Liars and Saints

  Two-time Pulitzer winner Wesley Morris just released a podcast hour in defense of "And Just Like That." I think Morris wilfully overlooks some of the show's problems, but I admire his bravery. One interesting move in the AJLT playbook was to keep Samantha alive. When an actor becomes "difficult," the character can die or even (in the case of "Fresh Prince") resurface in the shape of a *new* actor. Sara Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall had a fight; the fight seemed to be about money and ego. In a smart twist, Michael Patrick King wrote the fight into the show. We learn that Samantha and Carrie are having a fight--a fight about ego and money--and, although things "mellow," the fight never seems to end. There is a sense of irresolution. This is just like life--and it's something that seems not to find its way into many TV scripts. OK, there are more things that I like. In the final episode, Charlotte tries to pair Carrie with legendary gay ...

  People around me ask, "How can you continue to watch  Sex and the City ?" My husband waded through the recent season premiere, then said, "I can't anymore. I'm pulling the plug." We were at dinner, and the table next to us had four gay men; the men complained about Charlotte's dog and about the way Aidan almost shat himself during phone sex. (In fact, I sort of liked the phone-sex flatulence.) The discussion became a six-person discussion, as Marc and I piled on. "To think this was the PREMIERE! Someone behind the scenes thought.....this is our BEST material, so we need to pack it into the first hour...." I'll tell you why I stick with Carrie Bradshaw. It's because Michael Patrick King is a gay Irish (lapsed) Catholic voice--and there just aren't so many of these voices in the entertainment world. His interest in farts, adult diapers, erectile dysfunction, and "the wild CUNT-ryside" just speaks to me; his words have a wa...

 A profound loss in this house? The season finale of "And Just Like That." That show was like glue for my spouse and me. Marc enjoyed capping any minor event with a breathy Sara Jessica voice: "And just like that...my daughter ate her ice cream...." "And just like that....the Amazon package fell from the sky...." I liked to think about backstage drama. It was my belief, early on, that Che would be written out of the show (because of a bitchy Sara Ramirez interview). I also thought, when Kim Cattrall said,  I never made special demands .... Well, I thought I heard subtext:  Yes, you bet. I made some big demands.... We've moved on to  Billions . Marc's Paul Giamatti voice sounds quite a bit like his Sara Jessica voice. I am enchanted by Condola Rashad--who is clearly a brilliant actor, but who wishes to toss away the theater career to become a pop star named Dola Rashad. All of this is fun for my family, but it's not on par with "The Tale of...

  One thing I respect in this new SJP season is the focus on bad dates.  This was a source of delight back in the late nineties. Who could forget when Carrie lightly mocked Berger's use of the term "scrunchie," in a novel, and the mockery led to an apocalyptic kiss-off? Who could forget Stanford billing himself as an "Ed Harris type" on OKCupid? (The prospective date takes a look and keeps on walking.) Now we have Seema magnanimously embracing the idea of a "penis pump," only to discover that her date won't tolerate the presence of a vibrator. (This seems true to life.) I also enjoyed Mariska Hargitay's spouse--trying to paper over signs that he is in a codependent relationship with his "app-making" colleague. Finally, it's always a good idea to recruit Miriam Shor, and I admired her work as an apparently sexy Jane Austen scholar who can't be bothered to wash her flannel sheets. These little stories feel like "SVU procedu...

 So sue me: I really enjoyed the most recent Carrie Bradshaw Saga. I'm talking about "Sex and the Widow." This is an hour about "comparing and despairing." Couples see other couples, in public, and dramatic, hyperbolic thoughts pop up. Chic Law Professor flirts with her husband at the Union Square Market; these two are surely "healthier" than Miranda and Steve, who can't make a shopping list without fighting. Charlotte is mortified to spot an "audience" during her fight with her insufferable mansplaining husband; later, that audience has its own fight, and Charlotte is the witness. My favorite moment: Miranda designs a sexual encounter with Steve, and she seems to be aiming at self-sabotage. As the encounter goes off the rails, we can read Miranda's thoughts: This was better with Che. I love Che. (And I enjoyed the specific problems with the Steve encounter: the proximity of Brady, the smelly takeout food, the unwashed hands, the dryn...