Samantha Jones will show up on season two of The Carrie Diaries, which ought to be interesting, because do they have the actress study Kim Cattrall’s work? Will it be a new interpretation, or an echo, and will either one ever work? If she imitates Kim, it might feel too forced, but if she’s totally different then having her be Samantha Jones might seem pointless. It’s a tough line to walk and I don’t envy the actress nor the producers who are trying to figure it all out.

But here she is:

Let’s start with Carrie: Those shoes feel a bit more “now” than mid-80s, as does the sheer blouse and bra, but I admit, I wasn’t paying the closest heed back then because all I wanted was for George Michael to be my boyfriend so OBVIOUSLY my attention to detail was not the best. It’s tough to make the show appealing to These Kids Today without making the costuming a joke, but then why bother making it an ’80s show? Why not just call it a reimagining of sorts and set it now?

As for Samantha, she would totally wear that awful lace balloon of a jumpsuit, then OR now. I have no faith that Kim Cattrall’s sophisticate would resist the trend. And that’s another interesting point of discussion: If Samantha in the ’80s is exactly like who Samantha became when we met her in Sex and the City, is that as interesting? Do we want it to be a new take so that we can imagine what made her grow into the woman we know?

In short, can this work, or is it as much a no-win situation as her outfit?

[Photo: Bauer Griffin]