I never watched Sex and the City when it first aired on HBO (1998-2004), although I knew about Mr. Big (Chris Noth), for obvious reasons. Who wants to watch four super-entitled New York-centric ladies having lunch? The only episode I watched featured Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) investigating bisexuals for her "Sex and the City" newspaper column.
So much for bi representation.
Researching this review, I discovered that Carrie has a stereotypic gay best friend with the incredible name Stanford Blatch (why, was Bruce Van Swishington taken?).
Having never watched the original, I've never been interested in the 2021-25 sequel, And Just Like That (presumably the title means that 20 years have passed "just like that"). But I've seen n*de guys parading around on occasion, and the plot synopses mention several LGBTQ characters. We'll see if the portrayals are cringy.
I'll identify the five main ladies by their careers. From left to right, Filmmaker Lisa, Art Dealer Charlotte, Columnist Carrie, Realtor Seema, Lawyer Miranda.
Episode 3.5, "Under the Table," has three main plot threads.
The Charlotte/Lisa Plot:
Scene 1: The Guggenheim. I love that museum. Wait -- they didn't visit, they're just walking past. Art Dealer Charlotte's boyfriend Harry (Evan Handler) reveals that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but they found it early, so he has a 98% chance of full recovery.
In other news, they're going glamping (glamor camping) with the kids at Governors Island this weekend.
Scene 2: Nuclear family breakfast in a huge, super-elegant kitchen. Filmmaker Lisa won't be back from filming her documentary until late Friday, so she tells her husband, Herbert Wexley (wow, what unrealistic entitled name), to take their children to Governors Island for glamping with Charlotte and her boyfriend.
Husband is played by Chris Jackson
"You can do the 'regular guy' shoot on Monday, " Filmmaker Lisa commands. "This weekend we're going glamping with the Goldblatts."
Scene 3: Art Dealer Charlotte is trying to cook, but she's too distracted. Her friend Anthony (Mario Cantone, left) asks if she's ok.
Her children, a girl and a nonbinary person, ask if they can skip glamping. "No, you're going" It's important because her boyfriend has prostate cancer, but he doesn't want them knowing that.
Scene 4: Governors Island (no apostrophe), just south of Manhattan, with views of the skyline. The nonbinary child notes that there's a spa and go-karts.
Art Dealer Charlotte's boyfriend complains about the mosquitos.
Filmmaker Lisa bursts in, and her husband criticizes her for being late. "Well, four hours ago, I was in Atlanta." Then they bicker because one of them told the other to buy chocolate to make s'mores. This couple is on the outs.
Scene 5: A tent big enough for three beds and a living room set. The boyfriend and the kids are lounging around, playing on their cell phones, when Art Dealer Charlotte bursts in and complains that they should be doing outdoor activities. They refuse. My parents used to say that on family vacations. "You shouldn't be lounging around the cabin reading comic books. Go enjoy the outdoors."
How does one "enjoy" the outdoors? It's a place you go through on the way to enjoying things.
Meanwhile, Filmmaker Lisa and her husband bicker. She takes a photo of him and their kids. When he looks at it, he accidentally scrolls to the last one she took: a selfie with her editor Marion (Mehcad Brooks).
"Are you having an affair with Michael B. Handsome? Talk about getting your chocolate in Atlanta!"
"No, it's just a work crush."
He continues to growl, so Lisa stomps off, and runs into Charlotte at the pier. They complain about their partners, and decide to ditch them and take a spa day.
Cut to the spa. Close up of ladies in bikinis. They're really pushing the heterosexual male gaze.
Carrie/Miranda and Seema after the break