The first one after the pilot is always tough. There is still real warmth and potential here, and the soundtrack is of course nostalgic and great, but it’s weird when Carrie’s handbag is more of a character than her sister. And it REALLY does suck for Carrie Diaries that Jane By Design came first, because it makes all the New York scenes feel like a retread; then again, only four other people besides me watched Jane By Design, so they probably aren’t too worried. Part of the sticky wicket for this show might be that since I know none of these people are in Carrie’s life when she becomes The Carrie Bradshaw, it’s like we’re treading water waiting for utterances of “YOU’RE DEAD TO ME” and “BYE, I’M SHOOTING MYSELF INTO SPACE,” and “IF YOU NEED ME, MY ADDRESS IS ONE YEMEN ROAD, YEMEN,” and such.
