SkimIt
Sex and the City was famous for its labels. From Manolo Blahnik to Prada, the show dropped all of the hot names of the day. This week's show focused on a different set of labels - the kind that people give you to tie your whole personality into a neat little bow. However, labels aren't always as they seem, and they are commonly oversimplified.
The Carrie Diaries starring AnnaSophia Robb airs on the CW Mondays at 8:00 pm ET.
Bad Boys are Sexier in French
In this episode, Carrie (AnnaSophia Robb) was rocking the out of control curls for the first time (they've been somewhat tame up until now). As episode 3 unfolded, the budding relationship between Carrie and Sebastian grew a little despite objections from dad, who knows he's trouble. After some snooping, Carrie discovered that Sebastian was one of her dad's clients - ultimate uh oh. She also found out that he was kicked out of his last school for hooking up with his art teacher. Suddenly, this blossoming teenage dream received the added dimensions of forbidden fruit and an experienced man.
It's a little weird to see Carrie acting responsibly - after all, this is the woman who would eventually spend her rent money on shoes (in her 30s. Not the beacon of good decision-making). However, 16-year-old Carrie is quite responsible on many levels - and not so much on others. It's okay though. It makes her relatable. We don't always want the main characters in our shows to be impossibly pulled together. The show would be a lot more boring that way.
Bad Boy Problems
Carrie was not the only one with boy problems. Mouse was planning on taking her Princeton boyfriend back with less pressure to be known as his girlfriend. Although Maggie and Carrie decided that Mouse's nerdy attire was not up to snuff for a date with a college boy. Meanwhile, back at the park, Carrie went on a forbidden date with Sebastian who took her breath away until she realized that he may have learned how to kiss from a teacher - eeewwww. Maggie, on the other hand, took the time to dramatically destroy all reminders of Walt, sacrificing a teddy bear in the process.
It's never comforting to think of your boyfriend's exes, but it's especially weird when you know that you are dating someone who went through a Mrs. Robinson phase. It could make anyone feel inadequate. I like that The Carrie Diaries still explores the complexity that accompanies relationships, but explores them from a place of immaturity. I also like that the producers didn't fluff it up too much. While it definitely isn't as explicit as its predecessor (and why would it be?), there is just enough edginess to make the show entertaining.
Never Let a Man Make Your Decisions
Later in this episode, Carrie met her first Samantha of sorts. She attended a performance art installation in which she was encouraged to embrace her own feminine wiles. Her girls stepped into their own as well. Mouse embraced her inner nerd and went on her own geeky date. Maggie embraced her drama queen and owned the dead teddy bear. Carrie embraced her power and made a decision to taste the forbidden fruit regardless of her dad's rules. Her stand on this issue complicated things with her dad, leading to the disappointment speech that inevitably accompanies the age of 16. He has come to realize that there is a new defiant daughter on his hands.
Either way, things have taken a bumpy turn. Carrie's snooping problem not only drove a wedge between she and her father, but it also caused the boy to bail. When you're 16, you tend to think that you know everything, and when your parents get upset, they don't know anything. However, parents tend to have a lot more perspective. Carrie didn't realize that her actions would cause the new relationship with Sebastian to derail, but like many situations, it boiled down to trust. This is a centralized theme of both shows, and it is a vital part of every relationship. Hopefully we haven't seen the end of the blonde bad boy.
