AJLT... With spoilers!

[ReeseWitherfork]

Just finished episode one and need to talk about it!!!

Didn't like much of the episode to be honest. But the ending! I'm floored! Was not expecting that.

We’re obviously supposed to feel sorry for Miranda (Cynthia 🙄) being married to this awful, hapless, decrepit old man who can’t satisfy her sexually anymore. Please. They were better than that. Steve was supposed to be amazing in bed, he wouldn’t just suddenly forget what to do because he’s in his early 50s. And even if Miranda did want more at this point in her life, she wouldn’t be out having affairs after everything they’ve been through together. Those terrible flashback scenes will haunt me in my dreams.

I’m finding Charlotte and Harry’s relationship very odd as well, she’s coming across as a nag and he’s bumbling along. Although I did like Harry’s reaction to ‘Rock’ and the fact that she’s 12 years old and would have ice cream for every meal if they let her.

Anthony is great and the voice of reason throughout this whole thing.

Nothing seems to be quite gelling still, it’s feeling haphazard and very woke bingo. Noted that ‘mansplaining’ was the word of this latest episode. It’s all so heavy handed. Nothing nuanced or fresh.

Still hate it but will watch til the end…

I’m 15 minutes into the new episode, stopped for a minute to take a break (recovering from surgery, on the loo A LOT) and wondering wether to bother watching the rest.

Who are these people?! They aren’t the strong, confident and powerful women we knew and love in SATC.

Charlotte screaming swear words in the street?

Steve acting like he’s 95 wandering about for his lost wallet?

Miranda desperate for a text back from someone?

So far from who they are.

And also, the women apart from SJP have had way too much facial surgery. For Miranda and Charlotte they both have literally one line each on their foreheads unaffected by Botox and they’re both really wriggly lines it’s very distracting

I actually think if they were gonna go in hard with the current issues they should have had a storyline about anti-semitism for H&C and the girls, it’s a real issue at the moment.

If anyone wants a laugh look up the hashtag #ItsCheDiaz Twitter has some serious hate for her!

@ReeseWitherfork

Anyone seen this? The original tweet I mean. Blows your mind a bit!!!

Also included this reply as thought it was particularly poignant.

That's not strictly true, only the actress playing Blanche was early 50s. All the other Golden Girls were in their 60s.

SJP looked fabulous in this episode - the asymmetrical blue ruched dress and white shift with black edging were divine.

I think Carrie is overplaying the whole 'my husband died' card. If she was my friend I'd be itching to tell her to shut the fuck up

I also didn't understand the vomiting scene. Did they have food poisoning? Were they really drunk? 🤷‍♀️

@Duckswaddle

We’re obviously supposed to feel sorry for Miranda (Cynthia 🙄) being married to this awful, hapless, decrepit old man who can’t satisfy her sexually anymore. Please. They were better than that. Steve was supposed to be amazing in bed, he wouldn’t just suddenly forget what to do because he’s in his early 50s. And even if Miranda did want more at this point in her life, she wouldn’t be out having affairs after everything they’ve been through together. Those terrible flashback scenes will haunt me in my dreams.

I’m finding Charlotte and Harry’s relationship very odd as well, she’s coming across as a nag and he’s bumbling along. Although I did like Harry’s reaction to ‘Rock’ and the fact that she’s 12 years old and would have ice cream for every meal if they let her.

Anthony is great and the voice of reason throughout this whole thing.

Nothing seems to be quite gelling still, it’s feeling haphazard and very woke bingo. Noted that ‘mansplaining’ was the word of this latest episode. It’s all so heavy handed. Nothing nuanced or fresh.

Still hate it but will watch til the end…

I don't think we're supposed to feel sorry for her. If that was what they wanted then they would have changed Steves character in a different way and made him into more of a prick.

I think they're showing exactly what they want to show, someone in a dead passionless relationship who is having some kind of sexual awakening...and some people will understand how this all started with Che, some will find her selfish, different people will see it in different ways!!

I just find writing people in their 50s as 85 year olds really insulting. Steve is a doddering old man who’s forgotten how to finger his wife - I just don’t buy it.
I understand the sexual awakening angle but it’s not sympathetically done, it’s forced in completely uncharacteristic ways. I suppose it doesn’t help my viewing that I hate che as a character (not a trans thing, I just don’t like the predatory inappropriateness of the whole character).

I was totally willing to accept Steve having hearing loss. I know it's gotten a lot of criticism for ageing him so much when he's only mid-50s but my dad went through similar hearing loss, along with an inner ear disorder that led to his very early retirement when he was quite a lot younger. My dad however never reacted like a lost old man, confused in a market, as Steve did here. My grandmother in her 90s can be a bit like that these days, but for her, it's like a regression reaction to Covid restrictions more than anything. And AJLT exists in a fully post-pandemic universe, so he has no excuse.

The Steve/Miranda sex scene made no sense. I can't imagine they haven't had sex in years if as soon as she says she wants some, he's immediately willing to do what she wants. And concluding that their sex life is absolutely dead in the water because he washed the hands he'd been preparing food with before inserting it into her!!!!! I mean, that's actually just lovely good manners. Sure it's not super passionate, but i found it kind of sweet and thoughtful. And if you are really a long term married couple who wants to reignite your sex life, taking some time for a nice bath, massages, privacy, comfort, etc, is how you go about seeing if you have sexual chemistry. Not demand your husband fingerbang you all of a sudden in the kitchen when your child could walk in at any minute and sulk because it wasn't as immediately sexy as the person you cheated with.

With Che, Miranda's sudden declaration of love was laughable. She barely knows her. In terms of time spent together, they had one lunch. In a hospital canteen. And Miranda is in love! Even 16 year olds know that as great as a couple of orgasmic sexual encounters can feel, they aren't love. Miranda is really, truly pathetic. I know people say she's just Cynthia now instead of Miranda but why would Cynthia Nixon insist her character is portrayed like this? Are the writers actually getting revenge on her by acquiescing to her insistence to be a woke, late blooming bisexual but doing it in the most deliberately awful way possible and she's too stupid to know just how awful Miranda is being?

@Duckswaddle

I just find writing people in their 50s as 85 year olds really insulting. Steve is a doddering old man who’s forgotten how to finger his wife - I just don’t buy it. I understand the sexual awakening angle but it’s not sympathetically done, it’s forced in completely uncharacteristic ways. I suppose it doesn’t help my viewing that I hate che as a character (not a trans thing, I just don’t like the predatory inappropriateness of the whole character).

Oh I can't stand Che at all either and hated the scene where Che was playing dumb asking why Miranda was acting weird then said they didn't see the DM. Typical player stuff!

Sorry didn't mean to quote the whole post!

@Wanderingowl great post, but I'd also rather he'd washed his hands AFTER he'd fingered her and before he started putting all the food back in the fridge. Call me prudish, Che.

@ReeseWitherfork

Just finished episode one and need to talk about it!!!

Didn't like much of the episode to be honest. But the ending! I'm floored! Was not expecting that.

Absolutely LOVING the fashion but the 'wokeness' is driving me nuts and I don't know what they've done to Miranda and Charlotte. Charlotte not apologising seems very out of character for me, as was the swearing in the street. Carrie is more likeable this series which is nice. Definitely missing Samantha

Apart from the Che and Rose storylines, what is it that people are finding so 'woke'?

Why not read the thread and see all of the instances where posters have already explained their reasoning? Then you can engage with those specifics if you agree/disagree. It would be a much better way of discussing the issues or lack there of than coming on a 7 page thread and asking people to reiterate what they have already been iterating for the last 6 weeks.

I have been reading the thread but it also seems to involve the show having a character in a wheelchair and characters who are not white. But I don't have an issue with either.

I hate the way Steve was in this episode! Like a pp said how would he suddenly be crap at sex? I did like the walking round the city scenes more in this one. I'm missing the girls at brunch scenes from the original series, when they would gather and discuss their experiences, after carrie was sick, it would have been great to have a scene there where they all discussed it . This episode was much better in terms of not preachy or too woke, but the structure is just not quite right. I did like carrie ending up at the window at the end of the episode.

Nobody has an issue with there being characters of colour or in a wheelchair. And anyone claiming that's the problem is being very deliberately obtuse. They have an issue with how badly their characters are written or at least written in to the show. Miranda's professor and her husband are both like two characters from a different show, randomly inserted here.

I read a comparison between AJLT and The Expanse recently. The Expanse is a show, that while science fiction so obviously an very different genre, is everything that AJLT wishes it could be. The Expanse is a show that effortlessly has one of the most diverse casts in television, including a non-binary character who has not once in the show mentioned their gender identity. They are just there, getting on with their life in difficult circumstances. The usual top polling best character on the show is played by a 69 year old Iranian woman. And her character is generally regarded as one of the most badass, beautiful, intelligent, all round fabulous television characters in history.

There are ways to have truly diverse casts. There are ways to showcase older women. There are ways to include characters with different sexualities. There are even ways to include characters with gender identities that the general public may not even believe exist or sexual/romantic preferences like polyamory. And it's by being diverse. Not by making a big deal designed to show how diverse you are being.

This episode was better than all the rest. Carrie’s clothes are great, it didn’t feel as forced but I still hate how Harry and Steve are and agree with everyone else about the sex in the kitchen and about Che. Fuck off Che!

This whole Miranda story line is bullshit.

She was heartbroken when Steve cheated on her. Everyone called him out on it. And in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that long ago was it?

No way would Miranda do that back to him.

Charlotte and Carrie haven't changed at all. Charlotte was always uptight and pretentious, Carrie was always self-centred and twee.

I DON'T like how they've replaced Stanford's Character with his husband. I understand that the actor died but they've shoehorned this other bloke into the role.

Also don't like the weird text exchange between Carrie and Samantha. I don't think Samantha would have happily chatted about the vagina story but blanked her when she said she missed her.

It just isn't right!

@SliceOfCakeCupOfTea

This whole Miranda story line is bullshit.

She was heartbroken when Steve cheated on her. Everyone called him out on it. And in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that long ago was it?

No way would Miranda do that back to him.

Charlotte and Carrie haven't changed at all. Charlotte was always uptight and pretentious, Carrie was always self-centred and twee.

I DON'T like how they've replaced Stanford's Character with his husband. I understand that the actor died but they've shoehorned this other bloke into the role.

Also don't like the weird text exchange between Carrie and Samantha. I don't think Samantha would have happily chatted about the vagina story but blanked her when she said she missed her.

It just isn't right!

his husband this other bloke

Have you literally only watched this series?

I hate the way Steve was in this episode! Like a pp said how would he suddenly be crap at sex?

Because sex is generally about having passion and chemistry. When people lose that then women often say that it feels horrible and awkward, like he's just a flatmate they're not attracted to.
For men I don't think they get the feeling awkward thing as much but they suffer from confidence issues...so if they had stopped doing something for a long time then they've lost their confidence to do it right.

But it wasn't really about him suddenly being bad at it, he could have been doing the same thing physically to her that he did earlier on, but it's now awkward and weird so it doesn't do anything for her.

Did Carrie throw up because seeing Peter do it made her queasy? Or were we supposed to think they had both got to that stage of imbibing at the same time?
The kitchen scene with Miranda and Steve was awful, as was Steve in the market. Can’t understand why the actor didn’t query how doddery he is now supposed to be.
I never ever liked Carrie the best, if at all. Now she’s somehow managing to be the least awful!

@ChoccyJules I never ever liked Carrie the best, if at all. Now she’s somehow managing to be the least awful!

I bet you are only saying that because her husband died.

I'd agree that she was the least awful apart from the fact that she is constantly using Big's death to get her own way. Either in pushing people to do things for her, shutting them up when she's tired of a conversation or just winning a petty argument.

[quote goldenbag]@Wanderingowl great post, but I'd also rather he'd washed his hands AFTER he'd fingered her and before he started putting all the food back in the fridge. Call me prudish, Che. [/quote]
I was going to say the exact same thing. Wash your hands, Steve!