my drift.

[CarpeFelis]

15 hours ago, NeenerNeener said:

Hey, some Che scenes I didn't have to ff through! I'm keeping my fingers, toes, eyes, arms and legs crossed that this is the beginning of the end for that relationship.

Yeah, I think Miranda just got dumped but doesn’t know it yet. And was her “cheerleading” ever obnoxious!

Harry slouching around in the wig and oversized wireframe glasses seemed like he was imitating his former cohort David Duchovny in Californication, not Matthew Rhys in The Americans. (And I get not recognizing the costumes, but I’d think The Americans was not so obscure that nobody had heard of it.)

Penis Pump Guy really pissed me off. What a hypocrite! “Not cool”, really? Then maybe he should see to it she doesn’t need to pull out a vibrator.

[CarpeFelis]

8 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

Miranda is waking up at the ass-crack of Dawn to travel miles across town just so she can make her *18-year old* son pancakes?

I thought “give me a break” when she said she had to be up at 5 a.m. to wake up Brady or he’d sleep all day! Is she ever going to cut the umbilical cord? Stop doing everything for a grown-ass offspring who doesn’t even appreciate it! Hell, even if he does.

[Scarlett45]

14 hours ago, AKimbo said:

I loved seeing Daniel Cosgrove again (haven't noticed him in anything since 90210) and I thought the whole episode that Peter Hermann was Tom Everett Scott. Both very cute and obviously very wrong for Seema and Carrie. 

I loved seeing Daniel Cosgrove too!!

[chitowngirl]

4 hours ago, T Summer said:

Btw, when I was looking for a synopsis of this episode I came across an article that stated when Aiden returns

  Reveal spoiler

he will be single.

 

According to the preview for next week:

Spoiler

Aiden’s divorced

 

[Rebecca berkowit]

47 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

Yeah, I think Miranda just got dumped but doesn’t know it yet. And was her “cheerleading” ever obnoxious!

Harry slouching around in the wig and oversized wireframe glasses seemed like he was imitating his former cohort David Duchovny in Californication, not Matthew Rhys in The Americans. (And I get not recognizing the costumes, but I’d think The Americans was not so obscure that nobody had heard of it.)

Penis Pump Guy really pissed me off. What a hypocrite! “Not cool”, really? Then maybe he should see to it she doesn’t need to pull out a vibrator.

Sadly, this reaction to a vibrator is not unheard of.  

[Lethallyfab]

I feel like the writers (and, in this case, episode director Cynthia Nixon) maybe think they’re humanizing Miranda — she still totally cares about Steve and Brady!  She makes pancakes!  She totally didn’t abandon her family at all!

Except you totally gave Steve a speech about how you were unhappy in the marriage and needed “more.”  You totally left to spend MONTHS with Che in LA.  You did, in fact, leave your family.

Coming back and putting on a happy face to make pancakes and spending awkward therapy sessions not admitting the truth doesn’t change the truth.  Once you take Old Yeller behind the shed to put him down, you can’t undo it.

Unless, hear me out, you’re still clinging to Steve because you’re having…second thoughts about Che?

Any of the men in this show would be absolutely vilified if they left their wife for somebody younger and pleaded “i just needed MORE in our relationship!”

[CarpeFelis]

3 minutes ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

Sadly, this reaction to a vibrator is not unheard of.  

That’s for sure. It just points out how self-centered and/or immature the guys are who react that way.

[Rebecca berkowit]

18 minutes ago, CarpeFelis said:

That’s for sure. It just points out how self-centered and/or immature the guys are who react that way.

And isn’t it always the ones who you really need it for!  (Sorry, this episode hit a nerve.)

[Roccos Brother]

5 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Laughed at Anthony propositioning the guy in the very revealing roman costume thinking he was gay.  yeah, with that outfit, i might have made the same assumption.

It wasn't so much that Anthony was propositioning him based on his costume, his comment about his "hand surrounded by steam" implied that he recognized him from a little hand action in the steam room. Speaking from experience, this happens with "straight" men a lot more often than one might think.

[Rebecca berkowit]

1 minute ago, Roccos Brother said:

It wasn't so much that Anthony was propositioning him based on his costume, his comment about his "hand surrounded by steam" implied that he recognized him from a little hand action in the steam room. Speaking from experience, this happens with "straight" men a lot more often than one might think.

This was confusing, I thought he recognized him, too.  But then when the guy walked away with his wife, Anthony had a look on his face like maybe he was mistaken.  Just an acting choice, I guess.  But it confused me.  I thought he definitely recognized the guy..

 

[giovannif7]

6 hours ago, Hanahope said:

(snip)

Laughed at Anthony propositioning the guy in the very revealing roman costume thinking he was gay.  yeah, with that outfit, i might have made the same assumption.

(snip)

 

If his wife hadn't shown up, that might have played out differently. I was actually surprised when the credits rolled without a follow-up scene where Anthony runs into him in the gym steam room again, and the guy gives him a cruisy "down to play" signal.

[txhorns79]

3 hours ago, luna1122again said:

The focus group was heavy handed and chiding, but I'll confess that I did feel bad for Che, for a minute.

I felt bad for Che.  Focus groups can be harsh, and Che's agent should have prepared them for it.  I was a little confused about Che's apartment.  Che mentioned that they were going to pay for it with the tv money, but wouldn't the show have filmed in California?  I just didn't understand why they would go ahead with a New York apartment if they would have been required to spend a good portion of the year in Los Angeles. 

I did like Charlotte's vintage Ralph Lauren look.  She really did look like she walked off a catalogue circa 1981 or 1982. 

[JeanJean]

Applause to whoever said Che's fine but Che and Miranda suck. And that's because of the way the show changed Miranda's personality, not her sexuality.

I would think Che's been in show biz long enough to know not all pilots make it to air. (Or their advisors could...well, advise them.) So don't count your apartments before your show airs, I guess. (Why did she give up her old NYC apartment?)
 

And loved Christopher Jackson in his Washington costume! I would have been so happy if he  had  sung  a little, "Every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree..."

Edited July 14, 2023 by JeanJean

[BellyLaughter]

Bottom line for me is there is zero chemistry between the Cynthia Nixon and Sara Ramirez.  It’s so key to getting the audience to invest.  Also I don’t like being told to suck eggs by sulky TV writers because I’m not buying what they’re selling.  Talk about passive aggressive bitchiness but I’d expect nothing less from MPK. 
 

Also, why is Steve moving out?! Miranda blew up with marriage…he’s way too nice. 

[Yeah No]

Re: The focus group, I don't know if MPK was trying to shame the audience for not liking Che or whether it was a weak attempt at showing the audience that he "gets the criticism", while also trying to encourage sympathy for Che (or maybe both).  Whatever, he's never going to admit that Che's character was poorly written in Season 1 even if he tries to pander to our disapproval of how they were portrayed and changes them into someone the audience might like.

But even if we might soften on Che, we're definitely having our faces rubbed in the total mismatch between Miranda and Che, and it's not making Che look all that good in the process.  So I'm somewhat confused.  Are we being set up for a breakup or just a typical somewhat rocky on-again, off-again relationship?  Probably the latter.  Is anything ever really over on this show or its predecessor?  Not if they can squeeze more story out of it.  It looks to me like Miranda might actually end up meeting someone else or she may start having misgivings about leaving her son and husband.  I feel like her sudden guilt about "neglecting" Brady is a setup for her feeling the pull to go back home to both him and Steve, and her taking her friend's offer for a place to stay might give her opportunities to meet other people.  We'll see.

I was thrilled to see Peter Hermann on this episode but wish he was more than a "one week wonder".  I have missed him since "Younger" ended.  I had the same thought as a previous poster that Carrie maybe should think twice about throwing away such good looking, somewhat decent men.  It's completely unrealistic that at this point in her life she'd be running into that many men that she can afford to throw them away so fast.  At her age it's just a sad fact that she's going to run into some "fixer uppers".  Some of them might be worth keeping around.  Maybe she'll run into Peter Hermann's character again and he'll be sans the toxic partner.  I would love that.  It would be a waste of a possibly good relationship (and eye candy for the audience) if the show didn't bring him back.  And knowing how many "Charles shippers" there were out there when he was on "Younger", I know I can't be the only person disappointed at seeing him as a "one and done".

I don't know, I wasn't loving the "penis pump guy" segment.  Yeah, it was more like the single romp days of old, and I like that idea, but somehow I cringed at it nonetheless.  I felt this last week too with Harry's retrograde ejaculation bit and of course Miranda wearing a strap-on.  I don't think it's just because I've changed into a prude or anything because I can still watch similar stuff on SATC and not feel that way.  I think it has something to do with both the writing and the acting.  I find something awkward and cringey about it now.  I can't verbalize it any better than that.

About the bike lane - sure Carrie shouldn't have been standing there, but that doesn't matter - a pedestrian always takes precedence as far as yielding goes in NYC.  There is an order of preference but it's the same thing if a pedestrian is crossing against the light at an intersection - sure, they shouldn't be there, but the traffic still has to slow down and let them pass (and my NYC limo. driving husband confirmed that).  I don't think Peter Hermann's character was too close to stop in time.  I'm a road rider from way back and I didn't think he was.  So both my husband and I didn't think she had all that much to apologize for.  I could see it once or twice, but she was going OTT with it.

I loved seeing the nod and wink to Chris Jackson in "Hamilton" and I admit I thought he looked hot dressed as Washington without pants on, LOL.

And I'd heard of "The Americans" but have never watched it.  I thought Harry looked hysterical and just soooo "8th grade", LOL.  Or maybe 10th grade.  I'll swear he looks exactly like at least 3 or 4 guys in my HS class, LOL.

As far as the new women on the show go, I see attempts being made to make them more integral and believable as friends of the core group, which is a good thing.  I'm still not feeling the love with them but I do see it going in a good direction.  

[Alice Mudgarden]

When I heard about the focus group stuff, I literally said out loud "oh, this should be good" and opened this thread.

[Sailorgirl26]

9 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

I feel like the writers (and, in this case, episode director Cynthia Nixon) maybe think they’re humanizing Miranda — she still totally cares about Steve and Brady!  She makes pancakes!  She totally didn’t abandon her family at all!

And somehow overlooks that they managed not to starve while she was gone for months.

Any angsty teen would have immediately called bullshit on the "you two would starve" comment. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by Sailorgirl26

[chitowngirl]

5 hours ago, BellyLaughter said:

Also, why is Steve moving out?! Miranda blew up with marriage…he’s way too nice. 

In the preview for next week: 

Spoiler

Steve says he’s not moving out. Hopefully some “truths” will come out from Steve!!

 

[bluegirl147]

4 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I don't think it's just because I've changed into a prude or anything because I can still watch similar stuff on SATC and not feel that way.  I think it has something to do with both the writing and the acting.  I find something awkward and cringey about it now.  I can't verbalize it any better than that.

On SATC those type of things were played to be funny.  But on this show I'm not seeing the humor in it.

5 hours ago, BellyLaughter said:

 Talk about passive aggressive bitchiness but I’d expect nothing less from MPK. 

I've seen interviews with him and he just comes across as such a self centered asshole. 

9 hours ago, giovannif7 said:

If his wife hadn't shown up, that might have played out differently. I was actually surprised when the credits rolled without a follow-up scene where Anthony runs into him in the gym steam room again, and the guy gives him a cruisy "down to play" signal.

That would have been perfect. Except I would have Anthony say call your wife. 

10 hours ago, Lethallyfab said:

Any of the men in this show would be absolutely vilified if they left their wife for somebody younger and pleaded “i just needed MORE in our relationship!”

This is true.  If Harry had felt like his marriage had gotten stale and if he had left Charlotte for someone, man or woman, we would have crucified him from here to eternity.  As would have Charlotte's friends. 

11 hours ago, luna1122again said:

And Che honestly doesn't seem to especially like Miranda most of the time. 

Part of that is the writing but a big part of it is they just do not have chemistry. They just don't click.  And that is not something you can force.  People either have chemistry or they don't.  I mentioned before Sara had chemistry with various actors on Grey's Anatomy and I thought Cynthia had a lot of chemistry with Blair Underwood when he played Robert.  It also doesn't help that Miranda acts like a lovesick fool around Che.  It comes across as the girl in high school desperate for the quarterback on the football to like her so she offers to do his homework. 

[SnapHappy]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I did like Charlotte's vintage Ralph Lauren look.  She really did look like she walked off a catalogue circa 1981 or 1982. 

But for real authenticity, she would actually have been wearing pleated pants, not a leather skirt.  Everything on top was dead on though, and the tall, flat leather boots.  

[TV Diva Queen]

Random thoughts:

at first look I thought Lisa at the Halloween party was Queen Charlette, and thought "what an awesome costume' but then saw the white/gray streaks in the hair

George Washington hat tip was amazing - would it have killed him to say at some point  at the party, "I'm going home" or something along those lines and then cut to him at home in the GW costume?

Peter Hermann in the meta-verse of Manhattan is insane - Mariska, Erin Regan, the Younger chick (who's name escapes me and I'm too lazy to google) and Carrie.  He gets all the "it" girls.  xoxo

Edited July 14, 2023 by TV Diva Queen

[chitowngirl]

3 minutes ago, TV Diva Queen said:

the Younger chick (who's name escapes me and I'm too lazy to google)

Sutton Foster

[TV Diva Queen]

5 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

Sutton Foster

[walks away, dragging head in shame]

[EtheltoTillie]

22 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

I watched the Americans but until I was told who Charlotte and Harry were supposed to be I had no clue.  I can kinda see it but I do wonder why they chose those particular characters. Is someone on the writing staff a fan of the show?

So I guess we are time jumping.  Last episode was Summer because the kids went to camp. This episode is October.  So at least a few months have passed and Steve is still living in his house.  Good for him.  

I consider myself an Americans super fan, although I've never rewatched.  But I didn't recognize the costume.  But once they explained it I got a laugh out of the wig. 

21 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

One hell of a time jump, going from early summer to late October, what even is this timeline? I guess they wanted to show the cast in Halloween costumes, which is weird considering half of them didn't even bother to dress up, or put  no effort into their costumes. Why didn't Mirandas dress up? Is she that committed to not being any fun? Was Seema supposed to be dressed up? I had never heard of Helen Gurley Brown before this, so at least I learned something! As soon as Charlotte said she was Elizabeth from The Americans I totally saw it. 

 

Oh, I really know I'm old now.  HGB was such a major pop culture figure back in the day, although because I worked in women's magazines back then, of course I was especially aware of her.  She used to appear on the Johnny Carson show, even.  Oh, well, that's a reference that would date me also.  Carrie Bradshaw is the type of writer who would have published her columns in a magazine like Cosmo.  I'd wager that Candace Bushnell published articles in Cosmo in her earlier freelance career, before she got the Sex and the City writing gig in The Observer. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

21 hours ago, RedDelicious said:

Sort Of is an entire show based on non-binary/trans characters and its thoughtful, tragic, hilarious and heartwarming all at the same time. It's also on Max! I watched the first season four times and the second season twice. If MPK and Co. were going to introduce non-binary, mixed race, brown/black, trans or all of the above characters on AJLT, they could have taken some notes from Bilal Baig and Fab Filippo. 

 

OMG, thanks for mentioning this show.  It had totally escaped my radar.  I watched a few episodes already this morning. 

[EtheltoTillie]

Here's some fun with Helen Gurley Brown.

[RedDelicious]

18 hours ago, maggiegil said:

"Back in the park, Ramírez waves away the side-eyes about Che, saying, “Anybody who benefits from patriarchy is going to have a problem with Che Diaz.”

What does that even mean? That seems like such a dumb thing for them to say. Viewers have issues with Che entirely regardless of their personal belief systems. The character's relationship with Miranda is terrible and Cynthia Nixon opposite Sara Ramirez is even worse.

I think Sara Ramirez does subtleties really well and they seem very natural on camera whereas Cynthia Nixon has become a blithering theater kid in high school trying to make lead in the spring musical. Her voice is so warble-y now, very much like the way she performs her role on The Gilded Age. I can't even get started on the cheerleading. That's SO not Miranda. It's infuriating. Aliens, please come back, save the show.

All that being said, her townhouse is so beautiful. I don't even want to know how many millions of dollars it would be valued at today. Le sigh. 

Anthony and Lisa dancing was the most fun!  Also Sex and the Single Girl is a great read. I have the hardcover but my dog ate the dustjacket. Helen Gurley Brown was way ahead of her time.

Carrie needs to get over herself big time. George My David was a catch. Seemingly normal, never married, no kids, good job, great home? Check please.

Oh, fun fact. In my previous job I was in charge of the location for a marketing video and one of the actors we hired was guy who had a lesser role on The Americans. It was kind of funny, everyone was making such a big deal over him and he was a total spaz. I'm pretty certain he was doing coke in the bathroom.

[bluegirl147]

5 minutes ago, RedDelicious said:

Carrie needs to get over herself big time. George My David was a catch.

On a better show or even on this show with better writers Carrie's finding fault with seemingly perfectly fine (and foine) men would be written as she is still coming to term with  her husband's death and nobody is going to meet with approval from Carrie.  But they are playing it as these guys have something wrong with them.  I can just hear Carrie say "It's not me.  It's you." 

[zamp33]

27 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

On a better show or even on this show with better writers Carrie's finding fault with seemingly perfectly fine (and foine) men would be written as she is still coming to term with  her husband's death and nobody is going to meet with approval from Carrie.  But they are playing it as these guys have something wrong with them.  I can just hear Carrie say "It's not me.  It's you." 

Carrie is now morphing into Seinfeld territory - like when Jerry constantly found some type of flaw with all of his girlfriends. (including Kristin Davis).

 

[txhorns79]

15 minutes ago, zamp33 said:

46 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

 

Carrie is now morphing into Seinfeld territory - like when Jerry constantly found some type of flaw with all of his girlfriends. (including Kristin Davis).

Wasn't this something that happened regularly with each character on the original show?  They all had guys of the week who did not work out for one reason or the other.  I guess, I just don't see the issue in Carrie walking away from this episode's guy.  He was nice, but why stay in a relationship where it has just begun and you already feel like the odd man out?              

[Night Cheese]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I consider myself an Americans super fan, although I've never rewatched.  But I didn't recognize the costume.  But once they explained it I got a laugh out of the wig. 

I rewatched with Mr. Night Cheese about a year ago and I didn't pick up on the reference.

Once she said it though, I really appreciated the whole costume. Hair, clothing, purse, smokey eyes--it was all great. And Kristin looked great too. Harry just looked like a bald guy in a bad wig, so that's where the couple's costume piece fell apart. I kinda call bs on Miranda not knowing the reference even after being told. Didn't she and Steve spend the whole pandemic watching TV and eating ice cream? Wasn't that a contributing factor to the end of her marriage? And she was also Ms. Tivo back in the day. Miranda likes TV. I don't believe she wouldn't have any idea what The Americans was.

I rewatched the costume party scene to check out/appreciate all the costumes. I realized that LTW was mimicking the bride of Frankenstein coming alive with her dance moves during "Creep". I loved that!

[Rebecca berkowit]

13 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Wasn't this something that happened regularly with each character on the original show?  They all had guys of the week who did not work out for one reason or the other.  I guess, I just don't see the issue in Carrie walking away from this episode's guy.  He was nice, but why stay in a relationship where it has just begun and you already feel like the odd man out?              

I think they did it better on the original show.  (And on Seinfeld).  Better set ups.  You didn’t sympathize with the guy so much right away, you could see the flaws building.  The structure of the story was somehow better.  With this George guy, he really seemed nice and good for her.  And then they clumsily suggested that he had no money, so you thought maybe that was going to be the problem.   But they didn’t do anything with that, he DID have money.  (Carrie was so obnoxious calling him on that!).   That was distracting, and then they just dropped it.   They did sort of hint at the relationship with the partner, but I don’t think they did it well.  It came across more as “why is his partner is emergency contact, nobody does that in real life,” and not “oh, this is going to be a problem with the partner.”  That’s how it read to me, like not something that would really ever happen.  In the past, the guys had glaring flaws, but they were more based in reality, or something you could see someone really doing.  In this case, the thing with the partner seemed far-fetched and not believable.  Especially since so much of the writing now is like that (why are they shopping in a used furniture store?  Why didn’t the husband notice there were no RSVP’s, etc.).   Maybe I just didn’t remember that this was how the show used to go.  They’re probably rusty.  

[bluegirl147]

The plotting isn't being written well.  They come up with an idea but then they don't execute it well.  They are in a used furniture store why?  Do they want to buy used furniture to save trees from being cut down?  OK then have Miranda say that. Did they hear some famous celeb donated their furniture to this particular store?  OK then say that.  Maybe they were supposed to see a furniture piece that Carrie recognized as one of Aiden's pieces. Which now that I have said that would have been a great reason for them to be there.  But nope we see them in a used furniture store and wonder why.

[RedDelicious]

My perspective is in the original run of the show the women were in their 30s (maybe except for Samantha, but it didn't matter) and dating in your 30s is exponentially different than dating in your 50s and beyond. It's way different even as you transition into dating your 40s.

Let me tell you, the pool is SMALL or completely non-existent (just ask Enid). There's no one left and in your early 50s you're still kinda early for the divorcees to start breaking out into a normal life after they've recovered from the divorce. Recent divorcees are no picnic. Especially if the kids are younger.

Meeting a George David who's emotionally available and actually into you (meaning me) would be like winning Power Ball and never having to work again.

[amarante]

17 hours ago, SeanBug said:

Maybe another streaming service will pick it up. I LOVED it.  The cast was craz-mazing.  Speaking of our favorite Russian sleeper cell spies, Keri's "The Diplomat" is very good as well.  (Netflix). 

 

 

It streams on Hulu which is actually a very good streaming service.

I am currently finishing Justified which somehow I missed in its initial run.

 

11 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

The plotting isn't being written well.  They come up with an idea but then they don't execute it well.  They are in a used furniture store why?  Do they want to buy used furniture to save trees from being cut down?  OK then have Miranda say that. Did they hear some famous celeb donated their furniture to this particular store?  OK then say that.  Maybe they were supposed to see a furniture piece that Carrie recognized as one of Aiden's pieces. Which now that I have said that would have been a great reason for them to be there.  But nope we see them in a used furniture store and wonder why.

Actually it was worse than that because evidently they were shopping for a used mattress.

Most thrift shops won't accept mattresses or anything related to beds because of bedbug issues.

And why would ANYONE be buying a used mattress - mattresses are plentiful and not expensive just for a "mattress" and bed frames are equally inexpensive if one isn't trying to get something super stylish. 

[Rebecca berkowit]

45 minutes ago, bluegirl147 said:

The plotting isn't being written well.  They come up with an idea but then they don't execute it well.  They are in a used furniture store why?  Do they want to buy used furniture to save trees from being cut down?  OK then have Miranda say that. Did they hear some famous celeb donated their furniture to this particular store?  OK then say that.  Maybe they were supposed to see a furniture piece that Carrie recognized as one of Aiden's pieces. Which now that I have said that would have been a great reason for them to be there.  But nope we see them in a used furniture store and wonder why.

Could it be that the writers are just really out of touch and not familiar with how people really live now?  Do they still think it’s the 1990’s/early 2000’s?  So they don’t shop in Ikea, don’t use electronic invitations, still think penis pumps are a thing instead of Viagra, etc.?    Are the people in the writers’ room all now married with kids but telling stories about their OLD single Manhattan dating lives?  Why?  Maybe it’s hard to find writers in the same position as the characters.  Maybe most older writers are married, and the younger writers don’t remember the characters.  So you get…this.  

[bluegirl147]

4 minutes ago, Rebecca berkowit said:

Could it be that the writers are just really out of touch and not familiar with how people really live now?  Do they still think it’s the 1990’s/early 2000’s?  So they don’t shop in Ikea, don’t use electronic invitations, still think penis pumps are a thing instead of Viagra, etc.?    Are the people in the writers’ room all now married with kids but telling stories about their OLD single Manhattan dating lives?  Why?  Maybe it’s hard to find writers in the same position as the characters.  Maybe most older writers are married, and the younger writers don’t remember the characters.  So you get…this.  

This made me think of the Hulu show Reboot.  It was about a show that was rebooting a show from the early augts and some of the writers were from the original series and some of their ideas were not right for the new show.  

So you might be onto something.

[Rebecca berkowit]

48 minutes ago, amarante said:

It streams on Hulu which is actually a very good streaming service.

I am currently finishing Justified which somehow I missed in its initial run.

 

Actually it was worse than that because evidently they were shopping for a used mattress.

Most thrift shops won't accept mattresses or anything related to beds because of bedbug issues.

And why would ANYONE be buying a used mattress - mattresses are plentiful and not expensive just for a "mattress" and bed frames are equally inexpensive if one isn't trying to get something super stylish. 

But why were the mattresses wrapped in plastic?  I know they SAID they were used, but they were wrapped in plastic.  They didn’t look used.