Carrie attends a former mentor’s party, where she meets a longtime personal hero. Miranda gets a charley horse.
Remember back in Episode 2 this season when Carrie could barely bring herself to say “vagina”? It turns out that same squeamishness doesn’t apply to the word for male ejaculate that rhymes with “whiz.” Carrie says it not once, not twice, but a cringetastic four times — in a row — at the lunch table she shares with Charlotte, Miranda and Anthony (Mario Cantone) in Episode 4.
It is maybe the raunchiest four-top we’ve ever beared witness to in the entire “Sex and the City” franchise, which is a wonder, considering Samantha isn’t even present. The whole climax conversation kicks off when Charlotte spills to the group that the evidence of Harry’s orgasm was not present after the two had “kids are off to camp” sex. Miranda, a nouvelle lesbian, is perplexed that Charlotte would care: Ejaculation-free sex seems like an “upgrade,” she says, as her friends tease her that her sexuality is all adding up.
Carrie, on the other hand, despite being a sex writer, says she has never given any thought to it whatsoever.
But Charlotte is crestfallen. She loves it, comparing it to the confetti at a parade, or the finale of fireworks on the Fourth of July.
You are fortunate, dear reader, that you saw this episode after Independence Day came and went. Having watched an advance screener, I was not so lucky; all I could think about as I watched the night sky pop on Tuesday night was … Harry.
Charlotte and Harry aren’t the only couple swinging from the chandeliers. If one thing is clear in Episode 4, it’s that the libidos in this over-50 crowd are “vivante” and well.
When Miranda and Che reunite in New York City at Che’s new apartment, they waste no time absconding to a bedroom to make out like a couple of teenagers. That leaves Carrie and Lyle to get to know each other. By merely sitting on Che’s half-assembled couch, they break it, the sound of which brings the lovebirds back out. Drinks flow, as does the conversation, and tales of strap-ons — and of Che and Lyle’s polyamorous past — are swapped.
Carrie’s modesty kicks back in and she excuses herself. Lyle passes out on the bed. Che and Miranda slip in beside him and reignite what they started a few hours before. Lyle stirs and joins in.
Che is into it. Miranda, immediately, is not.
But it’s kind of hot, she says, and how will she know she doesn’t like it if she doesn’t at least try? So she does, she really does, but a charley horse, and the general discomfort she can’t overcome, stops her.
On its own, that all make sense. Miranda is in a very new place with her sexuality. She is open in ways she never has been before, so it stands to reason that, when presented with this new sexual experience, she considers that just because she has never done it before doesn’t mean she shouldn’t.
What’s harder to wrap my head around, though, is that when Miranda decides to leave the bedroom, she gives Che her blessing to carry on with Lyle. When Che comes out to the couch, Miranda insists she meant it when she said she didn’t mind.
Really? Mere hours before, Miranda was miffed that Lyle was even still at Che’s apartment. How did she so quickly go from being uncomfortable with his very presence to being totally cool with sharing Che with him? Is Miranda really this chill about it, or does she think she has to be that chill about it if she wants to keep Che?
In either case, it’s easy to write this off again as “out of character” behavior on Miranda’s part. But remember that, at least according to me, Miranda is a fool for love here for the first time. It will be interesting to see this season just how much of herself she is willing to change for Che.
A similar question could be asked about Lisa. Unlike Charlotte and Harry, she and Herbert couldn’t be more excited, with their kids off to camp, to wrap themselves in the ecstasy of interruption-free work. They make a little time, though, to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary with a big, fancy dinner. At least, it would have been if Herbert had managed to hit “send” on the invitations and Lisa had remembered to order the cake.
Lisa’s mother-in-law, Eunice (Pat Bowie), whom we know tends toward antiquated ideals, shames only Lisa, and not her son, when it is clear the party is falling to pieces. Cakes should be made, not bought, by women of the house, she says, and happily. Lisa’s father (Billy Dee Williams), in turn, goes in on Herbert, making him out to be motivated only by profit.
It’s enough for Lisa to make a snap decision to announce that Herbert will run for City Comptroller — a role he had merely considered, and written off for now — and that she will dutifully support him. We can only assume this will upend both of their lives, and not for the better. But the reality is that, even in your 50s, mom and dad can still get under your skin.
Meanwhile, Carrie is contemplating her next move, deciding if taking a gig at Vivante!, a new online magazine for Boomers, is right for her image. As Seema reminds Carrie, the magazine’s founder, Enid (Candice Bergen), a former Vogue editor, is a legend; she remains quite popular, even in her 70s. Carrie decides to attend Enid’s kickoff event, if only to strike a deal: Carrie will join the editorial staff if her former mentor agrees to plug “Loved and Lost” in her influential newsletter.
Gloria Steinem is there. Bitsy Von Muffling is there, too, and it turns out that the text messages Carrie has been receiving from a mysterious older man all episode are from Bitsy’s former beau, Marlon, whom Bitsy is angling to set Carrie up with. He is known as “the human tripod,” Bitsy says, and she has photographic evidence to prove it. She sends the documentation Carrie’s way by text while — of all times — Steinem is waxing on about the new frontier of feminism.
It turns out, though, that, like Bitsy, Carrie was invited only for her newly “deep pockets.” Enid asks Carrie to shell out a cool $100,000.
Carrie plays it coy until Enid discovers the sext on Carrie’s phone and accuses her of dating her new boyfriend. Apparently this mystery Marlon gets around. Carrie, though, would rather shell out 100 grand to Enid than risk squabbling over the same man again. Remember the Russian?
In any case, we may be not quite halfway through the season, but already I’m eager to get to Aidan. I, at least, want a real romantic arc for Carrie and him, especially now that there is no way Big can ruin it. If it turns out Aidan gets merely a cameo, I will riot.
Things Still Taking up Space in My Brain:
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I may be getting my wish when it comes to Charlotte getting her art-world groove back. At Lisa and Herbert’s anniversary party, a gallerist, Mark Kasbian (Victor Garber), who knew of Charlotte’s mark on the art work from a couple decades ago, offers her a job. Charlotte declines, but it’s easy to assume that’s not the end of the conversation.
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Marlon might be the biggest scamp we’ve seen on this show since, well … Big? Enid clearly thinks she and Marlon are exclusive, but that isn’t stopping him from making a play for Carrie. After so reluctantly partnering up with Martin Grable (Wallace Shawn) in the original series, Enid deserves a real romance.
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