For those of you that have never come across the fabulous (mis) adventures of four of Manhatten's most sort after ladies then quite frankly you're too late! The show has been screened and completed but before that tear comes to your eye there's always the DVDs to catch up on what you've missed! Being an avid Sex and the City fan I eagerly awaited the release of the 6 series box set back in October and it now proudly sits on the shelves in my room in pride of place! So for those of you who are SATC virgins (excuse the pun) then here's what you've been missing...
** Synopsis **
The entire show is based around the lives of four women (Carrie, Samantha, Miranda & Charlotte) and follows the pleasures of sex, the pain of heartbreak and the sacred bond of friendship between them in their day to day lives on the streets of NYC. It's a mixture of wit, humour and the down right grit that life can throw at us.
The five previous series have followed the girls about their lives and we've seen Charlotte getting married and then divorced, Miranda being promoted and then demoted with the arrival of her baby, Samantha sleeping her way through NYC before falling for heart throb Richard and Carrie having a line of good looking boyfriends including the suave Mr Big and the more down to earth Aidan. For those of you who've never seen an episode before it's basically based around Carrie's newspaper column with each episode addressing a different issue which is played out in the girl's lives.
** Characters **
Carrie - the central character of the show played by Sarah Jessica Parker, a journalist with a column in the New York Times and also the proud author of a book too. She bases her weekly column on the ups and downs faced by her and her four best friends - never one to shy away from delicate or daring subjects. The main loves of her life are the famous Mr Big who appears in all the series as well as shoes - her weakness in life. Over the series she's had many relationships with a mixture of ups and downs as well as screened some of the most audacious and drastic outfits that have ever been shown on TV! She seems to be the lead character and possibly the greatest bond between the other 3 girls on the show. She's compassionate, daring and fashion forward to say the least!
Samantha - the man-eating character of the show played by Kim Cattrall, a high flying girl in the world of PR with many career AND sexual conquests under her belt! She's possibly the one you'll be least likely to relate to due to her fiery exterior and drive to get what she wants - although underneath it can be seen that she's just a girl craving love like the rest of us. Over the series she's had the most daring sexual relationships, been portrayed as a lesbian and a nymphomaniac as well as possibly being the character that's matured the most during the series and felt the most heartbreak. She's confidant, comical, and energetic - both in and out of the bedroom!
Miranda - possibly plays the most sensible and down to earth girl on the show and played by Cynthia Nixon. She plays a top criminal lawyer in the series and as such is possibly the most responsible character with the only one to maintain a long term relationship. Her character can perhaps be said to undergo the most transition over the series with the introduction of a baby boy! She's possibly the most humorous of the four, always with a witty comment to share - certainly makes me laugh! Dependable, smart and sensible - but not sensible enough to know when to give up on love!
Charlotte - the final character of the show that possibly possesses most of the "butter wouldn't melt" characteristic and played by Kristin Davies. She's optimistic in everything she encounters and believes that everyone deserves that happy ever after ending they are striving for. She's certainly the most likeable character, purely out of the fact she's one you'd just want to mother! Naïve, sweet and gullible - a little too much for her own good at times!
** Episodes **
So as not to spoil everything for you I'm just going to give you an overall summary of all the episodes as well as my personal thoughts on the series…
Disc 1 To Market, To Market Great Sexpectations The Perfect Present Pick A Little, Talk a Little
Disc 2 Lights, Camera, Relationship Hop, Skip and a Week The Post It Always Sticks Twice The Catch
Disc 3 A Woman's Right to Shoes Boy, Interrupted The Domino Effect One
Disc 4 Let there be Light The Ick Factor Catch-38 Out of the Frying Pan
Disc 5 The Cold War Splat! An American Girl in Paris (Part Une) An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)
** Summary **
This final series sees Carrie firstly embarking on a relationship with fellow author Jack Berger (known as Berger) but sadly due to a rather poor start in the bedroom and constant ex reminders the relationship doesn't work out. She has a short romance with high school boyfriend Jeremy (who then gets committed to a mental asylum) before embarking upon her last romance of the series with Alexander Petrovsky, an artist, who she agrees to move to Paris with at the end of the series - could this be the end of her Manhattan days with her 3 best friends?
Samantha's love life starts off just as hectic and energetic as previously with her upgrading to a stock brocker lover who gives her tips on making money. Early on in the series she has a vicious battle with another woman to gain the attention of a waiter "Smith," who later becomes her regular lover. She vows to help him make his career in acting until she discovers she has cancer. However she fights off the cancer, with the help of her new boyfriend Smith… and so will it finally end with Samantha having her man for good?
Miranda finally realises something most of the audience have known for a while now, she's still in love with old flame Steve who is father to her baby. Sadly it appears he's moved on and has a new love so she replaces her need for a man with a TV recording box of all things! Motherhood sees her maturing and growing the most but will reconciliation with Steve ever happen for her?
Charlotte again faces her own amount of heartbreak after undergoing a miscarriage in this series and discovering she won't be able to have children of her own. Her love life appears to be on the up with Harry, her lawyer, and she even converts her religion to be with him until an upset separates them. However their problems are sorted, she gets given a dog to spend some of her affection on but will they ever get a baby?
In retrospect this series is by far the best, for once we see the girls in a not so rosy light with them all facing hardships of their own, for example Charlotte and her miscarriage and Samantha with her cancer. We watch their lives unfold, the stories continue and finally come to an end - but that ending I won't be spoiling for you!
** Favourites **
My favourite has to be the last two episodes, the finale which was done in a double take. There isn't really a lot of suspense in the show itself but in these last two episodes I was was on the edge of my seat - would Carrie stay in Paris, alone or with Alexander, would she go home, alone or with Big?! So many options for the ending and as time ran out I really did start to worry for Carrie herself!
** DVD Casing **
This series is packaged in a somewhat classier way than previous series with it taking a traditional black and white approach. The inside of the casing is pink (a rather fitting colour for the show) and contains 5 DVD disks each showing a picture of one of the cast on it in black and white.
** DVD Extras **
As well as getting each of the episodes from this series there's also multiple extras that weren't previously shown on the other series. These include: -
~ Audio Commentaries by Producers (basically short interviews with the show's producers talking about this series, the characters and the finale of the show - it's nice to see the brains behind the show and learn a little more about their thoughts but something you'd only really watch once).
~ Interviews with the Four Main Cast Members (allows each of the cast to reflect on the show, their parts played and what the future may hold for them - this is really a bonus of the DVD set, it's so nice to see the characters acting normally - and how diff they are from their characters in SATC - it'll also give you an insight into their future and normal lives too for avid fans).
The age rating on this is a 15 which varies slightly from previous series which were given 18 ratings due to the high amount of sexual content they contained. I feel 15 is a suitable age rating to put on this series - there is sexual content as well as frequent usage of offensive language but it's not enough to warrant an 18 rating in my opinion.
** Availability & Cost **
The DVD is available from Amazon.co.uk for £22.99, from Play.com for £22.99 or from HMV for £29.99.
** Quotes **
"Sex with an ex can be depressing. If it's good, you don't have it anymore; if it's bad, you just had sex with an ex."
"The only thing I've ever successfully made in the kitchen is a mess. And several small fires."
"Do any of you have a completely unremarkable friend or maybe a houseplant I could go to dinner with on Saturday night?"
"F*ck me badly once, shame on you, f*ck me badly twice, shame on me!"
And of course the infamous critics quotes which have the final vote…
"Rarely has desperation been so intriguing, or so unabashedly sexy." (filmstew.com)
"Delicious, spicy and hot!" (Company magazine)
** Who Would Enjoy it? **
~ Not the Light Hearted - if you've got a bit of a weak stomach or aren't really a fan of sex scenes on TV (even those before the water shed) then this isn't really going to be your cup of tea... unless you want your eyes opening for you!
~ Not those who Lack Humour - if you've not got a sense of humour then you're not going to appreciate the pure genius' behind the SATC script, the humour is quite dry and sarcastic most of the time rather than laugh out loud comedy.
And a few qualities that will guarantee you will love the show... a great appreciation of fashion... especially shoes, a great sense of humour and just a need to be amused!
** Criticisms **
These really are quite few and far between with this series, it's reasonably priced and you get a good deal for what you pay. Of course some of the scenes and story lines are a little far fetched but if it don't entertain you and take you away from the dullness of reality then what's the point in buying it! My only main criticism really is that the show is now over - sob sob!
** Conclusion **
I've always been an avid Sex and the City fan, yes it's not the most realistic of programmes but it's always a relief to loose myself in the much more colourful and daring lives of the SATC cast! It is elaborated slightly, of course it has to be to make it so successfully entertaining but at the same time we do get glimpses of everyday reality and problems behind the fashionable and colourful exterior.
The acting is superb, I've always thought many American "soap" style programmes often lacked accurate actors - most of the time appearing to be a little wooden with rods up their backs, however I can take my hat off to this show - it's got a first class script as well as the best actors around to pull it off!
This season really does grow on you, even though it is possibly the most anti-men programme on the TV at present. It doesn't really portray men in a favourable light most of the time and really is shown to be from a woman's perspective. BUT don't let this put you off, we all like a good moan about men now and then and the ones I know that watch it agree with it half the time!
In my opinion this series is by far the best, it draws all the loose wires together and finally we can lay the girls and their love lives to rest, knowing the outcomes. It made me cry, it made me laugh and it made me hide my head in shame at the pursuits of each of them! Although the ending was slightly predictable (let's face it, we knew the outcome of it from series one really) it nonetheless lies the story to rest as all good things have to come to an end sooner or later.
plot-lines crackle with the usual cutting humour and candour of the previous series' but the concluding episodes also highlight the show's ability to capture the mood ...
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