And Just Like That Sex & the City was Back but do We Want it?
Though the world is in absolute chaos right now it came to yet another standstill when the very mysterious teaser for the HBO Sex & the City reboot was dropped on Sunday night by Sarah Jessica Parker. The internet exploded with joyous pandemonium and some solid questions: Was this already filmed? Where is Samantha? Will this new Sex & the City take place post-COVID? Where is Samantha? Is Carrie still running around in heels? Where is Samantha? Does she know how to use Zoom?
And as the questions abounded I couldn’t help but wonder do we really need more Sex & the City?
I mean there is no doubt that S&TC is a staple of the pop culture zeitgeist and a New York institution in its own right. Would tourists be lined up outside Magnolia’s without S&TC? Would flocks of young women have moved to New York in the early aughts with adorable delusions of grandeur that they could write an article once a week and be able to afford an apartment in the West Village and Chanel for casual-ware? Would people even go to bars if it weren’t for Sex & the City? Nope, they still would have gone to bars but they wouldn’t have ordered Cosmos and carried teeny tiny purses.
But the show had a moment and that moment lasted for about 20 years. First as one of two series that put not only HBO on the map for original programming but led the way for the golden era of television. When it ended after six seasons it was tough for all women (though we did have about two years of knockoff series plus E! still somehow justifies a marathon every weekend) but luckily two years later we had the first Sex & the City film. Then we had the second (very ridiculous) Sex & the City 2. And then when we thought it was over we had The Carrie Diaries: a reimagining of young Carrie Bradshaw’s life. We also had Divorced on HBO which wasn’t Sex & the City but there were some real commonalities.
And literally any time a show or movie features women talking about sex, relationships, clothing and they are wearing shoes it is compared to this show. In other words, perhaps the show ran it’s course.
But alas no. Now we are supposed to watch three married ladies (well, at least we think they are married) navigate love and friendship in their 50s. So many questions: Will they wear sneakers cause those are cool now? Did they watch Girls? Does Charlotte still wear white and pearls when baking with her children? Does anyone go to SoulCycle.
I don’t want to say it but we may be getting very close to show that rhymes with Schmoden Schmirls territory. But at least the Golden Girls had Blanche to spice it up. Now we don’t even have Samantha.
According to a report from EW, this is what Parker said about the revival and Kim Cattral’s lack of inclusion: “No. I don’t dislike her. I’ve never said that. Never would. Samantha isn’t part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do.”
But in a world desperate for comfort (and new content) perhaps we need the girls back.