August 7, 2025 • 17 mins
A new report has found Victorian police practices around family violence not only fall short, but are actually harming some of the people they're supposed to be protecting.
Plus, we couldn't help but wonder... what legacy does And Just Like That leave as it's departure is confirmed after three seasons.
If you or anyone you know needs expert help, please contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) — the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
And in headlines today, a $2 million compensation offer to Kathleen Folbigg, who spent 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing her children has been described as woefully inadequate; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told Fox News that Israel intends to take over Gaza but not keep it; Russian President Vladimir Putin says he hopes to meet next week with US President Donald Trump; According to his lawyer, Sean 'Diddy' Combs is aiming to headline Madison Square Garden for a return concert after being convicted on prostitution offences; Matilda's captain Steph Catley has been short-listed for the biggest individual honour in women's soccer, nominated among the game's top 30 players for the Ballon d'Or
THE END BITS
Support independent women's media
Check out The Quicky Instagram here
Listen to Morning Tea celebrity headlines here
GET IN TOUCH
Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au
CREDITS
Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy
Guest: Tara Watson, Mamamia Senior Entertainment Writer
Audio Producer: Lu Hill
Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Mumma Mea acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hey, I'm Taylor Strano. This is Mamma MIA's twice daily
news podcast, The Quickie. A new report has found Victorian
police practices around family violence not only fall short, but
are actually harming some of the people they're supposed to
be protecting. We'll break down the key findings and big
recommendations plus and just like that, Carrie Bradshaw has pondered
(00:44):
her final thought. The sequel to HBO's iconic Sex in
the City will wrap up after three seasons. So why
has this show sparked so much debate and does its
farewell matter to anyone except its die hard fans. Before
we get there, here's Clare Murphy with the latest from
The Quickie newsroom for Friday, August.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Eighth, Thanks Taylor. A two million dollar compensation offer to
Kathleen Folbeck, who spent twenty years in prison after being
wrongfully convicted of killing her children, has been described as
woefully inadequate and a slap in the face. Miss Faelbig
Solicitor Rene Rego said the sum offered is a moral affront,
woefully inadequate and ethically indefensible, saying the system has failed
(01:25):
Kathleen Folbig once again. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the
offer as an absolute slap in the face and a
failure of the New South Wales premiere to uphold the
principles of fairness and justice. Folbig was convicted of three
counts of murder and one count of manslaughter following the
debts of her children between nineteen eighty nine and nineteen
ninety nine. She appealed successfully against her convictions after scientific
(01:48):
discoveries in genetics and cardiology cast doubt on her guilt.
Following two inquiries into her verdicts, she was freed in
June twenty twenty three. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ettniaho has
told Fox News that Israel intends to take over Gaza,
but not keep it, despite intensifying criticism at home and
abroad over the devastating almost two year old war in
(02:10):
the Palestinian enclave. Netanyah, who says that they wish to
take control of Gaza to establish a security perimeter, but
that they don't want to govern the region. They instead
want to hand it over to Arab forces who will.
Netanyahu's government has insisted on total victory over Hamas, which
ignited the war with its deadly October twenty twenty three
attack on Israel from Gaza. The idea of expanding the
(02:34):
war and pushing into areas Israel doesn't already control in
the enclave has been pushed by far right ministers in
Netanyahu's coalition, generating alarm in Israel. The mother of one
hostage urged people on Thursday to take to the streets
to voice their opposition to expanding the campaign. Russian President
Vladimir Putin says he hopes to meet next week with
(02:54):
US President Donald Trump, possibly in the United Arab Emirates.
A meeting between the two presidents would be the first
since mister Trump returned to office this year, and a
face to face meeting would be the first between a
sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin
in Geneva in June twenty twenty one, eight months before
Russia launched their invasion of Ukraine. The New York Times
(03:16):
is reporting that Trump told European leaders during a call
on Wednesday that he intends to meet with Putin and
then follow up with a trilateral meeting, also including Ukrainian
President Vlodomi Zelenski. The diplomatic maneuvers come two days before
a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to
peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. According to his
lawyer Sean Diddy, Combs is aiming to headline Madison Square
(03:39):
Garden for a return concert after being convicted on prostitution offenses.
Combs remains in prison awaiting sentencing, but his lawyer Mark
Agnofilio says his client has his sights set on the
New York Stadium as part of his rehabilitation and reconnection
with fans, saying he wants to get back with his
mother and the people who love him and miss him.
Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transportation
(04:02):
to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering and
sex trafficking charges. He faces up to twenty five years
in prison and remains in federal custody the Metropolitan Detention
Center in Brooklyn, with sentencing scheduled for October three. Matilda's
Captain Steph Catley's been shortlisted for the Biggest Individual honor
in women's soccer, Nominated amongst the game's top thirty players
(04:25):
for the ballin d'Or. The thirty one year old Arsenal defender,
a key figure in the club's women's Champions League success,
is the only Australian to feature in the annual awards,
with her Matilda's teammate Mary Fowler unlucky to miss a nomination.
It's a award for both Katley's performance and leadership for
both club and country, as she's filled in as Australia
skipper in the long term absence of injured captain Sam Kerr.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Thanks Claire. Next, what we can learn from the harm
in the name of safety report. When we talk about
family violence, most people assume there's a clear next step.
You call the police, you get help. But for a
growing number of victim survivors, calling the police is isn't
(05:09):
the beginning of safety. It can actually be the beginning
of something much worse. Fit to this, a woman fleeing
her home in fear, clutching her child's hand, doing everything
we're told to do, report it, speak up, seek help,
and then being treated like the problem, being disbelieved, blamed,
even criminalized. It's not always typical, but it's also not
(05:34):
always rare. This week, a major new report is out
raising some serious questions about how Victoria handles family violence.
The Harm in the Name of Safety report includes survey
results from two hundred and twenty five frontline family violence
workers across the state. That's people on the ground working
as specialists, support workers, community leaders, and other advocates. They're
(05:57):
verdict well police are routinely failing to keep victim survivors safe,
and in many cases, those failures are doing direct harm.
Here's some key stats and findings. More than two thirds,
or sixty nine percent of the workers surveyed say they've
witnessed duty failures or substandard responses from police. Many describe
(06:20):
police regularly not taking family violence seriously, using victim blaming
or dismissive language, failing to follow up on breaches, and
showing a lack of understanding about coercive control and the
dynamics of abuse. Wrongful identification is also rampant. Eighty three
percent of workers say they've encountered police wrongfully identifying a
(06:41):
victim survivor as the aggressor. Over half had seen this
happen five or more times just within the last five years,
targeted discrimination is widespread. Nearly all workers reported seeing at
least one form of discriminatory policing that could look like
abuse and bias directed at Aboriginal and torrestrate islander people, migrants,
(07:01):
LGBTQ people, those living with a disability, and other already
marginalized communities, and disturbingly, fifty one percent of participants say
they've come across cases where a police officer was the
perpetrator of family violence themselves. As much as the report
shines a spotlight on serious gaps in protecting victim survivors,
(07:23):
it also has a big, bold recommendation list on how
to fix it. This includes things like investing in community
led non police alternatives to family violence response and funding
specialized independent services strengthening prevention and accountability programs based in
the community, not just more police training, and critically funding
(07:46):
a pilot for alternative non police first responders drawing on
successful community models already operating locally and overseas. Harm in
the name of safety makes a stark case for too
many police are not the safe answer to family violence.
It's a call for radical rethink centering survivors and communities,
(08:06):
not criminalization and control. If you or someone you know
needs to speak to someone, you can call one eight
hundred RESPECT. That's the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence
Counseling Service. You'll find them on one eight hundred seven
three seven seven three to two. I'll pop more info
in today's show notes for you as well. After three
(08:30):
seasons of viral moments, split reviews and just about as
much TV drama on screen as off, and just like that,
the TV reboot that brought the Sex in the City
universe into the twenty twenties is coming to an end.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I just think a Gray ages you. No, you think
the Gray Ages you because if Laura friends and I'm
this age, you can't be whatever age you're pretending to be.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
For those late to the party, a quick explainer, The
series rebooted in twenty twenty one, catching up with Carrie Bradshaw,
Miranda Hobbs, and Charlotte York, now in their fifties, and
just like that, brought back old favorite characters, but notably
not Kim Katrell's Samantha, well except for a blink in
your Missic cameo in the second season.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Thank you for everything, you fucking fabulous fabulous flat.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It introduced a new circle of younger and more diverse friends,
and threw the beloved trio into everything from widowhood and
sexual reinvention to clunky podcast scenes and gen Z parenting dilemmas.
Through it all, critics and fans have fiercely debated whether
the show's efforts to update and diversify the original magic
have worked. With topics from out of touch dialogue to
(09:41):
sudden character changes front and center in every recap, many
fans and reviewers felt the series became less about friendship
in New York and more an attempt to check boxes,
while others have relished seeing TV's most famous friends deal
with aging, loss and change. So does the show's ending matter,
(10:01):
what is its actual TV legacy? And what can other
reboots learn from such a public trial by social media?
See entertainment Right, Tara Watson has been all across the
show and it's fallout. Tara, we are finally bidding farewell
to carry Bradshaw and just like that is wrapping up.
But I want to know, like, was this show doomed
from the start? We had no Kim Katrell returning as
(10:24):
Samantha Patricia Field wasn't on board, she wasn't doing the costumes,
she was busy with Emily in Paris. Was it over
before it began?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I mean in many fans' minds, yes. Not having the
core four in the show did unsettle a lot of
people because Samantha is an integral part of the show. Also,
she kind of balanced out the group in many ways,
and she brought a lot of humor to the dynamics,
So not having her was a big issue. But then
there was just season one that kicked off, and there
(10:54):
was some okay parts, but generally it just didn't feel
like the show anymore. It kind of looked like the show.
There was some interesting fashion, there was Kristen, Cynthia, Sarah,
Jessica Parker, but the scripts just didn't feel reminiscent at
all of this Sex and the City script, which was
so witty, irreverent, smart, it almost felt like an AI
(11:15):
script at times. It didn't have any like heart and
soul that Sex and the City had.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well. Initially, there was like a lot of backlash right
as these first few episodes from the first season trickled out.
There were people online accusing them of going full throttle
go voc or grow broke, what's your take on it.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah, so the woke elements did not feel natural to
that universe, and they really this first season especially, they
really did cram a lot of like wokeness into the show.
You had Charlotte's child coming out as non binary, which
actually didn't mind that storyline. I think that was actually fine.
But I think what a lot of people had issues
with was this character Shade Dash getting PTSD by Shay Diaz. Yeah,
(11:59):
they added a non binary character comedian who was just
like the worst character of all time that everyone hated.
And it didn't help that they kind of came along
and almost broke up Miranda and Steve, which was a
beloved couple and all of that. It didn't feel like
it was natural to that world. Also, they added a
few characters, so Seema, she almost stepped in as the
(12:20):
new Samantha, So I actually see my work pretty well
in the show. But then they added Naya, who is
this doctor who was kind of befriended Miranda, and she
really didn't work, and she didn't work so badly that
they just phased her out of the show completely.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
We just never spoke of her again.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
And then there was Lisa Todd Wexley, who was kind
of fun at times, but a lot of her storylines
felt very undercooked and you were just kind of like
not invested in that character.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Which as often the criticism when writers called out for
not having diverse characters and diverse storylines. So they throw
a bunch of people on color on screen, but then
underbake their characters.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Exactly, And the six seasons of the original show was
heavily criticized for having very little to no diversity. So
it was like they were making up for.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Eventually lost time almost too far the other direction.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Too far, but they didn't flesh out these characters. It
was very token in stick.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
So can we accuse them, the writers, of maybe phoning
it in a little bit? I mean, at one point
in this latest season they killed off a character for
the second time. Yeah, so funny. It's not big, by
the way, if you haven't gotten that far.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, No, Lisa's father, she'd been going through it. She's
lost her dad twice, once in season one and again
in season three. The writers tried to like cover that up,
saying that the first death was a step father. It
didn't really add up. So this just kind of shows
that they're just I don't know, each season they're not
really looking back of what they've done. They're just kind
of going along with it and I don't know, just
(13:50):
going through the motions, but they're not invested in what
they're writing and the characters and the story and just
like painting a full picture.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
It's almost like this show lost Samantha. It lost the
city and almost a little bit of the sex element
as well, but maybe most importantly, it's lost its heart.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, exactly, it's a very shallow show.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Parah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I feel like you need to say one nice thing
about it.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Though, Okay, so I applaud Sarah Jessica Parker. I cannot
defend what's going on with Miranda, what's going with Charlotte,
because I think both of those actresses are not working
at their best in those roles and the material they've
been given is horrendous. Miranda is not Miranda anymore, let's
be clear. Sarah Jessica Parker, I think is still bringing
(14:33):
something to the table, and I think there are glimmers
of Carrie that do come through, and that's because Sarah
Jessica Parker is incredible and she knows that character so well,
so there has been moments like I think when dealing
with the grief of Big I actually thought that was
tackled really well. I think she recently broke up with
Aiden for the millionth time, and I think even though
(14:53):
they dragged that story light out way too long, I
actually got emotional and it was kind of the first
time in season three, which is not a good season,
it was the first time that season that I was like, oh,
I'm feeling something. And that's because of Sarah Jessica Parker.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Sarah Jessica Parker has said, you know, Carrie Bradshaw has
been the backbone of her profession career for twenty seven years.
When Sex and the City ended, I think a lot
of people wondered, well, what will Carrie Bradshaw do in
the future, what would that look like? And just like that,
I don't know if that gives us the answer that
we're satisfied with, but that is the answer we were given.
(15:24):
It's now going to wrap up. We know that there'll
be a two part season finale in season three. What
do you think is the best way that we bid
farewell to these characters?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
They could do two roots right, They could do it
safe and they could do it risky. So I feel
like the safe way would be maybe m with Carrie
meeting a guy, maybe a new love is blossoming. Miranda's
you know, with her girlfriend who I don't really like,
but that's another story. And then Charlotte's happy with Harry.
I mean, that's probably how we'll end. Who knows. I
(15:54):
would prefer it ends with this is very dark. Harry dies,
Miranda gets rid of her girlfriend because that girlfriend is
really selfish and I don't like her at all, and
then Carrie ends up single, and then all the girls
end up single how they started, And it's kind of like,
it's a bit hopeful that life can go on. People
keep on going, and the datings doesn't end in your
(16:14):
twenties and thirties. It continues.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Will we eventually look back upon and just like that favorably.
I know that we're criticizing it, and there's lots to
be said about it now, but Sex and the City
was always this very much love show, and when we
look back at it with a twenty twenty five lens, like,
we understand that it was problematic. There are things about
it that were not perfectly framed, and if they did
it again, maybe they would do it differently. However, that
is like a universally loved show within just like that.
(16:40):
Will it eventually get the same reception? Do you think
in twenty years time people will look back at this
show how they look back now at Sex and the City.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
No, I think will pretend it didn't happen. The people
that enjoyed it will acknowledge it. But it will kind
of be like the Sex and the City two movie
that many fans might have included, just pretended to, just
pretend it didn't happen.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Okay, So the Sex and the City universe ends at
the end of the first film. For you, for me, yes,
thanks for taking some time to feed your mind with
us today. The Quikie is produced by me Taylorstrano, and
Clare Murphy, with audio production by Lou Hill.
You're listening to a Muma Mea podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Mumma Mea acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters
that this podcast is recorded on.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hey, I'm Taylor Strano. This is Mamma MIA's twice daily
news podcast, The Quickie. A new report has found Victorian
police practices around family violence not only fall short, but
are actually harming some of the people they're supposed to
be protecting. We'll break down the key findings and big
recommendations plus and just like that, Carrie Bradshaw has pondered
(00:44):
her final thought. The sequel to HBO's iconic Sex in
the City will wrap up after three seasons. So why
has this show sparked so much debate and does its
farewell matter to anyone except its die hard fans. Before
we get there, here's Clare Murphy with the latest from
The Quickie newsroom for Friday, August.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Eighth, Thanks Taylor. A two million dollar compensation offer to
Kathleen Folbeck, who spent twenty years in prison after being
wrongfully convicted of killing her children, has been described as
woefully inadequate and a slap in the face. Miss Faelbig
Solicitor Rene Rego said the sum offered is a moral affront,
woefully inadequate and ethically indefensible, saying the system has failed
(01:25):
Kathleen Folbig once again. Greens MP Sue Higginson described the
offer as an absolute slap in the face and a
failure of the New South Wales premiere to uphold the
principles of fairness and justice. Folbig was convicted of three
counts of murder and one count of manslaughter following the
debts of her children between nineteen eighty nine and nineteen
ninety nine. She appealed successfully against her convictions after scientific
(01:48):
discoveries in genetics and cardiology cast doubt on her guilt.
Following two inquiries into her verdicts, she was freed in
June twenty twenty three. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Ettniaho has
told Fox News that Israel intends to take over Gaza,
but not keep it, despite intensifying criticism at home and
abroad over the devastating almost two year old war in
(02:10):
the Palestinian enclave. Netanyah, who says that they wish to
take control of Gaza to establish a security perimeter, but
that they don't want to govern the region. They instead
want to hand it over to Arab forces who will.
Netanyahu's government has insisted on total victory over Hamas, which
ignited the war with its deadly October twenty twenty three
attack on Israel from Gaza. The idea of expanding the
(02:34):
war and pushing into areas Israel doesn't already control in
the enclave has been pushed by far right ministers in
Netanyahu's coalition, generating alarm in Israel. The mother of one
hostage urged people on Thursday to take to the streets
to voice their opposition to expanding the campaign. Russian President
Vladimir Putin says he hopes to meet next week with
(02:54):
US President Donald Trump, possibly in the United Arab Emirates.
A meeting between the two presidents would be the first
since mister Trump returned to office this year, and a
face to face meeting would be the first between a
sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin
in Geneva in June twenty twenty one, eight months before
Russia launched their invasion of Ukraine. The New York Times
(03:16):
is reporting that Trump told European leaders during a call
on Wednesday that he intends to meet with Putin and
then follow up with a trilateral meeting, also including Ukrainian
President Vlodomi Zelenski. The diplomatic maneuvers come two days before
a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to
peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. According to his
lawyer Sean Diddy, Combs is aiming to headline Madison Square
(03:39):
Garden for a return concert after being convicted on prostitution offenses.
Combs remains in prison awaiting sentencing, but his lawyer Mark
Agnofilio says his client has his sights set on the
New York Stadium as part of his rehabilitation and reconnection
with fans, saying he wants to get back with his
mother and the people who love him and miss him.
Combs was convicted in July on two counts of transportation
(04:02):
to engage in prostitution. He was acquitted of racketeering and
sex trafficking charges. He faces up to twenty five years
in prison and remains in federal custody the Metropolitan Detention
Center in Brooklyn, with sentencing scheduled for October three. Matilda's
Captain Steph Catley's been shortlisted for the Biggest Individual honor
in women's soccer, Nominated amongst the game's top thirty players
(04:25):
for the ballin d'Or. The thirty one year old Arsenal defender,
a key figure in the club's women's Champions League success,
is the only Australian to feature in the annual awards,
with her Matilda's teammate Mary Fowler unlucky to miss a nomination.
It's a award for both Katley's performance and leadership for
both club and country, as she's filled in as Australia
skipper in the long term absence of injured captain Sam Kerr.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Thanks Claire. Next, what we can learn from the harm
in the name of safety report. When we talk about
family violence, most people assume there's a clear next step.
You call the police, you get help. But for a
growing number of victim survivors, calling the police is isn't
(05:09):
the beginning of safety. It can actually be the beginning
of something much worse. Fit to this, a woman fleeing
her home in fear, clutching her child's hand, doing everything
we're told to do, report it, speak up, seek help,
and then being treated like the problem, being disbelieved, blamed,
even criminalized. It's not always typical, but it's also not
(05:34):
always rare. This week, a major new report is out
raising some serious questions about how Victoria handles family violence.
The Harm in the Name of Safety report includes survey
results from two hundred and twenty five frontline family violence
workers across the state. That's people on the ground working
as specialists, support workers, community leaders, and other advocates. They're
(05:57):
verdict well police are routinely failing to keep victim survivors safe,
and in many cases, those failures are doing direct harm.
Here's some key stats and findings. More than two thirds,
or sixty nine percent of the workers surveyed say they've
witnessed duty failures or substandard responses from police. Many describe
(06:20):
police regularly not taking family violence seriously, using victim blaming
or dismissive language, failing to follow up on breaches, and
showing a lack of understanding about coercive control and the
dynamics of abuse. Wrongful identification is also rampant. Eighty three
percent of workers say they've encountered police wrongfully identifying a
(06:41):
victim survivor as the aggressor. Over half had seen this
happen five or more times just within the last five years,
targeted discrimination is widespread. Nearly all workers reported seeing at
least one form of discriminatory policing that could look like
abuse and bias directed at Aboriginal and torrestrate islander people, migrants,
(07:01):
LGBTQ people, those living with a disability, and other already
marginalized communities, and disturbingly, fifty one percent of participants say
they've come across cases where a police officer was the
perpetrator of family violence themselves. As much as the report
shines a spotlight on serious gaps in protecting victim survivors,
(07:23):
it also has a big, bold recommendation list on how
to fix it. This includes things like investing in community
led non police alternatives to family violence response and funding
specialized independent services strengthening prevention and accountability programs based in
the community, not just more police training, and critically funding
(07:46):
a pilot for alternative non police first responders drawing on
successful community models already operating locally and overseas. Harm in
the name of safety makes a stark case for too
many police are not the safe answer to family violence.
It's a call for radical rethink centering survivors and communities,
(08:06):
not criminalization and control. If you or someone you know
needs to speak to someone, you can call one eight
hundred RESPECT. That's the National Domestic Family and Sexual Violence
Counseling Service. You'll find them on one eight hundred seven
three seven seven three to two. I'll pop more info
in today's show notes for you as well. After three
(08:30):
seasons of viral moments, split reviews and just about as
much TV drama on screen as off, and just like that,
the TV reboot that brought the Sex in the City
universe into the twenty twenties is coming to an end.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I just think a Gray ages you. No, you think
the Gray Ages you because if Laura friends and I'm
this age, you can't be whatever age you're pretending to be.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
For those late to the party, a quick explainer, The
series rebooted in twenty twenty one, catching up with Carrie Bradshaw,
Miranda Hobbs, and Charlotte York, now in their fifties, and
just like that, brought back old favorite characters, but notably
not Kim Katrell's Samantha, well except for a blink in
your Missic cameo in the second season.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Thank you for everything, you fucking fabulous fabulous flat.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
It introduced a new circle of younger and more diverse friends,
and threw the beloved trio into everything from widowhood and
sexual reinvention to clunky podcast scenes and gen Z parenting dilemmas.
Through it all, critics and fans have fiercely debated whether
the show's efforts to update and diversify the original magic
have worked. With topics from out of touch dialogue to
(09:41):
sudden character changes front and center in every recap, many
fans and reviewers felt the series became less about friendship
in New York and more an attempt to check boxes,
while others have relished seeing TV's most famous friends deal
with aging, loss and change. So does the show's ending matter,
(10:01):
what is its actual TV legacy? And what can other
reboots learn from such a public trial by social media?
See entertainment Right, Tara Watson has been all across the
show and it's fallout. Tara, we are finally bidding farewell
to carry Bradshaw and just like that is wrapping up.
But I want to know, like, was this show doomed
from the start? We had no Kim Katrell returning as
(10:24):
Samantha Patricia Field wasn't on board, she wasn't doing the costumes,
she was busy with Emily in Paris. Was it over
before it began?
Speaker 3 (10:32):
I mean in many fans' minds, yes. Not having the
core four in the show did unsettle a lot of
people because Samantha is an integral part of the show. Also,
she kind of balanced out the group in many ways,
and she brought a lot of humor to the dynamics,
So not having her was a big issue. But then
there was just season one that kicked off, and there
(10:54):
was some okay parts, but generally it just didn't feel
like the show anymore. It kind of looked like the show.
There was some interesting fashion, there was Kristen, Cynthia, Sarah,
Jessica Parker, but the scripts just didn't feel reminiscent at
all of this Sex and the City script, which was
so witty, irreverent, smart, it almost felt like an AI
(11:15):
script at times. It didn't have any like heart and
soul that Sex and the City had.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well. Initially, there was like a lot of backlash right
as these first few episodes from the first season trickled out.
There were people online accusing them of going full throttle
go voc or grow broke, what's your take on it.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah, so the woke elements did not feel natural to
that universe, and they really this first season especially, they
really did cram a lot of like wokeness into the show.
You had Charlotte's child coming out as non binary, which
actually didn't mind that storyline. I think that was actually fine.
But I think what a lot of people had issues
with was this character Shade Dash getting PTSD by Shay Diaz. Yeah,
(11:59):
they added a non binary character comedian who was just
like the worst character of all time that everyone hated.
And it didn't help that they kind of came along
and almost broke up Miranda and Steve, which was a
beloved couple and all of that. It didn't feel like
it was natural to that world. Also, they added a
few characters, so Seema, she almost stepped in as the
(12:20):
new Samantha, So I actually see my work pretty well
in the show. But then they added Naya, who is
this doctor who was kind of befriended Miranda, and she
really didn't work, and she didn't work so badly that
they just phased her out of the show completely.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
We just never spoke of her again.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
And then there was Lisa Todd Wexley, who was kind
of fun at times, but a lot of her storylines
felt very undercooked and you were just kind of like
not invested in that character.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Which as often the criticism when writers called out for
not having diverse characters and diverse storylines. So they throw
a bunch of people on color on screen, but then
underbake their characters.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Exactly, And the six seasons of the original show was
heavily criticized for having very little to no diversity. So
it was like they were making up for.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Eventually lost time almost too far the other direction.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Too far, but they didn't flesh out these characters. It
was very token in stick.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
So can we accuse them, the writers, of maybe phoning
it in a little bit? I mean, at one point
in this latest season they killed off a character for
the second time. Yeah, so funny. It's not big, by
the way, if you haven't gotten that far.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Yeah, No, Lisa's father, she'd been going through it. She's
lost her dad twice, once in season one and again
in season three. The writers tried to like cover that up,
saying that the first death was a step father. It
didn't really add up. So this just kind of shows
that they're just I don't know, each season they're not
really looking back of what they've done. They're just kind
of going along with it and I don't know, just
(13:50):
going through the motions, but they're not invested in what
they're writing and the characters and the story and just
like painting a full picture.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
It's almost like this show lost Samantha. It lost the
city and almost a little bit of the sex element
as well, but maybe most importantly, it's lost its heart.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Yeah, exactly, it's a very shallow show.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Parah.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I feel like you need to say one nice thing
about it.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Though, Okay, so I applaud Sarah Jessica Parker. I cannot
defend what's going on with Miranda, what's going with Charlotte,
because I think both of those actresses are not working
at their best in those roles and the material they've
been given is horrendous. Miranda is not Miranda anymore, let's
be clear. Sarah Jessica Parker, I think is still bringing
(14:33):
something to the table, and I think there are glimmers
of Carrie that do come through, and that's because Sarah
Jessica Parker is incredible and she knows that character so well,
so there has been moments like I think when dealing
with the grief of Big I actually thought that was
tackled really well. I think she recently broke up with
Aiden for the millionth time, and I think even though
(14:53):
they dragged that story light out way too long, I
actually got emotional and it was kind of the first
time in season three, which is not a good season,
it was the first time that season that I was like, oh,
I'm feeling something. And that's because of Sarah Jessica Parker.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
Sarah Jessica Parker has said, you know, Carrie Bradshaw has
been the backbone of her profession career for twenty seven years.
When Sex and the City ended, I think a lot
of people wondered, well, what will Carrie Bradshaw do in
the future, what would that look like? And just like that,
I don't know if that gives us the answer that
we're satisfied with, but that is the answer we were given.
(15:24):
It's now going to wrap up. We know that there'll
be a two part season finale in season three. What
do you think is the best way that we bid
farewell to these characters?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
They could do two roots right, They could do it
safe and they could do it risky. So I feel
like the safe way would be maybe m with Carrie
meeting a guy, maybe a new love is blossoming. Miranda's
you know, with her girlfriend who I don't really like,
but that's another story. And then Charlotte's happy with Harry.
I mean, that's probably how we'll end. Who knows. I
(15:54):
would prefer it ends with this is very dark. Harry dies,
Miranda gets rid of her girlfriend because that girlfriend is
really selfish and I don't like her at all, and
then Carrie ends up single, and then all the girls
end up single how they started, And it's kind of like,
it's a bit hopeful that life can go on. People
keep on going, and the datings doesn't end in your
(16:14):
twenties and thirties. It continues.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Will we eventually look back upon and just like that favorably.
I know that we're criticizing it, and there's lots to
be said about it now, but Sex and the City
was always this very much love show, and when we
look back at it with a twenty twenty five lens, like,
we understand that it was problematic. There are things about
it that were not perfectly framed, and if they did
it again, maybe they would do it differently. However, that
is like a universally loved show within just like that.
(16:40):
Will it eventually get the same reception? Do you think
in twenty years time people will look back at this
show how they look back now at Sex and the City.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
No, I think will pretend it didn't happen. The people
that enjoyed it will acknowledge it. But it will kind
of be like the Sex and the City two movie
that many fans might have included, just pretended to, just
pretend it didn't happen.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Okay, So the Sex and the City universe ends at
the end of the first film. For you, for me, yes,
thanks for taking some time to feed your mind with
us today. The Quikie is produced by me Taylorstrano, and
Clare Murphy, with audio production by Lou Hill.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!