Mario Cantone: "And Just Like That"

"AJLT" is generally an incoherent mess, a Frankenstein's monster; half-formed plots are stitched together, and the pacing is either rushed or weirdly, painfully slow. (How many times did I need to see Nya, sitting alone, eating a piece of cake?)

But, sometimes, I'm intrigued by Anthony. It was fun to see his initial response to new love: "You're fired." Also, it was surprising, and inevitable, when Anthony chose to shut down further protestations of romantic interest: "You're doing this just so you can get a green card."

All of this led to Thursday's oddly smart discussion about anal sex. Anthony has never been penetrated--and when his former employee suggests an attempt at "fluidity," Anthony loses his mind (yet again). In the best SATC tradition, the dialogue becomes confrontational and blunt: "Your thing is nine inches, and it's staying away from my nether region...." And since sex is never just sex, we understand that Anthony isn't just resisting a new aerobic activity. He is sealing off his emotional life from invasion; it's not just about the butt.

I liked this quite a bit; we have Michael Patrick King to thank. A standout scene in a terrible and yet watchable (?) show.

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