And Just Like That...

Listen, I am a sucker for everything related to 'Sex and the City'. I love the show, I love the movies, and I even enjoy the continuation. I'm also considering checking out the books. One day, when I was young, I was watching an episode, and my brother came into the room asking, 'Why do you watch it? It’s a girl show,' with a look of disgust on his face, almost angry that I was turning gay in front of him. I don’t remember my answer. I think it was a lie, trying to hide the obvious, because in this society, you either comply or face rejection. For a child to feel scared of being themselves changes them profoundly; I immediately became a liar, started to hide, and suppressed the feminine personality that was emerging inside me. Most of the time, I felt ashamed of being different because a boy was not supposed to act this way. I became a loner because without the support and understanding I craved, being in the company of people who saw me as a mistake and a joke was not worth it. I preferred my own company and often escaped to imaginary worlds where I found a way to create the feelings I needed, something those closest to me failed to provide.

I never stopped watching the show because it served as an escape from the obligation to act like the people of the small town of Kozloduy wanted me to act. Even in my own home, where I was supposed to feel safe and understood by my family, I was either left alone because no one knew how to deal with such an 'abomination,' or, in the case of my brother, often reminded by him how gross and horrible it is to be gay. Whenever I have a problem or a question, I come back to the series. While this show was on, I was myself, and the therapy session I found in it continues to this day. All the hate around the characters, even if it’s not projection, can’t hit the feelings I have for them. Even though both seasons of 'And Just Like That' had rocky starts, eventually, they grew on me, and I saw what they were doing. I think there is a TV show about the young Carrie, which is not on my radar. I guess I suck less than I thought, but at least I can admit that I suck a lot.

Recently, we started watching the original show for at least the 10th time. I always say this show answers the questions I have whenever I play it. Do you know that thing when you have ongoing drama and questions, you close your eyes, open a page from a book, and the answers to your problems magically appear across the lines? This is how I use 'Sex and the City.' I play an episode, and it immediately connects to my question, answers it, and allows me to relax and dive into their world. It's a magical show; I have nothing bad to say about it.

The movies were just a treat. Every time I watch them, it's just another glimpse into those women's lives, which I love. I don't dissect them as some do. I often read about how stupid they are and so on. I am just happy to be with them and relax in good company. The hate around Carrie's character is insane. All the videos on YouTube point out how toxic she is from the very beginning, highlighting all her mistakes and her poor handling of her feelings, as if we were created perfect and she is the only one deviating from the norm. To those judging a character with flaws, they are obviously recognizing something in those characters that they don't like about themselves, projecting their own misery, always pointing fingers, failing to see their own reflection. Good job.

What about this continuation? I guess you can call it woke, with all the negative connotations. But you can call it woke as long as you recognize that everyone at the beginning of this path will be called that until it is no longer something new. You should be able to see yourself on the screen and relate. The audience is different, and the name of the game is to attract more eyeballs and touch their souls in some way. I finished the second season today and, unfortunately, I have to admit, both seasons have rocky starts, especially the second one. The first scene is everyone fucking. I feel like the problem of the show is that it tackles all of today's problems all at once, which doesn’t give enough room to process what is happening. On the other hand, I was back in almost immediately. There were some truths in the second season related to my romantic life that spoke to me. I guess there is a "we hear what we want to hear" effect, but sometimes it comes as a revelation. The problem is that the script is not always good. Sometimes, I cringe at the dialogue, but I cringe in real life all the time, so that probably keeps it realistic for me. The problems they are facing are kind of out of this world, my world, but still funny and somehow educational. The character of Che is a rollercoaster. Sometimes she is cool and fun, and I love her, and in some episodes, I cannot stand her. Her stand-up is incredibly unfunny, or at least not to my taste. I love everything about the original four, but the new additions are also pretty fantastic. How is it that everyone in that show is almost 60 and looks like that? I guess the movie serves as a reminder that life doesn’t end after 40. They say 40 in gay years is 80, which, after I turned 30, became a little scarier. It’s nice to get a glimpse into the future and see gays thriving. It bothers me that the gays throughout the whole cinematic universe serve the role of just being gay, and what happened to Stanford in the series is just insanely unrealistic, even though I had a friend who did something very similar to what they tried to convince me. How was that even allowed? But I'll allow it.

No matter all the mistakes, the drama with Kim Cattrall in the real world, and some mild confusions like the one about Miranda being allergic to cats (if I heard correctly) when in the first series she had Fatty, I love those girls, the old, the new, and their toxic ways. This show came into my life when I was discovering myself, coming to terms with exactly who I am, and allowed me to feel the way I felt and be me.

Iliya Badev