#0010 Here They Come Again

Or should I say “And Just Like That” I’m referring to Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis aka Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte the characters Candace Bushell wrote about in her novel Sex And The City in 1997, which Darren Star brought to life in the TV series the following year and ran for six seasons until 2004. Then 2 movies in 2008 and 2010. Set in New York four girlfriends in their mid-thirties (one was 40) each with very different personalities who shared everything that happened to them, especially their sex lives. Sharing their laughter, tears, anger, frustration, bewilderment, drunkenness, betrayal, failures and successes. A great soundtrack, gorgeous fashion, dazzling shoes and so much eye candy, bitchy comments and zinging one liners and more sex, a lot more. Can you tell that I was a huge fan yet? Mostly the eye candy but also as I was trying to find out who I was as a gay man there was so much I could relate to.

They are more or less in the same place we saw them over 10 years ago. They can all afford to have work done but good old Miranda is sporting a shaped silver hair do. You know Miranda and Cynthia ‘keeping it real’ except for her little lad. Who’s not little anymore. He’s a teenager with all the usual affetes. Raging hormones, bad hair and skin from no sunlight because his girlfriend is there who is most likely a nympho. Difficult to tell from mumbles and sound bites. Miranda’s reaction to all of this is to shake her head saying to the room “these conversations are going to need more coffee.”

Carrie and Big still ridiculous in love. And the Park Avenue Charlotte is still married to her rich, understanding and thoughtful, just wanting a quiet life lawer husband. Her greatest worry is that Miranda had alcohol on her breath and it was only 9am.

Where’s who? Oh Samantha? Yeah weird one. They have cleverly scripted her to be in London. They all had a huge falling out. Carrie said she “tried and tried” and Miranda confirmed it. You just know there’s more to it. She’s gone. Moving on.

The most noticeable difference is I felt that SITC was really very white. Which wasn’t as big an issue then as it is now. So there been an injection of ethnicities and of course theologies and you get the picture.

I’m trying to love it like I did but SITC but something just doesn’t sit right. It feels to be trying a bit too hard to remember all the PC written and unwritten. I do feel that the new characters are tropes and not fully realised. It also feels like they realised they needed to jolt their baby up. Which is done by creating a shock moment. But to be honest there is so much signaling of the moment you can see it coming from a mile off. It is an OK effort but maybe it hasn’t that much to say anymore. Others do it way better.

So will I bother again. Maybe, but I have so much on now not sure when.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

I didn’t want to go down the usual Valentine route. There will undoubtedly be loads of single women. Maybe separated/ divorced, just out of a long hopeless affair, or recovering from illness or dependancy, or transitioning and let’s not forget the same goes for men. Who will be more likely to overeat, get plastered and go through lord only knows number of tissue boxes and quite unpleasant take-away food. But who will also have their girl buds on one of the chat room apps or phone or right there holding a hand or maybe holding hair as fresh convulsions eject more of their dna into the porcelain.