And Yup, Just Like That
Ok, am I the only one sobbing. I’m going to start a support group for Black girls — of a certain age — who love Sex in the City (SATC) and who are geeking out on its new reboot ‘And Just Like That’ (AJLT). Am I a hopeless romantic, yes. Am I a fierce fashionista, kinda. Am I a New Yorker, no. I’m better, I’m a Chicagoan with a love and respect for a mythical film version of New York and Paris. Ok, Paris is even better in real life. Am I a believer in the power of women and friendships, abso-fucking-lutely absolutely. Am I writing this with Sarah Jessica Parker’s (SJP) / Carrie Bradshaw Preston’s (CBP) voice in my head kinda. Am I writing this in front of a fire with my Mr. Big as a my wingman who is also writing in front of that very same fire. Yes, I fucking am — said in a Samantha Jones — tone.
I just finished watching season 1 finale of the ‘Sex in the City’ reboot, ‘And Just Like That’ and the accompanying documentary and I love it. And I’m completely unashamedly unobjective, you guessed that right. If you can accurately express how much you love something — that you truly love — you don’t love it enough. It is confection, in all the good ways and in all the other ways. I’m loyal to it in a way, that leaves me able to forgive its gaffes and cringy bits like I do with the people that I also love beyond reason. I’m so proud of it for how it is true to what it was, how it is true to the characters and the way they and the world has continued to grow, change and evolve.
The show was and is groundbreaking and as Black woman on the 3rd day of Black History Month in the 3rd year of a Pandemic, I might be a little kooky, but if it meant as much to you as it meant and means to me, you would understand. Or at least can indulge me. I was 21 years old when the show first came out and I was on my hunt for Mr. Right along my four TV BFFs, but I was the Black-girl pre magic college version, young professional, 30-ish professional, in love and heartbroken, and in love again, and engaged and married and a mom on and on and on. I’m every part and parcel all of them, each of the characters has served me well. I believe if I’m going to go do something (or someone) it should be enjoyable for me, that is the point ala Sam. I’m a little traditionalist and am a fervent optimist like Charlotte. I’m a bit radical and have a morbid and dry sense of humor that can be a bit too much of a pragmatic and judgy cynic like Miranda and yet and still, I’m a hopeless flighty neurotic romantic like Carrie, trying to figure it all out by writing it all out. I’m a career woman like them all and have friends who I love fiercely. I’m glad that they have friends now who look like me on the outside and much as they felt like me on the inside. Very glad to see that.
I love Rom Coms, the gushier the better. I love all of the Chicago-based teen heartthrob John Hughes movies. I love the obscure one thee best. I’m sure that is how I found SATC. I have been loving on Sarah Jessica Parker, since her breakout role in the also set in in Chicago teen classic ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and yes I have the DVD and VHS. I’m a Gen X’er. And her dance moves in ‘Footloose’ are also not to be missed. I’ve have enjoyed her thoroughly in other movies and shows, but none have my heart like Sex in the City. What can I say.
People are divided and are “hate-watching” the new reboot and don’t like the show — original and new — for a lot of reasons that are unimportant to me. I’m too busy fangirl-ing out on how they have rebooted and progressively advanced and expanded the show. I particularly enjoyed the documentary and how they are dealing with diversity, adult marriage, parenting, careers and friendships. All things that I value immensely. The new cast is a dream, an utter dream. I love them all, LTW/ NAP, NYA Che, Bobby and Seema. I missed Samantha and I’m grieving her almost as much as Big. But I will try not to give everything away, watch it if you are not a cynic or if you are a cynic watch it and ask yourself “when did you become a cynic and why?” Basically, who hurt you, boo? Not everything isn’t for everyone and that is ok. However, I am someone who believes in love, “Real love, ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.” SATC and AJLT is for those people, they get it.
So, if you are a watching ‘And Just Like That’, watching or rewatching yet again SATC and are kissed by nature’s sun and / or wanna wax poetically about it — hit me up. I’m a couple of cosmos in already and ready to sit at the table to talk all about it.
