Well, I'm sure we've all heard by now, and if you haven't then you are hearing it here for the first time. Sex and the City re-boot is official!!!! And Just Like That...women everywhere reclaims their wills to live. How have we coped since the last airing in February 2004? Apart from a couple of movies and endless marathons, I'm not sure we ever actually said a proper goodbye. There aren't many shows that stand the test of time. Sex and the City is the show we loved in our twenties and thirties and love even more now that we are into our fifties and sixties. Thursday nights were made exciting with each new episode. From the very first episode titled Sex and the City with Carrie, the black dress and Big the world was hooked. Finally, a show that spoke to us and told the story of being single in the big city. But no matter where you lived in the world, city or country, there was something about this show that related to you and your life.
Even though it was a show about singletons even married women identified with the show, or either lived vicariously through it. One of the reasons I think this show is still so iconic is because we relate to the characters in one way or another. I've always said each character reflects the different parts of us as women. There's a little bit of each character in all of us. We all have our serious sides like Miranda Hobbes. We all still possess our school girl innocence like Charlotte York. There's a sexy siren in each of us like Samantha Jones. And of course Carrie Bradshaw - which interestingly I've never seen her character to represent a specific trait or personality type - other than shoe lover - but she is the vehicle which drives all the others. The one that takes us through the story. She's the one where it all started.
It all started with a book with the same title Sex and the City written by Candace Bushnell. Just like Carrie, because she is Carrie, Candace moved to New York as an aspiring writer at the age of 19. In 1993 she landed a job writing for The New York Observer which is where a year later she began writing a humorous column for The New York Observer titled Sex and the City. In this column, she wrote about her dating life in NYC and that of her friends. She did have her very own Mr Big but she did not marry him. Actually, a little tidbit, Candace said she actually wouldn't have married Carrie and Big. But I guess since Candace is the real Carrie and didn't marry her own Big she knows why and probably better. Candace wrote this column from 1994-1996. After that, she took her collection of stories and published an anthology also title Sex and the City. Fortunately for us producer, Darren Star adapted for television for all of us to enjoy. He actually wrote the script for Carrie with Sarah Jessica Parker in mind and had to convince her to take the part. I wonder if any of them knew how this series would play such a huge part in our lives and culture.
So I read the book, as well as others that were written by Candace Bushnell, and I was hooked from the first moment. When I heard there would be a television show based on the book I was ecstatic. The show turned out to be a little different from the book from what I remember but in a good way. From the very first episode, I was hooked, as we all were. We watched week after week over the years listening to the girls talk about their lives. The main topic being dating and men. Hence, the title Sex and the City. Here we had four gorgeous ladies living successful lives in New York City all having the same problems as most singletons around the world. It didn't take us long to feel like they were our girlfriends as well. Their problems were our problems and our problems were theirs. We felt like we were living their lives and they were living ours. Maybe that's why so many of us feel a connection with the show and the characters. So many of the issues the girls faced many of us faced those same issues. The story wasn't a fairy tale about how fantastic it is to be single. It didn't have the girls out every Friday and Saturday night on dates with limos and champagne. It told of the real struggles of finding companionship and the ups and downs of dating. Even though Carrie had a fairy tale ending with Big she didn't get there taking the easy road. No!! That road was long, bumpy and with many frogs jumping around along the way. Remember, "Hot Child In The City" when Carrie finds herself dating a comic book store owner that still lived with his parents and smoked too much pot. What about the old boyfriend that went home at night to the sanitarium. And how many of us felt Samantha's pain when she was sick and couldn't get anyone to come over to hang up her curtains. That moment brought the normally strong and confident Samantha to her knees crying at the realization she was alone. The story of Sex and the City takes us on the journey of our lives with the many ups and the many downs when it comes to dating and love. But the other main relationship SATC always remained true in telling? The story of friendships! Those dateless Friday and Saturday nights the girls were out on the town with each other drinking Cosmos. Or they would spend those dateless nights in Carrie's famous flat playing cards, drinking Cosmos or wine and talking about men and dating. No matter what the girls were going through they always had each other. No matter what they were going through they went through it with each other. Having each other's backs in good times and bad. But now the foursome will be a threesome and I think that brings a little bit of sadness with this re-boot.
Let's talk about Ms Samantha Jones for a moment. Without a doubt, Samantha Jones is the sex in SATC. I think we all love Samantha because her character is so strong and confident but also embraces her femininity and loves the joys of being a woman. She embraces her sexuality without saying sorry. She is a sassy one. She owns her own business and makes her own money. The one that brings that oomph! to the group. She's the girlfriend married girlfriends live vicariously through. Samantha is the one to go to when you have a secret you need to talk about because you know she would never judge you. She's the girlfriend you know will be terrible at funerals but you know her heart bleeds for you. She's the friend that reminds you it's fine to love someone but always love yourself more. She's the friend that whips out the witty one-liners about life, love and men. She's the one that will never be good with babies but will sacrifice her hair appointment to give to you while she watches your baby. Samantha Jones is that hard nose friend that will always hold your hand when needed but will also call you out on your shit. That friend that will secretly help your boyfriend pick out the right ring because even though she's not 100% about you getting married she may as well have a nice piece of jewelry to look at. But as with real-life things change and so do friendships. I guess moving on into a new chapter and story sometimes one must mourn the loss of a friend and we are going to mourn the loss of Samantha Jones. I can't really imagine the three without the fourth. She played such an integral part in their stories. I've had this conversation before how Samantha Jones' character really sort of dominates the rest of the characters. Even though I love all the characters I do have to ask myself how exciting they will be without Samantha Jones around to spice things up? But I will reserve judgement.
So what happens next in these girls lives that haven't yet been explored? The last episode of the series ended with Big flying all the way to Paris to rescue Carrie. Which when you think about it, was that really a cool move? I mean here is the ungettable emotionally unavailable guy that you've finally been able to wrestle your heart out of his cold hands showing up unannounced while you're with your new boyfriend building a new life in Paris. I mean it's kinda hard I know to put aside the fact it's dreamy Chris Noth (been in love with him since his Law and Order days) but let's not let the handsomeness confuse us. If an old boyfriend came to ruin your new life with your new boyfriend would you think "he must really love me." How romantic is that? I know Carrie was a little unhappy because the artist Aleksandre was working a lot. But to be honest Carrie can be a little flaky when it comes to men. Needing a bit too much attention if you ask me, Remember in the second movie - which wasn't that great if I'm honest. Here it is she's finally Mrs Big! She finally landed John but now she's bored and somehow ends up kissing Aidan in a crazy outfit wearing way too much eyeliner. I guess a symbolic reference of her being not really herself. But was there more to that kiss in Abu Dhabi? Will Carrie and John still be in love or will the man that stood her up at the altar resurface. John was a complicated guy. But I'm not sure complicated is the right word. He was that hard to get guy which in real life never pans out well. So what is it like being married to the "hard to get guy?" Will we get a glimpse into that sort of relationship? Delve into the complexity of their relationship after all the years of "catch me if you can?" There definitely is a lot of material there to explore with Carrie and John. But honestly, I hope that won't be the case. First, that would be very predictable. And second don't you want them to last forever? It would be heartbreaking to find out after all the years of the chase and heartaches that Carrie and John were just a fantasy and turn out not to be true loves. But like I said Carrie can be a little flaky. I mean after all the years of loving him and waiting for him, domestic life became boring for her. So you never know. But if they are divorced I couldn't take it! Honestly! I think I would need some therapy.
So what about the other two? I don't see much going on there. We've already dealt with adultery with Miranda and Steve. Oh, that was difficult to watch. I'd be surprised if anything dramatic is happening in Charlotte York Goldenblatt's life. The most dramatic thing I've ever seen happening in Charlotte's life was when she had to shut herself into the pantry to cry because it was all just a bit too much at that moment. Actually, as I type this I think it would be nice to see that more vulnerable part of Charlotte. That part that isn't always so picture perfect. But when I think of Charlotte she does have a little bit of an edge to her. Remember her addiction to Mr Rabbit. She's not stuffy by any means. But then you also remember her rehearsing how she was going to tell off Big and Carrie had to tell her to insert a finger gesture. Even the way she walked off giving Big a huff after she put distraught Carrie back into the limo after Big dumps her at the altar made you laugh. Charlotte is the light in the story so I don't see any dark days coming her way. If anything maybe Charlotte and Harry may have more kids? I don't know but for me, out of the three characters, a drastic change of life is harder to imagine with the character of Charlotte.
What about Miranda and Steve? Will they still be going strong? Miranda can be a bit distant and emotionally removed so will that cause Steve to cheat again or will they be stronger for surviving the mistake he made in the past? But haven't we been there before with these two? They've broken up a few times already but always came back to each other. They've already survived adultery. We witnessed Miranda becoming softer in her relationship with Steve. I imagine a divorce would cause her to become a cold shell of a person. Not to mention the drama created by trying to divorce an attorney. Steve is such a puppy dog Miranda would literally eat him alive. But somehow I don't see that being a storyline either. Maybe it's the hopeless romantic in me that doesn't want to see any of these characters we've come to love, in their pursuit of love, unhappy. But with the announcement of the re-boot, we have all these questions and we need answers.
.
Sadly ...And Just Like That doesn't even begin filming until spring. So we have many more months to contemplate. I for one am excited! I absolutely love SATC. Even when I watch the reruns and the movies it all still feels fresh to me. Well, maybe not SATC 2. I think there was a lot of stretching there and I can't point my finger on it but something about SATC 2 just did not work. Maybe we should leave them in the city and not on holiday. I mean SATC had a holiday to Mexico but that was just a mini-break and they went back to the city. Everything was just a bit too much. They even over-sexualized Samantha which seemed totally unnecessary. As if Samantha would lose a client over a guy. NEVER! So I'm hoping for something better than SATC 2.
SATC aired June 6, 1998. Since that date we watched the girls laugh and cry. We sipped Cosmo's and glasses of wine as we listened to the writings of Carrie about dating in New York City. We watched them through date after date and relationship after relationship. We laughed with them and we cried with them. We chatted about them with our real friends like they were part of our clique. From the first episode to the last 94th episode we watched as the girls changed and evolved. We suffered with them through some fashion do's and some fashion ???? Mainly with Carrie. Admit it, no matter how much we love her, and I most certainly do, the girl had some questionable fashions at times. But even that got better and better. Some of us developed shoealism, especially for designer shoes to which we totally blame Carrie. We watched as they fell in love, married, divorced, married and had children. Even Samantha has fallen in love a couple of times. Why oh why couldn't she had stayed with Smith. And now we will never know what became of Samantha Jones. I'll just imagine she fell in love and moved to a castle somewhere in Europe with a Count or Baron. After all these years SATC is still a cult favorite. Since it's last episode and a couple of movies, we've all changed, grown older, hopefully much wiser and evolved. And Just Like That...life continues and each day is new. So let's see where the girls take us next.
Take Care
Tracy