And Just Like That, Season 2 Disappointing and Disjointed

 

Let me be clear, I adored Sex and the City. The series was groundbreaking in every sense of the word. It frankly, openly and without judgment talked about relationships and sex in ways that no other TV show had done. It delved into women's issue with moxie and style. 

However, this "thing" we call And Just Like That is so degraded and diluted into this sociological/political, over-the-top statement about every sexual and racial comment about today's culture that it's hardly recognizable. 

Other reviewers have already explored its tragically misguided narrative and disjointed storyteller, so I am going to stick to character destruction, especially with our beloved Carrie Bradshaw. 

In Season 2, Episode 2, our heroine Carrie pointedly refuses to do a vaginal suppository commercial. She fusses and fumes over having to essentially shill for the "vag," and to that end her character flips into uptight -- uncharacteristic -- behavior. She simply won't do it. She feels debased in doing so.

Here's the rub: our Carrie was never uptight -- that is, until this series reboot began. In my opinion, the old Carrie would have embraced the idea of womanhood. Talking about one's vagina isn't taboo (remember this is the woman who had Samantha fish out her diaphragm). And since she -- and some people in general -- frown on the idea of being frank about the VJVJ (apparently a 90s term), it's an unacceptable topic to be tackled by Ms. Bradshaw.

SATC gloriously dramatized once taboo subjects, and that is what made the series so special. It openly discussed women's issues and relationships. Today's Carrie is a menopausal woman, and I firmly believe she should have taken the opportunity to discuss vaginal dryness and irritation to help show women, it's okay. We ALL go through it, so let's not make this a big deal. Instead, they made it embarrassing for Bradshaw to even utter "suppositories" like it's some degrading reality no one should speak about, especially the illustrious and now poorly written Carrie. My Carrie would have turned this subject on its ear.

Instead, the show decided it's perfectly fine to show Miranda navigating a "strap-on," but not okay for Bradshaw to shill for vagina. Frankly, no one needed to see Miranda trying to figure out a strap on. How that helps anyone is beyond me. However, Carrie being at peace with discussing vaginal issues with this predominantly female audience would have had real value -- value in the sense of not making it shaming. Because Carrie's attitude is shaming while a strap-on is just, what? A day in the life? 

The show is so off-the-mark it's disappointing for long-time viewers. The only reason I'm watching is because 20 years ago I invested in the original message about women, lifestyle, choices, and relationships. Now I can only shake my head. Michael Patrick King, a gay man running a woman's show, needs to get his head out of the nonsense and get back to basics. You want to help women, stop pushing an agenda, because this show is full of agendas that have pushed it completely off-track.

Bring back Samantha and get rid of prude Carrie!